Avalanche

| the ball|

I sit down, and put the other one on. "Let's get tonight over with," I sigh, already nervously anticipating the night.

"Ms. Kazansky," he says while holding his arm out for me.

My arm wraps around his muscular bicep, and I say, "Mr. Seresin."

The Navy Ball was held in a hall at Top Gun for graduates only. My mother was a little sour that she couldn't attend, but I got her to stop complaining if I told her how it went with Jake tonight.

We entered the old building, and I took a moment to look at how neat and tidy it was, and knowing the navy, it would not look like this at the end of the night.

I grab two flutes of champagne, one for me and one for Jake. I hand one to him, and he says, "Thank you."

I him in response, and I try to find any familiar face in the crowd.

I point to the opposite side of the hall, "Let's go talk to Phoenix and then."

Phoenix is standing next to Bob, Coyote, Payback, and Fanboy. Harvard, Fritz, Halo, and Omaha aren't far behind, racking up drinks at another table.

We've come fashionably late, as usual, and the dancing start some minutes ago, but it's just older couples.

"Coyote, can I talk to you outside?" Hangman asks.

"Yeah. 'Course. I'll be back." He says to no one in particular. Weird.

I turn back to the conversation I was having with Phoenix, seeing what she and Bob have been up to since Top Gun.

Only two minutes later, does Hangman and Coyote come back. Hangman has a happy smile on his face, and Coyote is patting him on the back.

"Zoe, do you wanna dance?" Rooster asks, and I look at Hangman, but Rooster just takes my hand and drags me away.

Hangman groans at Rooster's child like behavior. Begrudgingly, he asks, "Natasha, would you like to dance?"

"I don't think so. Bob, would you like to dance?" Tasha asks.

Bob stammers, so Phoenix just takes him to the dance floor. I want to laugh, but Hangman looks a little annoyed, but he can see why Phoenix said no. He just hangs with Coyote, Payback, and Fanboy. His eyes keep glancing in my direction though.

Rooster chuckled, "Hangman is so jealous right now."

"He shouldn't me," I say, "It's not like you had a chance, sorry Bradley."

"I know. This just might be the last time I'm allowed to dance with you according to Coyote." Rooster mutters vaguely.

Something confuses me about his comment, "Why wouldn't—"

Hangman swoops in, "I'd like to have my beautiful girlfriend and date back, thank you very much Rooster."

"Just keeping your spot warm, Hangman." Rooster said, and made his way over to the boys. Hangman intertwines our hands, and rests his other on my waist. My hand finds his shoulder, and I pull him closer.

"Thank you for saving me." I say, "What did you say to Coyote? And what do you think Rooster meant by 'This maybe the last time I dance with you?' He was being really weird." I rant.

"I don't know," Jake states, while muttering something else, about how he's going to kill Coyote for blabbing to Rooster.

"What did you just say?" I asked, but I'm interrupted when a spoon clicks against a champagne flute, and it's our signal to go sit down at our assigned tables.

"Welcome to the 246th annual United States Navy Ball. I am Admiral Solomon Bates, and I will be conducting this evening. Now that we're onto the boring part of tonight, so I suggest you go get a drink." He jokes and the hall fills with laughter. "Tonight we celebrate the achievements and promotion that our pilots and officers have accomplished. First we'd like to congratulate—"

This is the part I always zone out.

My heartbeat started to beat so fast and loud I could feel it between my ears. I would have to give a short speech in front of hundreds of people.

"...and lastly, and certainly not least, we have Lieutenant Zoe Elizabeth Kazansky. Call sign, Avalanche. Due to her execution of missions and advisements, she has been promoted to Lieutenant Commander. We've also asked her to give a speech tonight. Ms. Kazansky, you have the floor."

I stood up out of my seat, and made my way to the stage, which was a short walk.

Think Zoe, think.

"Hello everybody. If you don't already know by now, or you live under a rock, I'm Zoe Kazansky." A few chuckles go throughout the room, and I realize I'm more of a gossip topic among the Navy than I initially thought. "I'd like to thank my superiors for considering me for a promotion, and for trusting me in this higher position. I honestly didn't know what to say tonight, but I wanted to keep it short, since all of you will be too drunk to remember what I say tonight."

More laughs echo throughout the room before I continue, "You could put me in a cockpit, and I could handle millions of dollars of modern technology, but I hate talking in public. I just wanted to say a piece of advice, life is short. I have had several life-and-death situations, this year alone, and I realized that we all take a lot for granted. Think of the people you love." My eyes meet Hangman's.

"They're not always going to be here. So make every moment count, and always do your best. Lastly, I just wanted to take moment to mourn my Dad, Fleet Admiral Tom Kazansky."

There are several seconds of silence and reflection, and I raise my champagne glass. 

"To Iceman."

"To Iceman."

"Thank you." I say, walking down, and the crowd erupts in polite clapping.

❅