━━ Impress Me
System Loading... Bethany O'Neal... 2%

Bethany wasn't sure how to feel as she finished arranging some of her belongings. She wasn't deaf. She had heard Reagan talking to her superior about Captain Pike taking a shuttle to Iowa with some of his students. However, she didn't consider herself one of those students and her father had made it clear that she was not to annoy Captain Pike under any circumstances.

They said that it was thanks to him that she had been considered for enrollment, much less admitted to Starfleet Academy in the first place. However, Bethany liked to think she was clever enough to make it on her own. She had made a promise to herself that going forward her future wasn't what her parents wanted, but what she wanted.

"I wasn't invited."

Her roommate raised an eyebrow at Bethany's response, "Well I'm inviting you. You can't stay here and bury yourself in medical jargon. I can promise you now that you'll be bored out of your mind at the banquet. Besides, Pike won't mind if I invite you to join us. We need to get to know each other and the best way to do that is over a shot of tequila."

Bethany looked at her roommate and realized she wasn't going to take no for an answer. It was refreshing to have someone encourage her to take a risk. She nodded her head in defeat and decided to unpack her things later. This was an opportunity to meet more people and it wasn't like she was imposing on the Captain.

"I'm assuming I should just wear my cadet uniform?" Bethany asked.

Reagan nodded, "Not the sexiest thing in the world, but at least we won't be the only ones."

Bethany laughed and changed quickly before following her roommate out the door. She felt extremely lucky to have Reagan by her side. She could only hope that having an older roommate would prove beneficial to her. She wanted to do well in Starfleet and not just because her parents got her through the door.

Together the two girls made their way down to the shuttle that was being prepared to launch. On their way Reagan gave her a quick 20-minute tour of how to get to the hanger bay from their dorm, which Bethany was grateful for. She hoped to memorize the pathway, but knew in the end she would probably get lost.

"Here we have our tin can for our journey," Reagan finished the tour. "I hate the thing and could need improvements, but you can't be too picky."

Reagan didn't stick to Bethany's side as she met up with one of her friends from the academy. Bethany tried her best to stay out of the way. The way Reagan and her friends spoke about the academy and their time as a cadet made her more nervous. She knew that getting into the academy was difficult but she didn't calculate how much madness went on in Starfleet.

Bethany gulped, but it wasn't because of the shuttle size or the difficulty in successfully graduating from the academy. It was because Captain Christopher Pike had made his way over and it seemed his trajectory had him coming for her. Bethany knew he was a long time friend, but she had hoped not to be noticed.

The natural brunette had only met him once many years ago when her father and Pike crossed paths for a joint mission. The two men became fast friends due to their shared beliefs and love for the unexplored universe. While her father was a police officer and Pike a Starfleet officer they never let rank get in the way of their friendship.

"Kind of you to join us, Miss O'Neal." Pike said as he reached out to shake her hand.

"Likewise." Bethany replied. "Thank you so much for the opportunity. I look forward to working with you in future."

Pike nodded, "I expect great things from you, Miss O'Neal."

Bethany had to try her hardest not to collapse as Pike left to see another cadet. It was as if the pressure from her parents had been replaced with the pressure from Captain Pike, and she wasn't sure which was worse. Part of her was glad that he had taken an interest in her career at Starfleet, but on the other hand it could spell trouble. She didn't want any enemies.

"I see you've met Pike."

Bethany turned to face Reagan, "I did. He's a friend of the family so it felt wrong not to say hello."

"Who's your father?"

"Officer Carson O'Neal of the LAPD. They met on a home mission of Captain Pike's and they became friends due to their shared interest." Bethany explained. "But this is my first time meeting him without parental supervision."

"Ah." Reagan said. "Do you have helicopter parents?"

"I think if you were to look up the definition you would find a picture of them instead." Bethany laughed. "But I do love them."

Reagan smiled, "It's good to have supportive parents, even if they don't understand personal space."

"Yeah."

Reagan introduced Bethany to Nyota Uhura as they paired up for the shuttle in links of three. Bethany was glad of another seasoned cadet and was happy to expand her friendships with the woman. She was absolutely stunning, even in her uniform. Her slender figure stood out in the maroon red and her sleek black hair was fastened into a high ponytail.

The three entered the shuttle with the rest of the party, which was only a select few. Bethany settled herself between a beast of a man and Reagan, who had started to ignore everything and everyone as she tightly gripped the handle bar. Bethany's eyebrows laced together in concern, but no one seemed to notice but her.

"Are you okay?" Bethany asked.

Reagan glanced over at her, "I'll be happier when we take off and land safely."

"Not a fan of flying?" Bethany pressed.

Reagan shook her head, "News flash, but I'll be doing a lot of flying in Starfleet."

"Well then, what?"

Around them the shuttle began to shake as the thruster tried to warm up. Reagan grasped Bethany's hand tightly, knowing she couldn't hide her fear forever. As the small tin can took off Bethany tried her best to keep her friend calm, but she never did get her answer. Although the duration of the flight itself was enough to answer Bethany's question.