The regular squads were followed by a team dressed in black t-shirts. All of them were male, with short hair and hardened expressions. But as they swept by, and I scanned their faces, one in particular caught my eye. My stomach flopped.
He was tall, six-three maybe, with a look that could kill. His dark eyes were set under a heavy brow and over a set of prominent cheekbones. They were focused solely ahead, as though we were nothing more than furniture.
The word "Elite" stretched in white across his broad shoulders in the back. The rest of the group had the same word across their backs.
"So they do exist," Jack murmured. "Rumor had it that they were, well, just that - rumors."
I didn't answer. I was still staring at where they'd disappeared into the cafeteria.
"Falcon?"
"What? Yeah, of course."
Jack rolled her eyes.
"Let's go cadets."
Wolf led us into the cafeteria and dismissed us to get lunch. Jack and I grabbed our lunches, two meat and veggie wraps with potato chips and a sports drink, then took our seats. I noticed the middle table, which had been deserted for the past several weeks, now had occupants - the Elite.
"What do you think they did to get put on the Elite squad?"
Jack shrugged. "Wolf said they were the best. Exceptional."
"Huh," I mused. "How long does it take to make Elite?"
She laughed. "Are you kidding? No female has ever made the Elite squad."
Whippet took a seat with us. "She's right," he said. "You don't stand a chance."
"Oh really? And how do y'all know so much? After all, they were just rumors weren't they?"
"Just because they were rumors doesn't mean there wasn't fact mixed in," Whippet said.
I rolled my eyes, their comments smarting. "Whatever."
As I ate, ignoring the conversation around me, my gaze wandered back to the middle table. There were five of them at the table for six. The largest one looked to be six-six, somewhere between 200 and 250 pounds, and was probably also the oldest one. His jaw was square, his hair short and light. Next to him was a redhead, solidly built like the others, and next to the redhead was an empty seat. Facing them was the guy that had caught my attention in the hallway and another male, Asian, with black hair, dark eyes, and a snake tattooed on his arm. At the end of that side was a final male, with short blonde air and striking blue eyes.
None of them were talking. Despite the chatter around them, they kept their attention focused on their food and each other.
"Who are these people?" I wondered aloud. "They behave like - "
The door to the cafeteria swung open suddenly, knocking back against the wall and startling the entire room - except the middle table, I noted.
A female swept into the room, long blond hair pulled into a ponytail, allowing the entire room tho see the big, white "Elite" across the back of her black shirt. I glanced at Jack and Whippet, both of whom were staring.
"What were you saying?" I muttered, a smug smile crossing my face as the girl slid into the empty seat at the middle table.
"Shit."
Friday, September 23, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
This one's just for me. No additional plot line.
He was already waiting for me when I got home from class.
"Hey."
I sighed heavily and dropped my backpack to the ground near the dining room table, not bothering to make sure my computer wasn't jostled too much. His eyes followed me until I reached where he sat on the sofa and collapsed next to him.
"How was the test?"
My eyes sank closed and I leaned into him. "I failed."
Logan lifted his arm and draped it over my shoulders. I slid down a bit more, resting my head solidly on his chest.
"I'm sure you did fine."
I hadn't. I knew I hadn't. That test was a brutal SOB and even after spending every evening in the library for the past week, I still didn't understand half of the material. Logan had done his best to help, and to a point he had, but there was just something about multivariable calculus that wouldn't stick with me. Yesterday I thought I had it. I thought I had gotten enough of a grasp on it that I would be okay and could possibly scrape by with a 'C'. Now, I wasn't sure I even got a 'D'.
"Are you alright?" His voice was soft, it was always soft, but there was an extra splash of concern.
My frown deepened and I didn't answer. I just wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled closer. Logan's hand settled onto my side and stroked back and forth in lazy motions. My eyes drifted closed as I willed myself to stop dwelling on the test, there was nothing I could do now, and to focus on the steady cadence of his heart against his chest and the even thrum of his breathing.
"Come on," Logan murmured after a few minutes. "Let's go."
"Go where?" I grumbled, straightening up.
He gave me an easy smile. "Just grab a sweatshirt and come with me."
"Fine." I would humor him. I wasn't in the mood to start a fight anyway.
I grabbed an old hoodie from my closet and then let Logan lace his fingers through mine and lead me out to his truck. He opened the door for me and then jogged to the driver's side and slid in.
"Are you ever going to tell me?"
He just smiled and gazed intently out the windshield, his pale blue eyes shining. It didn't take us long to reach wherever we were going. Logan took the highway to a small road, turned off it, followed a gravel path for about a half a mile and then cut the lights and shut off the engine.
"Let's go."
He hopped out of the truck and I followed, wondering why in the world we were in the middle of nowhere at nine o'clock at night. Logan flipped down the tailgate and climbed up. He reached a hand down to me, which I accepted, and hauled me into the bed of the truck. A couple picnic blankets were spread across it and he sank down, puling me with him.
"Logan," I started to whine.
"Shh..." He pulled me between his legs and up against his chest, wrapping his arms tight around my middle. "Look," he whispered, his breath tickling my ear as he pointed up.
The sky looked like God had spilled glitter across it. Stars twinkled from millions of light years away, the moon was rising steadily, burning full and bright, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky to obscure the view.
"It's gorgeous," I breathed as my body relaxed against his and I sank just a little deeper into his arms.
"Just take a deep breath, forget about the test for now, and relax..." He drew the two syllables of the last word out.
I obeyed. The air was heavy with the scent of grass and trees, a breeze fluttered through the leaves, carrying with it hints of the oddly scented river water flowing in the Brazos nearby, and I could vaguely make out burning wood, a hint at the destruction the wildfires were causing to the southeast of us.
"Feeling better?"
"Much," I admitted breathily.
"Good."
For a long time we just sat snuggled together, staring at the sky, listening to the cicadas and crickets, the distant call of a passing train, and the rustle of foliage as the wind flitted around and through it. Somehow Logan had known exactly what I had needed and I loved him for it. His fingertips traced mindless patterns across the exposed skin on my hip, I could feel his heart beat steadily against my back, and he hummed softly. There was no way for me to know whether it had been ten minutes or an hour before my eyes drifted closed, my bones turned to jello, and my mind drifted off to dreamland. I had been so tired...so very tired...
"Hey."
I sighed heavily and dropped my backpack to the ground near the dining room table, not bothering to make sure my computer wasn't jostled too much. His eyes followed me until I reached where he sat on the sofa and collapsed next to him.
"How was the test?"
My eyes sank closed and I leaned into him. "I failed."
Logan lifted his arm and draped it over my shoulders. I slid down a bit more, resting my head solidly on his chest.
"I'm sure you did fine."
I hadn't. I knew I hadn't. That test was a brutal SOB and even after spending every evening in the library for the past week, I still didn't understand half of the material. Logan had done his best to help, and to a point he had, but there was just something about multivariable calculus that wouldn't stick with me. Yesterday I thought I had it. I thought I had gotten enough of a grasp on it that I would be okay and could possibly scrape by with a 'C'. Now, I wasn't sure I even got a 'D'.
"Are you alright?" His voice was soft, it was always soft, but there was an extra splash of concern.
My frown deepened and I didn't answer. I just wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled closer. Logan's hand settled onto my side and stroked back and forth in lazy motions. My eyes drifted closed as I willed myself to stop dwelling on the test, there was nothing I could do now, and to focus on the steady cadence of his heart against his chest and the even thrum of his breathing.
"Come on," Logan murmured after a few minutes. "Let's go."
"Go where?" I grumbled, straightening up.
He gave me an easy smile. "Just grab a sweatshirt and come with me."
"Fine." I would humor him. I wasn't in the mood to start a fight anyway.
I grabbed an old hoodie from my closet and then let Logan lace his fingers through mine and lead me out to his truck. He opened the door for me and then jogged to the driver's side and slid in.
"Are you ever going to tell me?"
He just smiled and gazed intently out the windshield, his pale blue eyes shining. It didn't take us long to reach wherever we were going. Logan took the highway to a small road, turned off it, followed a gravel path for about a half a mile and then cut the lights and shut off the engine.
"Let's go."
He hopped out of the truck and I followed, wondering why in the world we were in the middle of nowhere at nine o'clock at night. Logan flipped down the tailgate and climbed up. He reached a hand down to me, which I accepted, and hauled me into the bed of the truck. A couple picnic blankets were spread across it and he sank down, puling me with him.
"Logan," I started to whine.
"Shh..." He pulled me between his legs and up against his chest, wrapping his arms tight around my middle. "Look," he whispered, his breath tickling my ear as he pointed up.
The sky looked like God had spilled glitter across it. Stars twinkled from millions of light years away, the moon was rising steadily, burning full and bright, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky to obscure the view.
"It's gorgeous," I breathed as my body relaxed against his and I sank just a little deeper into his arms.
"Just take a deep breath, forget about the test for now, and relax..." He drew the two syllables of the last word out.
I obeyed. The air was heavy with the scent of grass and trees, a breeze fluttered through the leaves, carrying with it hints of the oddly scented river water flowing in the Brazos nearby, and I could vaguely make out burning wood, a hint at the destruction the wildfires were causing to the southeast of us.
"Feeling better?"
"Much," I admitted breathily.
"Good."
For a long time we just sat snuggled together, staring at the sky, listening to the cicadas and crickets, the distant call of a passing train, and the rustle of foliage as the wind flitted around and through it. Somehow Logan had known exactly what I had needed and I loved him for it. His fingertips traced mindless patterns across the exposed skin on my hip, I could feel his heart beat steadily against my back, and he hummed softly. There was no way for me to know whether it had been ten minutes or an hour before my eyes drifted closed, my bones turned to jello, and my mind drifted off to dreamland. I had been so tired...so very tired...
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Zombie Apocolypse
THWACK!
My backpack collided solidly with his head, which popped, with a sickeningly wet sound, off his shoulders and flew across the grass where it rolled a couple times before coming to a stop. I knew I shouldn't have taken the time to make coffee. All it did was make me late. And being late meant a greater chance of attack.
I swung my backpack over my shoulder, glad it was Tuesday. That business law book was freaking heavy, and it sucked lugging it to class everyday, but it made an amazing weapon. His body was still twitching as I stepped carefully over it and jogged toward the building. A swipe of my ID card unlocked the solid steel doors, which took a woefully large amount of strength to open. I managed to get it wide enough to slip inside, into the cool air of the business building, and then leaned back into it until it banged closed.
The smell of rotting flesh followed me up the stairs as I headed for my classroom.
"Nice of you to join us," Dr. Moore said as I stepped into my finance class.
"Sorry," I panted. "I was - "
"We know," he told me, waving his gnarled hand flippantly at the window along the back wall. "Nice form."
I smiled sheepishly. "Thank you."
Dr. Moore nodded curtly. "Now, please go wash your backpack in the restroom so the zombie stench won't asphyxiate the rest of the class."
My backpack collided solidly with his head, which popped, with a sickeningly wet sound, off his shoulders and flew across the grass where it rolled a couple times before coming to a stop. I knew I shouldn't have taken the time to make coffee. All it did was make me late. And being late meant a greater chance of attack.
I swung my backpack over my shoulder, glad it was Tuesday. That business law book was freaking heavy, and it sucked lugging it to class everyday, but it made an amazing weapon. His body was still twitching as I stepped carefully over it and jogged toward the building. A swipe of my ID card unlocked the solid steel doors, which took a woefully large amount of strength to open. I managed to get it wide enough to slip inside, into the cool air of the business building, and then leaned back into it until it banged closed.
The smell of rotting flesh followed me up the stairs as I headed for my classroom.
"Nice of you to join us," Dr. Moore said as I stepped into my finance class.
"Sorry," I panted. "I was - "
"We know," he told me, waving his gnarled hand flippantly at the window along the back wall. "Nice form."
I smiled sheepishly. "Thank you."
Dr. Moore nodded curtly. "Now, please go wash your backpack in the restroom so the zombie stench won't asphyxiate the rest of the class."
Falcon & Jaguar (4)
Andrew stirred in the passenger seat.
"How long was I out?"
I set my coffee in the cup holder. "About two hours."
"Jesus Christ..."
"You were tired. I don't blame you."
He straightened up and ran a hand through his mussed curls. "Do you want me to drive for a while?"
I shook my head. "I'm okay."
"Are you sure?"
My gaze flicked from the road to his eyes. Dark circles were inlaid under them, and their usual slate gray, almost silver color, was dull.
"It keeps my mind off things I don't want to think about and lets me think about things I haven't gotten the chance to think about yet."
"Oh."
We lapsed into silence as I returned my eyes to road.
"You turned off the radio."
"Nothing good on."
He hummed an acknowledgement and then asked: "So what have you thought about?"
Andrew's voice was soft, mildly curious, but still respectful about the fact that I might not want to answer.
"I - "
My throat closed up and I couldn't finish the sentence. I was going to bullshit an answer, but I couldn't even do that. I shifted uncomfortably, the seatbelt suddenly feeling too constricting.
"I'm sorry," he answered quietly.
This time I was able to choke out a response. "Not your fault."
I saw him nod in my peripheral vision and turn his face towards the window. A wave of gratitude that he wasn't watching flooded me as tears slid silently down my face. My blurred vision stayed on the road as I breathed through my mouth to keep the sniffling at bay. As we passed another sign giving us mileage to Omaha, I felt Andrew's hand slide into mine. He squeezed gently and I returned the gesture. I meant to let go, but I hadn't. Instead, I clung tightly to his hand, fighting desperately to keep myself together.
Neither of us said anything and I wasn't sure whether that was because we didn't have anything to say, we didn't want to say anything, or if it was simply because we didn't need to say anything. Everything that could have been voiced was already expressed, silently, with his simple and profound gesture. We'd gone from comrades to friends with a single touch.
As the others started to wake in the backseat, I was sure Andrew would pull away so that we didn't raise suspicions, but he didn't. He just continued to let his thumb stroke back and forth across mine as we both watched the empty highway disappear under the tires.
"How long was I out?"
I set my coffee in the cup holder. "About two hours."
"Jesus Christ..."
"You were tired. I don't blame you."
He straightened up and ran a hand through his mussed curls. "Do you want me to drive for a while?"
I shook my head. "I'm okay."
"Are you sure?"
My gaze flicked from the road to his eyes. Dark circles were inlaid under them, and their usual slate gray, almost silver color, was dull.
"It keeps my mind off things I don't want to think about and lets me think about things I haven't gotten the chance to think about yet."
"Oh."
We lapsed into silence as I returned my eyes to road.
"You turned off the radio."
"Nothing good on."
He hummed an acknowledgement and then asked: "So what have you thought about?"
Andrew's voice was soft, mildly curious, but still respectful about the fact that I might not want to answer.
"I - "
My throat closed up and I couldn't finish the sentence. I was going to bullshit an answer, but I couldn't even do that. I shifted uncomfortably, the seatbelt suddenly feeling too constricting.
"I'm sorry," he answered quietly.
This time I was able to choke out a response. "Not your fault."
I saw him nod in my peripheral vision and turn his face towards the window. A wave of gratitude that he wasn't watching flooded me as tears slid silently down my face. My blurred vision stayed on the road as I breathed through my mouth to keep the sniffling at bay. As we passed another sign giving us mileage to Omaha, I felt Andrew's hand slide into mine. He squeezed gently and I returned the gesture. I meant to let go, but I hadn't. Instead, I clung tightly to his hand, fighting desperately to keep myself together.
Neither of us said anything and I wasn't sure whether that was because we didn't have anything to say, we didn't want to say anything, or if it was simply because we didn't need to say anything. Everything that could have been voiced was already expressed, silently, with his simple and profound gesture. We'd gone from comrades to friends with a single touch.
As the others started to wake in the backseat, I was sure Andrew would pull away so that we didn't raise suspicions, but he didn't. He just continued to let his thumb stroke back and forth across mine as we both watched the empty highway disappear under the tires.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)