IN THE CLOUDS ~ BRADLEY BRADSHAW

a game of tag

"OKAY, SO NOW THAT WE ARE ALL DIVIDED, each of you get into groups of two or three." Maverick said to his peers.

Grace's little group of three just stayed together and the others grouped up.

"Okay," Mav started as our group was loading up in each of our respective planes.

The trio was going first and then they would have to wait two rounds, and go again.

"The goal is to try and not get killed. This is like child's play; also if you kill me, you don't have to go for the second round." Maverick stated as he flew ahead of them and the three followed.

"You know what Mav, how about if we get killed, we do 200 pushups. I like earning my rewards." Hangman said cockily over the radio.

"Okay, just know it your funeral, and we start now." Maverick said as he darted towards Rooster.

Grace noticed this and went higher up. It looked like Hangman had the same idea.

"C'mon guys, I need some backup over here!" Rooster said stressfully into the little radio.

Grace and Hangman were in the mindset of every man for himself, especially if it included 200 push-ups.

At this point the two just kept going down and down further, definitely below the altitude they were supposed to go, and the goal was to try and kill Mav too.

Grace decided that the best strategy would be to wait until it was just her and her dad left, he was the one who taught her all of her special skills and tricks.

"That's a kill." Maverick said over the radio.

Hangman motioned Grace to go in for the kill with him, and she nodded; but when he started going, she just stayed put.

He was a fool if he thought she was going with him.

"Barbie. Fuck you." Hangman said over the radio as she couldn't make out what was happening below them.

"Hangman, speaking for Barbie, she will not be fucking you. Also, that was a kill." Maverick responded as Grace just chuckled.

"Shit." Hangman muttered as he descended lower to land and do his pushups with Rooster.

"C'mon Barbie. You scared of your old man?" Mav questioned his daughter as she started going lower to try and spot him.

The duo wasn't trying to keep the whole dad, daughter thing under wraps, but it might rub some people the wrong way that Grace was a favorite. So they tried to not say much.

So, when that came out of Mavericks mouth over radio. He didn't realize that the others waiting for their turns were listening into the radios.

"Nope." Grace said as she made contact with her dad.

Fuck, she thought. He was moving too much, she couldn't get the view finder on point to line up the shot.

"Holy Shit." Maverick said out loud as she was coming behind him, she really did have a shot at getting him.

The both of them went back and forth until Grace finally lined up her viewfinder with the target.

"Hey Dad, thats a kill." She said smiling and she descended from the sky and got her feet back on land.

*

"Okay, what do you need to talk about so badly." Grace asked Rooster as she finally found him in one of the empty sitting rooms at base.

"Listen, I feel like I left things. What's the word." Rooster said as he started their conversation.

"Frayed. Broken. Just throwing things out there for you." Grace responded sarcastically, not really wanting to have this conversation with him.

"Look, I was a huge douche. I realize that. Seeing you though, it made me miss everything. It made me hurt. Like way more than it did while we were apart." Rooster said sounding sincere.

"Why are you hurting? I don't even understand why we ended what was going on between us in the first place. I just have a lot of questions." Grace said seriously.

Grace honestly missed Rooster. She was in many relationships in high school, and even though Rooster and her weren't ever official, It felt like the realest thing she's ever felt.

"I promise I will answer all those questions. I really need a second chance with you. I fucked things up and I know that. Just please." Rooster was practically begging.

"It's going to take time. You hurt me." Grace said looking him in the eyes.

"I know. I'm so sorry. Please Grace." He said to her.

"We can be friends. Once you answer my questions." Grace said getting up. She was dismissed for the day since she was done with the lessons.

"Okay friends. Are you free tonight?" Rooster asked her sounding hopeful.

"Sure. Pick me up at 6. We are on the same base you'll find me." She said as she walked away.

*

Grace was outside now, walking out of base and it looked as if Hangman had just finished his pushups.

She gave him a smirk and wave. She didn't want to have another conversation with him, but it looked like he had other plans.

"So Barbie. I didn't know daddy was our instructor." Hangman said sneakily.

God Grace hated him sometimes, but other times he was tolerable.

"First off, how did you find that out? Secondly, why would I be back here for a literal suicide mission with my dad being the instructor?" She said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"The radios, blondie; and I don't know. Maybe he will end up being leader and you'll be wingman." He suggested with his stupid ass smirk.

"As much as I want to be on this mission, I don't think I'll be chosen." She said putting her sunglasses on the top of her head so she show him that she was being serious.

"That means more room for me then." Hangman said with a smirk.

"Hey, one last thing." Hangman said to her as she just turned around and gestured for him to tell her.

"Your daddy had us playing a game of tag in the sky. I hope you know that's only the start. Not only to this mission, but for us as students." He said in her ear, walking away leaving the blonde speechless.

What was she going to do about these boys?