FRIENDSHIP

Chapter 12: Inexa

The next morning, at five o'clock, Aiko clapped his hands loudly, which woke everyone up. Well, everyone except Eina, who was sleeping soundly.

I climbed onto Eina's bunk and I shook her arm.

"Eina! Wake up!"

She groaned and opened her eyes. "Nex'..."

"Wake up!" I repeated.

"What time is it?" she rubbed her eyes.

"Seven!"

"So... early..." she groaned.

"Girl, you're in the military campus, remember?"

"Riiiiiiight."

"West Oker!" a voice screamed.

We both flinched and turned. I didn't realise that West wasn't up either.

It was Zaina, kicking and hitting West.

"WEST!!" she yelled along with a punch.

I flinched again.

Huh? Eina looked wide awake now. Maybe from Zaina's screaming?

"WEST ZANDER OKER!" Zaina shrieked. "WAKE UP!"

West groaned, just like Eina a minute ago. Then West used a blanket to cover himself. Seconds later, Zaina yanked it away from him and threw it down his bunk, making it land right onto Dougleon's head.

"What just happened?!" he gasped. "Who turned out the lights?!"

"Oh, Doug, Zaina threw a blanket onto you." Vina rolled her eyes.

"Darn it," he said.

The next thing we knew, West fell asleep again.

"Aww man," sighed Zaina. "Now we have to do it all over again."

"Actually, Zaina," Rochelle smirked, "I have a better idea."

Rochelle climbed onto West's bunk and took a whistle out of her pocket.

"Ah," she said with love in her eyes to the whistle. "Finally I can use you."

She took a deep, deep breath and blew right into it.

West didn't budge.

"Darn it!" Zaina shouted, voice cracking. She coughed. "Someone get me some water?!"

After a bunch of fuss, West was up, grumbling.

"Now, let's head out to the training field after breakfast," Aiko said.

We all followed him out of the house like a procession.

The sky was still dark, and I could see the stars and the moon. I had never been able to before, at home. I felt such a sense of freedom here, even though my father and mother weren't here.

I let my lips raise in a smile.

"This place is pretty, huh?" Ibe said, yawning.

Eina's eyes were bright. "I've never seen anything like this!"

"You'll get used to it soon," Alyssa muttered.

We looked at her blankly.

"What? It's not like it's very interesting to look at views like this every single morning!" Alyssa crossed her arms.

***

After all of us were dressed and washed, we were informed that our trainer of today was unavailable, and so we were free while they searched for someone else to train us. This was met with a lot of cheers.

Raven, Kody and Fletcher went out to the military canteen to get breakfast, so the rest of us played some military charades (the things we need to pretend are about war) while waiting. I was acing it, but honestly, it was because I hear very well, and also, I was sitting at the front row, so I could hear all the mumbling the person did.

It was Doug's turn, and he was taking so long!

"Um so um, err, hey, umm, so..." he stammered.

"YOU AIN'T GOT THE WHOLE DAY!" shouted Rochelle.

"I'm sorry..." murmured Dougleon. "Hmm, so, err, how to do," he whispered, "walking the hurt to the military hospi - "

"Walking the hurt to the military hospital," I called out.

"How did Dicaminchi. Get. That?!" hissed Vina to Querios.

"I don't know, hon," he said.

"Stop calling me hon!" she whisper-shouted.

"Sorry," he replied.

"Ugh!"

"Well," Ibe replied to Vina, "Her ears may be small, but she does hear pretty well."

I nodded, then realized. "If you call my ears small one more time, Ibe..." I glared.

She sighed. "Sorry."

"Okay, it's my turn now," I called out.

I took a deep breath and unfolded the piece of paper.

Shooting with a gun. This should be easy.

I took out my hand and bent my fourth and fifth finger and kept my one to third finger straight, so that my hand looked like a gun.

My mouth curled into a smirk as I pointed at a distant target, miming shooting at it. I spun around, then pointed it between Vina and Alyssa. I weakly giggled.

"Let me guess," said Alyssa, curling her hair and leaning towards her left side. "Shooting with a gun?"

"Correct," I said coldly.

Alyssa smirked. "Okay, my turn," announced Alyssa. She kept twirling her hair. "Let's start."

She stood. A moment later, she fell, knees collapsing, hands pressed to her chest. Eyes wide, she crumpled to the floor.

I heard a half-choke, half-cough. I turned to see Ardis' eyes squeezed shut, right hand gripping his violently trembling left arm. I blinked in surprise as I turned back.

"Dying!" Ibe yelled.

"Right," Alyssa sighed as her eyes opened.

Then her eye twitched, and she cocked her head to the left.

I looked.

Ardis was still having his... episode.

"What are you doing?" Alyssa asked him.

His eyes snapped open, and behind the icy mask, I saw the pain. "Oh, my. Were you worried, Miss Litson?"

It was fake. I could tell even though everyone else grimaced at this.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Alyssa said, cheeks flaming. "Next!"

"Ooh, me, me!" Eina cried. "I haven't had a go yet."

"Go on." Vina rolled her eyes.

Eina grinned and walked up to the front, choosing a piece of paper from the box. She looked at it, then frowned. She dropped to the ground with a loud thud, eyes shut. She looked like a stone.

"Fainting!" I shouted.

She opened her eyes. "Mmhm! You got it, Neeeeexi!"

I shivered in disgust as she winked and smiled.

"I'll go next!" Ibe suggested.

"Sure," I replied.