Chapter 10:
Spartan Kelly-087 was looking for someone. In specific, she was looking for John. She felt like she should apologize for her performance during their last mission. She had spoken out of turn against Lieutenant Martin and then had failed to protect her when it had mattered most. Kelly knew she was better than that, and she didn't want John to think she was falling short. She felt like she needed to apologize.
Kelly didn't have to look long. John was in the mess hall, sitting by himself and thinking. Where Kelly normally would have walked right over to him and sat down next to him, today she paused a moment. She was always more conscious of those around her after a battle; any one of them could have died. Kelly didn't know what she would do without John. He was her leader, but he was so much more. Sam had taken so much of Kelly when he died that if John died too, Kelly feared there would be nothing left of her. The three of them had been so close for so long…
The Spartan watched her leader and friend, just admiring him. She loved the way he looked, loved the way he moved… She knew by the way he sat that he was deep in thought. She had John memorized. After so many years, it would have been hard not to.
John sighed and Kelly was broken from her trance. "Kelly," he whispered.
A smile broke across Kelly's face and she moved towards him again. "I didn't know you knew I was here," she commented, smiling as she slid into the chair next to John.
He flinched and turned towards her in surprise. "I didn't," he admitted.
Kelly frowned in confusion. "But you said my name."
Something changed behind John's eyes, and Kelly instinctively knew what was coming. "I'm sorry, I guess I did. Wrong Kelly though," he laughed slightly.
To the female Spartan, though, it wasn't a laughing matter. She tried to pass it off as such, but her insides were suddenly filled with lead. She was the wrong Kelly? She'd been the Kelly with him for almost forever! How was she the wrong Kelly?
She continued talking with John, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Somehow, she would change that. It should be her John was thinking of, not the green lieutenant. Apology entirely forgotten, Kelly started scheming. The other Kelly was the wrong Kelly, and somehow, soon, Kelly would figure out a way to change John's backwards thinking.