ECHO [Rewritten - NaNoWriMo '16]

Chapter 11: Too Sweet To Be Here

4 March 2008

Berlin, Germany

Echo

The constant roar of shouting, screaming, laughing, crying, and everything in between was muted in the room. Echo was tucked under an overly large, fluffy comforter, and the door was closed with another blanket stuffed underneath it. Her head pounded in rhythm with her heartbeat. Exhaustion tickled the backs of her eyes and weariness tugged at her muscles. And yet, Echo couldn't sleep.

Despite the headache that she had been saddled with, Echo had another issue to worry about. She was getting a roommate. And who knew how that would be. It wasn't as though Echo would be for a decent duration – she was on missions more often than not – but when she came back to base, Echo preferred to be able to live in peace. And if she was bunked with a rambunctious idiot who didn't know how to shut up, she might as well sign her own name on the "to be executed" list.

A gentle knock warned Echo that whomever it was had arrived. Paiute snarled a warning. She stayed burrowed under her comforter as a flood of noise washed in before abruptly cutting off as her roommate closed the door, and secured the blanket underneath. Grinding her teeth, Echo slipped out from her little world to greet her new bunk buddy. She froze upon this sight of the new person. A girl. A girl who looked completely wrong and all too right at the same time.

The girl was slightly older than Echo, maybe a year. Wasn't too hard since Echo was only ten. Her hair was so fair it was nearly white, with prominent round eyes. Such a dark blue they were nearly black. A body that hinted at curves to come, lips a warm pink. The girl too froze at the sight of Echo before smiling, which was nothing short of a punch to the gut, "I'm R."

"Echo," she said shortly, too much so. She winced inwardly at how sharp she sounded.

R laughed, "I know who you are. I think everyone does."

"Well," Echo said blandly. "That was my goal. To become known by everyone."

She slipped back under the comforter and listened as R hesitated before beginning to unpack her simple box. Echo closed her eyes against the tickling, burning sensation in her eyes. She liked what she did, and if she were to go back in time, she would make the same choice over again to train with Thorn. Usually she was perfectly fine with being alone, and knowing that in a house full of murderous children, she was an outcast. But there were the few rare times, like this one, where she longed for a friend. Paiute mewed softly as he pressed closer against her side, trying to bring her comfort

"Question." R said suddenly. "Is there a set of rules that I need to know about?"

"Rules for what?" Echo peeked out from under the blanket. Rules for the academy? Everyone knew those by the time they stepped through the front door.

"No, for being in the same room as you." R looked honestly curious. "I seemed to irritate you already and I don't really know what I did."

Echo frowned, "What are you?"

R flushed deeply before shaking her head, "I don't know what you mean."

"You actually care about what I want to happen in this room? What irritates me and what doesn't?" Echo propped herself up on her elbows.

"Um...yeah," R sat down, looking nervous and confused.

"Everyone only cares about him or herself here," Echo pointed out.