Wednesday, March 13th, 2013

Today was a special day for a special someone. It was the day Valarie had always remembered and not once has she forgotten. Emma's birthday. Valarie had awoken early to get her gift finalized. She got a card and wrote a thoughtful message. She held back her true emotions as she didn't know how Emma would react. She feared that Emma may not feel the same way and could irreparably change their relationship. So, to be on the safe side, the message was toned down. But, she couldn't resist drawing a little heart at the end of it. Beside her, on the bedside desk, was a small box of chocolate-dipped strawberries. Then there was the gift itself, the NES game. All three items were placed inside a sky blue colored gift bag, Emma's favorite color. The top of the bag was then tied with a white ribbon, to represent the tranquility of clouds. It looked adorable and Valarie was very pleased with herself. The bag was carefully placed inside her backpack and made her way to the familiar bus stop. Her walk was enjoyable as the day was warm as she was. The bus arrived and she boarded promptly, sitting at their usual spot at the rear of the vehicle. She patiently waited for her best friend. The bus traveled along its route and over time became more populated with students. When at one stop, and another group of students boarded, she saw the unforgettable brunette. And she saw her. For her birthday, Emma has braided her hair and Valarie was all for it. When Emma sat down, they immediately got to talking.

"Happy birthday!" Valarie greeted.

"Thank you. We're the same age now. How about that?"

"It feels special. Appropriate as it is your special day."

Emma saw her admiring her hair.

"Tell me. About my hair—"

"I love it!" Valarie blurted out.

"I knew you would." she softly said, playing with her hair.

The movements of her hands made Valarie pay attention to them. Her nails is what captivated her. They were painted a wonderfully soothing sky blue. Emma only painted her nails for special occasions, with her birthday obviously being one of them. Valarie grabbed one of her hands. They were incredibly soft. She brought her hand closer to her eyes so she could soak up every bit of detail. The nail polish was perfectly applied.

"Absolutely beautiful." she complimented.

Emma looked down as she was blushing. Her only response was letting would a cute laugh. As the bus drove along, she noted that Valarie was clutching her backpack more tightly than she normally would.

"Is there anything special in there?" she asked, pointing to her bag.

"For a special someone. You'll have to wait though."

Both smiling, the girls reclined in their seats and basked in the warm sunlight that shined through the window. As they arrived at the school and made their way on campus, two people stealthily approached Emma where one of them poked her. Turning around, she found that it was Heather and Ashley.

"Happy birthday! They both said together.

"Wow! I don't remember telling you guys when my birthday is."

"Valarie told us both. She was very insistent that we wouldn't forget." Heather said.

Ashley dug through her pockets and handed Emma a gift card.

"I hope you liked iced coffee because that'll get you twenty bucks worth of the stuff."

Heather, too, had a gift card. After all, they are reliable and could never really disappoint.

"This place not too far where I live has delicious club sandwiches. God…they're great."

"Thank you both." Emma said.

The four girls continued to talk right up until the morning bell rang. They then said their goodbyes and departed for their respective classes. For Valarie, she was excited. Lunch couldn't come soon enough.

Later

In the administrative area of the campus, Redwood was in his office doing his usual duties. The only sound in his workspace was the tapping of his keyboard and the clicks of the mouse. It was midday and he was just about to leave for lunch when there was a knock at his door. Before he could acknowledge it, Ashley came walking in.

"Ashley. I hope you have a good excuse for just barging in here."

"Oh, I do Mister Redwood." Ashley declared.

She then showed him a flash drive, which changed his demeanor.

"So, is that the thing? You're done? Great!"

Redwood reached out to grab the little device but Ashley kept it out of his reach.

"I just have one tiny question. Who is MacKenzie Hayes?"

Redwood tapped his fingers on his desk and let out a deep sigh.

"She's the person who nearly killed Buchanan on that day back in 1990."

"You want to bring them together? Is…is that smart?"

"Honestly, I don't know. But it could very well be the thing that is needed for her to overcome her trauma. I'm doing all this because I love her."

Ashley nodded and took a seat.

"Mister Redwood. When did you meet Miss Buchanan?"

Redwood sported a little grin and let out a laugh.

"God…it was so long ago. It was at this school."

"You both went to this school? Mojave Rose? And you guys never left this town?"

"For the most part, yeah…hey what's wrong with this town?"

"Nothing…nothing. Anywhere, where exactly did you meet?"

"In the old science buildings torn down years ago. Biology class."

"Were you dating then?"

"Ah, no. We were just friends then. In retrospect, we had feelings for each other then, but being awkward teens, we were both too afraid to make the first move. Every interaction we had makes me wince in embarrassment, but in an odd way, it was cute."

"That match in 1990. Did you guys talk beforehand?"

"A few days before at a party held by mutual friends. At this point, we'd had both graduated from the school two years before. I was in—"

"Wait, how was she in a tankery team without being in a school?"

"You don't necessarily need to be in a school to be apart of a tankery team. Tankery, like other sports, had a professional league. Back then, Mojave Rose had two teams. One for students and another made up of former students who wanted to go pro. Buchanan was in the later. There can be only so many professional teams as the ATA pays them salaries and, let me tell you, that money is good money. So the competition to be a part of the league is extraordinarily difficult."

"I see. Wait, had a professional league? What happened to that?"

"Professional tankery teams were supremely expensive to maintain. And it wasn't just the player's salary but also all the equipment. Pro teams always went for the best things they could buy. In 1993, they learned that if they kept funding these teams they would be drained of cash by the end of the century. They looked at every possible option that could possibly let them keep their professional league, but even completely selling out to corporate sponsors would not bring in enough cash. So, in the following year, they shut down the league. Since then, they purely focused on school competitions."

"Miss Buchanan never mentioned anything about wanting to go pro back in the day."

"People typically don't like to talk about their dead dreams."

A brief silence. A solemn one.

"So, uh, after her match, did you guys talk?" Ashley questioned

"That day changed her completely. After she was discharged from the hospital and got a hefty settlement from the ATA, she had become a total recluse. I had no idea how to approach her…no one did. Soon, we drifted apart. Now, twenty years later, here we are, dating."

Ashley then stood up.

"All that you're doing is…romantic in a way. I love it.

She was halfway out the door.

"I hope it all works out. I truly do."

Elsewhere

It was a quiet place. A cool place. The library was moderately populated, with most people in the popular section of the library. The computer stations, made available for students to perform work. Mostly though, they would use them to play games. For Natalie, she wasn't in the mood to play games. She was re-reading her essay to ensure it was as polished as possible. She wasn't entirely satisfied with it but couldn't exactly pinpoint what to do to improve it. As she was reading, she felt someone roll a chair next to them.

"That your essay?" asked Ray.

"Yeah." she responded, not even turning to look at him.

"Who did you write about?"

"That Hannibal guy. Once I really learned about him…he's a pretty cool guy I'll admit."

"That he is. Did you talk about his blood oath this his father and his masterpiece that is the Battle of Cannae?

"I did."

"Good…good…may I read it?"

Natalie thought about it for a moment then scooted away, giving space for Ray to roll in front of the computer and read through her paper. His eyes darted from paragraph to paragraph to get a feeling of the thing. As it wasn't some thesis for a doctorate, he was finished not too long after he started.

"It's good but—"

"It's shit, isn't it?" Natalie interrupted.

"No. I wasn't going to say that. What I was going to say was there was some room for improvement, grammar wise.

"Grammar?"

"Well, you got run-on sentences, repeated words, comma splices, and you didn't properly format your quotes. Minor things but they all add up and can really affect the flow when reading."

Ray then placed his hands on the keyboard and began to correct Natalie's paper.

"I can get them fixed up no problem."
Natalie didn't attempt to stop him and watched as he corrected her paper. She always had issues with essays and now understood the best way to get them improved was to have a fresh set of eyes look at them. And, it also helped that the brain behind those eyes has a knack for grammar. In just a matter of minutes, Ray has done all the necessary changes.

"I also undid all the contractions. You know, changing 'didn't' to 'did not'. Just to make your paper that much longer.

"Thanks. I got it from here."

Ray got up and made his way out of the library.

"Hope we get an 'A'!" he said.

Natalie rolled her eyes as she printed out her essay. Yet, try all she might, she couldn't stifle the smallest smile appearing on her face.

Underneath A Palm Tree

Emma and Valarie were at their usual spot for lunch. The day was warm and Valarie had the biggest smile Emma has ever seen on her. She held her backpack close to her as Emma watched with an ever-growing curiosity.

"I've been patient, Val, but at a certain point, you're just teasing me."
"Teasing you is what I live for. But…I didn't get this gift for myself."

Valarie opened her backpack and got out Emma's gift, the sky blue bag, and handed it over. Gracefully, Emma untied the white ribbon and peeked inside. The first thing she saw was the card. She opened it and read the message Valarie had written for her.

Emma,

Sixteen years and I've known you for nine. Seeing you grow is the best show on Earth. You are special to me, your family, to anyone you bless with your presence. Here's to many more happy birthdays.

Valarie

"Wow…those are some beautiful words."

"Ah…well…I wrote from the heart."

"It shows."

Emma dug more into the bag and found the sweet treat.

"Chocolate-dipped strawberries, hot damn."

She opened the package and ate one of the strawberries, savoring the combined flavors of the sweetness of the chocolate and the tartness of the fruit. Emma then moved the box toward her, motioning to Valarie to take one. She did and they both snacked on the tasty treat. A few strawberries later, Emma then put them away to enjoy them later. There was one more part of her gift remaining. Something wrapped in a pale blue gift wrap. She took it in her hands and gently shook it.

"What'd you get me, Valarie?"

"Tear into it and find out."

Emma began to tear open her gift and as soon as she did, froze. Her eyes widened and her whole body seemed to tremble. She stood up quickly and walked into the sunlight to get a better look to verify her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. As she looked at her gift in the sun, it was clear that her eyesight was perfect. It was what she thought it was. She placed her hand over her mouth to stop a scream getting out.

"Holy shit, Valarie! Do you know what this is?!" Emma asked, overwhelmed with excitement.

"A sports game?" Valarie responded, perplexed.

"Do you have any idea how rare this game is?"

"I don't, apparently."

"Stadium Events was only briefly on the market before being rebranded when it was bought by Nintendo. The box alone has sold for ten thousand dollars!"
Valarie was dumbfounded.

"Ten…thousand just for a box? People really spend that much money on cardboard?!"

"And with the game included, the price is easily triple that!"

"God, I only spent two dollars on it!"

Emma placed both her hands on Valarie's shoulders.

"You, Valarie Woodlin, are god damn lucky! Unbelievably lucky!"

Valarie entered into a deep blush. Then, she looked at her with vigorous excitement.

"Just imagine the money that game can bring for you and your family!" she exclaimed

Emma looked thoughtfully at the game then back at her best friend.

"Yeah. I could imagine that. But, instead, I'll keep it and give it a nice place on my shelf. A special someone taught me the importance of gifts."

Valarie was speechless. She had no idea how much of an impact she had on Emma, how much she truly cares and appreciates her. Her heart began to beat faster. There was this intense urge to confess to Emma how she really felt about her but was too nervous to act on it. She wanted the moment to be perfect. She wanted the two of them to be alone where she would if she has the courage, confess her feelings. For now, Valarie would just have to bide her time for this perfect moment to arise.

Friday

The ides have arrived and the only person on the team who understood the symbolism behind the day was Ray. Though he didn't believe the associated superstitions that the day was some sort of harbinger of misfortune, misfortune was to sink its teeth all the same. The team today was in the garage servicing their vehicles, with a focus on getting the SU-100 crew more familiar with their machine. Everyone was so enthralled with their tasks that they didn't notice Buchanan, just browsing on her phone, suddenly becoming furious and marching directly toward the garage office, where Redwood sat.

"Martin, did you get this bullshit email from the Association? About a proposed rule change?"

"No? I'm a bit occupied with another matter but I'll check."

Redwood accessed his emails and found the message Buchanan was referring to. He only read portions of it before becoming upset himself.

"What? They're proposing to restrict the criteria on who can become an official tankery instructor? Why?"

"It's obvious Martin. It's retaliation against me."
'That's…that has to bee illegal."

"Sure. But good luck proving that in court, if you can afford the case in the first place. They'll use every legal trick to win."

"What can we do, Gabby? If these rules are enacted, you can't be our instructor anymore."

"There's a way to stop this. We have a chance."

Buchanan sat down and laid out her plan.

"The Association has to go before a rules committee where they either approve or reject whatever is being proposed. Now, tankery captains have a voice in this process and can offer arguments that the committee considers before going for the vote. So, me, you, and Valarie will brainstorm a good argument and we can get some other schools to support—"

Redwood raised his hand which made her stop talking.

"Yeah…here's the thing with Valarie. An issue has come up regarding her that needs to be resolved."

"What do you mean?"

"Get Valarie in her and I'll explain everything."

Buchanan exited the office. Moments later, Valarie was inside the office along. Sitting down, she felt normal, relaxed even, but there was a tinge of nervousness.

"What's up?" she asked.

"It's about your grades, Valarie. There is an issue with them. With one class specifically.

She was becoming more anxious.

"We, uh, gotta talk about this now?"

"Yes. We do. Valarie, are you familiar with the policy 'No Pass No Play'?"

Fear. That is all she felt.

"Y-yeah. It's where if you don't have a decent GPA, you can't do extracurricular activities. Like sports."

"That's it. But, this district has a stricter variant of that policy. Here, students must maintain a passing grade in all their classes to be in good standing."

"Okay."

"And…you're failing your chemistry class."

"Alright."

"So….you can't participate in tankery anymore until you get your grade back up to a 'C-', at a minimum."

"MmmHmm."

Redwood and Buchanan looked at each other worryingly

"Valarie, did you hear what I just explained to you?"

A brief silence and then Valarie nodded.

"Are you okay?"

"No, Mister Redwood, I am not okay. Excuse me, I have to do something now."

Valarie stood up and left the office.

"Follow her." Redwood told to Buchanan.

She departed the office quickly and scanned the garage to see where Valarie went. She saw her quickly leaving the garage. She walked rapidly to catch up. Emma, noticing all the activity, was puzzled to see Valarie leave so suddenly so she too took off after her. Outside, Valarie walked toward the wilderness. She started to go down a hill but lost her footing and fell on her bottom. She didn't bother getting up and cried where she sat. Emma and Buchanan looked briefly around outside and soon heard and followed the sound of her sobs. Carefully, they both descended the hill to where Valarie was and sat down with her.

"Valarie? What's going on?" Emma asked, concerned

She turned to look at her, all teary-eyed.

"I'm off the team because I'm failing that fucking chemistry class."

"You're not off the team…think of it like you're on leave." Buchanan comforted.

"Well, I feel a hell of a lot better now." Valarie responded with heavy sarcasm.

"You just need to get your grades up. One good result on a test will do it. And you'll be back in the saddle in no time." Buchanan encouraged.

"I'm absolutely shit at chemistry. I can't wrap my damn head around it."

She put her face in her hands.

"I feel like my dreams are shattered….it hurts."

Emma consoled Valarie as Buchanan thought about what she said. Shattered dreams.

"Have I ever told you guys about my dream to become a professional in tankery?" Buchanan asked.

They both shook their heads.

"Thought not. This school once had team tankery teams. One for students and another for those who want to go pro. I had spent all of middle school and high school in a tankery team with the sole goal of becoming a professional. The sport made up most of my life. But you know how it all ends. I nearly died. What did died was the team's dream as they never went pro, the team got disbanded, and I have to live with the trauma for the rest of my life."

Buchanan then laid a hand on Valarie's shoulder, a gesture that calmed her down immensely.

"My dream is dead. But I'll be damned to let the same happen to you or anyone else on this team. Now, I don't know much, if anything, about chemistry. But I will help where I can."

"So will I." Emma added.

They walked back up the hill. Valarie had stopped crying now. Though Buchanan gave her permission to leave for the day, she decided to stay for the remainder of the day. It what she wanted to do. What she only wanted to do.

Saturday

It was 8 o'clock in the morning and Valarie was at home. She was intensely frustrated. She wanted to be at practice, to be with the team. On the top of her mind was the SU-100 crew. Valarie wanted to see them drive and shoot their machine for the first time. Now, she'll miss that. A frustrated groan escaped out of her mouth and plopped onto her bed, face first. The door of her room then opened in and came in her mother. She sat on her bed and rubbed her daughter's back.

"We got blindsided by this, huh?" she said

"Yeah…totally."

"We got to get a handle on this. The sooner we do, the sooner you can go back to the team."

"I'm too stupid with chemistry, mom. I can't do this by myself."

There was then the ring of the doorbell.

"Who'd said you'd be alone?"

Her mother gestured to her to answer the door. She got up from her bed and opened the front door. Right before her, was Emma.

"Emma? Shouldn't you be at practice?"

"So should you, that's why I'm here to get you back on the team."

Emma opened her backpack and gave Valarie the chemistry notes she had thrown away.

"We'll be needing these." Emma remarked.

The pair went into Valarie's room where the studying began in earnest.

Elsewhere

Out in the Mojave, the team practices. They were, though, short a captain. Therefore it was up to the co-captain to take the reigns and conduct practice. He was somewhat nervous but Ray was ready for the task. The team had assembled in the usual area, a good deal away from town so that they wouldn't be too annoyed from all the shooting and explosions. They formed in a line, with the IS-3 in front of them. Ray stood on top his machine talking to the rest of the team.

"As Valarie is focused on getting her grades up, I will, temporarily take charge."

He briefly paused and looked at all the commanders who were out of their hatches, to gauge their reaction. How would they feel about a male being a tankery captain, even if only temporarily? He quickly glanced at each of their faces and was relieved to see that they all had no expressions of discontent or irritation. They all looked ready to receive their orders. He took an extra-long second to look at Natalie. Her expression was the most neutral of all the commanders. Consequently, Ray couldn't exactly figure out how she felt about the situation. Did she have some internal annoyance toward him that she hid extremely well? He thought about that but dismissed it as their recent interactions, including her apology, told him that Natalie, at least not anymore, didn't hate the fact he, and his friends, were in tankery. A neutral expression is perhaps the best thing he can ask for.

"Now, I had short notice, but I managed to quickly sketch out the agenda for today." Ray continued as he dug into his pockets and retrieve a small notebook.

He opened it and read the first item.

"Alright…this team needs to get more used to being shelled."
They looked at him with confused eyes.

"Used to…what?" Natalie asked.

"Shelling. Bombardments. Artillery strikes. We can't assume that our experience with Bascom is the only time we'll run in with artillery. We need to get so used to it that we'll be way less inclined to make mistakes under the pressure."
As he talked, Heather shuddered and clenched a fist.

"I…don't like this. Not at all…I don't think I can stand that."

Ashley rubbed her shoulders.

"Just breath and you'll get through it. Please, don't ram out tank against the people shooting around us and not at us."

"I'll…try."

The SU-14 was positioned just three miles away from them. The rest of the team were in a loose formation. Ray instructed to them that there should be considerable gaps between all the vehicles.

"Sierra, marked on your map are spots that are guaranteed not to hit the team but close enough to rattle them. Fire at each one." Ray explained over the radio.

"Copy that." Jacqueline acknowledged.

The SU-14 crew got to work, assembling and loading the 152mm shell into the breech. Once all the math and aiming was done, the trigger was pulled. The team heard the echo of the gun and readied themselves for the approaching shell that was already plunging toward the earth. In just mere fractions of a second, the empty space that was surrounded by the Jumbo and SU-100 was consumed by a fireball. Both vehicles jolted heavily and the sound of the blast reverberated inside the steel machines.

"Holy shit, that's intense!" reacted Nora.

She looked toward her crew and saw them stunned of the power of artillery.

"We can take another!" Lana boasted.

"Hell, we can take a direct hit! Come on! Do your worst!

"HeyHey, actually, it'd be super cool if you don't do that." Nora nervously said over the radio.

In the Jumbo, things were in a somewhat different state. Each member of the Jumbo crew loved the sensation of a massive explosion happening just right by them.

"God, I feel so alive!" Haley exclaimed

The SU-14 adjusted its aim and another section was hit. This one near the T-44. Heather held her hands against her ears and was rocking back and forth in her seat.

"I…can…do…this." she repeated.

"You can, Heather, it'll be over before you know it."

For thirty minutes, the SU-14 maintained its barrage. Each vehicle was coated with the desert as the shelling has thrown up sand and dust into the air. Soon, Ray ordered a cease-fire. The team was left with ringing ears but a more hardened resolve. He then asked the SU-100 to follow him to a nearby ridge.

"Time to shoot that gun of yours for the first time. Though, instead of shooting at a boring, stationary hill, you'll be taking shots at something that moves. Take a look below."

Below them both was the Stuart, driving in circles.

"Go on and get 'em." Ray challenged.

The SU-100 crested the ridge and loaded a round. Lana had her face firmly pressed against the sights and aligned the gun on target. Being new, she was rather clumsy with the control mechanisms, making the gun jerk around as it moved around.

"Almost…almost…"

Her sight then had the Stuart barely in view. This was good enough, she thought.

"I got them."
"Fire."

Fire and powder sent a round downrange. It whistled across the land and only just missed the rear of the Stuart by mere inches. It landed on the spot where it was just a second ago. Still, the impact rocked the light tank.

"Load another!" Nora commanded.

The Stuart then drove out of view.

"What? Come back!"

"No, I told them to do that." Ray said.

"Huh?"

"This was just a test of your accuracy. No one really hits the first moving target they fire upon. Still, you came real close. Besides, actually knocking out friendly vehicles isn't in our best interest."

"So, no more shooting?"

"No, we're still doing that. But now we take it up a notch. Stay where you are."

The IS-3 drove away from them. Using the laser rangefinder he has borrowed from Miss Buchanan, the tank drove a perfect 3000 meters away from the SU-100. Pleased, he hunkered down in his machine and firmly closed the hatches.

"Time to be a sniper. Take aim and shoot at me" Ray instructed.

"But you—okay." Nora replied.

Ray then felt a tug on his uniform.

"You just said that taking out our own vehicles is not in our best interest." Ryan said.

"The cannon of the SU-100 cannot penetrate our armor from the front. Its pike nose means it's already angled and very effective. Besides, no one on this team hit a target at 3000 meters on their first try."

"If you say so."

The gun of the SU-100 made all sorts of little movements as Lana adjusted her aim. Then it stopped. Ray saw a blast of smoke and fire and prepared for whatever happened next. The projectile traveled the 3000-meter distance faster than anyone could have processed it. Startling everyone inside the IS-3, the round hit and ricocheted against the front of the IS-3. The sound that this produced, of screeching metal, caused them all to wince heavily. Once it was over, they all looked at Ray.

"No one hits it the first time, huh?" Ryan remarked.

"Ah…okay…um…this is a good thing."

Ray reviewed his notebook.

"Okay, next thing on the agenda…"

The team were radioed instructions to all convene on the SU-100's location. Once they were all there, they all lined up in a line, all crested on the ridge. The IS-3 was just below them.

"I have a theory to test. Is everyone's machine guns locked and loaded?"

They all responded in the affirmative.

"Cool, take aim on me."

Ray saw the team all move their turrets to get their coaxial machine guns to bear on target, directly right at him. In any other situation, this would be a terrifying moment. If this was a war, this would be their end. But, as it was just a sport, it was just a normal day. Ray looked at all the guns with a calm and collected demeanor.

"Open up."

Bullets of various calibers rained down onto the IS-3. A multitude of sparks flew in all directions as rounds either shattered or ricocheted off the hull of the sound made all involved to be in awe. Hundreds of pings as the bullets made contact, truly sounding like a heavy rain hitting the roof of some metal building. On the inside, the sound was loud. Very loud. Not one of the IS-3 crew could talk with one another effectively. This storm of lead continued until all their belts and drums were empty. All that remained were hundreds of empty and hot shell casings, littered on the floors of fighting compartments.

"I'll admit, that was fun, but what was the point?" Natalie asked.

"During that whole time we were having our little lead shower, I couldn't talk with my crew as the sound was deafening. I couldn't even hear myself think. Concentrating our machine-gun fire on a single target will mess them up bad. Perfect for targets too tough to crack."

Practice continued. As Ray was looking at all team doing their routine, looking at the T-44 gave him inspiration. He flagged them down.

"Hey, so, Emma, along with Valarie, isn't here too, huh?" he asked

"Yeah, it's just me and Heather running this thing." Ashley said.

"Hmm. Heather drives, obviously, but you are fulfilling the commander, gunner, and loader's role all at the same time, right?"

"Yep. It's not overwhelming at all." Ashley answered with a laugh.

"I'm sure. But, it gives me an idea. They'll be a time where some people in a tank will get knocked out and others will have to take over for them until they come too."

"I guess that could happen." Heather remarked.

"It can! So, in a way, it would hurt the team for everyone to just specialize in their roles. Instead, I think we all need to be jack of all trades."

Ashley and Heather looked at each other for a brief moment then nodded in agreeance.

"I wouldn't mind shooting this gun more." Ashley admitted.

"And I would like being in the turret, even just for a day." Heather said.

"Glad to hear you both agree. I'm sure Miss Buchanan would like the idea too. We'd need to set aside a whole practice to it, maybe more." Ray said.

Ray then took a look over to glance at the vastness of the Mojave. After a few brief moments, he took out his notebook and crossed off what was already accomplished. Now it was on the next thing.

"Where's Aurora? Time for the Puma to tear up the ground."

Home

In her room, Valarie was being tutored by Emma. She was very grateful that Emma had recovered her notes. They proved to be a godsend and made everything that much easier. Nonetheless, the material remained hard to digest.

"Alright Val, the chapter exam is on the 29th. If you can get a 'C', just a 'C', you'll raise your overall grade and be back on the team.

Valarie inhaled deeply and relaxed herself.

"Whatever it takes."

"Alright, lets practice conversions. Get out your calculator."

Valarie reached into her backpack and got out her device. Emma stared at it, bewildered.

"Valarie."

"What?"

"That's your calculator?"

"Yeah? What's wrong with it?"

"It's not a scientific calculator."

"I thought all calculators were scientific?"

Emma let out a laugh, causing Valarie to blush with embarrassment.

"Oh my god, Val."

"Don't laugh at me!" Valarie scolded.

Emma opened her bag and handed her an actual scientific calculator.

"Here, this will help a ton. And, this thing was made this century."

Valarie took the device and studied it, impressed over all the functions the thing could do. With it, conversions went supremely smoothly, which delighted both girls. Afterward, Emma quizzed her on the periodic table.

"Name a noble gas."

"Ehh…Helium!"

"Good. Why are they called noble gases?"

"Because…they generally don't react with anything.

"Awesome." Emma said with a smile.

The learning continued. The morning had turned into the afternoon. All the constant tutoring, especially in a heavy subject like chemistry, made for a tiring affair. They both laid next to each other on the bed. Emma was sharing her flashcards she made to help her out.

"All the laws, formulas, definitions, and so much more. All with handy visual aides." She explained.

Emma handed her the cards. There were hefty in their weight, needing a thick key ring to hold it all together.

"Thanks Emma. It means the world to me."

"Ha, well, you…mean a lot to me. A whole lot."

The two were looking at each other. They breathing beginning to quicken. Slowly, their hands approached each other and entered into an embrace, fingers interlocked. They scooted close to each other.

"You…mean a lot to me too…Emma." Valarie said, face blushed.

The two girls continued to gaze into the other's eyes. Subconsciously, their heads were leading closer together where their faces were mere inches away from each other. The temptation was real. Both of them wanted to give in to their emotions. To do what they dreamed about for years. This urge was powerful, but, being young teenagers, they hesitated. They were nervous. The inherent awkwardness of being young caused that. Yet, despite her intense nervousness, Valarie laid a hand of Emma's cheek, caressing it gently. Their breathing no longer was rapid, rather, slowed to a near stop.

"Emma….uh…you tired? We've been studying for hours now." Valarie asked in a near whisper.

"Yeah, we could take a break."

One Hour Later

Katherine was spending her Saturday in the living room, TV on, enjoying a classic movie marathon. Not only was this something she loved to indulge in, her being in the living room meant that it gave the girls the space needed to study without being distracted. Spending so much time on the couch, a very comfortable couch, would only inevitably relax her to a point where she fell asleep. Later in the day, when she awoke from her spontaneous nap, she noticed a silence from her daughter's room. This intrigued her but remained on the couch for twenty more minutes when this silence now became prolonged. Now, she stood up from the couch and walked to Valarie's room. She took a peek inside and what she saw warmed her heart, nearly as much when she first held her the day she was born. There, she saw her daughter with Emma in her arms. Both sleeping serenely. She suspected something between the two, something she suspected for a while now. This, to her, confirmed it. This wholesome scene caused her to tear up. Katherine and her husband for ages wanted a child of their own, and to their complete surprise and total elation, conceived one. The only thing they wanted was the happiness of their only daughter. And by the look of things, happiness was a thing Valarie had in spades.