Breaking Command

Chapter Three

As I approach the tent, I hear voices on the other side of it. I lean in closer to hear the faint voices of three boys.

“… but seriously, you can’t do anything with her, she’s Ben’s sister, and if he finds out…” It doesn’t take me long to figure out that they’re talking about me. My heart skips a beat and I feel like I’m about to pass out.

“Guys, I wouldn’t do anything like that. Who do you think I am? I just think she’s cute, and I’d like to get to know her better, that’s all. And if Ben has a problem with that, then he can talk to me.” The voice sounds familiar, and I knew it was Jason. He thinks I’m cute?  I say to myself. Even though he’s the enemy, nothing was wrong with feeling good about yourself.

“…even after what you guys talked about in the ditch yesterday? I mean, Ben sounded pretty strict.” Another guy said this, and I realize that I might be outnumbered when I go talk to Jason. Then it hits me. I don’t even know what Jason looks like. The only thing I know is that he has green eyes, and is really strong. That would be awkward if I just stand there, analyzing who’s who.

“Yeah, but…” I don’t know what came over me, but I jumped in.

“Uh, hi there.” Oh my God that was dumb, way to be cute, Alex, I think. All eyes turn to me, and I suddenly feel small. There was a fire pit with flames in the middle, and five guys huddled around it.

One guy was wearing a red sweater, similar to the loner guy who pointed the tent to me. He has brown hair and small blue eyes. His mouth was open, and I could see the faint outline of braces.

The guy next to him had bright blond hair and extremely blue eyes, like an albino. Another guy was African- American with dark brown eyes and short hair. The next boy has brown hair and brown eyes, and he was in the midst of eating a marshmallow. But the last guy was staring right at me, green eyes bright and sparkling. He had brown hair that stopped at his earlobes and a small mouth. He has defined cheekbones that created shadows under the sunlight.

Oh. My. Fudge. That’s Jason? I think to myself. He is… is… there were no words to describe what I was seeing.

“Uh…I… can I talk to you? Please?” I ask, looking at Jason and trying to look stern. It was hard to look angry and powerful when you were the smallest out of five guys.

“Man, you’re right, she is cute!” The African- American guy says, reaching for a cracker to make a smore.

I look down at his comment, praying to God that I wasn’t blushing.

“Yeah, of course,” Jason says, striding over towards me. I back away to a more remote and private place. Once I turn around, Jason stands a good distance from me, leaning on the tree with his arms crossed over his chest. He was so tall, I felt like he was as tall as the tree itself.

I get straight to the point to avoid anymore staring. “Why is Ben being a jerk? What did you say to him to make him mean?” When it came out, I immediately regretted it. That sounded like a four-year-old girl complaining to her father about why her sibling was being mean to her.

“He’s being mean to you? I can’t say I know why,” Jason says.

“Oh please, what did you two talk about when I left the ditch yesterday?” I demand, looking straight into his bright sea green eyes. He returned the stare, and I felt like he was looking into my soul, so I look at the ground instead.

“You really want to know?” He asks me.

“Yes!” I say too excitedly. He raises his eyebrows and smiles, showing two dimples on each cheek.

“Well, Ben told me that if I tried anything with you, he’d find every way to de-rank me as Captain, and then officially eliminate me from any paint balling in the country.” As he finishes, he looks sad and defeated. I didn’t know what to say, but I feel like this situation got a whole lot more awkward.

“Oh my god, I’m going to kill him.” I say, and I walk away but I feel a grip on my arm. Jason pulls me back and is suddenly closer to me.

“Sorry, but I told Ben that I wouldn’t tell you, because he knew you would react like this, so please, don’t tell him.” He releases his grip on my arm, and smiled weakly.

“Okay, I won’t. Just don’t try anything with me, okay?” I say, wondering what his reaction would be.

“I can’t make any promises,” he says, grinning.

“Why? Because you think I’m cute?” I say, smiling as well.

Jason’s face flushes and he was immediately embarrassed. “You heard that, huh?” He says, raking a hand through his flawless hair. I really just wanted to rub my hands through it.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” I say, chuckling to myself. “But I can’t make any promises.” He gives me a small laugh, and I walk off back toward my own compound.