Michael's world tilted a little bit at that, fear gripping his chest. He didn't want Alex to leave (or, well, he did, because he should get out of here, but Michael was gonna be wrecked when he went) at all, but it wasn't like this was really peacetime. It seemed like every day the news was talking about servicemen and women dying due to IEDs or insurgent firefights. Death had always sort of been this far-off thing, like it was for most teenagers, but Rosa's death had changed that, shown Michael how fast life could be gone, and the thought of Alex going off into that...and, worse, going off into it when he didn't want to....

His arm tightened around alex and he turned his face into him, in turn. "You don't have to do what he says if you don't want to," he said, a little urgently. "He can't make you join up, and now that we've graduated...you can go anywhere. You don't have to stay with him."

Michael knew the fear all too well, and it had been terrifying stepping out on his own, but less terrifying than staying in the home he'd been in. Yeah, sure, he lived in his truck, but that had mostly been because he figured he'd be going to college. Without that, now...he'd find a place. He had his job at the junkyard, and Sanders was keeping him on, even with his hand busted.

"He's had all the control, 'til now, but you don't have to let him keep it."