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Chapter 5

"Where did you go? What the hell happened?" Jay comes practically running up to me yelling at me.

"I was just-"

"You know you have been gone 20 minutes right?" Jay sounds out of breathe.

"Hank is not back yet."

"Please respect your fellow peers!" Hank's voice booms throughout the training room. "Line up."

We do as he says.

"You will have one hour until lunch. Use it wisely. Your time starts," he looks at his oversized watch. "Now!"

While everyone is running, I am doing a brisk walk. I make my way to the punching bag and start to throw some punches and kicks.

"Its a punching bag, not a body."

"It could be yours someday if you keep picking at mine with your words." Jay still makes me angry. I can't get that dark night out of my head.

I continue to punch and kick the bag.

"Stop."

"What!?"

"Can I try?"

I hesitate for a moment, take a small glance at the black bag to my side. I look back at him, "why?"

"I need to practice. And you are not the only one getting tested."

"Fine. We will take turns." I look at the bag again.

He just stands there with a look of no understanding on his face.

"Are you going to go or not?"

"Move!"

I do as he says. He starts with a very wimpy punch to the bag. I let out a little laugh.

"Think it is funny? Ok."

He takes a step back. Then, he lunges into the bag with his fist. It looks like it moved a lot! The bag is teetering back and forth.

"Wow." I quietly say under my breath.

"Ya." He looks down at his green, grey, and black Nikes.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't tell you. At least," he looks around. "Not here."

"We can talk at lunch."

"Ok."

"Try another!"

I watch him. He take a shots, one after the other. Every time taking a step. Hmmm...

"30 minutes left till lunch. Use it wisely." Hank states through a glass viewing area.

"Let me go again." He steps aside.

I take my place in front of the punching bag. I stand with my feet inline with the bag. I throw a punch punch kick combo.

"Where did you learn so much about fighting?"

"I don't know."

"Oh."

And where did you learn to punch like that; I want to ask so bad. I just let him punch another. I keep observing what he does. He steps and lunges. He makes this weird face too. Almost like a grunting noise with this face right when he makes contact with the object.

I hear a bell. But not like a "church bell" bell. A bell that is electronic. Then static.

"Lunch for Combat Test trainees." I hear a female voice say. "Please report to C101 for food, and report to designated seating areas. Your instructor will give your seating areas. Thank you."

Hank comes from behind the tinted-glass door. I never noticed before, but he walks with a faint limp.

"Your partners are your lunch buddies. You will all sit at Table 12 in Part B. The tables are only marked with letter and number, like B12. You may leave."

Jay and I walk to the first cafeteria. Our lunch menu is on a board posted outside the line entrance. It is as follows:

Entree Choices- Spaghetti and Meatballs -or- Steak Tips -or- Salad

(Warm)Side Options- Oven Baked Fries, Bread and Butter, Toast(Spaghetti ONLY)

(Cold)Side Options- Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Pears, Tropical Fruit Cup, Broccoli and Cauliflower Blend

Sweets- Chocolate and White Chocolate Chip Cookies, M&M Cookies, Ice-Cream Bar

Drinks- Water, Milk, Chocolate Milk, Apple Juice, Variety of Soda

Enjoy!

"Wow! Defiantly a Militia lunch." I lean over to Jay and say.

"Ya. Go huge or just go ahead and lose."

I get the Spaghetti and Meatballs, Toast, Tropical Fruit Cup, Broccoli and Cauliflower Blend, a ticket for Ice-Cream bar, and a brown soda. At the Ice-Cream bar, I got White and Brown ice-cream swirl, with confetti, chocolate chips, and cream and cherrie on top.

"Hog?"

"No. Just starving." I look over at him but he is just looking at his food. "Dig in!" I pause. "What's wrong?"

"I hate this."

"What?"

"I have to be partnered with you, and you still hate me for-"

"We don't need to talk about that hear."

"Ok. Anyway, I know you have been on edge all day. I just want to say," he takes a really deep breath. "I am really sorry."

I look at my food. I don't know what to say next. I can't forgive him. But I can't say that.

"What do you want then?"

"I haven't thought that far yet." He starts to smile. And not just a "friendly". But an "I am embarrassed because I really like you" smile.

"You like me still, don't ya?"

"How can you-" he says hesitantly, but I stop him.

"Tell?" He shakes his head in agreement. "Because of that smile you just did. And your cheeks have a lot more color than they did a few minutes ago in the lunch line."

"Oh." He looks at his tray again. He hasn't eaten a thing.

"Eat."

He starts to eat. I continue to eat. I can't help but recap that night.