Love and War

Chapter 1

Being a new student in a military academy where everyone is very familiar with each other has It's even worse when you were forced to attend because your father is the General of the Army and he expects you to follow in your footsteps. I never understood why parents want their kids to follow their profession. Everyone has their preferences and expectations.

I am nothing like my father. My father is an honest man who will do anything to get ahead of his peers without any regard for any consequences his actions may cause.. I'm the complete opposite of my father. I'm very accepting and introvertic person. Being around others excites me as I love to show off whenever I can but I know the consequences of any decisions I make may affect others. So I will never do anything that will hurt anyone else. I strive to be excellent in everything I do.

Currently, I sit alone in the lunchroom, in one of the corner tables, which has the capability to seat hundreds of soldiers and students. Three rows of rectangle shaped tables are the seating arrangement of the room. The walls are an ugly shade of beige and the only thing that decorates the walls is a colorful painting of a lion roaring. There are three columns in the middle of the lunchroom, separating the first row from the second and third rows of seats. Along those columns are trashcans and huge recycle bins on the floor. To the left of the entrance, there is a small window offering snacks and some drinks. Along that wall, there are the three main food lines. They serve three different things every day that range from pizza to gourmet meals depending on the day. At the far end of the wall, the men and women's bathroom lie along with water fountains a few paces away from the nearest column. Outside the cafeteria are open tables and benches for the people that want to enjoy the nature and sun.

I sit in an empty table after I get my pizza hoping the eyes that were glued on me before could disappear. At first, the eyes are less but as lunch nears an end, those eyes return along with some laughing and snickering.

"Why can't yall leave me alone? What did I do to you guys?" I raise my voice, frustrated.

The offenders quicken their pace and walk past me, snickering.

This academy looks like a prison more than an academy. The academy is split into four buildings. There are three connected buildings for dorms on the south side of campus. There is one huge building for classes located on the north side of campus. Our command center is located on the east side of campus. That's where the commanding officers conduct their business. On the west part of campus is the entertainment section. The pool, arcade and even a couple bars are set in that area.

I spend the rest of the day the same way; calling people out for their prejudices and failing to get an answer to any of the questions I may have about the school or work. Everyone refuses to help me, leaving me as a lost puppy on my first day of school. After classes end, all I want to do is find my dorm and go to sleep. All the stress from today is making me tired.

It takes me a while to find my dorm room but I eventually find it on my own. It's in the middle building of the dorm rooms, upstairs, and at the end of the fourth corridor. Like the rest of the day, I get plenty of looks on the way.

The dorm room is rather large, equivalent to the size of a couple's room. My father must have to do something with this. There are two rooms; one with one king sized bed and another with a mini kitchen and a mini living room. The walls are bland; a nasty shade of beige. That's going to have to change.

The floor is carpet which I'm happy with.

I sit my things down on the bed.

Kimberly, come to my office.

A text from my dad.

The sky is painted a pinkish-orangish color. The sun is on the eve of the horizon, about to set any minute. The campus is a ghost town. Few people walk along the gigantic courtyard in the middle or on the second story. This walk is the loneliest I've had all day. Finally, a rest from all the prying eyes of my classmates.