The Girl and The War

Chapter Three- Kayla

      My father had Andrew come to the suite to notify me he would not be back in time for dinner. This was of course not new. Andrew had offered to accompany me to dinner, but I politely declined. It wasn't that I didn't prefer his company, but I needed a day where one of my dads officers didn't suck up to me.

     I decided to head down to dinner alone at six, but instead of going to the cafeteria where I normally went to, I went to the one where most of the privates and other low ranking soldiers went to. I wanted to see people my age for once. I had never been in this cafeteria and was surprised to see the amount of people that were there.

  The room was full of people my age, laughing and joking around. Some were sitting on the tables and I even saw one boy trying to impress a table of girls with a magic trick. It was polar opposite of the other cafeteria where I usually ate with my father.

   I noticed that instead of ordering at the tables like I was use to, everyone went through a line to pick up their food. Some people glanced at me weirdly, not surprised as I was the only person in the room not in a uniform. The food was pre-set so everyone got the same thing: a plain hamburger on a bun with a side of green beans and fruit. Nothing like the array of options I was use to. After picking up my food I went to the register. The lady at the register reading some sort of magazine said "card."

   I had noticed that all the other people before me had been swiping some sort of card after they got food. I didn't have one because I never had to pay for food. "Oh um sorry I don't have one."

The lady still stared at the magazine and said "no card no food." The people behind me started getting angry because I was taking so long.

"Sorry, I've never had to use a card before." I said. Finally the lady looked up at me. Immediately her eyes widened.

"Oh Ms.Poleman, I didn't even realize you were talking to me, I'm so sorry!" Her face reddened. "Of course you don't need a card sweetheart." I thanked her as she continued to apologize and left to go find a table. I was embarrassed at the commotion I had now caused and most people were staring at me. I walked around trying to find an empty table but their weren't any available. Just as I was about to give up I heard a voice:

"You can sit with us if you would like." I turned and saw a boy about my age, he had sandy blonde hair cut of course in a military style and striking green eyes. He was sitting with two other people, a very tall boy and a girl with red hair. He shuffled over as I took a seat next to him.

"Thanks." I said, relieved to have found a spot.

"No problem, I'm Sam." He said and stuck out his hand.

"Kayla." I said shaking it.

"This is Charlie and Margo." Sam said pointing towards the people accompanying him. I waved a hello to both of them,who seemed intimidating.

"I'm guessing your either new or not from around here." Margo said, her tone a little condescending.

"Um..not exactly, I've lived here most of my life actually." I responded as nicely as I could. She seemed like the type of person I didn't want to make mad.

"You look familiar." Sam said. I prayed that he didn't know who I was. The last thing I wanted was a bunch of kids my age, kissing my ass.

"Must be one of those faces I guess."

"Yeah maybe." He stared at me for awhile before turning back towards Charlie and Margo. "Well it's Charlie's and I first day here, Margos been here for about a month." Margo raised her head proudly, probably because she was no longer the new kid.

"So Kayla." She said, "if you have lived here for so long, why haven't I seen you before." She was testing me. I wasn't usually a liar, in fact if I ever lied as a kid, my father use to wash my mouth out with soap. He always told me that lying was one of the worst things someone could do.

"I work in the kitchen in the other cafeteria." I spit out. Of course a lie, but she would have no idea.

"Hmmm interesting. Must be nice to have a job like that." She stabbed a piece of pineapple with her fork and ate it.

"Yeah it's cool I guess."

"Dang I'm hella jealous, do you get to eat the leftovers?" Charlie asked while shoving the rest of his burger down his throat. I laughed.

"No not really."

"Damn, if I worked in the rich person kitchen you know I would be eating caviar all day." Charlie said, finally swallowing food. Next to me Sam laughed.

"Charlie do you even know what Caviar is?" He asked.

"Yeah Sam Im not stupid. It's octopus." I looked at Sam and laughed.

"Charlie I think you mean Calamari." Before he could respond a Drill Sargent walked into the cafeteria.

"PRIVATES! REPORT TO DORMS IMMEDIATELY!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. All the kids in the cafeteria began cleaning up and putting their leftover food in the trash and trays in the sink.

"It was nice meeting you." Sam said as we walked out.

"Yeah, you too I-" before I could finish the drill Sargent from earlier came over.

"WATTS THIS ISN'T SOCIAL HOUR LETS GO!" Sam gave me one last smile and walked off.

"Who are you." The Drill Sargent said to me.

"Oh I'm Kayla sir."

"Well Kayla are you a trainee?

"Um no sir."

"Then you probably shouldn't be down here." He must be new around here, because he didn't recognize me. However, I didn't argue with him. I walked back to my suite to where I was surprised to find my father was back.

"Oh hey dad, I thought you were going to be out late."

"I was suppose to but Lieutenant Streeter told me he didn't see you at dinner and I got worried." He crosses his arm across his chest. I sighed.

"I went to the other cafeteria dad, where the soldiers eat." He raised his eyebrows.

"Why would you do that, the foods no good down there."

"I wanted to see people my age." He uncrossed his arms and put his hand through his hair.

"Darling, you don't want to be around those people, most of them are only here because they can't afford to live in the outside world." I felt my face reddened with anger at what he just said.

"Father, that's quite a rude thing to say, just because someone doesn't have money doesn't mean they aren't good people!" He went to grab my hand but I shooed him away.

"Kayla, that's not what I meant dear, all I'm saying is a lot of those people were raised in bad environments and I don't want you spending your time hanging around them."

"Dad I have no friends! I have none!" I waved my arms around. "You are always gone and I don't want to spend my time hanging around Andrew! I want to be with people my own age don't you get that!" I shouted. Before I even let him reply, I walked to my room and slammed the door and locked it. He tried to talk to me through the door, but I slammed the pillow over my ears.

   I felt like I was reaching a breaking point. I was so tired of being alone. After my father finally quit trying to get me to open the door, I let go of the pillow. I stared at the picture on my nightstand. It was a picture of me and dad when I first got here. I turned the frame around and opened the back of it. Behind the picture of my dad and I was another photo that I kept hidden. It was a picture of my biological parents. My real mom and dad. I felt a hot tear fall down my face, and watched it splatter on the picture.

"I wish you guys were alive." I whispered to myself. I held the picture against my heart, and eventually fell asleep.