Rust and Coordinates: Boy, I'll Be Waiting for You at the Border

They first noticed each other on the September honor roll. Chocolate crumbs at the military training grounds shattered a boy's budding heart. Through three years of high school, their unspoken understanding over hot water and shared notes concealed a companionship and devotion tucked between the lines. She fought her way toward her dream of serving on the frontier; he grew, step by step, following the light she cast. From classroom desks to the national border, from green young students to frontier defenders, rust became a medal of time, and their destination remained unchanged. Across mountains and seas, with no promise of when they would return, this time, I'll wait for you at the frontier.