Anyone But Him // Jake Seresin

Chapter Five

Jake Seresin
September

By the end of the week, for once, Jake was glad to be done with work. Usually flying was his favorite thing, but this instructor training was kicking his ass. Some of the pilots were frustrating to try to work with. Rooster didn't help the situation, he wasn't a good teammate. Though Bradshaw would argue that Jake wasn't the team player. They were in training to do classes together, so ultimately they did need to try to get along. Bradshaw seemed territorial when it came to Margot, and Jake caught the bird glaring anytime he talked to her. Which since the pushups on Monday, he had kept all professional.

Had he run? He didn't think so. He wanted her to be able to deal with her family and not let him get in the middle of it. Not that he didn't want her and her baggage. He kept thinking about their conversation and what she had said. He didn't want her to be right. He did know one thing, the Kazansky kid was still into her. He wasn't sure what the whole story was, but Ryder looked at her like she hung the moon. Margot never even looked at him in that way, which gave Jake some relief. Ryder made more sense for her anyway, but Jake didn't care for it.

Jake thought just being professional and helping in class would be enough. He still was getting to know her some, and it wasn't hostile. He'd figured out she was an arrogant little thing, even though he knew she'd deny it. She was extremely sure of herself, and it came out in spurts. She wasn't as obnoxious as he was, but she was also confident. Jake suspected she had another side to her, he saw her one day giving Kazansky a Vulcan salute. He felt like there was more than met the eye with Margot Mitchell, and it was killing him wanting to know more.

On the base, they had a recreational area. It had several volleyball courts, and some of the pilots in the class were going for some games after class. Jake went to observe, he was curious to see how they worked as a team. Something he knew he needed try himself, but wasn't ready to go there. He was sitting in the bleachers. He had changed into swim shorts and had his sunglasses on. He glanced up when a figure appeared beside him.

"Come to see how others play in the sandbox?" Rooster asked. "It's a good lesson to learn."

"Shouldn't the worm on your face crawl back to the sand? I heard a Freman summoning it." Jake responded and Rooster looked surprised. "I read sometimes, jackass. I'm a pretty blonde, not a dumb blonde." He flashed Rooster a grin.

"You and I have got to figure out some kind of middle ground, or they're never going to let us be instructors." Rooster told him. "They put us together for a reason."

"The one mission we worked well together on, I know." Jake replied, "You did good because you grew a pair finally."

"And you reigned your shit in for once." Rooster added. "Look, I don't like you. And you don't like me. I'm convinced you're going to lead people to the grave and you think turtles move faster than me."

"They do move faster. They told me themselves." Jake replied, still grinning. "Your point, Bradshaw? You're saying a lot of words but not making a point. The poor trees here are exhausting themselves producing oxygen for you and you're wasting it."

"For fucks sake, do you take anything seriously?" Rooster asked, sighing.

"Heart attacks. And carbs." Jake answered and Rooster shook his head. "Fine. I'm listening." He glanced back at the court. He noticed Isla Álvarez. He knew she was Margot's best friend and roommate. He wondered if Margot was going to stick around to play for a while.