limerence | m.ackerman

chapter one

LIMERENCE – CHAPTER ONE

She stared down her long pointed nose at the cadets around her, many of them stared back at her in adoration or jealousy. With short, thick locks of auburn hair scraped up into the most perfect-looking ponytail without a strand out of place, snow-white skin that made the freckles that dotted her face stand out, long thick black eyelashes that fluttered over chestnut eyes. She was the epitome of beauty, and everybody knew it.

She took in a deep breath, her eyes narrowed at the recruit in front of her. He stared down at her with an uncomfortable look, something Dove knew too well. His eyes danced across her face, pupils virtually in the shape of hearts. Disgusting pig, she thought, her eyes stone cold. It's not that she didn't like the attention, God knew she was used to it, but she didn't want it from someone like him. She glared up at him, her face unwavering, an uncomfortably terrifying look.

Sighing, she scrunched her nose up and looked the other way, she focused on the Commandant as he stalked closer and closer, his eyes flickering from each recruit to the next, deciding who his next victim was.

He eventually halted in front of a much shorter boy, glaring down at him. The boy faltered slightly at the man before swinging his arms into a salute, however, it was backwards. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, listening to his groans of pain as he was lifted from the floor by his head. Idiot, she thought snarkily, that's the first thing we were taught.

Beside her was a girl with soft brown hair and soft sand coloured skin. She glanced at Dove and offered a wide close-lipped warm smile, Dove tried her best not to recoil. Chestnut eyes moved to look at what was in her hand - a steamed potato.

Her eyes widened at her stupidity as she watched the recruit bring up the food up to her mouth and take a loud bite. The hairs stood on the back of her neck as the area around the two cadets suddenly grew dark from the lack of sun, Dove slowly turned her head back ahead of herself to see Shadis standing in front of the pair, his eyes glaring daggers at the dark haired girl beside her. How stupid can you be?

-

The mess hall was loud with laughter and chat as the recruits began getting to know each other, questions about villages or towns, family and friends, it was strange to her. Why would they even bother getting to know each other when the majority would be dead in five years? She simply didn't understand it. Dove placed her chin in her palm, her spare hand poking and playing with the piece of bread on her tray in front of her.

She soon realised she had regrettably sat on one of the chatty tables with three boys loudly talking amongst themselves about things she had no interest in. One of the boys had said he wanted to join the Military Police earlier that morning, so himself and another boy had instantly made friends. Whereas the third boy had claimed he wanted to join the Scouts. Dove didn't care who wanted to go where, she just wanted to go where the action was like her mother had, and not make any unnecessary attachments along the way.

"You're very quiet, you know."

Dove turned her attention to the dark haired, freckled boy in front of her, he looked at her quizzically. "Don't you want to talk to anyone? We're going to be stuck together for three years, may as well make some friends."

Chestnut eyes flickered over to Jean Kirstein, one of the boys who she had heard introduce himself, he stared back at her for a moment before continuing his conversation with Connie Springer, another boy she had heard.

"Why would I wish to converse with someone who was gawking at me this morning?" She scoffed, turning her attention to the boy again, Marco, she remembered. "Besides, what's the point? Most of you will be dead soon."