Disclaimer: I don't own any of them, yadda, yadda, yadda…
Beauty of the Military
Chapter 4: New Feelings and Friendships
She walked onto the tram, and scanned the car for a vacant seat.
"Oh Rita, this seat isn't taken." Another blonde girl said, shifting over, to lean on the fogged window.
Riza sat down, with some slight unease.
"Thanks…." She said.
"I memorized the entire orientation pamphlet. You're picture wasn't in there, so I knew it was you. I know all the others, including myself of course." She said, "I'm Cheryl Keiza."
Riza shook the girl's hand.
"I'm…well, I suppose you know who I am." Riza said.
They were going to keep talking, but Ms. Moonbeams came onto the tram, and everyone quietly waited for what she was going to say next.
"Well, I'm sure all of you are excited. So, how about a song for the ride?" she asked, with a forced smile.
The girls giggled with excitement, all except for Riza, who looked around uncomfortably, as they all started to sing a song that she didn't know.
The tram started to move, as the arrival to the breakfast came fast.
Riza stayed with Cheryl, as they sat down at a table.
"Hello girls, this is Rita Flowers." Cheryl said, as Riza waved shyly.
She was introduced to several other contestants at their table.
"How would I ever compete with them?" Riza thought, as she sat down.
Ms. Moonbeams then went up to the podium, and stood up, as everyone applauded.
Riza respectfully listened, and munched on a bagel.
"Thank you. Well, as you all know, for the past twenty years, it has been an honor to serve as supervisor and producer of this pageant." She said, "And I'm sure this will be the most exciting year ever!"
Everyone in the room applauded happily.
"Now girls, after a photo shoot, and a brief dress rehearsal, you can get settled in your rooms." She continued, "And we'll begin the preliminaries, hosted by our own, Mr. George Arcos."
Mr. Arcos stood as everyone clapped happily, and he walked up to the podium, as Ms. Moonbeams moved out of the way.
"Oh thanks everyone. Now, even though I'll be retiring this year, it has been a wonderful experience, and an honor, as Ms. Moonbeams said before."
"Aww, what a shame, he's retiring. That's so sad." Cheryl said her voice full of pity.
"He's not retiring. They're firing him." One of the other girls said, who sat across from them, "The poor man blurted the whole thing out this morning."
Riza and Cheryl exchanged glances, and sighed.
After the breakfast, Riza and the others headed down the hall to dance practice, which was one of the events Riza was dreading.
She tried to keep up with the others, but felt humiliated and useless at the same time.
Finally, the day was over, and Riza was about to sleep for the first time in a few days.
She sighed in relief, and sat on the bed, when she heard a knock.
"If that's Roy…" she muttered, as she stood reluctantly to open the door.
Her expression changed totally when she was Cheryl standing at the door, with a thermos and two mugs in hand.
"Oh, hi Rita!" Cheryl said, in her usual, cheerful manner.
Riza couldn't help but smile.
"Hi Cheryl, you wanna come in?" she asked.
Cheryl nodded, and handed Riza a mug.
"Here, I made some hot chocolate, low fat, of course." She said.
Riza took the cup, tasted the chocolate. It had a slightly sour taste, and texture, and she tried to discreetly spit it back into her cup.
"It was hot…" Riza lied, when she met Cheryl's gaze.
"Oh, sorry." Cheryl answered.
"It's alright." Riza said casually, "I'm fine."
"Well," Cheryl said, trying to make conversation, "What's your talent for tomorrow?"
Riza hesitated for a while.
"Well, it's…a surprise." She said.
Cheryl lit up immediately,
"That's so neat!" she said.
"Yeah, but it's nothing like baton twirling or anything like that." Riza said, unthinking.
Cheryl grew slightly gloomy, and Riza felt remorse for what she said.
"Oh Cheryl, I'm so sorry…." She said, "I didn't mean it like that…"
"It's alright. Baton twirling can be a real art. I saw a tropical flame dancer once, y'know, a street performer? She lit her batons on fire, and did this wonderful dance." Cheryl explained, "I wish I could do something like that."
"You could." Riza assured, "If you put your mind to it."
"Oh, my parents wouldn't let me do that. They don't like anything with fire." Cheryl said.
Riza thought of Roy at that exact moment, and grinned.
"Well, I better get going." Cheryl said, "I can't miss my beauty rest."
Riza gave her a smile,
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow." She said, waving.
Cheryl smiled back, and headed back to her hotel room.
Just as Riza was about to fall asleep, she heard a soft tapping sound at the other glass door, that opened to a flower covered patio.
"Now what?" she wondered, getting up once again.
Roy stood there,
"Come on, Vic has more training for you." He said.
"I haven't slept in three days!" she exclaimed, trying to stifle a yawn, and trying not to whine.
"Come on Riza, it's really important." Roy said, "Don't make me beg."
"Alright…" she said, reluctantly.
Immediately when she got there, and changed into the dress that Vic told her to wear, Vic gave her more tips on how to walk.
"Remember, you have to glide." He said, "And there's too much space between your knees."
Riza was becoming (to say the least) frustrated.
"Alright, alright…" she said.
"Don't look down." Vic said, "And keep your knees touching."
"Alright, here, hold these." Riza said, taking off her ammunition belt, and several guns, and a knife she had tucked within her dress.
"Anything else?" Vic asked his arms full of weaponry.
"No, that's it." She said.
"Oh, by the way, what are you planning to do for your talent tomorrow?" Vic asked.
"I'll do whatever you want me to, sensei." Riza said, with some slight sarcasm.
"Colonel, this girl has no talent. I wasn't told to provide one, and I am certainly not prepared to do so in such a short amount of time." Vic said, throwing his arms up in the air.
"Well, you don't have to say it in front of her." Roy said, as he spotted Riza behind Vic, "Besides, you also said that you couldn't make her into a lady, in two days, but look how stunning she is now!"
Riza blushed slightly.
"Well, from the car wreck she was before." Roy added hesitantly.
Riza rolled her eyes.
"Well, there is something I can do. I haven't done it since my first years of elementary school, but I haven't forgotten how to do it." She said, "I just gotta contact room service."
Roy then escorted her back to her room.
"Well, did you really mean what you said before?" Riza asked curiously.
"What did I say?" Roy asked, looking at her, with a raised eyebrow.
"About me being somewhat of a car wreck." She said, "I mean, I'm not like those girls you like to date, and all, but still…"
Roy found himself wanting to take back the comment.
"Lieutenant, I'm sorry if it hurt you…" he said.
"It's alright, sir." She said, "I know that you think I look a lot better than before."
"Better? You look absolutely lovely." Roy said, as they approached her room, "Well, enjoy the rest of your night."
Riza saluted, and went into her room. She told room service, her request, and finally got some sleep.