Little Phoenix (The Census Book 1)

by Willow Dean

  “Erm, you okay? Looking a bit cray-cray over there,” I jest, utterly baffled.

  “Number one,” she says holding a finger up. “You say all sorts of shit out loud. It’s quite amusing. Number two, you look ready to tear someone apart,” she splutters, still trying to get a hold of herself. “Chill ya beans, I only came over to introduce myself. I’m Reika.” Her dark blue eyes sparkle with mirth as she announces herself.

  Say stuff out loud…it’s called talking! I’m pretty sure I haven’t said anything out loud this time, have I?

  Snickering again, she holds out a closed fist. Returning the fist-bump warily, I continue to watch her, genuinely worried about how mentally stable she is.

  Casting an eye over her, the first thing I notice is her dark tan that complements her short black and spiky hair wonderfully. Bright blue and green strands of hair frame her face at the front, making her prominent features stand out even more. She looks like a proud peacock.

  Her laughter sparks up again and I eye her suspiciously. Continuing my perusal whilst she loses the rest of her sanity, I can’t help but be envious of her build. Her black, skin tight thermal top and bright green yoga pants outline each and every muscle with certain clarity.

  It’s obvious she’s got an amazing figure. Rather like what I’d imagine a female Valkyrie to look like. Even through her top you can make out her six-pack. That shit’s insane! Coupled with the amazing muscle definition on her arms, I can categorically say that she looks hot and I don’t even swing that way.

  Looking down at myself, I’m hard pushed not to slump in disappointment at what I see. Being in a coma really did a number on me and I can’t help but feel a sense of loss in a way. All the muscle tone and definition that I built up over the years has been well and truly, lost to the wind.

  Ah well, nothing I can do anything about that right now I guess. I’ll get it back once I’m back up to fighting standards again. I just need to make it there in one piece first.

  “Mila. Nice to meet you, Reika. Please tell me you’re not here to lecture me like Barbie was?” I tilt my head towards the door, unable to help the wince that accompanies it.

  Of course, what does she do? Laugh. Again. I’ve never known anyone to laugh as much as she has. Sure, Micah could give her a run for her money, but she never seems to stop!

  “Nah, she’s a douche. Kiki and her little gang are annoying to say the least. They make up one of the only full girl teams in the cadet regime. You seemed pretty cool, so I thought I’d make myself a new friend. I kinda need a decent girlfriend to spruce things up a little bit.”

  “Well, as long as you aren’t a whiny, snot-nosed, entitled and hormonal child, then I’m all up for making friends. I could do with a bit of girl time here and there,” I quip, returning her mischievous smile. “What’s up with her anyway?” I probe, genuinely curious as to why she is such a cu-

  “Well, she constantly has a chip on her shoulder from not being part of a male dominant team. It rubs on her ego…a lot.”

  “Yeah, I kinda got that. She acts like a toddler throwing a fit at nap time. Please tell me not all the girls here are like that?! I don’t think I could cope,” I sigh. “Put me in the ring with a giant berserker any day. Put me in a room full of girls and you may as well just skin me alive. It would be less painful.”

  Grimacing at the thought, she snorts at my blunt admission. We return to our lockers -Reika’s only a couple down from mine- and busy ourselves in getting the last of our stuff out as we continue to chat.

  “Most of the girls keep to themselves or stick to Kiki’s shadow like glue. They aren’t all as outspoken as her though. There are a few who are chill, they just don’t really speak much, tending to avoid her wrath. We do have a few game nights though, you should come,” she suggests, holding her hand out expectantly. “Here, give me your number and we can hook up sometime.”

  “Sounds good.” Passing her my phone, she sends herself a text and we continue to chat as we pack up the rest of our stuff.

  Guilt stabs at me as I find myself enjoying female company again. I absently rub at the tightness in my chest as Gem’s face flits through my mind. I push it to the side for now. She would want me to be happy, I know that. Still, it doesn’t make any of this any easier.

  Making our way out of the changing rooms, I almost walk straight into Aus. “What are you doing?” I ask with a smirk, knowing full well that he was worried about why I was taking so long and probably planned on storming the changing rooms to check on me.

  His hand starts to rub the back of his neck as he looks at everywhere but me. “You were taking too long,” he replies gruffly.

  I let loose a giggle at his bashful look. Looping my arm through his, I start us on a brisk walk down the corridor as Reika falls into step on my other side. The others following close behind.

  Pulling Aus closer, I give a high pitched girly squeal before mock whispering to him behind my hand. “I was making a friend.” His cheeks turn pink as the guys and Reika break into peals of laughter. Grinning giddily at him, I boop him on the nose before turning back to the guys. “Guys this is Reika. Reika, these are-”

  “Don’t worry, I know these guys already. They are quite the skilled teachers,” she says lightly, before turning serious. “You better all take care of her. If you don’t, you better hold a vigil for your man parts in advance. This one doesn’t mess about,” she warns with a wink.

  Their chuckles falter as they try to subtly perform man checks, causing Reika and I to giggle again. They know everything’s still hanging there, why the need to check?

  “Because you are just that scary,” Aus mumbles quietly. His words baffle me, but I let it go. Instead, I gently elbow him and he lets out a string of expletives.

  At least I thought it was gentle. Maybe not. Meh.

  “I forgot you guys probably know each other. Who’s in your team, Reika?”

  “For better or worse, Larson is one of them. I know he’s a bit of prick at times, but he looks out for those who he’s close to and he’s great at what he does. We also have Jarrett and Sam who I’ll introduce you to next time. Jarrett is big and surly and can be moody at times, but he’s a gentle giant really. Sam is well…Sam. He’s like your boy Micah over there, but ten times more excitable.”

  “Better keep them well away from each other then or else there’ll be trouble,” I toss out.

  Everyone continues to laugh and joke together as we head to the SUV. Splitting from Reika with the promise of hanging out soon, we head home and decide a takeout and movie night is in order.

  Of course, it’s to congratulate me on a very important task. Getting through my first day of training successfully, without any major issues.

  It took a momentous amount of effort on my behalf, so it’s only fair that I should get rewarded, right?!

  Time for tasty treats!

  “…you got to choose last time bro. It’s my turn this time!”

  “No. You chose the food. Movie is my decision.” As crazy as it sounds, I love walking in to hear the twins squabbling. Linc never really spoke that much or even interacted with his brother -much less anyone else- when I first arrived.

  A lot has changed since then. Most of which I am very thankful for.

  Linc’s really put himself out there recently and has become more involved in group activities. He’s even begun to start conversations and interjected with the odd quip or sarcastic comment every now and then.

  Overall, he’s been a great deal more relaxed and has engaged far more frequently than before. Outside our group is a different story though. He’s still very reluctant to converse with others, but he’s making progress and is slowly coming out of his shell.

  I hold back the snort that tries to escape when I walk in to find Micah squaring off animatedly against a very laid back Linc, who looks like he doesn’t give a flying fudge.

  And yes, I can curb my swearing. Sometimes.

  For movie nights, we use the main living ro
om off the kitchen as there is more space to veg out. Also, as I found out on the first movie night, there’s a projector next to the kitchen and a rolling screen on the wall opposite.

  It’s pretty darn cool!

  With the blackout blinds on the gigantic windows that overlook the pool on one side and front yard on the other, it makes it feel like a proper movie theatre. Except, you practically don’t have to move if you want a drink or snack.

  The two three-seater sofas have been pulled together and lined up opposite the rolling screen with two large bean bags set up on the floor in front of them.

  Despite the company's description of them being three-seater sofas, they are definitely not big enough for three of the guys to fit. The guys are all bigger than average in stature, so generally, only two of them are able to fit comfortably.

  That is of course, if I don’t decide to squeeze my fat ass between two of them. Although they are perfect for snuggles, I personally prefer the beanbags. They’re just so much comfier and super snug.

  Rick and Aus share a sofa, whilst Jax lounges on the other. All of them are watching the twins in amusement as they try to decide what film to watch. It’s clear no-one else is going to intervene, so I save everyone the hassle.

  With an amused shake of my head, I walk past the twins and pick up a movie I know they’ll both like. Casually walking over to the console, I put it in and press play as they continue to bicker behind me. The surround sound drowns out their voices and gets their attention almost immediately.

  Mid step, I’m swept off my feet and spun around. A squeal escapes and I start to giggle, knowing exactly who it is that snuck up on me.

  Before I can even say anything, I’m airborne. Flying straight into one of the beanbags, I sink so far in that I have no hope of getting out any time soon. My arms and legs thrash around as I try, but fail miserably to get up. Causing everyone to crack up at my expense. Including me.

  Micah simply stands over me with a triumphant smile on his face. His black and white crossbones bandana catches my eye as he leans towards me slightly. “You better help get me out of here Sonic, or you’ll regret it,” I warn.

  “Sonic? Is that my new nickname now? Tell me, Sa-yu-ri,” he sing-songs, enunciating each syllable slowly. “What happens if I don’t get you out?” He asks with a tilt of his head. “Huh?”

  As he leans down further to bring his face close to mine, I try to snag him, but he pulls back just out of reach. The beans shift around at my movement, causing me to sink even lower into the beanbag.

  My flailing limbs don’t help me in the slightest and I just find myself in an even more difficult predicament. Collapsing back into the beanbag, huffing in a combination of defeat and amusement. I give up.

  Micah wipes tears from his eyes as he bellows in laughter, cradling his stomach through his amusement. It’s obvious he’s trying to say something, he just can’t get a breath in before he starts spluttering again.

  Shifting about to at least try and get comfortable, my hand manages to find the floor. Yes! I can work with this. If I can just-

  Aha!

  A smirk tugs at my lips as I subtly position myself to hide my hand. When Micah finally collects himself, taking another deep breath to say something, I make my move.

  Suddenly springing to my feet, I dive at him. Catching me mid air, he stumbles back a couple of steps and collapses onto the opposite beanbag, taking me down with him. Using him as leverage, I try to push up and stand, but he wraps his arms around me and holds me close to his chest as we both sink in deeper.

  We must have landed a little closer to the edge of the beanbag than I originally thought, because less than a second later it topples over and deposits us straight onto the floor. The others hoot and cackle in the background as we lay there stunned, the wind knocked out of us both.

  Rolling off of Micah and onto the floor, we rest next to each other on our backs, grinning like mad men and breathing heavily from a combination of exertion and laughter. Micah raises a hand up between us and I give him a high five before we simultaneously kip up to our feet.

  Yeah...we’re cool like that!

  “It’s fun having you round, Sayuri. You’re quite the entertainer,” he praises, chucking my chin before running a hand through his hair and brushing it back off his face.

  “What does that mean, Mic? I keep hearing you say that word but I have no idea what it means.”

  “Hmm, let’s see.” Putting his hand to his chin he looks deep in thought whilst I wait patiently for his answer. It seems like I’m waiting forever before Linc strides over and swats him over the head. “Ouch! Alright, alright.”

  Linc shakes his head as he walks over and takes a seat in the first offending beanbag.

  “I suppose the literal translation means little Lily, but it’s often used as a term of endearment. Means you’re cute, Lala.” Booping me on the nose, he rests an arm around my shoulders and pulls me in close. “Are you going to tell me why my nickname is Sonic?”

  Returning his sassiness, I can’t help but tease him a little. Leaning towards him as if I’m going to tell him a secret, I boop him on the nose at the last second. “Wouldn’t you like to know?!”

  Snickering at my attempt to be secretive, he ruffles my hair and sets to righting the beanbag, fluffing it up before taking a seat. I don’t even make it two steps towards Jax’s sofa before he grabs me around the waist and pulls me onto the beanbag with him.

  Wiggling his bum around to get comfy, when he’s finally satisfied, he draws my legs over his and coaxes me to lie back. Completely snug and content, I don’t even bother trying to get up. He would just pull me back down again anyway.

  Instead, the intro credits finish and the movie starts as he whispers quietly to me. “I will let you off this time, but only because you’re cute and this is a good movie choice.”

  I snort. “Maybe if you actually let Linc choose the movie, rather than bickering with him, you would see that you have the exact same taste,” I shrug, snuggling back into him.

  Dropping a loud smacking kiss on the top of my head, he effectively stops all conversation as he folds his arms around me and pulls me close.

  The sound of Linc shuffling around, getting comfy in his own bean bag draws my attention. Noticing me looking, he gives me a wink and a thumbs up and then turns to watch the movie.

  My jaw drops open, practically hanging off my face.

  Who is that person and what has he done with Linc?!

  Linc never winks. Linc certainly never does teasing and sarcasm. Either the guys don’t notice or they choose to ignore it as their eyes all remain intent on the movie.

  Glancing over at Linc one last time, it’s like nothing ever happened. His full attention is already on the film as the action starts.

  Odd.

  Happy not to upset the status quo, I don’t question it. My mind now thoroughly devoted to the hotness on screen that is the god of thunder instead.

  Yum.

  All of the marvel films are awesome really. Thor is just an added bonus. It has just the right amount of seriousness, action and humor. It’s a nice easy watch with a bit of sass.

  I can’t stand that girly, chick flick, romance crap. Bleh. Brings me out in hives, it does. It’s way too mushy for me. Blood, gore and action...now that I can get behind.

  About half way through, the doorbell rings and Rick gets up to answer it, before returning with a massive stack of pizza boxes.

  When Lachlan first told me that the guys eat a lot, I had thought yeah sure, maybe a pizza each with a side and maybe a full dessert.

  Oh no, I was completely and utterly naive in my assumptions. I seriously underestimated how much a lot actually meant.

  Nine large pizzas, four sides of chips, five large garlic breads and four boxes of hot chicken wings is way too much for six people. Yet the guys make it look like child’s play every time.

  They only add to that when they decimate a tub of ice cream afterwards. Each. A tub of ice
cream, each. I kid you not. It’s insane! All of that and their bodies still stay in the chiseled, mouthwatering shape that they do. It’s abhorrently unfair.

  And yes...I did just use a big, fanciful word. It was needed!

  Jax pauses the movie as Linc gives me a hand to stand out of the beanbag. “Thanks, Ice Bear.” Skipping past him, I give him a bop on the nose for good measure as I head over to help dish out the food.

  Linc grabs the plates from the kitchen as Rick arranges the feast on the counters. It almost looks like a canteen lineup there’s that much. Aus grabs some glasses as we all start piling our plates high with deliciousness.

  Five minutes and copious amounts of food and drink later, we head back over to the seating area with our plates in hand, to finish the film.

  Glancing around, my team is practically glowing in the low lighting of the room, causing something in me to preen. I always feel so relaxed and at home when we are all together. If I didn’t know any better, I would have believed that this had been my life since the very start.

  We are all one big, disjointed, yet thoroughly happy family.

  If one of us isn’t happy, no one is. Each one of us takes it upon themselves to make sure the others are happy and cared for. Even if they are all still hesitant to share their pasts, everyone chips in to share each other's burdens. It’s just the way they are.

  The way that we are.

  I must have fallen asleep at some point as a soft swaying motion disturbs my peaceful slumber. All I can see is black as whispers play at the edge of my conscience. I figure someone must be taking me to bed, but it’s far too much effort for me to move or even try to pry my eyes open.

  Taking a deep breath, I inhale the smell of freshly turned earth. Snuggling closer to the delicious smell, the warm cushion underneath me rumbles soothingly.

  I must have dozed off again as the next time I’m aware, I’m nestled up somewhere super soft and cozy.