She pushed her hair out of her face, a decidedly feminine gesture. She was one of the best veterans that had been placed Dragon Army, and was one of only a few females. Ender immediately took in her nametag, which said "VELA" next to the dot matrix that indicated her rank. He had remembered seeing her name fairly high in the standings, but had assumed she was male. "What is it?" he asked her briskly. He had no time for pleasantries, but she had requested a private meeting with her commander. He was rule-bound to oblige her.
"Look, I just wanted to let you know that you don't know this army yet. I know most of the vets. They either from my launch group or the one right after. They know me. They know I be good." She drew out the last word. Her language was slipping into the soldier's slangy way of talking, the tone most would never dare take with their commander. "They don't care I'm a girl. I showed 'em quick that it don't matter who you are or where you from, you can be damn good."
"You perform as well as you talk and we'll see about getting you a toon," Ender said. It was the same response he'd given Bean just that morning. "Now get to class." He pushed past her and walked back into the bunks.
She followed him at a respectful distance, head held high to show that there had been no argument. She was taller than most of the others, having been brought to the school a year later than most at fourteen. Besides that, she was not a sharpshooter like a certain someone that had gone into space with her that had already befriended the prodigal commander. Constantly overlooked, she had grown used to being an outcast, unlike Petra who had fit right in, climbed the ranks almost as quickly as Ender. Everyone with them had assumed that as the only two girls in the group they would stick together, but as she was left in Petra's dust, people stopped thinking that soon enough.
One of the younger boys bumped into her. He hadn't met her yet. "Who are you, Stretchy?" A nearby boy, also young and small, laughed sycophantically. "Geddit, cos she's so tall and scrawny like she's been all stretched out! Ha!"
"Name's Cole," she said, shoving the little bugger out of the way roughly.
"That's a boy's name!" he called after her, hoping to get a last jab in as he rubbed his arm where it had hit a bed.
"It's a boy's school," Cole tossed over her shoulder.
The rest of the army moved out of her way as she swung her lanky frame into her top bunk near the back of the room. They knew better than to mess with her.
First time writing for Ender's Game, woo! This is basically going to be me ranting about how Petra shouldn't have had as big of a role in the film as she did…but it will be a lovely well-written story as well! Heh.
Let the Anniversary Update Binge begin!