Pilot Pride (A Poe Dameron fanfiction -- Star Wars)

(10) Day 5. Confrontation

"Thanks guys. Goodnight." I said finally, flicking off the lights. They replied and I was left with my thoughts, regretfully thinking about how I'd trusted Locke and wondering about what my private session with Poe would hold.

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The next morning passed with amazing speed. The only thing on my mind was my session with Poe and that's how I'd intended to keep it.

That was until lunch approached.

I was munching on my satisfying meal, conversing with Rizee and Opi about the other strange classes we've heard of in the Resistance.

"I heard the smallest class here is the class for future councilmen and councilwomen of the Resistance," Opi stated in an awed, low voice to us. Rizee and I glanced to each other with impressed eyes.

"I know the largest class is the soldier program. I mean, sure, we don't have a lot of ground battles but I think we're trying to build a stronger army of sorts." Rizee stoked our fire of amusement.

"An army?" I marveled just before catching the eye of a predator.

I looked quickly away, and then back, and then away again after my heart plummeted into the floor and my fears were confirmed.

"What's wrong, Akai?" Opi asked, peering into my eyes curiously. I realized I held no poker face, but my lips had parted in fear and my eyes had glazed over.

"Uh . . . Locke. Is staring at me." I awkwardly muttered, looking both to Rizee and Opi. Opi quietly gasped and Rizee got a subtly furious expression on her face, clamping her jaw down.

"Are you serious?" Opi asked, not wanting to look towards Locke and make it obvious we were talking about him. I glanced in the predator's direction again and surely enough, his eyes were thin as slits and filled with cold malice. I looked back to my friends and nodded in terrified confirmation.

Just looking at him caused an inferno of raw craze to explode in my stomach, sending stiffness up my spine as my body locked into full-anxiety mode. My body had launched into a panic attack so quickly I hadn't had time to even try and fight it.

I looked back to Locke, who was now smirking at my clear state of horror. A small whimper escaped my lips as my throat clenched on itself.

"You have ten seconds to turn your oversized head the other way before I come over there, snap your neck, and do it for you." Rizee threatened, not bothering to keep her voice at a low volume. Locke's eyes focused on her and his smirk dropped into a look of fury.

My heart stuttered when the brute stood up and stalked over to where we sat. He walked directly up to Rizee and towered over her.

"I do what I want." Locke growled menacingly.

Opi laughed and piped up. "You've made that clear. You did something so horrible last night. Trying to take advantage of a woman?" At these words, several nearby students startles and looked towards us, tuning into our conversation, "Yeah, Locke, you've showed your true colors alright. What is wrong with you?"

Opi's eyebrows were furrowed and she spoke in a frustrated tone. Although I winced at the tension, cool relief filled my chest at the sight of my dorm mates standing up for me.

Locke's muscles rippled in anger. "If you don't shut your mouth I swear I will come over there and --."

He was interrupted by Rizee aggressively jumping to her feet. The dangerous blonde whipped around and looked directly into Locke's face. "Do not talk to her like that!" Rizee exclaimed, fury writhing in her tone.