Chapter 19: A not exactly warm welcome.

1:45 pm

After half an hour of travel the jeep with Kay, Himmler and Dwight on board stopped in front of a two-story building of Georgian architecture, surrounded by a lawn and in front of which stood a flagpole with the US flag, which was hanging that day. limp due to lack of wind.

"Here we come, blondie. You will meet your colleagues. " Sarah said, getting out of the vehicle, imitated by the two passengers.

Kay paused for a moment to look at the landscape, then, taking a closer look at the flag, she noticed a detail that had initially escaped her.

"Why is the flag at half-mast?"

She knew that this was a custom adopted in times of mourning.

Dwight shrugged.

"Considering who the current tenant of the White House is..." She replied.

Kay quickly grasped the meaning of those words.

"You don't like it very much, do you?"

"No, blondie… Just saying his name makes me sick! But now let's go inside."

Upon entering the front door, the trio was greeted by a girl with short raven hair and black eyes, wearing a dark green tank uniform.

"Welcome home, commander!" She exclaimed, snapping to her attention.

"Thanks, Ginger." Sarah replied.

"She would be the new tank commander, right?"

"Exactly." Himmler replied, slightly annoyed at being ignored.

The girl named Ginger held out her hand to Kay, and the latter shook it.

"My name is Scarlett Johnson, but you can call me Patton."

"I'm Ginger Ventura, but you can call me Clark."

"Like Mark Clark, right?"

The dark-haired girl nodded.

"He's not as famous as Eisenhower, but he got his share of glory."

"I know it."

"Are the others present?" Dwight asked her.

"Yes, commander! They await you on the second floor! "

"Very well ... Come on, girls!"

Clark escorted them in a room with an oblong table in the center and 15 chairs around it, 10 of which were occupied by 10 girls: most of them wore the same uniform as Clark, except one who wore a gray baseball uniform and a black cap, holding a baseball in her hand. Another wore a cowboy hat. Ethnically speaking, they were all white except for one African American and a darker-skinned couple. They were conversing with each other but broke off when the quartet entered the room. Himmler peered at them one by one, until, noticing the baseball player, she got nervous.

"Babe! What did we say about your way of dressing? " She asked her, pointing to her with her index finger.

The girl named Babe, who had dark brown hair tied in a ponytail and eyes of the same color, snorted.

"Don't bother me, Himmler ... I dress how I want!"

"But don't you feel weird going around like that?"

"Weird? This is the official kit of the Baltimore Orioles! What's wrong with it? "

"Forget it ... The important thing is that you wear regular uniforms at school and on the pitch."

"No more chatter!" Sarah exclaimed, clapping her hands.

"Girls, this is Scarlett Johnson, AKA Patton, our new member and tank commander." She added, pointing to Kay.

The girl with the cowboy hat, who had straight shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes, who wore a plaid shirt and jeans, spat on the floor.

"Would that be her? A curvy blonde with a stupid face? " She asked.

Let's get off to a good start ...

Kay thought.

"At a guess, I don't think I have more curves than you." She replied.

The brunette Texan ignored her and went on:

"And she are already a tank commander? I had to kick my ass ... "

"Moderate your words, Samantha!" Himmler interrupted her, who couldn't stand her foul language.

The cowgirl looked at her badly, but he preferred to indulge her:

"… I had to cut my teeth as a gunner before I landed my current role. And now she arrives and becomes one in five minutes! "

"I also think it's a premature decision, but it's a student council decision, and their word is as dogmatic as the Bible." Dwight supported her.

"Precisely. And the decisions of the council must be accepted, not discussed. " She said the German girl.

The brunette paused, then she added:

"And another thing ... If she is English why with us, who are almost all Americans?" That question got her a glare from the black girls.

"She should be with those tea drinkers of Elizabeth I division."

"And she's going to stay here in Yorktown, whether you like it or not!"

"Come on, girls… Don't you think you're premature? Let's at least give it a chance! " A blonde with short hair and blue eyes intervened.

"Marilyn… The role of tank commander is one of the most delicate, after that of commander in chief. The whole team depends on her, and on the decisions she makes. If a commander turns out to be incompetent or tyrannical her team will suffer, and the whole team with it. I frankly can't trust this newbie. " Dwight answered her.

"I can assure you Patton has what it takes, ladies. Otherwise Hilda would not have entrusted her with such an important role. " Himmler intervened.

"Listen, Fritz .. Isn't it that she made her tank commander because yesterday she saved Eva, her deputy and best friend?" Samantha insinuated.

"Hilda is not a nepotist, she believes in meritocracy."

"But if she appointed Eva as deputy commander, as she was her friend, and that other girl ... What was her name?"

"Sheska. In any case, Hilda is our führer, and so far she has behaved impeccably. "

"Come on, we're not always arguing!" Clark interjected, then turned to Kay:

"Patton, I assume you already know our commander, Dwight. I've already introduced myself, I'm from New York. They are Samantha Houston, Texas; Marylin Baker, California; Johanna di Maggio, aka Babe, Maryland; Halle, Ohio ... "

"Hi!" The black girl, who had wavy brown hair down to her shoulders, greeted her.

"... Madison Deutch, also from California ..."

"Nice to meet you!" She greeted her, raising an arm. Kay noticed that she looked a lot like her, only she had green eyes instead of blue.

"... Betsy, from Philadelphia ..."

"Welcome among us!" a blonde with short hair tied in a ponytail and gray eyes greeted her.

"... Dolores, from Miami ..."

"Bienvenida!" a girl with short dark brown hair and eyes of the same color greeted her.

"Cuban, right?" Kay asked.

"American. My family left Cuba in the 1960s, shortly after the Castro revolution, and emigrated to Florida. "

"So speak English, Communist bitch..." Samantha scolded her.

"I'm not a communist!" The girl retorted hard-nosed.

"... Pele, Hawaiian ..."

"Welina wau iā ʻoe i waena or mākou. Lana koʻu manaʻo and lilo i mau hoa aloha (I welcome you to join us. I hope we become friends). " A girl with long straight black hair that reached her back and eyes of the same color greeted her.

"P-please?" Kay asked, who hadn't understood a single word.

"I welcome you, and I hope you become my friend."

"Ah, now I understand ..."

"... Minerva, Puerto Rican ..."

"Salutations!" A girl with long straight black hair and eyes of the same color greeted her.

"... And finally Rose, Nevada."

The last of her, a girl with short black hair and blue eyes stood up and, instead of greeting her, she said:

"You shouldn't be here."

"Even though I'm English, I've always felt American at heart." Kay justified herself.

"No ... I meant you shouldn't be in this age."

Kay broke into a cold sweat. That girl had a disturbing look, and her ways were detached.

"I don't understand what you mean ..." She stated, giggling.

"Rose is a fan of ufology, the paranormal and various mysteries. She sometimes she comes up with bizarre speeches, but she's a good girl. However they will be your colleagues. " Clark intervened about her, putting a hand on her shoulder, as if to reassure her.

Rose sat down on the other hand, without adding anything else.

"I understand ..." Kay said.

"Anyway ... I guess you want to take a look at our tanks, right?"

"Exactly."

"Then follow me, the garages are nearby. Clark and Sam come with me. The others can go. "

The other girls nodded and stood up, while Samantha thought:

Why do I have to go too? I wanted to retire to my room to watch the football match...