The Story Of Soldiers

Chapter 6

Mild change to the dorm designs- each dorm has a mini wall of lockers just big enough for the team to put their bags in.

"Charlotte?"
"Yes?"
"...Charlie, why does dad say we need to wear makeup?"
"It makes us look pretty," Charlie smiled.
"Do I need makeup to be pretty?"
"Oh, of course not. You're beautiful just how you are, Kiora."
Kiora was silent for just a moment.
"Charlie, can I have a nickname? Like yours? I don't like my name anymore."

"Alright, what do you want us to call you?"
"How about.. just Kira? I like that a lot better."
"Alright, Kira it is then."
"CHARLOTTE! KIORA! HURRY UP!"
Charlie sighed, "Don't worry Kira. Try to smile for me, okay?"
"Okay Charlie, I will. I promise."

Kira woke with a start from the dream, her eyes watering as she curled up on herself and began to cry.
She tried to stay quiet, but it was hard when the room was so small. Turns out, she wasn't as quiet as she thought.

"Kira?"
It was Aayan. His bed was right next to Kira's, and he had been woken up by the sobbing.
She whimpered and wiped at her eyes, shaking her head as she tried to speak through forced breaths of air.

"I'm fine. Go back to sleep," Kira snapped, forcing a blank poker face, almost looking bored.
"No you're not," Aayan responded with a sigh, "Come on, what's wrong?"

Aayan moved to sit next to her, reluctantly placing a hand on her shoulder. He let go when she flinched away.
"Kira, something is wrong and we both know it," Aayan kept going, his eyes pleading with Kira to tell the truth.

Suddenly, she broke. Her eyes flooded all over again and she began to sob hysterically, not resisting when Aayan pulled her into a hug.
Kira burried her face in Aayan's chest in an attempt to keep from waking the others.

"I'm sorry," she babbled, not allowing Aayan to speak before she kept going, "Charlotte, I'm sorry."
Aayan was confused. Who was Charlotte?
"Kira?"
She didn't answer.

It was a while longer until the girl stopped crying, her eyes still moist with tears and her face still red.
Aayan let her pull away, still running a hand up and down her back gently.

Kira was calmer now. Aayan didn't push the issue of who Charlotte was.
"Thanks, I guess," Kira muttered, and Aayan nodded with a soft smile on his face.

"It's no problem, I'm here if you need me," he reassured.
Kira looked confused after a moment, "I'd hate to ask, but why do you even care? We hardly know each other."

Aayan shrugged, looking down, "Well, we're here for the rest of our lives, I'm guessing. So we might as well help each other as best we can."
Kira looked down, to the white sheets of the bed. She guessed he was right, they might as well make the most of it.

"I guess you're right," her soft reply came a moment later.
Aayan smiled, "We should get back to sleep. We have to get up in a few hours at most."
Kira nodded her agreement as Aayan made his way back to his bed, as she layed back down on her own.

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The past few days had passed smoothly. Ace was still an asshole, especially to Kaze. He'd constantly push the younger around, make mean remarks, and tried to humiliate Kaze, but no one else seemed to pay mind to the bullying.

No one else did what Ace did, as it was quite unseemly and they were regularly lectured on the importance of respecting one another.
On top of that, they had only four minutes or so between teachers switching, so most considered it be too risky.