Back to You // Bradley Bradshaw

Chapter Thirty-Five

    After the week long break, things were back in swing again finishing up the program. Final tests were in order, all attempts to rack up final points to determine the graduating class. There were no points for second place, they had been told once. Haley felt like the trip had been good in terms of moving forward with Jake and Sabrina. Their relationship was still odd, but it didn't make her as uncomfortable. After the late night conversation with Rooster on the last night, she had found herself a little distant. She felt like she had opened some void between them that she couldn't seem to close.

    Maybe it was her way of running without physically leaving. She knew she had to grow up and face things instead of just leaving them. This was what had gotten them in the original mess the summer before, and Haley felt like cost them time together. Was she costing them time again? It had begun to feel like it. They had talked over the last week and seen one another, but never quite about the elephant in the room. A lot of her focus had been on finishing Top Gun, and she knew he had been too. Haley wondered if they were afraid to even try to discuss what had happened.

    The class was in one of the lecture halls, debriefing after their final test. "These last thirteen weeks have tested each and every one of you to your limits. This has been an exceptional group of pilots-" Cypher began, but was interrupted by Jake.

"Obviously, or we wouldn't be here." Jake said, which got an echo of cheering from Coyote and a few others around them. Cypher surprisingly didn't seem to mind the interruption considering it was the end of the program.

"The points have been taken down and are being calculated for final class rankings. Graduation is tomorrow morning and you will know your final placement then. Congratulations to all of you. You are dismissed for one final time." Cypher concluded, before leaving the room.

Blaze was sitting next to Haley at their table. He had been putting everything he had into each test and exercise they went on, but wasn't his usual self. Not that Haley blamed him. She couldn't imagine diving back into this almost two weeks after your dad died, but he did. She guessed he was using it as a distraction. "Done what we can. I guess we'll know tomorrow where we land." Blaze told her. "Regardless, it's been a hell of a 13 weeks flying with you." He added with a small grin.

Haley nodded in agreement. There wasn't any point in stressing over the outcome, it was what it was. "Same here." She agreed, offering him a fist bump, which he returned. Everyone was moving to leave the room now that they were dismissed. There was a lot of chatter regarding curiosity about the final rankings.

"Anyone but Bagman, please." Phoenix said, crossing her fingers. "We will never hear the end of it."

Haley smiled a little, knowing that would be the truth. She bid goodbye to Blaze and Phoenix and moved to leave. She saw Rooster waiting for her by the door. They had continued spending time together since returning from Lake Tahoe, but it had felt a different. She knew she was acting off and a little distant. Rooster seemed to be trying to toe the line of not giving up on her but also trying to give her space.

"Well, we did it. Or I guess officially will have come tomorrow." Haley told him and Rooster nodded. There was a pause after, Haley knew that was the void coming in. She just felt like she had opened Pandora's Box and couldn't get it closed after what they had talked about. It felt like they were on the same page about things but not at the same time. They began the walk to go outside of the building.

"I don't know what you want me to say or do," Rooster admitted after a moment of silence. He stopped when they were outside and turned to face Haley. Her back was against a wall and he was standing in front of her.

"I don't know either." Haley agreed. She really didn't know what would make things better. "I mean, I'm still a little embarrassed to have suggested that then essentially get rejected." That was how it felt, even if it did feel more like a proposition.