When It Rains

Chapter Four - Camp

"Time to rise and shine!" shouts a voice in my ear. I try to bat the sound away with one hand while my eyes are closed.

"Get up!" says the voice accompanied by a push on my shoulder.

"Crinae?" I ask.

"Who else would it be?"

"What time is it?"

"Time to rise and shine!"

I roll over in my soft warm bed and see my sister dressed in full GlobalGov cadet regalia – head to toe in light blue with a grey dagger on her left side and a large felt hat. The hat is ridiculous. It's floppy and hides half of Crinae's face.

Crinae must have noticed me staring at the drooping hat because she pushes it back from her forehead.

"Are you packed?" she asks.

"Yes," I say, swallowing a yawn. "It's still dark out."

"Technically it is morning. It's 3 a.m."

"It's night in my world."

"Get up or I'll write you up. Again."

"Fine," I say, groaning as I put my bare feet on the cold floor.

"You have fifteen minutes to get into the car. Brooks will bring down your pack."

"I think I got it," I say.

"Hurry up then," says Criane, wagging a finger at me. "I don't want to be late for my first day of command."

"Fake command," I mutter.

"What?"

"Nothing," I say.

Crinae is such a suck-up. All she seems to want to do is impress our uncle but I'd better get dressed and quickly. She can be a hard ass. In my bathroom, I splash cold water on my face to wake myself up. I look in the mirror while water drips off my chin. My eyes are rimmed with black circles and my curls look like snakes fighting on top of my head.

"It doesn't matter what I look like anyway where I'm going."

I put my hair in a bun and jump into my cadet uniform. It fits tightly around my body and makes me feel like I'm being squeezed by a Moto. The wool makes me scratch everywhere. There's nothing about this outfit that makes me feel good. Especially the hat I shove on my head.

I slink down to the car but not before Brooks hands me a steaming cup of coffee and a container full of warm eggs and buttery toast.

"Don't want you to go hungry," the servant says.

"What time did you have to get up in order to make all of this?"

"Early," Brooks says, casting his dark eyes on the floor. "But I don't mind if it's you. Anyone else..."

"Thanks," I say. "I'm going to need all the energy I can get to push through this camp."

"Good luck," Brooks says, opening the heavy door for me.

I rush outside and over to where the car is parked. Crinae is sitting inside, arms crossed.

"Took you long enough," she says. "I cannot, and let me stress the cannot part, be late."

"Sorry," I say and duck into the vehicle.

"Go," says Criane to our driver, who takes off so fast that the coffee I'm carrying in my hand, slops over the brim and lands on my lap.

"That brown stain looks nasty," says Crinae. "Good thing you brought a change of uniform."

"Uh..."

"Uh what?" Crinae asks. "Use your words."