"That's what she said."
"My gosh," The tall figure walked into the room, bag thrown over his shoulder, his brows raised. "What did I just walk into?" He shook his head to the side.
Hangman was sitting at a desk, talking to Coyote, who was leaned up against the desk next to Hangman's.
Coyote turned around to see Rooster.
Rooster resumed his walk into the classroom, waving small at the female in front of the classroom. Coyote stood up and walked past Hangman, sitting down at his desk behind him.
"Nothing, Chicken. I'm just telling a story and this guy," Hangman pointed a finger to Coyote, who laughed. "Thinks it's funny to keep throwing in little comments."
"Well, are you being serious about it?" Rooster asked, sitting down his bag.
"Of course not." Coyote answered before Jake could.
The egotistical pilot turned his head to Coyote, his mouth clamped, narrowing his eyes.
Coyote chuckled, his eyes creasing with a smile.
"You're such a nerd." Jake turned back around, looking across the room with a sigh.
"Thanks, pal. I appreciate that." He winked.
Jake rolled his eyes.
Bradley sat down in the chair next to Hangman, looking at Coyote. "Was this story a big thing?" He asked, "Is that why he's grumpier than usual?"
"No, he's even grumpier because he got rejected last night and then he couldn't go to sleep."
"It just wasn't my night." Hangman yawned, rubbing his eyes.
"You poor thing." Rooster said sarcastically.
Removing his fingers away from his eyes, he looked at Rooster, then turned his head back over to the front of the classroom where laughter was heard. He furrowed his brows, leaning his head back slightly with a gesture to the side.
"What're they talking about?" He rubbed his eyes again.
"Why would I know?" Rooster asked.
"Well, for starters, you're always hanging out with Phoenix. And second of all, you would know."
"Dude, I have no idea. She doesn't tell me everything."
"Well go see what they're up to." Hangman said, as if it was a done deal.
"Are you crazy?"
"No." He said bluntly.
Rooster rolled his eyes. "You're right, I am always hanging out with Phoenix. So, because of that, I know that your idea to go see what they're discussing is not a good idea."
"Does he ever have good ideas?" Coyote commented.
The blond turned his head to Coyote, "I'm going to smack you."
Challengingly, and jokingly, Coyote turned his head, patting the side of his face.
"Javy!" He exclaimed.
Rooster and Coyote laughed.
Sighing, Hangman turned back to Rooster. Rooster turned away.
Jake knew he wasn't going to budge, but he still thought he could talk him into it. Well, argue. Not talk.
Rooster slouched in his chair a bit, tapping his hands on the table.
Hangman lifted his head up slightly higher, looking over to him.
"I bet you were a band nerd."
"Geek."
"Oh, so you were?!" He laughs.
"No, but I wanted to be."
"Well, why didn't you?"
"I chose football over it." He sighed, straightening up again.
"What? Football? You look like a tennis guy."
Hangman watched Rooster turn his head to him, scowling lips and eyes facing his way.
Jake snorted, his half-bluff slipping out. "I'm kidding." He titled his head, "Mostly."
"I did like other sports. Played them all briefly. But I stuck with football in highschool."
"I did a bit of track. Baseball and football also."
Hangman looked over his shoulder, watching Coyote look down to his chest to flatten out the wrinkles in his uniform.
He turned back around to Rooster, "Javy was a theater kid."
Coyote looked up when Rooster raised his brows. "Jake! I was not!"
Hangman laughed, dropping his head down, his shoulders shaking.
"Stop it! You know I wasn't!"
"You were too!" He looked up, smiling. "You told me you were in theater for two years!"
The room was quiet again without Hangman's laughter. Rooster was waiting for Coyote's response, and Hangman was grinning with raised brows.
"Yes. I was."
Hangman laughed again, Rooster only chuckled.
"There's nothing wrong with that."
"No. There isn't." Coyote said, looking at Hangman.
There were beats of silence that passed by.
Then there was more laughter heard. Only this time, it was from the front of the classroom.
The three males looked up, and Hangman turned back to Rooster.
He gestured his head to his left, "Go on."
"No."
"Chicken."
"Shut up. Why don't you go do it? Doesn't that make you yellow?"
"I'm blond, not yellow."
"Ah, so you're admitting it's a dumb idea."
Coyote snorted, "Ha! He got you!" He nudged Hangman.
Hangman squared his shoulders, angling his face ahead to Rooster.
"You better go before he decides on another bad idea." Coyote told him.
Reluctantly, he nodded.
Quietly, Rooster walked over to the two females. He thought they would've noticed him, but they had no idea he was behind them.
"Something tells me he'd listen to Niall." Halo said with a snort.
"No, no, definitely just country music." Phoenix told her. "But maybe he'd make an acception for his music."
"Oh, yeah!" She snapped her fingers, chuckling with a nod. "I forgot he said he's from The Lone Star State."
"He's a cowboy, alright. I think I heard something about the other buddy being a polar bear, but I'm not sure."
"I could see it. Not the one bigger than Texas, though?"
"Oh no," Phoenix shook her head. "I don't think they'd be friends if he was from all the way over there." She chuckled, and Halo joined in too.
"So then what does Big Guy listen to?"
"Mostly oldies. Anywhere between fifties and nineties. His favorite is the eighties, though."
"Ah," Halo nodded.
"Is this how girls discover men's secrets?" Rooster asked, furrowing his brows.
The two females jumped, bumping the table.
"No!" They yelled to him, almost wanting to laugh.
Behind Rooster, Coyote and Hangman's laughter could be heard.
Phoenix sighed, "Didn't you ever hear what happened to the cat? You guys should know better." She leaning over, looking past Rooster, "All of you."
"Didn't your mama ever tell you it's not nice to keep secrets?!"
That was the wrong counteract.
Phoenix turned around fully in her seat, pointing a finger at them. "You little-"
Halo laughed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, it's not that big of a deal." She said, then raised her voice, "They can know we were talking about how girly they are."
Phoenix looked down to her, then started laughing.
It was a fib, of course, but the three males had bought it without fail.
"What?!" They yelled.
"Killed the cat." She winked.
Phoenix turned back around in her chair, sighing.
Rooster walked back over to his spot he had chosen for the day, sitting down. He looked at Hangman, lifting up his hands in a gesture to 'There you have it. I told you so.'
"Speaking of curiosity." Halo said, nudging Phoenix.
She nodded, asking to the male in the back, "Hey, how come you didn't talk much last night?"
"I was thinking." Hangman replied.
"About?"
"How I'm going to kick your butt in today's flight." He smiled.
Phoenix shook her head with a scoff, "We'll see about that."
The dark haired turned to the side, looking back to Rooster, "I heard you did well on your flight yesterday. I forgot to congratulate you."
Hangman looked to Rooster, "Aw, look at you. Becoming a pilot and shit."
Rooster rolled his eyes. "You're one to talk."
"I am. I'm at Top Gun, aren't I?"
"Look at who you're talking to, genius. I'm here too, aren't I?" He raised his brows.
Coyote blinked, waiting for an awsner. Halo and Phoenix were also sitting in anticipation.
Coyote leaned forward, "Exactly how much sleep did you miss?" He asked Jake.
With that, Hangman shoved Coyote's shoulder as the teacher walked in.
"Lieutenant Seresin!" He yelled.
He looked up with wide eyes, panic on his face. He threw his hands up immediately, "We were joking! I was joking! It's our friendly little bond," he moved his hands back and forth as a gesture. "It's what he and I do."
The instructor eyed him, walking over to his desk.
Hangman sighed as the other students walked in, the teacher taking his sights off of him.
Rooster leaned over to his desk and whispered, "Chicken."
Hangman turned to him with a glare, but Rooster only smirked.
"You're an asshole."
"Lieutenant. Seresin." The man in the front of the classroom said again.
Hangman turned his head to him, giving a sheepish smile.
"You call me your friend, and I will hit you."
"Don't worry, Bradshaw. I know you two aren't friends." The man looked back down to his folders.
A laugh erupted around Hangman, especially from Halo and Phoenix, who patted their knees.
The egotistical pilot sighed.
"Alright. Now that everyone is here and calmed down," the instructor looked to the left side of the classroom, specifically at the three males, who chuckled sheepishly. "We're going to get started today." He said, turning back to the rest of them.
As the teacher turned around to the board, looking down at his papers, Rooster turned back to Coyote.
Coyote looked at him and raised his brows. Rooster leaned over and whispered, "You were actually a theatre kid?"
Coyote nodded, "Yeah." He whispered back.
Rooster snorted with a smile, not saying anything. He gave him a thumbs up, then sat back up in his chair. He turned back to the teacher, hearing Hangman snort.
"Nerds." He said quietly.
Before he could finish getting the word out, though, Coyote smacked him upside the head.
Rooster's laugh wasn't as quiet as he hoped it would be. He placed a fist to his mouth, seeing the instructor turn around.
He raised his brows, "Care to share with the class?" He joked with the stereotypical line, as true as he meant the words.
Rooster leaned his head to the right slightly, holding up a hand. "I was just coughing." He offered, shrugging small.
Phoenix dropped her head with a sigh, her shoulders shaking, trying not to laugh herself.
"Okay." The instructor eyed the three males offering the only smiles in the classroom, then turned around reluctantly once more.
Rooster glanced to Hangman and Coyote, then turned back to the board. Then again, he looked at Hangman.
The pilot in question held up his hand, making an 'ok' sign, mouthing, Smooth.
Rooster sighed with an eye roll, turning back to the board.
Loosing the composure yet again, Hangman and Coyote snorted.
Without turning back around, the male in the front of the classroom called to them, "Make one more snort and I will send you to the Commander." He challenged.
The two straightened up, putting their focus on the board. By the time he turned around, there were only serious stares at him. He waited before looking down to his notes, seeing if anyone would break. When he finally looked down, Hangman smirked.
"Lieutenant Seresin."
The blond dropped his jaw, throwing his hands out to the side.
"I saw you. Don't think I didn't. Now stand up and march yourself to the office."
"Sir, with all do respect, you did say one more snort from us, not a smirk there's no way you could see from me."
"You're a fighter pilot, not a lawyer, Hangman. And I didn't have to see anything; you just admitted it yourself. Now you can once more shut up and pay attention, or leave my classroom." He finally looked up from his book.
"Ooh." The pilots and WSOs snickered.
Hangman locked his jaw, nodded once, and put his attention on the board.
"Good awsner." The male said, then turned back to the board. "Now, let's get started."