by John Darling
“OK… well, I figured everyone is receiving orders for their new teams. When are you flying out?”
“I’m leaving tonight,” she said.
Chapter Thirty-One: One Last Dance
Most of my classmates had received their orders and were flying out in the next few days. Jemma explained that for whatever reason, she was flying out tonight and needed to spend the rest of the day packing up. We had said goodbye earlier and I was sad that she had to leave so soon. I wished her the best of luck and she thanked me again for helping her open up. She said that I had given her a new perspective on life and if it hadn’t been for me, she wouldn’t have made it through the training.
However, I didn’t see it that way. I might have helped her emotionally, but she was the one that had helped me. Without her, I wouldn’t have improved my shooting skills and thus graduated. Either way, I was just happy that both of us could make it through this thing. Though she never had told me about what had caused her so much mental pain. I had hoped that one day she would. Now I wasn’t sure when we were going to see each other again, if ever.
Since I had said goodbye to Jemma a few hours ago, I’d just been hanging out with Alexei. I’d gotten him to temporarily forget about what happened with his board and the trials. We had picked up some food from the mess hall and decided to play Xbox. That always cheered him up. We’d been playing for a few hours now and I had the feeling that we were going to play all night. Alexei and Sierra were flying to Japan tomorrow afternoon so they still had a little bit of time before all of their stuff had to be packed. Alexei had asked Sierra if she wanted to hang out with us, but she had asked for some alone time. I had told Alexei that he should go check on her later since she was probably still going to be upset about the situation. Sierra seemed like the kind of person to take rejection and failure hard.
About two hours ago, Alexei had decided to switch games and put his Call Of Duty disc into the Xbox and we’d been playing various levels on it. I had been about to select a different map for the two of us to play when Alexei turned off the game system.
“Hey man, what’s up? I thought we were going to play a few more rounds?”
Alexei took my controller out of my hands and put it in a drawer along with his.
“Trevor, what are you doing here?”
Confused by Alexei’s question, I decided to state the obvious.
“I thought we were hanging out and enjoying some time together before you leave tomorrow.”
Alexei sat back down in his chair and looked over at the clock next to his computer.
“Dude you know I appreciate that, but the ball started an hour ago. You graduated from BCS. You deserve to go and have fun.”
I had been worried that Alexei would bring this up. He was correct, the ball had started already. When I first found out about the event I had wanted to go and celebrate. However, my closest friend here hadn’t graduated and the girl I was thinking about asking had already left for her next assignment. I didn’t see any point in going if the two most important people that had helped me get through this training weren’t going to be. As far as I saw it, the best place I could have been right now was here with Alexei playing video games.
“I’d rather be here with you.”
“Trevor, I understand that. You’re a loyal guy but you’re missing something that you deserve to be at it. You earned that. Even if you only go over there for a few minutes, you should go. The rest of our class is partying and I know there’s a bunch of people that would love to see you.”
Alexei was a great guy and only a true friend would have said what he was telling me right now. He could have said nothing and let me stay here with him all night, but he was too unselfish for that. The truth was that I had really wanted to go with Jemma tonight. After everything, I just wanted a night for us to figure out if what I’d been feeling these past few weeks was real or not. However, real life had intervened and torn us apart.
“Yeah, all but one person.”
Alexei stood back up.
“Are you kidding me? You’ve had the hots for Jemma this whole time and you were waiting until now to do something about it?”
I explained to Alexei that I couldn’t tell if Jemma and I had been flirting or just good at working together. Waiting until now had seemed like the best option since we’d all been busy with training and concerned with passing the trials. Plus, she’s a confident person. I figured there was a chance that she would make the first move.
“I thought tonight was the best opportunity to make a move. I didn’t think she was going to have to leave so soon.”
“Well, you waited and now she’s gone. If you care about someone, you have to say something. You can’t wait, otherwise, they’ll disappear from your life and you’ll be left there regretting not taking the chance.”
Once again, Alexei was right and I couldn’t argue with anything he’s saying. I had waited, and perhaps I would never see her again. Hell, I didn’t even know where she was going. I’d have liked to think that there was a possibility of us seeing each other again, but there were so many bases and Strike teams out there; she could be anywhere.
Alexei sat back down and opened his computer. He claimed he was going to find out where she was headed to but I doubted that he would be able to figure it out. I was sure everyone’s orders were confidential. The only reason Alexei had told me where he was going was because he had already failed combat school. They couldn’t take anything else away from him if they had found out I’d known where he was headed. Though I was glad that at least I knew where he was going. Perhaps we’d find a way to stay in touch even though we were going to be in different divisions from here on out. We were both Stormers and I wanted to find a way to tell Alexei that I still wanted to be friends without sounding weird or sentimental. He’d probably have made fun of me no matter what I said.
“Hang on a sec!”
Alexei spun around in his chair dramatically and I had the feeling an idea had just struck him. Perhaps he had found her orders on the computer. I was about to ask, but he cut me off.
“Did you actually see her leave or did she tell what time her flight is departing?”
I thought about his question for a moment. We said goodbye several hours ago and she didn’t mention anything about a time. She just said that she was leaving tonight and had to pack.
“No, not that I recall.”
“Then what the hell are you doing here?! She could be at that dance right now waiting for you and you’re sitting here like a dumb ass playing games with me!”
Alexei’s revelation hit me like a train. If what he said was possible, then I needed to get over there now. I immediately started to get ready and took off my sweats. Alexei ripped open my closet and handed me parts of my dress uniform one at a time. As I furiously got dressed, my mind flashed memories of the two dances I had been to at the Academy, as well as my high school proms. None of which were good memories since I had either gone alone or without a date worth mentioning. My senior prom had been particularly disappointing since my date had gotten sick from something she’d eaten and puked in the middle of the dance floor. However, tonight my bad luck at these kinds of events could change.
As soon as I’d gotten my second shoe laced up, Alexei opened the door and I rushed out. I didn’t even look in the mirror to see if I had everything on in the right place. I ran as fast as I could down the hall to Jemma’s room. I turned the corner and immediately found the door. Without skipping a beat, I knocked on the door three times. I took a deep breath and listened but there was no answer. I knocked again as my heart sank a little bit. I knocked a third time and used a little more force to make the sound louder. Once again, there was no answer.
It wasn’t the end of the world since she might have been at the dance right now. I decided to open her door to see if any of her belongings were still here. To my delight, the door was unlocked and I gently pushed it open. Almost immediately I noticed that there wasn’t a si
ngle thing in this room. The light was left on and both beds had been made. Both chairs were pushed up against each desk perfectly and there wasn’t a speck of dust in sight. Jemma not only had had time to pack but must have cleaned the room as well. With none of her stuff here, there was a very good chance that she’d gone already. If she had gone to the dance, surely all of her clothes and suitcases would have still be in here. Regardless, I was going to check the ball in case, by some miracle, she was there.
I made my way to Deck Seven and as soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I sensed the party atmosphere. From down the hall, I could hear loud music blasting and see strobe lights flashing through the doors of the mess hall. They lit up my body like a Christmas tree as soon as I walked in. I marveled at how many people had crammed into this space, most of whom were in uniform. To my right, a stage had been set up and a live band was playing an interesting combination of rock/techno music. Hundreds of people were dancing in the center of the room. Most of them were just bouncing up and down and throwing their hands up in the air, however, they all looked like they were having a good time.
Shortly after pushing aside dozens of people, I reached the back of the room. I was keeping my eyes peeled for Jemma but so far I hadn’t seen anyone that looked like her. I decided to grab a drink and found several tables lined along the back wall with food and refreshments. I took delight in pouring myself a drink from one of the big bowls. I assumed it was some kind of punch and after taking a few sips I felt a small buzz in the back of my head. There was no doubt in my mind that there was some kind of alcohol in the beverage, but I didn’t care. It tasted great. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I poured myself another cup before resuming my search.
I continued weaving through people looking for Jemma, and I even asked a few of my classmates if anyone had seen her. Most of the Stormers I asked were either too drunk to understand me or couldn’t hear my question over the loud music. Some were way too focused on their dates and I didn’t even attempt to ask those people. The medical training program must have allowed their girls to join in this because just about every guy from my class had a date. Each girl had on a different fancy dress and had clearly spent hours getting their make-up and hair done for this event. I found it funny since now they were all dancing and messing up all of their hard work in a matter of minutes. What was intriguing was that a bunch of the medical girls had tattoos across their backs. It looked like a phrase and I caught it as one of them rushed by me. In fancy writing, it said “Trained to save our Saviors.” It seemed like an odd thing for them all to have on their bodies, yet I understood their meaning.
My classmates and the nurses weren’t the only ones here. There were also several middle-aged men and women here, who I assumed were Stormers stationed here on the base. Most of them are acting much more civilized and I have a feeling it’s because their spouses are with them.
It’d been about an hour since I had arrived and I hadn’t seen Jemma. I should have known that she wouldn’t be here. Even if her flight hadn’t left by now, there’s no way she would come to this. She wasn’t someone who struck me as the type of girl to put on a dress and make-up. I took one last look around the dance floor and sighed. Alexei had inspired me to come here but maybe I was better off going back to our room. I turned my back on the party and headed for the door. I was about to leave the room when I heard someone shout from behind me:
“Trevor Flashman!”
I immediately turned to see who had called out my name. It took me a few seconds to see who it was and at first, I didn’t recognize her. Though her face did seem familiar. As she got closer I tried to remember where I’d seen her before. She called out my name again and then I remembered; she was the nurse I had met on my very first day here.
After a few minutes of talking with her, I found out that her name was Stacy. We ended up dancing together until a guy tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if he could have his girlfriend back. The guy had a surveillance insignia on his uniform and I was happy to turn Stacy over to him. I watched the two of them head toward the door which was probably for the best since she was clearly not in the best state of mind. Unfortunately, she hadn’t seen Jemma.
The ball was starting to wind down and the dance floor was opening up since people were leaving for the night. The band even scaled back their tempo and started playing a few slow songs. This made a wave of people leave the floor. After a verse, the soft music drew some of the deserters back, and I watched several people dance hand in hand with their partners. I backed up toward the edge of the dance floor so I could watch the couples twirl around without getting in anyone’s way.
Another few minutes went by and after seeing a bunch of couples having a great time dancing, I decided that it was time to call it a night. I had given this a shot, but I wasn’t all that surprised that Jemma wasn’t here. I slowly poured myself a big glass of punch, as well as another one for Alexei. He’d probably enjoy whatever this was. I set my sights on the main exit of the mess hall and began walking.
A few seconds later I brought my cup up to my mouth and took a sip. My initially intended sip turned into a huge gulp as my dry throat begged for more liquid. The exit was about fifty feet ahead of me and I lowered the cup from my face so I could see where I was walking.
However, as soon as I lowered the cup, my eyes revealed to me the most amazing sight: standing in the doorway was perhaps the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. At about five foot six inches and in a long, baby blue dress with her hair all done up was the person I had been looking for. I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn’t believe how beautiful she looked. I knew my mouth was hanging open and I probably looked like an idiot, but I didn’t care. My expression couldn’t have changed even if I tried. If I hadn’t known her big brown eyes as well as I had, it would have taken me much longer to figure out that the angel standing in the doorway was Jemma.
She was looking intensely around the dance floor for someone. I assumed it was myself, but part of me wasn’t sure because of how dressed up she was. Instead of walking toward her like a normal person, I stood still in the same spot. I wanted to move, but I was still frozen. I couldn’t help but continue to stare directly at her. We eventually made eye contact after another minute and her face lit up with the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face. She immediately started to walk over toward me as I put the cups down on the closest table.
“Well, don’t you look spiffy? Sorry, it took me so long. Turns out doing all of this girl stuff is more difficult than taking apart my rifle.”
I tried to say something but nothing came out of my mouth.
“So would you like to dance or are you going to keep on staring at me like you’ve never seen a girl before?”
“How are you here right now? I thought you’d gone!”
She grabbed my hand and led me over to the dance floor; “I actually already missed my flight. I just decided that spending so more time with you was more important. I’ll get to my new team eventually.”
I was beyond happy that she would intentionally miss her flight just to come see me. The band was still playing slow music and even though it sounded crazy, I had never danced with a girl like this. The last thing I wanted to do was embarrass myself with her.
“Jemma, I can’t slow dance to save my life. Let’s just wait a little bit until something else comes on.”
“Are you kidding me?”
I shook my head from side to side.
She walked back toward me and spoke directly in my ear in a nice, soft whisper; “Don’t worry about messing up. If you fall, I’ll be there to catch you.”
Before retreating back from my face, she leaned in and kissed me gently on the cheek. My face turned a little red and I let her walk us to the center of the crowd. She placed my hands around her waist and put hers around my neck. We began swaying to the soothing beat while looking right into each other’s eyes. I didn’t even know what to say. I was just so happy to be with her in this moment. We
continued to sway as the music went on. Little by little our bodies gradually inched closer together. As the final notes of the song approached, she rested her head on my shoulder. This was the happiest had been in a long time.
Since I had realized a few weeks ago that this girl was not someone I saw as just a friend, I’d been dying to say something. She was leaving soon and I couldn’t let her go away without telling her. I slowly tilted my head towards into her ear.
“I need to tell you something and I’m not sure how to say it.”
She lifted her face off of my shoulder a few inches and whispered back in my ear; “I know, I need to tell you something as well.”
Her reply surprised me. There is no way she knows, is there? I purposely held back my response because I wanted to hear her words first. But she insisted that I go first.
“Jemma, I think you’re incredible and I know we’ve gotten to know each other better over these last few months. Maybe this is a stretch and please tell me if I’m reading the signals all wrong but I care about you more than a—”
She cut off my speech by pressing her lips right up against mine. It felt amazing and exactly what I had been wishing would happen for a while. I closed my eyes and put my hands gently on her hips. I went to pull away but she kissed me harder and didn’t let go. Nothing seemed to matter. Not the people around us, not the fact that she had missed her flight for me, or that this kiss is something I’d been longing for. This was our moment.
After another minute or so, our lips parted ways. I hadn’t had many first kisses in my life, but that one had been by far the best.
“So I’m guessing you feel the same way then?”
She looked up at me with her beautiful milk-chocolate colored eyes: “What gave it away?”
We continued to sway until the music changed tempo again. In fact, we danced for about an hour until Commander Knight showed up. He scolded Jemma for missing her flight and instructed her to leave the ball immediately. We said goodbye for the second time and she was rushed off. Even though I was not sure if I’d ever see her again, I was happy that we had had that moment together. The last thing we might ever have done together was that dance.