Disclaimer: The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

OF YOU

By Etcetera Kit

Patience

It's official. I hate Syd.

All right, perhaps hate isn't the correct word. As much as I am loathed to admit it even to myself, I'm extremely uncomfortable around her. Each time I see her – or even when I just think about her – everything goes back to that night shift in the command center when we ended up making out on the floor. That also has potentially ridicule-inducing physical ramifications.

"Stop brooding."

I glare at Bridge who's sitting on his bed, reading a comic book. I know that he's picked up on the cause of my recent distress – rooming with a psychic spells death to keeping secrets and having a private life.

"You just have to be patient."

Patience – hell – I want to kill somebody. I flop down on my bed, burying my face in my pillow, trying to no avail to block out the images that bombard me. This is ridiculous. I see Syd during that car wash over the summer in a hot pink bikini. I see her leaving for a night out with Z in a short denim skirt. I see her wrapped in nothing but a fluffy pink towel, stepping out of the shower just as I had ventured into the room to give her a memo. But most of all, I see her in that angel costume – the white dress gathered at the bust, her shapely legs defined by thigh-high fishnets and stilettos. Her hair had been loose around her face, the white, feathered halo sitting on top of those golden curls.

I see the wicked smile she gave me just before depositing her thong around my neck.

Groaning, I sit up to see Bridge grinning like a Chester cat. "What?" I snap, already annoyed that he knew about all the Syd incidents.

"Just admit it – you like her."

"I do NOT like her!"

"Sky, you, of all people, wouldn't make out on the floor of the command center with someone that you don't like at least a little." Bridge pauses. "But then again, you might. I mean if the girl was kind of pretty and came onto you like Syd did—"

"I get the point," I interrupt. "I wouldn't do that with just anyone."

"You wouldn't have done it at all."

"Which part? The making out or the fact that it was in the command center?"

"Both. Or neither. Or – what was the question?"

"Never mind." I stand up and go to the window. Some cadets are running around the grounds in a frenzied Frisbee game, probably trying to get one last game in before it got too cold to play anymore. The weather was unusually mild for early November.

"I think that you should get her back, just so the playing field will be even again. I mean because she's instigated all the things that have you hot and bothered and—"

"Like what?"

"I don't know – a little S & M routine?"

"I cannot believe that just came out of your mouth!"

Bridge shrugs. "Patience. We'll come up with something."

"Who's 'we'?"

"Well – Syd went into the initial dare with Z. I think it's fair that you have a lieutenant in the field of getting Syd back."

I shake my head, fighting a smile. I don't know what Bridge will come up, mostly because I can't think of anything equal to what Syd did to me. But I hope that it will be something good. I just have to be patient.

To Be Continued...