Chapter 3

There's Something Blue Behind You

Mornings in my school are always when the strangest of things happen. It always happens either at formation or breakfast. On rare occasion things happen later in the day, but they aren't the sort of things that really faze us as cadets.

Breakfast was going to hold up to its reputation.

These series of events began weirder for me as the day rolled on, but we need to see where it all started.

Formation was without incident. We fell into our perspective companies and carried on our merry way to breakfast. We marched our way there and fell out into the mess hall for some chow. I mentally had my fingers crossed that nothing bad would happen at mess so I wouldn't have another mental freak out. The mess hall seating arrangements we like so. Alpha Company, our only female company in the cadet corps, was on the far right of the mess hall. Next to them was Golf Company. Golf consisted of the middle school cadets and their high school commanders. In the middle of the mess hall was Battalion Staff. They were the kids in charge. Pretty much they had pretty rank on their collars and they had support of the adults. After them goes Bravo then Charlie company at the end. Both were high school male companies. I was placed in Golf company. Great, I get to hear all the girls complain about how mean their adult officers were to them in the barracks.

After we all got to our tables, the Battalion Commander called us to attention and we all prayed before we ate. I simply closed my eyes. I have no real beliefs; I just know someone is running the show upstairs. After the prayer, we all take our seats. The mess hall suddenly became a place of conversation. Everyone began talking to each other as they sat and waited for their chow. Each table can hold a maximum of five people. Lucky for me, I only have four at mine. My table was located near the back of the mess hall. The table is made up of Max, the squad leader. Nathan Trent, a squad member, Andrew Polanski, another squad member, and myself, the team leader. We were third squad, second platoon. We didn't give much of a damn about anything except for our own duties. We weren't the best squad around, but we weren't known for being screw-ups. We all took our seats, killing time by talking to each other until it was our turn to get into the chow line. Polanski spoke up first. He had a thick New York accent; he was always the one to start a conversation.

"I heard we are getting a new girl in school today. Anyone hear anything 'bout her?"

Trent was normally the quieter one, but he spoke up next. He didn't have an accent I could notice, though he had the tendency to say banana incorrectly. Trent sat up in his seat as he began to talk.

"I heard she was outta country. Like she was from England or something like that. She might have an accent."

Polanski chucked as he spoke up again.

"Yeah, she might say banana all weird like you do Trent!"

Max reached over and smacked Polanski upside the head lightly. Trent and Polanski go way back together, so Max sort of made himself the designated older brother between them so they wouldn't get into any trouble. Polanski looked at Max with a confused look.

"What? I'm just screwin' with him Rudy."

Max looked at him with a raised brow. He spoke up, sounding dead tired. He always did this at breakfast. Must be the smell of the food that makes him drowsy or something.

"I haven't eaten yet… so I'm too tired to have you two going back and forth like a married couple."

Polanski and Trent both began to laugh a bit while I just let show a tired smile.

Polanski went back onto the topic of this new girl that was coming in today. He and Trent had this strange obsession with them. Sure, I liked girls, but I wasn't constantly thinking about them like those two were. Polanski spoke up again about the new girl.

"Rumor is she comes from some big money. If she's got the right looks, I wouldn't mind meetin' her mom and pops."

With that being said, Trent began howling in laughter. After a few seconds, he got his breath again and responded to Polanski.

"Yeah right. You know that means she'll have to talk to you right? Fat chance of that happening."

"Yeah yeah Nathan, I'd like to see you talk to her if she's a looker. I bet you wouldn't even get a noticin' glance from her." Polanski was quick to reply with that one.

I leaned over and smacked him upside the head this time. Max looked at me and nodded in thanks.

"C'mon! Why am I the only one getting smacked?" Polanski whined. I opened my mouth and replied.

"Cause its fun to hear you bitch Polanski."

Trent began to chuckle again. He spoke up once again.

"Yeah Drew, haven't you noticed you're the one we all pick on?"

Max reached over and smacked Trent upside the head too. Trent looked at Max with an identical look that Polanski gave.

"Why'd I get smacked?" Trent whined as well.

Max simply responded with a shrug and a smile. We all began to laugh, including Trent. After a few moments of us laughing, we hear the platoon leader shout over the humming of the mess hall.

"Second platoon, get in line!"

We all got up, walking over to the line to get our food. It was eggs over easy, sausage patties, and a biscuit with sausage gravy. Whatever the hell that was… I got the eggs and the sausage patties. After I got my food, I grabbed a cup and filled it with the water. I set the cup on my tray and I head out of the mess line. Being the team leader of the squad, I had to be the last one besides Max to be in line. It never bothered me, but what was to happen soon would make me wish I would be out of the mess line sooner. I held my tray of food in one hand as I made my way back to my seat. As I was walking I heard a loud clatter of metal and wood hitting the floor on the other side of the mess hall. I look over as I was continuing to walk to my table. It was two kids from Bravo and Charlie Company screwing around. I guess one kid pissed off the other as their perspective companies were prying the two away from each other. I close my eyes and sigh, wondering what makes people so stupid to start a fight which was probably over nothing. I make to my seat, hearing the girls' voices behind me chatter and whisper about what was happening. I took a seat, still watching as the two guys were being pulled away from each other by their leaders and now two adult officers joining the fray to calm them both down. Soon after, one boy was being pulled out of the mess hall, while the other boy was pulled to the back of the mess hall by the other adult officer. Polanski and Trent were both focused on the scene while Max had his head being supported by him arm as he was pouring sugar into his coffee, ignoring the scuffle going on. After a few more minutes, the normal chatter in the mess hall started up once again, the small fight being old news in an instant. Polanski and Trent turned back around and began eating their food. Max finished stirring his coffee. He lifted to his lips taking a sip of. Max was a pissed off zombie drone without his coffee. He always seemed fine when we first wake up, but when we get to the mess hall, he seems to get a bit grumpy until he gets his coffee. After his sip, he sat up more and began digging into his food. All was well to Max now. I felt a rush of cold air run down my spine. The sudden chill made me rub the back of my neck and lean my head to the side, trying to warm up the patch of now cold skin on my body. Trent looked up at me when I moved my head; his face was a face of pure confusion. However, he wasn't looking at me.

"Uh… Blanchard… there's something blue behind you." Trent spoke out, still staring at whatever was behind me. Polanski and Max both look up and spoke in perfect unison.

"Whoa…"

I looked at the all three of them, and then I began to slowly turn my head to what they were looking at.

This is where the weird stuff begins.

My head turns, seeing at the back of a girl's head. This sight would've been normal if there wasn't a streak of blue running down a few lochs of her hair. The rest of the girls at the table looked over at me, noticing that our table was looking at the strange sight we all saw. I didn't bother to see what sort of looks they were giving me. I was too focused on this girl in question. I notice her ear twitched slightly as she turn her head slowly towards us. She turned in her chair, facing us completely. Instead of her eyes glancing at the others, they were fixed onto me. A few lochs of her black hair came down across her face, also being the vibrant blue color like the ones on the back of her head. To put things terribly blunt. She was gorgeous. Even with the blue streak, she seemed to just shine. She had bright blue eyes, brighter blue than her hair. Her skin was a creamy white color, making her eyes and her hair streak stand out more. Her eyes still locked onto mine, she broke the silence by speaking.

"It's not polite to stare you know."

All four of us at my table seemed to all look away, trying to cover the fact we were embarrassed. My body however, didn't turn away. My eyes looked back to hers. She lifted her hand up to me for a shake.

"I'm Saphiria Rose. Nice to meet you."

Trent was right, she was definitely from England. She had a thick English accent. Without hesitation nor control, my hand raised and shook hers gently. My eyes still locked onto hers. My lips opened as words seemed to just fall out.

"Uh… I'm Michael Blanchard… Nice to meet you as well Saphiria."

Still a little lost in this sudden introduction, I hear Polanski's voice speak out from behind me.

"I'm Andrew…" -SMACK-

Polanski's voice was silenced by Max slapping him upside the head once again, but this time, giving him a warning glance. Polanski and Max began whispering back and forth to each other, probably Polanski asking why he was hit this time.

Saphiria saw what happened and reacted with a small smile. The Alpha company commander shouted fall out, making the girls at their tables get up and bring their trays to the dish window at the rear of the mess hall. Saphiria's eyes glanced back to me briefly as she started to get up and bring up her tray with the rest of her table.

"See you later Michael." She said as if it was a promise. It sent chills up my spine as I could say nothing back but just nod and turn back around to my table.

Trent was still staring at her as she walked away. Polanski began to chuckle lightly after looking at my face.

"See you later Michael. Haha!" Polanski mimicked her voice as he began laughing once again at the look on my face. I reacted by kicked him hard in the shin from under the table.

"Ow… fuck… That hurt man." Polanski reached down rubbing his leg. Trent and Max were still in awe over what just happened. Trent suddenly spoke up after blinking a few times.

"What just happened…?"

None of us responded. We were all just looking at her as she left the mess hall with the rest of the girls. Saphiria looked at me once again as she walked out of the mess hall. The instant she left, Polanski hopped out of his seat, slamming his fists onto the table.

"What the hell was that man?!" Polanski asked in utter confusion. The rest of us just looked back and forth between each other. I looked down at the table, blinking a few times, trying to figure out what just happened. Max spoke up, trying to reply to Polanski.

"I think that was the new girl… and I think the new girl has the hotts for Blanchard… "

No one hit him for that comment. I had half a mind to believe him, but there was something else. I felt a familiar shiver travel up my spine, but I couldn't place it… I racked my brain trying to figure out what I was feeling, but nothing came to mind. I kept at it in my head, ignoring my meal in front of me. Then, I was snapped back to reality by the sound of my company commander's voice.

"Golf, trays up!"

I jumped in my seat from the sudden noise. I shook my head and looked down at my tray to see half of my food was still there. I closed my eyes and leaned my head back while making a groaning noise. I muttered as I leaned back.

"Fuck… I'm still hungry…"

I brought my head back up, grabbed my tray, got up, and brought it to the tray window. I dumped the rest of the food into the trash, handing my tray over to the mess hall lady on the other side. I sighed as I walked out of the mess hall and into formation. Within a few moments after falling in, the formation was made and we marched off to get ready for classes. Oh joy…

I tried to get my mind off meeting Saphiria, but it was too difficult. By the time I snapped out of it, we already made it back to the barracks and fell out of formation. I hurried upstairs, got to my room, brushed my teeth, and grabbed my books and head off to my first period of the day. As I was heading back down the stairs, I hear a voice call out from behind me.

"Hey! Michael!"

I froze up; it was a girl's voice.

"Please God no… not her already… I just got my mind off" I was screaming inside my thoughts. I turned around to see a different girl, smiling as she approached me. I silently sigh in relief as the girl came closer.

"How're you Michael?" The girl's voice chimed in my ear gently, snapping me back to reality once more.

"Oh… I'm doing fine Alison… just hungry. I didn't finish my breakfast." I finished with another sigh, my stomach growling at me when I mentioned food.

Oh, and the girl is Alison Porter. She's a squad leader in Alpha Company. She's a pretty cute gal to put things bluntly. She's had the biggest crush on me since I arrived at the school, but I wasn't interested in her. She was the scene girl that everyone seemed to like. I was the quiet newcomer with rank and a bit of an attitude. I thought about trying to date her once… but I thought about it again and convinced myself it wasn't a good idea. She was far too clingy and she didn't like half the things I was interested in. We didn't have much in common, so I never made the move on her. Wish I could say the same about her…

"Oh that's a shame. You're gunna be really hungry later. Ready for Major Kim's class?"

I shrugged as I began walking down the hallway, heading for my first class. Alison was in first period with me, it wasn't much of an issue, and she never pushed too much on me at one time. She just enjoyed mentioning that she liked me subtly during whatever time she has to talk to me. Namely, during Major Kim's class. I shrugged as I replied to her.

"Oh yeah… so ready for Chemistry… I'll live though… Just I'm having a pretty rough morning as it is. Did you do Major Kim's homework?"

Alison nodded, answering my question as we made it to him classroom, I moved so she could enter first. She headed towards our lab table. I followed her in and nodded to Major Kim in a silent greeting. He nodded back without a word.

Major Kim is the only Asian teacher in the school. He's Japanese, so he's pretty intense when it comes to homework and the class in general. His English was very good. He didn't have much of an accent or anything, so it was no problem to follow him in class.

I sat down at the center of the lab table in the rear of the classroom. Alison took her seat right next to me. Each table could fit three people. My lab table was one short due to the assign seats.

I pulled out my notebook and textbook, setting them both on the table before. I place my head in my hand and close my eyes to try to relax before class began. A few minutes passed by before the bell rang loudly throughout the school. I kept my head down, really tired still from losing sleep from the night before. Major Kim spoke up to the class that seemed to all rush in when the bell rang.

"All right guys, before we begin, we have a new arrival."

Still facing my head down at the table, my eyes shoot open. Major Kim continued.

"I would like you all to meet Ms. Rose. She's a new student. Help her out as much as you can so she can catch up with the rest of you. Now Ms. Rose… please go sit in the open seat in the back of the class."

My head shoots up as I make eye contact with Saphiria, her eyes once again locked onto mine as she nodded to Major Kim and started to walk her way towards me. My eyes were still watching hers as I mutter something under my breath.

"Oh you've got to be shitting me…"

End of Chapter 3. Nice cliff-hanger eh? Hope you all enjoyed it. Review, harass, whatever you deem worthy of the story so far. Chapter 4 will be up as soon as I can get it. Thanks ya'll.