William Creswell Naval Academy; some say it's the first step to becoming a great navy personnel, other's say it's the last place you want to be, but as Kate McGregor walked through the iron gates of what had been said to be one of Australia's top ranking schools, her opinion became set, it was the former.
She could see the vast green grounds and the massive building that was the Academy just in front of her. She watched as other students or 'lieutenants' as most were dubbed, went about the start of their daily routines, whether it was jogging around the grounds, doing homework under one of the many trees or doing yoga under the already burning sun.
They were all wearing some sort of school uniform, and Kate looked down at her own academy attire: white pants, white shirt, white shoes. The hat she wore too, she knew to be white, and she wondered to herself who had insisted upon making the uniforms in the most easily stained colour in the world. Why not black or blue? She scoffed at her own stupidity; because black is the colour of mourning and blue is already taken by the RAAF. Still, she was willing to argue her point to change the uniforms to a colour that was at some sort of decency to not get stained easily.
Shaking her head in annoyance she continued walking down the gravel driveway and then turned left. Looking for the girls' sleeping quarters, she came across another girl dressed in the same white uniform. Going over to her she tapped her on the shoulder. The girl turned around, a big smile on her face, and Kate said, "Excuse me, I'm new here; can you please tell me where the girls' sleeping quarters are?"
"Yeah sure," the girl replied. "Follow me." She headed off in the direction Kate had been heading to before she asked for guidance, and Kate followed beside her.
They walked together in silence for about a minute, before the girl who Kate had observed to have brown hair and eyes with a personality she guessed to be bubbly and yet sophisticated, spoke, "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself, I'm Nikki Caetano."
She held out a hand and Kate shook it, replying, "I'm Kate McGregor. How long have you been here at WCNA?"
"Oh, well, this year I'm turning seventeen and I started when I was twelve so I guess that makes it–"
"Six years this year," cut in Kate. Then noticing the frown on Nikki's face she added, "I'm sorry. I have a tendency to finish off other people's equations or sentences. Its habit I'm trying to break, but I'm failing terribly. Anyway, can you tell me a little about the school? I've read about it on the internet and read about it in articles, but I want to get the opinion of a student who actually goes here. I mean I know who the Admiral is and things like that, but I want to know if there are any secrets to get through the school. "
Nikki laughed. "Okay, sure. Um, I guess I should say that the secret to getting through a year here is to stay on top of your work, make sure that your uniform is always clean and the number one rule: stay on the good side of the Admiral." She paused a minute, thinking. "Then moving on to more important things, the cutest guy in the entire school is the Admiral's son, Mike Flynn; but I myself like Josh Holiday, a friend of his."
Nikki blushed, tilting her head to the side. "I'm yet to gain the courage to tell him though. I mean we talk and stuff, go out to parties on the weekend with a few of his mates but that's about it."
"Well, I wish I could help you there, but I can't. I don't exactly have the best experience with boys. I rarely go out and usually keep to myself. Just asking you where the girls' sleeping quarters are, is an achievement, social wise for me."
"Honestly? You seem to be the sort of person who can stand up for herself, can give speeches about important subjects, and who can manage to snag any guy she wants."
Kate rolled her eyes. "I just act as to what people imagine me to be, strong willed and commanding, but really, deep down, I'm just a quiet teenager who gets shy when around an extremely cute guy."
Nikki turned to her, smiling. "Is that so? Well then, it looks like I'm going to have build up that confidence of yours. Are you seriously shy when it comes to cute guys? Or just the ones you like?"
"Okay. I'm just shy around the guys I like. I can stand up and speak to any other male or whatever. I could probably speak up to the Admiral if I wanted to. But, if it's a guy I like, like I said, I'm instantly shy."
"So if I was to say that the handsome Mike Flynn was coming in our direction, what would you do?" asked Nikki looking behind her.
Kate shrugged. "I don't know. I haven't seen him in a while and thus I can't exactly make an opinion on whether I'll swoon or just treat him like any other male I know. Why are you asking? Is he following us?" She looked behind, noticing a blue eyed boy, dressed in his white uniform with messy brown hair eyeing them. Turning around swiftly, Kate felt her heart pound against her chest.
"I take that you've formed your opinion?" asked Nikki, raising an eyebrow at how flushed Kate had become.
Kate smiled, breathing out. "I think I've seen him before."
"Really? I don't think he's ever been to any other high school. How could you have seen him?" replied Nikki.
But before Kate could respond, she felt a hand tap her on the shoulder. Stopping, she turned around again, coming face to face with the boy that she and Nikki had only just been speaking about. Putting down her luggage, she felt herself blush before saluting.
Nikki did the same, save the blushing and instead just smiled and asked, "How was your Christmas holiday Commander Flynn?"
The man turned to look at Nikki, a firm expression set in his features, before he broke into a smile. "Yeah, it was great. We spent it over in Darwin with my grandparents. Went to the beach every day, and had a barbeque for Christmas and New Years; how about you?"
"Oh, we just went down to Sydney, watched the fireworks and all. It was great, but I'd rather have gone to Darwin, would've been more fun. Did you go see the ships there in the harbour?"
"Yeah I did, just before we left. My dad had to clear a few things up at the navy base. I met many people who claim to have met me when I was a lot younger, but I don't remember meeting any of them." He shook his head, smiling at the memory.
He turned back to look at Kate, the seriousness that melted away now set firmly back in place. He didn't like her, and Kate knew that. Nikki looked at him as he turned away watching as his happy expression changed; suddenly she remembered that Kate was standing beside her. "Oh! How rude of me, Lieutenant Kate McGregor, this is Commander Mike Flynn; Commander –"
"We've met before Lieutenant Caetano," cut in Mike, flashing a small smile before it disappeared.
Nikki frowned. "Really? Kate, you never told me that you actually knew Commander Flynn. I thought you said you'd just seen him."
Kate gave Nikki a sideways glance. "It was a long time ago, and is a very long tale. And I'm sorry, but I can't tell you it, because it is private. I don't mean to sound so harsh but like I said it is private and a story that needs each person's permission to tell."
"I completely understand," said Nikki, putting both palms up.
Mike narrowed his eyes at Kate. "Lieutenant Caetano you may go back to what you were previously doing; I'll escort Lieutenant McGregor to her sleeping quarters." And with a swift nod, he picked up Kate's bag without asking and led the way.
Kate eyed him as his long stride took him in the direction she was heading in before he had interrupted her and Nikki, and she apologised to her new found friend. "I guess he's showing me where to go. Sorry Nikki. I'll see you in class?"
"I'll save you a seat!" she called. Kate waved before running to catch up with Mike. Slowing down as she came up beside him, she coughed slightly before asking him, "Did you have to be so rude?"
Mike looked down at her, scoffing. "I can be as rude as I want Lieutenant. I am a commander here at WCNA, and it is not your right to question how I act."
"I have every right to question how you act. Is it your aim Commander Flynn to anger every new student who comes to this school, or is just the ones that have a history with you?"
He stopped. Turning his body fully to face her, he asked, anger lacing his voice in bucketfuls, "What are you doing here? Why? I thought you were supposed to be enrolled at some private school in Melbourne."
"What's it to you why I'm here? You're a commander; you shouldn't have to care why people are enrolled at this school – let alone someone you fell in love with."
He turned away, and continued walking. Kate followed beside him, matching his stride, and walking in an equally angry manner. She heard him mutter something before he started speaking more loudly. "Well I can tell you for certain, I've fallen out of love with you. And now that you're here, I'm going to make sure that you know it every day."
"You're going to try and make me suffer for something that happened when we were fourteen? That was three years ago Mike! Three years ago, and you're going to make me suffer? We fell in love, and now we've fallen out of it. Nobody deserves to suffer because of that. And remember, you were the one that left, not me. I'm the one suppose to be angry, not you; and yet, it's the other way around."
By now they had come to the entrance of their destination. Mike dropped her bag and without even looking over his shoulder, shoved past her. Kate turned around, watching as he marched off. Shaking her head, she picked up her bag and entered the sleeping quarters. What happened to the boy I used to know?