Chapter 41: Celebrations and grumbles.
8.30pm
The welcome party for Grandes and Patton (El and Kay) was underway in the schoolyard. Despite the short notice, the students, expertly guided by Eva, had set up a series of tables on which there were different types of food: chips, popcorn, pizzas, pretzels, cakes, trays full of sweets. Obviously there was no shortage of drinks, strictly non-alcoholic. On top of that, a stereo system played Eurodance music from the 90s.
watch?v=Az_nEjHzrdg
In addition to the two guests of honor and the student council, various female students, both foreign and German, were present, some of whom were members of the Panzerfahren team. Samantha and Goebbels were absent.
Their organizational skills are not bad... In 5 hours they pulled all this together!
Kay thought in amazement as she took a slice of chocolate cake from one of the tables.
"So, how do you like our party?" A familiar voice asked her.
She turned, locking eyes with Johanna di Maggio (AKA Babe), one of her colleagues from the Yorktown division. That evening she was not wearing the black and white baseball uniform of the Baltimore Orioles (which she had seen her wear at their first meeting) but the gray uniform of the Black Sun.
"Very pleasant. The music, the food, the atmosphere… Everything here makes me feel better." The blonde admitted.
Babe, who was holding a glass of orange soda, smiled and nodded.
"You… You're English, right?"
Kay nodded.
"Exactly, from London."
"Do you like baseball?"
"No… I prefer soccer and sen… I meant Tankery."
"I see… Which soccer team do you support?"
"Arsenal FC, the best soccer team in the UK!" The blonde stated, with false pride, winking at her.
Thank you, Darjeeling, for showing me the Arsenal Football Club matches…
"You support the… New York Yankees, right?" She asked.
"Baltimore Orioles. Clark supports the New York Yankees."
"Yes, it's true! I'm confused." Kay admitted, slightly embarrassed.
"Do you have other passions besides tankery and football?" Babe asked her.
Sex.
The former Saunders commander thought.
"I'm… A Japan enthusiast."
"Why?"
"Large sumptuous metropolises, enchanting landscapes, an ancestral and compelling history, a fascinating culture… Need we say anything else?" Kay listed the various reasons with a radiant expression on her face, as a true otaku passionate about the Land of the Rising Sun would have done.
Babe smiled and nodded.
"More than valid reasons… Well, I'm happy to have been able to get to know you a little better, I hope we'll become good friends."
"I hope too."
The two girls shook hands.
Meanwhile at another table El was eating chips and popcorn, when suddenly a familiar voice behind her asked:
"Didn't I tell you to take off that uniform?"
She turned quickly, locking eyes with Hilda: the blonde wearing her dress uniform was staring at her with a mischievous look.
"I'm fond of it! It's the only thing I have left from my old school." El justified herself, giggling embarrassedly.
Hilda glanced at El's chest and nodded.
"I understand you. Me too, if I were forced to change school, I would like to keep some memories of the Black Sun with me."
She place her right hand on El's right shoulder.
"Changing the subject, do you like the little party I organized in your honor?"
The raven-haired girl nodded.
"You did things in a big way, and in just a few hours. I admit I'm surprised by this."
At that moment a new song rang in the air.
watch?v=Hy8kmNEo1i8
"The Black Sun is famous throughout Europe for its efficiency and organizational skills. For us it was as easy as drinking a glass of water." The blonde stated, pushing aside her modesty.
El nodded.
"I don't doubt it. Changing the subject, can I ask you a question?"
Hilda nodded.
"Just tell me."
"You…"
She stopped, doubtful. How would Hilda react to such a question?
"What?" The blonde asked her.
El sighed.
Now I have to ask her... Or the doubt will continue to tear my soul apart.
She said to herself.
"Last night you called me a slut… May I know why?"
Hilda smiled, taking on a sly expression. She turned to her right, glancing at Kay, who was drinking a glass of Pepsi, then she walked over to her El and whispered something in her ear, something that made her blush violently.
"I hope you understand." The girl stated, winking at her.
"Y-yes… Of course!" The former commander of the Blue Division replied.
"Mein führer!" Eva called her.
Hilda looked annoyed.
We are childhood friends and yet she uses certain formalisms...
She snorted.
"I have to go now, see you. And enjoy the party to the fullest."
"Ok!" El said.
"Verdammt, Göring… Do you want to behave yourself?" Himmler asked, irritated.
Her partner, in fact, was stuffing herself as if there was no tomorrow, eating chips, pop con, pizzas and other foods as much as she could.
"Come on, Him… Don't grumble. I won't disturb anyone anyway!" The robust girl replied, when she had ingested yet another pizza.
You really bother me… You look like a hungry sow!
The bespectacled girl thought, careful not to say it.
She snorted, cut a slice of apple pie and began to eat it. Suddenly, however, someone gave her a hard pat on the shoulder, causing her mouth to go sideways. The bespectacled woman coughed a couple of times, while a familiar voice greeted her.
"Goedenavond, vier ogen!"
Having recovered herself, she turned, glaring furiously at a blonde with long, wavy hair that reached her shoulders and gray eyes, who was wearing the gray uniform of the Black Sun with a white band on her right arm, above which were represented two flags: the Dutch flag and the flag of European Union.
"Wilhelmina…" She hissed, furious.
"Call me Mina! But why that face? I just said hello to you in a friendly way!" The girl stated.
"You nearly made me choke myself, you idiot!" Himmler replied, pointing his index finger at her.
"Oh, sorry… I didn't realize you were still chewing!" She apologized, genuinely sorry.
"And you, Göring? Always stuffing yourself like a pig?"
The person concerned, still intent on feasting at the buffet table, suddenly stopped and turned, staring at Mina with a grim expression. After a few moments she punched her in the stomach, not too hard, but it still hurt, so much so that she put her hands on her belly.
"How funny, you little slut…" She said, in a threatening tone.
"I-I was just joking…" The Dutch girl justified herself.
"You should know that I don't like jokes! When others do them..." The muscular woman retorted.
Always quoting that line…
"Okay, I apologize." The blonde said, huffing.
Himmler glared at her, but then took on a benevolent air.
"So, how are things going with you?"
"Very good!" Mina stated cheerfully.
"I heard that in the last match your division found itself surrounded by enemy SOMUA S35s, but you managed to repel the assault." Göring said, who had also calmed down.
The Dutch girl took on a proud expression.
"I admit that for a few moments I feared I was doomed… But thanks to my cool head, and the intervention of Yorktown, I managed to prevail!"
"It doesn't surprise me, you are one of our best commanders. You proved it several times during the tournament." Himmler said.
Mina nodded.
"And now I will be able to prove it in the German championships too!" She stated, proudly.
"Thank Hilda for that." The stocky girl reminded her.
"I will, as soon as I meet her. Changing the subject, what can you tell me about the two new recruits?" She asked, referring to Patton and Grandes.
"They are good girls, all you need to know is this." Himmler replied.
"Even as tank commanders?"
"Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have assigned them such important tasks." A well-known voice told her.
The trio turned, noticing Hilda with Eva.
"Mein führer…" Mina greeted her respectfully, imitated by the others.
Hilda returned her greeting, then turned to Himmler:
"Him, how are the preparations for the trip going?"
"Good, mein fuhrer. But doesn't it seem premature to organize a post-victory trip? Kursk is fierce, and our victory is still in doubt..."
Hilda stopped her with a wave of her hand.
"We will win. I'm more than certain of it." She stated, with conviction.
"This is the right spirit, Hilda!" Göring congratulated her enthusiastically.
Himmler snorted and instinctively touched her glasses with the tips of her index and middle fingers.
I wish I had their optimism…
She thought.
At the same time, in another part of the carrier school, Samantha was in her bedroom, sitting in front of a small desk with a laptop running on it. At that moment she was busy watching on Youtube an old football match (1996) of her favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys, playing against the Washington Redskins. In her hand she held a large bag of popcorn, and every now and then she took a large handful which she ate. The only audible noises were three: the sounds of the match, the crunching of popcorn and the music coming from outside.
Who cares about those two sluts...
She thought, annoyed.
She was still stung by the idea that two strangers, who had smuggled themselves on board, had been appointed tank commanders, the second most important role after that of commander in chief in a Tankery team, just because they had saved the life of Eva, Hilda's best friend. To become vice-commander of the Yorktown she had to prove what she was made of by fighting in some friendly matches between schools of different nations, first as a loader and then as a gunner.
For years the student council has done this to us, saying that meritocracy is everything, that only those who prove themselves worthy can access leadership roles... And then they appoint two rookies as tank commanders!
She snorted, then ate another handful of popcorn.
Now: either they've been fooling us all these years or they're fooling us now.
There was something suspicious in that story, she understood it now.
For starters, are those two really who they say they are? Part of me highly doubts it...
She snorted.
Now that I think about it, I have a social media friend, at El Alamein... I could ask her. I will contact her after the match.