The Admiral's Affairs

1 - In dad's footsteps

"You're more like your dad than you know."

Mom sighed on the other side of the phone. It was not a sigh of disappointment, like the way she used to talk about my father when they were separated. It was a sigh of admiration, of love. And I resented her for it.

"Mom, just because you and Maverick are back together doesn't mean he can start acting like my dad all of a sudden. It's too late, he can't make up for 26 years of lost time."

And then the conversation fell quite, like it always did when I spoke to her like that. She never knew how to deal with my frustration, but I guess she tried. I heard some rustling on the other end of the line.

"Not now Mav" she whispered.

"Mom I know this makes you uncomfortable so why bring him up in the first place." I stood up from the sidewalk I was sitting down on and stretched my sore limbs.

"Sweetheart let's talk about this in the morning all right?"

"All right yeah let's run away from our problems shall we, oh wait no, you got back together with yours." I yelled and immediately hung up. Screw that.

"Royal?" I heard a familiar voice behind me say.

"Not you too, please. I really can't do any of this right now." I felt a hand firmly on my shoulder pulling me closer so I turned around and looked straight into the eyes of Hangman, my class rival. The guy who beat me in the race to victory, what should have been my victory.

"Royal, is the bet still on for tonight?" He smirked, making his green eyes twinkle, like an excited puppy.

"Well that depends, if you stop bothering me I can start mentally preparing to beat your ass."

I reached out and nudged his shoulder,

"Which means, Hang, go away."

He gave me a cocky smile and walked backwards a few steps without breaking eye contact, took his sunglasses out of the front pocket of his shirt and put them on. "You can't beat me."

"Show off" I yelled annoyed. He just smiled and walked away. He loved it, the attention, and I couldn't help but to feed into it. That's what my problem is, what it has always been. And maybe I secretly loved it too, even though I would never admit it.

***

On my way to the beach my phone kept ringing, it was Amelia, my little sister. But I couldn't be bothered to pick up and having to listen to an hour long story about what Maverick did this time, not today. So I switched it off and threw it in my beach bag. I held my hand in front of my eyes to shield them from the sun and noticed a group of people setting up a volleyball net on the beach in de distance. That must be the guys. When I sprinted towards to group I noticed a brown haired girl standing with her back towards me. I ran up to her and threw my arms around her neck,

"Phoenix!"

She turned around and took her sunglasses off, revealing her beautiful brown eyes, something I had always been jealous of. I had never felt like I was pretty with my boring grey eyes and dirty blonde hair.

"Royal! I'm so happy to see you." She exclaimed and grabbed my hands.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were still on leave?" I pulled her in for another hug and caught Hangman staring at her butt behind her.

"Hangman" I threw a water bottle that was sitting on the ground towards his head but he immediately caught it.

"Try again love." He smirked while holding his hands up in the air, like he was ready to take me on.

Phoenix chuckled and pulled me aside, "I missed this Ro, the guys, you. I'm happy to be back." Her voice cracked slightly when she said it.

"You sure you are ready to get back to work? It's nothing to be ashamed of, really. We all understand."

Phoenix looked down and clenched her jaw, trying to hold back her emotions. That's what she does, she has to, us girls have to be strong in a man's world. "That's why they call me Phoenix right? I rise from the ashes." She forced a smile on her face and went to pick up the volleyball, before chucking it forcefully towards the back of Hangman's head. Bullseye. He ducked and spun around, pointing his finger towards her,

"Good throw Phoenix, welcome back."

I pulled my hoodie off over my head, revealing my tank top and sprinted towards the net,

"Game on boys."

***

I picked up a bottle of water out of the cooler that the guys brought and almost drank the entire thing at once.

"Thirsty?" Hangman snatched the water bottle out of my hand and took a sip.

"I always get thirsty from beating guys like you."

"Well, you beat me fair and square this time, I got to give you that." He smiled at me, genuinely this time. Which he had never done before.

For a moment I was flustered, "yeah-" I stumbled on my words "well, I guess I earned that beer now."

"Meet us at the bar tonight, I'll buy you a beer." He winked at me and walked off. I looked around if anyone saw what had just happened and my eyes met Phoenix's. "Come here for a sec, did you see that?" I pointed into the direction of Hangman who was now talking to Payback and Coyote.

"What did he do now?" she chuckled.

"He was nice to me, can you believe that?"

Phoenix grabbed my shoulder and shook it, "Hangman likes you" she teased.

"Oh stop it" I playfully hit her. Phoenix picked up the volleyball again and aimed it at me. I laughed and wanted to run off but before I could even take two steps I bumped into someone.

"Woah there lieutenant Mitchell, watch where you're going."

I looked up and saw a big man in naval uniform tower over me, commander Rivers. "I'm so sorry sir." I saluted him swiftly, wondering why he came here to the beach wearing his uniform. Behind me I heard the guys softly chuckle.

"I thought I would find you here. Lieutenant Trace, Fitch, Machado and Seresin gather around, " Commander Rivers beckoned them. I turned around and wanted to walk away but he stopped me "you too Mitchell."

"Sir" Hangman saluted, "what's this about?"

"If you'd just be quite for once Seresin I would be able to explain myself." Rivers sneered, clearly upset and overworked, like always.

"You've been called back to TOPGUN" he sighed, almost like he didn't want to be the one bringing us this news, "you and a few other graduates that are stationed across the country." I looked at Phoenix, she raised her eyebrow and shrugged her shoulders. Commander Rivers coughed and lowered his voice, "Report back to base, you will get an official briefing ASAP." He turned around, almost like a robot and walked away.

"What?" I exclaimed as soon as the commander was out of hearing distance, "us? Back to Miramar?"

"That's just because we are the best, well I am at least, you guys I'm not so sure about." Hangman laughed.

"Oh suck it Jake." Phoenix grabbed my hand and pulled me with her, on our way back to the naval base.