Inseparable

I'm Not Weak

Ender's POV, 5:30 A.M., Ender's House in Greensboro, NC

        Colonel Graff ordered me to let go of Petra and get out of bed immediately.  I refused.  Petra, however, got up.  As broken and as beaten down as she was, she still followed orders.  I may have been the I.F.'s best hope, but Petra is the better soldier here.  She is the best soldier you will ever find, no matter where you look.  Since she got up, I decided to get up too.  Graff started yelling at me.  "Ender Wiggin!  Just because you couldn't take the pressure of Battle School, you quit!  Just because you run into something you think you can't handle, you quit?!  Ender, the world is at stake here!  All of humanity can be destroyed because of your stupid choice!  What is wrong with you?!  Everybody on the International Fleet believed you could save the world, including me and Major Anderson here!  You've let us all down.  I guess we all were wrong about you.  You could've been a hero.  Now, there's no hope.  Your choice can possibly destroy us, Ender."

        Major Anderson just stood there in awe.  She had a solemn look on her face.  I decided right then that Major Anderson wasn't a bad person.  She's just really good at her job.  Graff on the other hand, has never been here to help all the cadets at Battle School and Command School.  He wasn't here to help us.  He was just using all of us as part of his scheme to destroy the buggers.  Then I realized.  The buggers weren't the enemy.  Graff and all his lackeys at Battle School were.  After a few minutes, I finally processed what Colonel Graff was yelling at me about.  I just stood there for a moment, just thinking about what I was going to say when- "Wiggin!"  Graff screamed at me.  "Are you so focused on yourself and your problems that you can't form a coherent response when someone is speaking to you?!"  Then I started screaming and ranting.

        "I quit the program because I couldn't deal with the pressure anymore!  And don't say I'm weak because I'm not.  I just couldn't cope with everything you were throwing at me! It wasn't just me you did this to!  You did it to so many others!  Look what it's done to Petra!  She's broken and it's all your fault!  I'm not okay with ANYBODY hurting her.  YOU are the reason she is like this.  I don't appreciate the scum of the Earth like you being in my house.  Please leave right now.  Wait, why am I asking you to leave?  This is my house.  Get out of my house right now!"  The small smirk painted across Colonel Graff's face instantly faded away.  He looked me straight in the eye and said, "Don't expect me to be to be threatened by some little pissant of a 12-year-old."  Once he was halfway out the door, I said in an unwavering voice,  "I don't expect you to be threatened by a pissant of a 12-year-old, such as myself, but I do expect you to whine to all of your little friends at the I.F. headquarters like a little 2-year-old because things didn't go your way."  Graff turned back around slowly, glared at me and Petra, then left.

        At this point, Petra was crying really hard.  I went over to her, all curled up in the corner, and gave her the most warm and comforting hug I could.  Major Anderson had a solemn look on her face for a second, had a moment of thought, then walked out of the room for a brief moment.  About 3 minutes later, she came back with Valentine following closely behind her.  Major Anderson knelt down next to where I was sitting and whispered quietly in my ear, "Ender, please come with me.  I need to talk to you.  Let Valentine comfort Petra for a little bit."  I nodded in response.  I got up on my knees, kissed Petra lightly on the cheek, stood up, and followed Major Anderson out into the hallway.  Before we went into the hallway, Anderson first turned to Petra and said, "Petra, I'm so sorry all this has happened to you.  You don't deserve this.  I'm so so sorry, Petra."  Petra didn't say anything in answer, but a small 'thank you' formed on her lips.  Valentine then sat down next to Petra and Major Anderson joined me in the hallway.  She started speaking straight away.  "Ender, I'm so sorry about Graff.  He's about as useful as a fart in the air conditioning.  I'm sorry about what he said, but I know he's not sorry for saying what he did.  You don't deserve this and neither does your family and neither does Petra.  I hope all of this blows over soon for everybody.  Farewell for now, Ender.  Before I leave, however, I need to talk to your parents and explain everything that has happened.  Farewell, and best wishes to you and your friend and family, Ender."  Major Anderson went down the stairs and started explaining everything to my parents.

        I peered into my room and was relieved to see that Valentine was able to calm Petra down.  I walked into my room and joined the two of them.  Two of the most important people in my life.  I was singing to Petra while Valentine played with her hair.  We even played some card games which we never did anymore.  I loved it.  As happy as I was to spend quality time with Petra and Valentine, I just kept thinking and worrying that what happened today with Graff and the International Fleet isn't over yet.  Maybe I just need some sleep.