Circles | K.J

XIX

3 Years Later

"Wake up! Ladies, wake up!" The sergeant yelled and we all jumped into action. Today was the last day before we went home for Christmas, and I was so thankful. I needed this time off and my family were all meeting me at the airport when I got back to L.A. My army base was in Colorado, so I was always pretty far away from home and the only contact I got with people was letters and a phone call every two days.

I still don't know why I joined the army when I graduated high school, but I'm pretty sure it was because it was somewhere I could find myself in a totally new environment where other people my age wouldn't be like the girls I was friends with in high school. I'd left them far behind, all the Ashleys and Haileys and Bellas, but I'd still kept my Kylie close to me. She was my rock, and I couldn't bring myself to say goodbye to her so we stayed in touch. Now we were 19 years old life was a lot more serious, when we met up it was to get our nails done or for some coffee, never to get up early to watch a sunset.

Our childhood was well over, and our lives were just beginning, mine in the military, and hers in the beauty industry. She already had a company worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and I couldn't have been more proud of my best friend succeeding in life. I tried not to mention that she was my best friend to anyone new I met, so to all my friends in the army I was just Sofia, a confident and outgoing young woman who was just trying her best to excel in her career. I was just a normal girl in my job, something I'd always wanted. I was finally happy, I'd found my place.

We all rushed to get ready and spirits were higher than usual, we just had some workouts to do in the morning, then we were all to leave for home at 12. I couldn't have waited any longer to see my family. My rank's sergeant Ruby Rose winked at me from across the room, and I smiled at her while I put on my camo uniform and heavy boots. We headed outside to do some training together and while we were doing pull ups she started talking to me "so I was thinking... when we get back after Christmas maybe we could go out in the town at the weekend, catch a movie and get some drinks or something?" She asked in her thick Australian accent

"Sure" I said. It was nothing out of the ordinary, I really liked hanging out with her and she knew that. But what she probably didn't know what that I had a huge crush on her from the day I got there. She'd taken me under her wing as she was a few years older than me and more experienced in the job and we'd just got closer over the past year or two.

"We should get you a man"

"I don't want a man" I said and she frowned at me

"Ok miss independence" she laughed and patted my back

"Sorry, I'm just stressed about flying"

"Shame we won't be on the same flight" she said "I could've kept you safe"

"Yeah" I said and tried not to blush. The idea of her being protective of me was making me feel so giggly and girly, something I almost never did since I got here and got toughened up by the intensive lifestyle here.

"Ok, let's do some push-ups ladies!" She shouted and everyone got on the floor and started doing push-ups "get that back a little straighter" she said to me and put her hand on my tummy to support it while I got into a better position "there you go" she said and I bit my lip while she kept pressure down on my back so I'd have to keep my back straight.

When the exercises were over and we'd all been on a 5k run, it was time to go. I was just grabbing my things and Ruby grabbed my wrist and whispered to me "text me if you need a friend"

"I will" I nodded and she winked and walked away. Her power.

~

"Soph! You look hot as fuck!" Kylie screamed down my ear and hugged me tightly

"Thanks" I laughed and looked her up and down "how you doin baby?"

"Shut up" she cackled "come in, don't be a stranger"

"Thanks Ky" I said

"Stop saying thanks, you're too polite" she joked and punched my arm when we'd sat down on her soft white sofa

"Hey!" I protested "quit flirting with me, I've already had one of you"

"That was three years ago" she laughed "do you wanna see her or...?"

"Not really but if she was here I wouldn't have a problem with it" I said

"You know she's straight now?"

"She's what?" I gasped and sat upright

"Yeah, she's been around with the boys. She even got with Harry Styles from one direction a few years ago. Now she's with this basketball player called Ben Simmons"

"Shit, I never thought she'd go down that road" I said

"Well she did and we were all shocked and I know she's trying to be something she's not but just go along with it"

"No, she's gay, I didn't have my mouth between her legs for that long for her to say that she's straight!" I exclaimed

"I know, it's bullshit" she said "just don't burst her bubble"

"I'll burst her bubble if she rubs it in my face"

"She told me you liked it when she rubbed it in your face" she winked and I rolled my eyes

"Three years ago Ky, that's a long time" I said "but not enough to just suddenly change your sexuality. Are you sure she genuinely thinks she's straight?"

"I'm pretty sure, she's very adamant, every time I talk about a guy she tells me everything she's ever done with any guy" she said

"Fuck" I sighed and scratched the back of my neck

"Did you want her back?" She asked

"I don't know, I'm just a little salty cause she said she loved me but if she's straight then she was lying" I said

"Yeah, I get it" she said and patted my back "don't let it ruin our time together"

"I guess" I laughed and we talked about something else, but it was in the front of my mind that Kendall, the gayest person I knew was apparently straight now. Even I'd accepted I was bisexual now, and I was out to everyone who asked me and everyone at work, so I didn't know why she'd done the opposite of that. It just seemed so backwards and not a very Kendall thing to do.

~

"Mom, I'm home from Kylie's!" I shouted when I got home. Silence. That was weird, usually when I came home from work it was loud and bustling at home, there was always someone to greet me. I went to my moms room, then outside and then the kitchen. Still nothing. "Mom?"

"Mom's busy" a gruff voice said from behind me. I spun around quickly and froze. I could recognise that voice from anywhere.