Vlara's War (An Ender's game Fanfic)

Friendships

"Change of plans, they need each other."

"What?"

"Vlara and Ender, they need each other. She needs to be absolutely loyal to him. She needs to be his best friend."

"Why should we let that happen? If they're meant to grow, they need isolation, not friends."

"But we don't want to break the boy."

"It was you who said they needed to be separated, and I agree now."

"We could just let them be and let them develop a relationship on their own."

"Oh, but where's the fun in that?"

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Dinner seemed to go on forever. Vlara found a spot next to a few of the older boys, though they just ignored her, except for when they demanded that she give them some of her food. She didn't mind, she hadn't expected anyone to talk to her anyways. As for the food, she had learned to get by with much less than what the boys left for her. She had intended to sit by Ender, but she realized that them being seen together would've made them both a bigger target.

She spent the free hours between dinner and bed studying the Desks they had been given. It was obvious that the kids were meant to break into each others files. The security systems were barely strong enough to maybe keep uneducated children from breaking into them. But Vlara had no interest in any of the other kids. She set up a stronger security system for herself so no one got in and trashed her files, but then she spent the rest of the time trying to see what the teachers were doing with her and Ender without triggering some kind of alarm that would notify the adults of what she was doing. She got no where. The I.F. took a great deal of care in trying to avoid anyone getting into the files, even genius children.

After lights out, she remained awake, disturbed by the sounds of crying that filled the room. She wondered what it was like to miss home, and to have a family that loved you that you would cry for. She never had that. Her father didn't want a child to love and care for, he wanted a son to be in the military. From the moment she was born, Vlara wasn't his daughter, she was his son that would be either sent to battle school, or she had no purpose to him.

So as the other boys cried for their parents, Vlara was nothing but grateful to her father, for preparing her for this, and she cried, not because she missed home, but because she was scared. Everything rested on her being what she was raised to be, a soldier. She would follow orders, no matter the cost, but when she was left to decide what to do by herself, she would be extraordinary.

A few minutes after lights out, Dap came in to the room, walking slowly from bunk to bunk, comforting the kids, although his soft gestures only made them cry harder. When he finally reached her and Ender's bunk, she flinched away from him, and stopped her crying. She didn't mean to, because she really did trust Dap, but it was automatic. Soldiers don't cry, soldiers aren't scared. But she did cry, and she was terrified, but none of that could show.

Dap stayed by her bed a bit longer than he had any of the others. He brushed back her hair, which she hadn't gotten a chance to cut short before she left, away from her face. She tried to force herself not to flinch, but she did anyways, and Dap gave up, letting out a small sigh before leaning down to check on Ender, who she hadn't heard cry at all. Then finally, after an hour of staring at the dull ceiling in the room, she fell asleep.

They were introduced to the Game Room the next day. Vlara had never really cared for games, considering how simplistic they had been back home, but here, they were different. The games the older boys played where strategic and complex. Though whenever she got close to one, she was shoved out of the way.