𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐈𝐍𝐃 | BRADLEY 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 BRADSHAW

𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄

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"I get that your high school reunion is tonight. But must you take an eternity in the bathroom?"

I roll my eyes and I finish applying my red tinted lip gloss. I swing the bathroom door open to reveal my little sister, Amelia. "First of all it is not a high school reunion. Second, one day when you are older you will hopefully understand that beauty takes time." I wink sliding my sunglasses on.

Amelia rolls her eyes as she follows me down the hall. "Maybe one day you'll understand that unlike you I was blessed with natural beauty. I don't have to cake on a pound of makeup to be hot."

I hiss, as I try to find the keys to my car. "Ouch, Mia. I'm sensitive remember?"

"You're a fighter pilot. Grow a pair already." She crosses her arms. I love her teen angst. I search the kitchen counter as I try to find my keys. "Go check your room, Mom might have put them in there when she was unpacking some of your stuff."

Why can't she just leave my things untouched? I'm visiting only for a few weeks and then it's back to San Francisco. But Mom seems to think I am staying permanently.

I tear apart a box on my dresser as I search, I don't find my keys but I do find something else that I thought I'd lost years ago, my engagement ring. It's a simple ring really, a gold band with an average size rounded diamond. I love it though.

"I thought you threw that off the balcony?" Amelia's voice makes me jump, dropping the ring.

I lean down to pick it up off the hard wood floor. "I did but then I realized how much it costs and I retrieved it."

I blow on it, clearing the dust off. The smart thing to do would've been to sell it for a pretty penny. But I decided against it. I hear the jingling sound of my key chain, my car key, and air plane accessory cling together.

I look up. "Here are your keys." Amelia approaches me, holding up the set of keys. I place the ring down on my dresser and grab the keys.

"I love you Mia!" I yell obnoxiously as I bolt down the hall.

"Quit calling me that!" She yells as I close the front door behind me.

Now onto the maybe not so fun things.

I've been called back to top gun. That's the real reason I'm back home. To say I am surprised is an understatement. But I guess you could say I am honored, but more nervous than anything. Don't get me wrong I'm excited to see some old and new faces but I have a strange feeling about all of this.

This is going to be interesting.

***

I arrive at my mother's bar, also known as "The Hard Deck." Best bar in town according to the locals. I wouldn't know, I don't drink. You might catch me with a root beer in my hand but that's about it.

"Now who do we have here?" I hear a familiar voice. I look over my shoulder to see Jake, also know as Hangman, also known as the cockiest fighter pilot in the navy. I see he hasn't spotted me yet but another friend of ours. "If it ain't Phoenix." Jake turns to Coyote "And here I thought we were special, Coyote. It turns out the invite went to anyone."

Phoenix rolls her eyes and turns to the pilots she'd brought in behind her. "Gentlemen, this here is Bagman."

Jake scoffs. "Hangman." He corrects her.