final round - lrh

ten.

"He's out to get me. He's completely out to get me."

Michael waves me off as he puts food on his tray and says, "You're overreacting, he's just being tough like he has to be."

Tilting my head at Michael, I narrow my eyes knowing this is not Lieutenant Hemmings just "being tough." I haven't seen him treat anyone like he's treated me, he's going out of his way to make me miserable. 

This is definitely different.

"No, he's pissed because I'm a girl that's actually here to train," I say grabbing an apple, having little-to-no appetite considering the way I had just been screamed at. 

Lieutenant Hemmings certainly has a way of making this place ten times more miserable than it already is.

Michael nods, leading the way towards the tables as I follow him through the unfamiliar cafeteria and observe the room filled with soliders. I don't fail to notice that everyone seems to already have their clique. I'm assuming a lot of them knew one another beforehand which probably made adjusting for them that much easier. 

Whereas myself, this has been impossible and honestly, I couldn't imagine what I'd do without Michael.

Michael quickly  picks us a spot at an empty table, leading us to both sit down. 

"That actually could be it. Rumor has it, he doesn't end up letting any girls in his actual army. None of them ever really show up willing to put in work so he sends them back home and forces a male relative to come out. I'm sure in no time girls will slowly start disappearing one by one."

How is that fair? What if there are no males in the family? 

"That's not fair," I say frustrated as I can hardly believe these words. "He can't just send me home because he's too much of a self-centered prick to have a female in his army."

"Then prove that you deserve to be out here," Michael says, digging into the eggs on his plate, that he drenched in hot sauce. I practically cringe at the sight considering the thought of eating right now is repulsive to me. 

Clearly he doesn't have nearly as much as myself to worry about as Lieutenant Hemmings hasn't said a word to him.

Must be nice.

I just cross my arms over my chest and sit back, annoyed by this whole situation. I did not make it this far just to be sent home because I'm a girl.

"Speaking of the devil," Michael says, nodding his head towards the entrance of the cafeteria. 

I look up as everyone else had seemingly already made their way inside and don't fail to miss the sight of Lieutenant Hemmings and Ashton walking side by side. I clench my jaw at the sight, not approving of their seemingly friendship.

If they're friends, that means the odds of me being sent home are that much more likely. Neither of them want me here and I'm sure they'll do whatever it takes to get me off these grounds.

"Of course they're friends," I say shaking my head, not surprised in the slightest.

"They probably know each other from combat," Michael says simply, his eyes on his food, as opposed to mine that are purely on Ashton and Lieutenant Hemmings. "Which means I doubt you'll even last another week."

"Or Lieutenant Hemmings will keep me in order to sacrifice me to the other side."

Michael looks to me,  clearly wanting to see if I'm serious or not as my words are extreme. In all honesty, I don't even know if I'm joking or not or if I know this is a possibility. A part of me wouldn't put it past him to do something as crazy as that considering he's already managed to prove how psycho he is.