The clock chimed to the halfway mark of the hour; it was already 8:30.
"I'll clean off tha table. I'll catch up with you mates after I'm done." Sniper nodded in my direction and I smiled kindly at him before Demo and Scout took me up on their shoulders.
"We're gonna 'ave a party, Schro! I'll be damned if ya leave this base without gittin' stupid!" Demo cackled as he took another swig of his triple X's.
"She ez not 'gittin' stupid' tonight. Although it would be easier to get information out of her, she needs to be presentable when she arrives at zhe other team's base." Spy lit a cigarette and smiled down at me.
It was at that moment that I realized: They're all my friends; we're close enough to be family. I've only been here a day, yet we're acting like we've known each other a lifetime. Tears threatened to escape from my eyes, but I fought them back.
"Real warriors do not show their feelings…" Soldier spat out weakly as a small trail of tears left his war-torn face. Poor guy. I noticed a couple of others crying silently, acting joyous all the way to the poker room. That's all it was, an act. My lips attempted to curl up into a smirk, but they trembled; I let the tears glide down my face, not even bothering to wipe them away. They're tears of pride.
::
Sniper curled up in front of one of the cabinets in the kitchen. He couldn't help but wish that the thunderstorm would develop into a rainstorm and cancel out any chances of having a battle tomorrow, but he knew it had already dissipated. A sad chuckle left his lips as he looked up at the ceiling, remembering a conversation he'd heard from Schro while they were unloading from the van. She was talking to Medic at the time.
"Vhere did you get that scar on your arm, Herr Schrodinger?"
"I got it while baking apple crisp. Burned the flesh around it, but dang, that crisp tasted good. Made the pain worth it."
"It looks old, how many years ago did it happen?" A sly appearance formed in Medic's eyes.
"Heh, I'd think you knew me better than to think I'd fall for that." She punched him in the shoulder in a teasing manner. They both laughed about it for a bit before the skipping scene. Sniper couldn't help but feel like he should follow, a tugging at his heart pained for him to go, too. In the end, he just ambled into the kitchen to ask Spy if he needed help with cooking. The two got into a furious argument and threw ingredients all over the kitchen. Sad, how they had just cleaned it the night before and already it was filthy.
"I wonder if she even told anyone about that burn when she got it… That Schrodinger…" He chuckled darkly to himself as he held his head in his hands, unable to move. Emotions clouded his thoughts. He didn't want to see Schrodinger's face right now. Her beautiful smile, so hypnotic and enchanting. But that wasn't what drew him in. It was her attitude. She was in the middle of war, yet she always smiled. Giggling at the slightest thing. She was a blessing, yes, but he didn't want to see her get hurt. That's what scared him the most, as he stood up groggily. He took his glasses off of the kitchen table and began his journey to his room. So many things left unsaid…
::
"Oh my God, you guys did this for me? Okay, this is a bit cheesy, but thank you guys." Schrodinger galloped around the poker room that was decorated with streamers and balloons. I watched silently as the others filed into the room, wiping tears from their eyes and taking their seats at the poker table. The cigarette in my mouth tasted sweeter than it should've.
"Ya joinin' us, spook?" Scout took out a plate full of cupcakes, setting them in front of Schrodinger. Her face held a dazzling beauty as she flashed all of us that award winning spotlight of a smile. It was nearly impossible to escape the effects of it. It seemed to exude happiness and love. My lips curled up into a thin line as I joined the jackals at their drunken going away party. I noticed Schrodinger grab a bottle of beer.
"Non, petite. You must stay so-" As I grabbed it from her hands, I noticed it was filled with a white liquid. Milk? How innocent.
"'ow did you do zhat? Zhere ez no way you filled zhis bottle with milk without any of us noticing." She looked at the bottle, then at me. She gave me a sideways grin and shrugged. Sassy! As if she didn't know. I felt the desire to ring her neck, demanding an answer, but I fought back the urge. I gave back the bottle with a sly grin.
"Someday I will know 'ow you do zhese things, petite."
"Maybe. But until then, I'm going to get hammered off of milk. Ya mind?" I felt my face grow warm, thankful that my mask hid my blush.
"Non, go right ahead."
She politely sipped the milk, her eyes smiling at me. I found myself filled with this ecstasy of emotion, one that I hadn't encountered before.
"Little Schro will come back after Neutral break?"
"Probably. I'll have to ask the Admin what I'm supposed to do after the weekend."
"Vell, since the neutral base vill be finished on Friday, I doubt she vill tell you to come back to our bases. From Monday on, you vill be a permanent neutral party, probably." A thick silence hovered over the table. What he'd said made perfect sense, but for some reason, I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to deny that she wasn't going to be able to spend time with us anymore. I took another drag of my cigarette. Such a sobering thought. Not being able to see one of your best friends, even though they're right next to you.
::
I sipped my milk calmly. This was exactly what I wanted in the beginning, so why did it feel so wrong? It felt like it did when I got separated from Maverick and the others. A hole formed in my heart, allowing these men to worm their way in, past all my defences. I had put up the best act that I could, yet I found myself loving them all in the end.
I'm too good of an actress. I knew it'd catch up to me someday.
Yeah, but you'll find others to entertain you.
It isn't about entertainment.
Then what is it?
Well, it's about the relations I have with these people.
Relations?
Yeah. When you first meet a person, you develop a profile on them. When you get to know them better, you learn what they're really like. That allows conversations and relationships to form. After a long time, of course.
So, these guys are all your sluts?
No, Drake, not at all. You didn't understand anything I just said, did you?
Nope.
Eli, did you?
Of course. I understand the importance of developing relationships with others. If you don't want to be lonely all your life, that is.
So… I'm going to be alone forever because I don't understand this junk?
No, it's just that you might not find peace with yourself.
Works for me! As long as I get to kill without leaving witnesses, I'm golden!
And I thought we were getting somewhere with her. How foolish of me.
"Herr Schrodinger, vhat if we met up vith you at the neutral base after the battle? Vould you mind?" All of them brightened at the idea.
"That's brilliant, Doc!" I stood up and started pacing back and forth.
"I'll have to inform the Administrator of this, maybe we could have temporary rooms there for you guys, too… Am I overthinking this?"
"Nope. Y'all have the right train a thought chuggin', far as I can tell." I caught the cupcake that Scout threw to me. It was calling my name, I swear.
"Relax, Schro. You'll figure these things out. In the mean time…" Scout held up a radio that was under the table. He switched on the first station and jumped onto the table. He walked across it in a cocky manner, ignoring his comrades' angry jeers. He leapt down next to me and held out his hand.
"Care to dance?"
"I never would've guessed you were a dancer." I teased as I took him up on his offer. We settled on a jazzy sing dance.
"Hey, laddie, don't hog the guest of honor!" I was passed to Demoman, who changed the station to a more upbeat tune. We attempted the Charleston, roaring with laughter at the other mercs who had joined us.
"Excusez moi." Spy took my hand at the break in the song. He'd changed the station to a classical orchestra. "Care if we waltz, petite?" I scrunched up my nose in a giddy fashion. The sonata that was playing was quick and had many sudden drops, but we'd managed to stay with it for most of the song. A lot of the other mercs complained that this wasn't their style of dance.
"Looks like I get zhe last dance, cherie." His pale blue eyes lit up for the first time tonight. I gazed into them with curiosity as we lost ourselves in the other's presence.
"You should probably lay off the cigarettes, baguette. You reek of smoke."
"Zhank you for zhe tip. I'll make sure to find something else to get addicted to." He leaned down and kissed my forehead. What's he up to? He knows I have to leave soon.
I chanced a glance at the clock, but was abruptly pulled back to meet Spy's eyes.
"Non, you should not zhink right now, just enjoy yourself." His arms wrapped around me like those of an anaconda, but they weren't constricted. I could feel his heart beat as he embraced my small stature. I noticed the other mercenaries had left the poker room, leaving a note with their goodbyes on it. I guess they were never good at letting go. I pushed gently against Spy's chest, asking to be free of the hold he had on me. He relented, but not without ruffling my hair first.
"Smarmy bastard! You're the one who said I had to look good for the other team!" He snorted as his eyes softened.
"Zhat doesn't mean I cannot claim you as my own, cherie."
"I'm not… That's just… You're weird. Okay? And, you're a jerk." My face reddened terribly as Spy sat down at the poker table.
"Nice comeback. Very convincing." He took a drag of his cigarette and leaned back in his chair taking pride in his small victory with an equally small smirk.
"Yeah, not my best, I'll admit. But you caught me off guard. Using dirty tricks like that. Didn't your mom teach you better?" Eyes like the ocean spilled over me as I rowed to the mainland, desperate not to drown.
"Oui. But for you, cherie, I 'ave learned zhat zhe traditional methods are too tame." I grabbed my bottle of milk and headed for the doorway.
"I'm gonna go get packed. Thanks for everything, baguette."
"Non. Merci, mon cherie."
The hallways were long and lonely, but I felt as though they had some mystery hidden from the casual observers' eye. There was a fist sized hole in the wall to my right, recent, but not from while I was here. Probably from someone losing their money in a poker game. On the floor, there were blood spatters, but not enough to indicate a serious injury. Most likely a bloody nose or a bit of coughed up blood. These guys must have been terribly obnoxious before I got here. And that's what troubles me. I wanted to blend in, not be treated like a celebrity.
A cold air surrounded me as I walked through that fortress, a sudden desire to stay enveloped my heart. Such emotions always get in the way of work… I knew that from the beginning. Yet, can I really say that I tried not to let them in? I must have subconsciously loved all of them, before all of this madness even started. Such a bunch of fools. I say that lovingly, always. I held my arms tight to my chest as I sat in wait for Miss Pauling. I don't want to leave...
A conversation came back to mind as I whistled a tune to the moon, its envy illuminating my pale complexion.
"Schro, you understand Pyro? I mean, dude's always talking in mumbles."
"Of course! If you'd listen to him once in a while, maybe you could hear him, too."
"No, I can hear him just fine, it's just understanding what he's saying that's impossible."
"Now you're not listening to me. Be patient and try to understand him. Otherwise, you might as well be deaf."
"Hey! I have tried to understand him!"
"How long did it take before you got frustrated and stormed off?"
"... five minutes."
"Heh, I figured as much. Just give it time. You'll hear his voice someday."
Scout had badgered me more after that, questioning me to see if I had any tips or tricks, interrogating me to find out how I knew he was a guy… Scout would most definitely be a mongoose, always moving and fighting with Spy constantly. The snake and the mongoose. Which reminds me, where's the shrew?
I got up from my seat to check out the kitchen, hopeful that I didn't miss Snipes. The room was empty. Darn. I walked over to my couch to pack my one personal item, when I noticed an envelope on the pillow.
I stuffed it into my pocket as the grandfather clock chimed midnight. I grabbed my hooded cape and ran for the loading bay, putting the cloak on as fast as I could to fight off the chances of getting bit by the cold of the desert's night air.
Author's Note: Whew, what a development! I find it adorable that the other team is so close to Schro.
"Oi, she's comin' soon, right?"
"For a Sniper, you're not very patient. Yes, she's to arrive at midnight. Or somewhere around that time."
"Good. Not that she needed ta leave in tha first place…"
"I know… Hey, have you seen my poker chip? I swear it was here a minute ago."
"Nah. Best be goin' if yer gonna get to tha other base by midnight though."
"Yeah. See ya."
What a long day. Not only do I have a ton of homework, but I had to listen to this jerk blabbering in my head. So inconsiderate.
"Oi, what'cha writing there, Author? I thought you were done with tha chapter."
"I'll have you know that I strive for perfection. That is all."
"... Development?"
"No! You shouldn't read the Author's Notes!"
"What kind of a development, Author."
"Not one you should be concerned about, goodbye and good luck."
Geez. That was a bit careless of me, letting him see the notes. Hopefully Schrodinger doesn't get pummeled with a freight train of jealousy. I wouldn't put it past him, considering how he's been acting.
"Mpoodbye, mputhor…"
"Adieu, Pyro. See you at the Neutral base?"
"Mpeah!"
What a cute firebug. See you in BLU Base, mein loving audience!