Siren In The Sky // Bradley Bradshaw

Chapter 10

The hanger pulls my plane to the runway; before I know it I'm in the air. "Lieutenants, this is Hop-19. Multiple air crafts and multiple bogies. Your training is half over. The competition for the top gun trophy remains tight. First place, Hangman. Tied for second Rooster and Siren, just two points behind." 

My jaw clenches and I can feel my teeth grinding together. I should be first, not fucking tied for second. I've become too distracted. Bradley has so absorbed my mind that I let Hangman pass me in points. I can't allow my thoughts to wander anymore. We are friends with benefits; hookups. My heart is stuck in some fairytale land when my head knows the reality. 

I will be the first Mitchell to get first place, and I will prove to my dad that I never needed him.

"Talk to me, Striker."

"I just found them. Three miles, left, 10 o'clock. I don't think they see us yet." She reports. "Okay, I see them. Two a-4s left 10 o'clock level, continue left turn." My hands grip the stick as I turn left, the air weighing me down. We approach the ship at only 7 Gs, not making our presence known yet. 

"I've got my eye on the northern bogey." "Roger I've got southern." 

Bradley is flying with me but he must've picked up on my mood for there is no teasing or conversation. If I can get both of the bogeys I can pass Hangman. I need to make quick work of the first one. 

I begin my ascent on the northern. Judging by what I can see it's Viper, and with his swiveling head, he doesn't see us above him. I up my speed to 8 Gs as I decent, finally being in Viper's line of sight. He quickly makes a hard right into the mountains. I follow without a thought. 

We're close to the peaks, too close. Twisting and turning to avoid the rigid sides I stay with him. Once through the range, I quickly get him in sight and get a lock. Only moments later my alarm starts blaring. The second mig got me.

"What the hell Rooster." I roared over the radio. "If you were fucking listening to me you'd known that I got out." He shot back with as much vigor. I scoff and head back to the base. My hands are shaking from how livid I am. White hot anger clouds my judgment and I direct it all at one Bradley Bradshaw. If I was in a logical state of mind I'd know that it wasn't his fault. 

"Siren-" "Don't" 

I cut off Striker before she can speak. I know she's going to say that I have no reason to be angry at him, and she's right. But she also knows what day it is. I can't help it that every fiber of my body has turned into an aggressive bomb, and Bradley happens to be the trigger. 

We land and I stalk away from Striker. My veins feel abuzz with the need to attack, and it seems everyone else feels it too. The group avoids me as I head towards the doors. "Siren!" I ignore it. "Siren! Stop!" A hand grips my arm to turn me around and I quickly shove it away. 

Hurt flashes across Bradley's features before it is quickly masked by anger. "What's your problem?" He yells in my face. "You are! You're my problem!" He's not. It's not his fault. He doesn't know why today makes me angry. "I'm the problem?!" He scoffs and rolls his eyes. "You're the one that marched in here today and chose violence!" "Just leave me alone," I lowly say. There's too much attention on us and I'm three seconds away from breaking down.

I walk away like my ass is on fire. With each step, I feel myself crumbling. Just make it to the car. You cannot break in front of these people. 

Once in the car hot angry tears begin to slide down my face. Just make it home, I tell myself. I get there sooner than I should, surprised I didn't get a speeding ticket. Once the door shuts I can't escape the pain in my chest.

A whimper I can no longer hold back escapes me and I wrap my arms around myself in hopes to alleviate the hurt. Suddenly the door slams open. "You don't get to just run away! You're are going to tell me why the fuck you-" His words are cut off when he sees my face. I stand from the couch, wiping my tears away. He can't see me like this. No one is supposed to see me like this. I try to pull myself together and send him a nasty glare that normal people would walk away from. But he doesn't. 

"What happened?"

Bradley POV

Siren's rage must be contagious because I can feel it beating in my chest. I headed to my truck, fully intending on following her home and making her talk. Not bothering to knock, I swing the door open. "You don't get to just run away!" I shout. "You are going to tell me why the fuck you-" My angry words fade off when I see her on the couch. Her cheeks are stained with not yet dried tears. I stare as she stands and wipes them, pretending they were never there with an intense glare. 

"What happened?" Her glare turns to the side, refusing to look at me. "Go away." Her words resurface my anger. Marching up to her I grab her face, making her look me in the eye. She continues glaring. "Did someone hurt you?" My voice is shaking with barely restrained anger. My hand clenches into a fist and my jaw ticks. 

"Answer me." 

"It's my birthday." Surprise flashes on my face but is then overcome by worry. It feels like slow motion as I watch her icy glare melt away and her face crumbles in pain. A sob begins to escape her making Selene slap a hand over her mouth. I swiftly pull her into my arms. 

Selene tries pushing me away, beating my chest with her hands. Incoherent mumbles of 'you can't see me like this' fills the air but I don't let my grip falter. Her hits slow down as her sobs take up all of her energy. She melts into me and the two of us slide to the floor. 

She cries like she's waited her whole life to. Fresh tears stream down her face before the old ones disappear. Selene buries her head into my neck when her bottom lip uncontrollably trembles, hiding her face from my view. I soothingly stroke her hair while my other arm remains securely around her. I say sweet nothings in her ear, not sure if I'm making a difference. 

Internally, though, my mind is racing. I feel like her pain is my very own. What's so bad about her birthday?