by Jenna Payne
Again, they got ready at the center of the ring. It was Mike who attacked first this time, lunging at her with a jab, cross, and hook combination that hit the side of her head gear. She reeled back, losing her balance in the process and instinctively grabbing his shirt as she fell backward. The abrupt grasp caught him in surprise, and both of them fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Carrie found herself gazing into his gray eyes, his moist red lips about two inches away from hers. She could feel his raspy breathing and even sense the fast beating of his heart. With their bodies pressed together and their legs intertwined, she could feel some sort of tension building up between them. Or was it a powerful attraction?
“You got me, Cox,” he suddenly whispered. She didn’t know what he meant with those words, but they definitely had an impact on her.
To her disappointment, he got to his feet then. She started to bring herself up but then saw him extend an arm toward her. Wow, a first-time gentlemanly gesture, she thought. She took his hand, again sending shivers down her spine with that simple touch.
He pulled her to her feet so forcefully that she hit his hefty chest, making her breathe in his natural manly scent. A part of her wanted to sidle up to him and lay her head on his shoulders, which made her reprimand herself in silence. Instead, she straightened up fast and faced him directly. She was surprised by the mixture of concern and admiration in his eyes. The sense of superiority was gone. The arrogant look had disappeared. Then he told her gently in a somehow startled tone of voice, “You have the eyes of your father…”
Carrie was taken aback. She felt as if a bucket of ice had been poured over her head. Immediately she snapped back to reality. How dare he talk to me about my dad!
“I haven’t personally met him, though,” he said, shrugging.
Carrie didn’t want to discuss her father with anyone she didn’t know well. And at that instant, she suddenly saw Mike Gomez once again for who he really was – a stuck-up space fighter who didn’t care about anyone else but just wanted the recognition and honor. He was a heartless cyborg who’d somehow been obliged to teach a class in the academy and thus couldn’t do anything else but terrorize his students and make them feel belittled. She suddenly felt so stupid and silly for getting attracted to him and for thinking that maybe there was something more beneath the mask.
“Excuse me,” she said coldly, walking away and taking off all the boxing gear as she went. She jogged toward the supplies counter and stashed her gear there. Then without another word, she sauntered toward the door and left him. She didn’t even see the torn look on his face as she marched back toward her dorm room.
It was only a little past nine in the evening. Carrie had not had anything to eat yet, which the grumbling of her stomach reminded her of in spite of her troubled feelings. She was in no mood to go anywhere else as she stretched out on her bed in her sleepwear. She had every intention of sleeping the hunger off when the doorbell rang.
She reluctantly climbed out of her bed and slowly went to the door. The exhaustion from her time at the gym was now settling in. When she saw the tray of her favorite pasta and milkshake along with a basket of mouthwatering desserts, her eyes lit up and her stomach complained again. She brought in the treats and looked at the card they came with. It read: Carrie, you deserve to be treated like a princess as your dad would have wanted.
Her eyes began to water at the sweet note, which she knew had come again from the mysterious person who’d been sending her different gifts since her father had passed away. She didn’t know who it was because he or she had never put a name. All the gifts, however, came with personalized handwritten notes.
A nagging thought was forming in her head as she devoured all the food. Could it be Mom? she speculated, recalling a vague memory of her caring mother when she’d been about five years old. Her mom had gone missing when she was six and nobody ever found out what happened. The authorities had a strong suspicion it was the doing of the Sphunkon aliens because they had been caught a couple of times roaming around her parents’ house. They said that maybe it had to do with her dad’s mission of destroying the Sphunkons for good. He’d been one of the leading space fighters for many years and had come close to terminating the head of the evil alien clan. Unfortunately, they had killed him first.
Carrie went to bed feeling deeply disturbed. Maybe Mom is still alive, she thought with renewed hope before drifting into a dream filled with aliens, space fighters, and her parents.
*****
The following weeks were busy ones for Carrie and her classmates in Space Combat 301 as they all prepared for the upcoming grueling exams that would distinguish who would graduate and who wouldn’t. Mike Gomez had actually stopped picking on her as much and often looked distracted. However, from time to time, he still managed to put her in the limelight and call attention to her errors. With every mistake, she pushed further and worked harder. And each time he humiliated her or put her down, she buckled down and strived even harder to be the best.
As the weeks progressed, Carrie could feel her classmates either admiring her or becoming envious. She had obviously skyrocketed in both skill and knowledge. She was very much ready to be the space fighter she’d always dreamed of becoming.
On the day of her father’s birthday, her heightened emotions took control of her. When Mike called on her to do a demo with a classmate, she sent her opponent flying across the dome. She didn’t hurt him physically, though. She turned to her instructor and seemed to mock him. He raised one eyebrow at her and then called on the next pair. But she grabbed his arm and told him off.
“You won’t even praise me for a job well done?” she demanded furiously. “I’m so sick and tired of your high and mighty good-for-nothing attitude. You may be legendary in the eyes of many but don’t expect everybody to bow down and kiss your feet because you definitely do not deserve it.”
Mike was looking at her quizzically. He shook her hand off and crossed his arms in front of his burly chest. Meanwhile, many of the other students gasped and began whispering among themselves. Some were so shocked they couldn’t say anything.
“You’re an arrogant jerk who doesn’t know a thing about teaching and encouraging students to live up to their potential,” continued Carrie as her anger flared up even more. “You care only about yourself, which is probably because you have nobody to love you. Perhaps your heart is made of metal too! You’ve been a cyborg for so long that you’ve forgotten how to be a real human!”
Mike didn’t even seem angry. His stone-face flickered with some emotion for a while, but it didn’t last long enough for Carrie to decipher what it was. “I’ll talk to you later, Miss Cox,” he said in a flat tone. Then he turned to the rest of the class and dismissed everybody.
Carrie was so overwhelmed by her own outburst that she barely heard or understood him. It was her best friend Lyca who came up to her to remind her. “Are you going to his office now, Carrie?” she asked, her eyes widening.
“I’m… not sure…” Carrie answered as they walked across the campus toward their dorm room, which was in the opposite direction to where the faculty building was located. “Maybe he’ll send a notice or something. I hope it’s not a notice of suspension, though. What was I thinking?” Groaning, she stopped walking and buried her face in her hands.
Lyca put a reassuring arm around her. “I’m sure it will be okay. You were really brave to do that. I’m so proud of you! Besides, he deserved it. Nobody has probably ever stood up to him like that before because of his status, you know.”
“Yeah, because they’re not as stupid as I am,” Carrie said miserably. “Oh… I think I am going to regret this. I might not be able to graduate on time!”
“Don’t be silly, Carrie,” Lyca said, squeezing her shoulders. “This will just pass. So what if he scolds you. Just tell him you’ve had enough of his bullying… that just because he’s a star space fighter and he looks so damn gorgeous doesn’t give him the right to always put you down.
”
“Lyca!” Carrie wailed.
“What?” Lyca asked innocently. “It’s true, right?” Then she grinned playfully. “I’m just kidding. Lighten up, okay? Nothing bad will happen.”
Hours dragged on that Friday afternoon. Carrie didn’t have any more classes so she opted to wallow in self-pity and despair inside her room. That evening, Lyca went out with Dan so Carrie was left all alone as she often was during the weekends. It didn’t really matter much to her. And besides, she was also happy for her friends Lyca and Dan because their relationship was apparently deepening and getting stronger.
After dinner, Carrie was in the mood for a walk. Clad in ripped jeans, a sky blue cardigan, and sneakers, she headed outside to get some air. She went for a stroll in the neighborhood, feeling as if she needed to clear her mind and de-stress.
As she rounded a street corner, she found herself facing some familiar faces. They were hanging out in front of a club from which upbeat music could be heard playing.
“Carrie Cox!” a guy in a leather jacket shouted. His name was John, known to be one of the more boisterous students from their space combat class. “Hey, guys! Look who decided to join us!”
His girlfriend Freya linked her arm with his possessively, ignoring Carrie completely. Then some of their other friends came forward and urged Carrie to have just one drink with them.
“Uh, no, that’s okay,” Carrie declined politely. “I’m just out for a quick walk. And besides, I’m not dressed for this.”
“That’s alright,” one guy called Edward said, putting an arm around her. “We just want to celebrate how you kicked our instructor’s ass earlier!”
The others cheered, making Carrie even more uncomfortable. But with their persistence, she eventually gave in and went inside the club with them. It was quite dark and she could hardly make out the faces in the young crowd. “Cool,” she whispered, nodding in approval at the sleek, modern, and fun-looking spaceship design of the interior.
What started out as one drink eventually turned to two… and then three… and then she lost count. She never realized how energizing and at the same time relaxing it was to party with these fun-loving people!
Seated at the bar, she found herself downing another tequila shot that literally glowed with hues of yellow, pink, and blue. The burning sensation in her throat and the warmth that spread throughout her body made her feel so uninhibited. She’d never felt so free! She couldn’t even remember what she’d been worried about before stumbling into her classmates.
Soon she noticed that they were all gone. Or maybe they were just around. Her head was spinning so hard that she probably wouldn’t be able to find them, anyway. Slowly she stood up and made her way down a hallway which she believed led to the exit. As she swayed and staggered, she suddenly bumped into an unlocked door on her right, causing it to swing open. She actually laughed even as she toppled toward the room. But before she hit the floor, a pair of strong arms caught her and lifted her up.
She tried to see who it was but her hazy vision failed her. He easily carried her over to a nearby sofa and set her down on a very soft, comfortable cushion. A smile played across her lips as she once again attempted to focus on her rescuer. “Thank you…” she murmured. “You’re my hero…”
She sat up then, which boosted her dizziness and made her shut her eyes. She felt fingers massaging her temples. “What were you thinking, Cox?” a whisper came.
Somehow the voice and the way he called her by her last name in a rough manner were very familiar. “I know you,” she slurred. “I’m just… not… sure…”
“Ssshhh… It’s okay,” he told her, reaching over to gently place her head on his shoulder. That made her feel really warm all over.
“You’re sweet!” she giggled.
He snorted in response, but continued to massage her temples. He smoothed the strands of her hair and parted them to clear her pretty face.
She looked up again and found herself gazing into recognizable gray eyes that were now intently staring back at her. She grinned at him. “I know you,” she repeated.
“Yes, I know you too,” he answered with a sigh.
“Where are we?” she asked without bothering to look around.
“This is a private function room,” he explained. “My buddies just left. We were here to celebrate another team success.”
“About?” she probed, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“About our recent space mission,” he continued patiently.
“I think I can remember you now,” she abruptly said. “You’re Mike Gomez, aren’t you?” Her deep brown eyes lit up at first, but then darkened even more as confusing images resurfaced in her mind.
“Yes, my name is Mike Gomez.”
At that moment, her eyes shifted to his tempting lips as he spoke. She had an impulsive longing and need to taste those lips. Without thinking, she pressed her own lips on his.
He was definitely taken aback, but he didn’t push her away so she took that as a sign that he liked it. She smiled and parted her lips before kissing his again. This time, he kissed her back, sending a jolt of electricity across her body despite the dulling effects of alcohol.
As their kiss deepened, heat intensified within her and spread out toward her limbs. She lifted her arms sluggishly and wrapped them around his neck. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and they shared a lingering French kiss filled with passion and carnal desire.
Carrie couldn’t stop. At the back of her mind, something was telling her to back off right that instant. But the second their lips had touched, they seemed to click and it was like a downpour of rain from the sky, raging incessantly.
His hands eagerly opened the buttons of her cardigan, uncovering her heaving breasts. He tugged at the back of her bra and released her breasts. She felt a cold blast of air touching her skin and jerking her system awake. As his lips traveled downward toward her breasts and covered them with sensual kisses, she moaned softly and entangled her fingers in his hair. His mouth played with each nipple, alternating tender flicking of his tongue with hard sucking. She could feel a pool of heat forming between her legs, driving her to lie down on the couch and bring him with her.
“I… can’t,” his voice suddenly uttered, slicing through her arousal.
Her eyes flew open. Suddenly her headache was back. He climbed off from her then, which made her sit up and put back her bra and cardigan.
“I’m sorry, Carrie,” he muttered, refusing to look at her. “I’ll have security take you home.”
“What? Why?” she wailed.
He didn’t answer her, but instead simply walked away.
*****
A few days passed, but still Carrie could not shake off the image of herself making out with her supposedly most hated instructor in Space Academy. Because of the alcohol, she could barely recall how they had even found each other in the club in the first place. Memories of their kisses kept coming back to her no matter how hard she tried to forget the whole thing.
“You’re spaced out again, Carrie!” Lyca complained. “Get your act together before you walk into that door.”
They were standing right outside the office of the academy’s headmaster Mr. Cross. Carrie had woken up that morning because of the loud ping from her smartwatch. It was a memo from the headmaster, calling her for a special meeting.
Carrie tried to focus. “What do you think he wants with me?” she asked her roommate. Her agitation was back. “Am I going to get expelled now?”
“No!” Lyca immediately countered. “Who knows? Maybe it’s good news.”
“No way,” Carrie said, her eyes filling with dread. “I can sense it’s got something to do with Mike Gomez.”
“Mike was sent back to the space fighters’ headquarters for an urgent mission,” Lyca told her. “You should be happy he went away already. The new instructor adores you!”
“I…” Carrie’s mind was a mess. I miss him. That’s the truth.
“
It was just a coincidence that he suddenly left the campus that Friday night, the same day you flared up in class,” Lyca insisted.
“Just a coincidence,” Carrie repeated, thinking again of that night. Why would he be that affected by what had transpired between them? Maybe it really was just a coincidence.
“Anyway, go on inside, Carrie,” Lyca urged. “Good luck.”
After a few minutes of pleasantries with the headmaster, his face suddenly turned serious. Carrie’s heart plummeted downward as he fixed her with a stern look. “The reason I called you today…” he started.
She anticipated the bad news, her heart pounding.
“…is because I want to give you a special assignment,” he finished.
Carrie’s eyes widened in surprise as she waited for the old yet very dignified-looking headmaster to continue.
“Just last night, several of the earth’s spaceships were attacked by the Sphunkons,” Mr. Cross said, his gray eyebrows meeting in the center as they furrowed.
Carrie’s heart tightened at the mention of the evil alien clan. She couldn’t wait to get her hands on them, get vengeance for her parents, and totally eradicate them from the face of the universe.
Mr. Cross went on, his fists clenching firmly at the top of his steel desk. “So many human space fighters lost their lives because of the sudden assault. Even some of the cyborgs got greatly injured and a few of them are in critical condition…”
Carrie gasped, thinking of Mike. She certainly hoped he was okay.
“Anyway, we are in dire need of more fighters to be sent to space,” he said. “As of now, the entire army is already preparing for the counter-attack and also planning a much better defensive strategy. If they lose the war, the earth will be placed in danger of being overtaken by the Sphunkons and we’ll all either die or become their slaves.”
“Oh, my God,” Carrie whispered. Her heart beat faster as she thought of the earth’s endangered future. Saving her planet was a much larger mission than her personal vendetta.