𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 | A Top Gun Fanfiction

Chapter 30: 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺

 Sickness has swept through Miramar like a storm, but the worst of it has passed. Those who caught the virus are all back to normal; Carol, Rooster, Slider, even Charlie had symptoms that put her on house arrest for 24 hours. I could fall to my knees in thanks that the sickness skipped Ghost and I. Had either of us come down with a fever, we'd be guaranteed last place at graduation. Already miles behind everyone in this desperate race towards the trophy, a single sick day would completely disqualify us. Mama had the whole Weaver household praying that we'd stay healthy throughout the duration of this sudden virus. It's nearing fall, so colds and flus and the like are bound to take a turn through the academy and the rest of the town. Natural or not, I can't afford to get sick.

Mama's prayers seemed to have reached the Lord's ear.

Spared of the virus, Ghost and I have been killing it. Whether we're up against an instructor or fellow classmates, we continue to win, again and again and again. It's like a routine. I know exactly what Ghost will tell me when victory is within reach, and I know exactly how to respond. Hollywood says we've got some sort of ESP going on. I don't know about that, but I will say that we're connected in a way the guys just aren't.

Most of the guys.

Maverick and Goose aren't too shabby themselves right now, and if it weren't for both of them getting sick in the same week, they'd probably have bragging points.

Well, too bad.

"What about your boyfriend, Remi? He's in Top Gun. We oughta pray he stays healthy too..."

There was no stopping my mother from praying for Maverick, so I totally stole the mantle of 'worst girlfriend ever,' and countered her blessings with my own prayer that Maverick would catch the virus. Just a day of it! I'm not so evil as to wish for my own boyfriend to be bed ridden, vomiting at a temperature of 104℉ all week! One day to slow his roll so Ghost and I had a chance...that's all I wanted. It seems that Irish Luck Brian bestowed upon us has worked its magic. Not only did Maverick get sick, but Goose as well. That's three days they were absent from Top Gun.

Three missed dog fights.

And three sweet victories for us.

Even Iceman was beginning to miss Mav. I can tell he hates having his ass kicked by girls, regardless of his feelings for my RIO. He plays it cool with her, but he better not think for one second that I don't see the way he glares at me from afar.

What a two-faced bastard.

Spitting knives and daggers at the back of my head while he showers Ghost in admiration and flirtation. The two of them are so impossibly adorable, it gives me a headache. They're like candy corn. You can't help but love it even when one taste of it makes you sick. I do my best to refrain from third wheeling, but every now and then I butt in to make sure Iceman's behaving himself and Ghost is genuinely enjoying his company. The girl is so self-sacrificial, she'd probably let Slider bore her for hours to avoid hurting his feelings. Me? I'd flip off anybody who insisted on wasting my time, not giving a shit if they go home and cry on the shower floor about it. She values others, I value efficiency.

Try as I might to catch Iceman red handed, I fail.

Every damn time.

'Cause like it or not, he treats Ghost like a princess. The guy's only sin is his inability to ask her on a date.

And it's starting to cause tension in this romantic limbo of theirs.

"Are you certain he's interested in me? I know we get along, and we're friends now, good ones, I think, but if Iceman really felt as keenly as I do for him, he'd have told me wouldn't he? He's still working on opening up; he likes to plaster his heart under lock and key but I've told him a thousand times that it'll only hurt him in the end...and he listens...he does...but sometimes I feel like I'm just rain to him."