Heathen Chronicles - Changed

Chapter 8 - The Black Horizon

Raven's POV

We landed bumpily on a pad and were instructed to grab our things and head for the black jet quickly, or else we would be left behind. We all stood frozen for a minute, confused; were we leaving the country?

A large black jet sat prominently on the tarmac. The sun beat down, its rays reflecting off the jet's dark, iron body. The surface seemed to absorb the light completely, which mesmerized us. It made us hesitant to board; now, we really started to question if signing up had been a good idea.

We were jolted out of our reverie by the shouting of soldiers standing in the doorway, urging us to move our asses. They had clearly woken up on the wrong side of the bed. We bolted forward. I lagged a little behind while the others shoved each other out of the way to be the first into the jet; they weren't used to this kind of extravagance. Neither was I, but I wouldn't act the way they did. It wasn't a good first impression.

I waited for the girls to finish their little catfight before they both tripped over the step, landing in the aisle and clutching for the first grand seat they could find. Typical.

Then the boys—who I thought would push past me—waited for me to enter first. They were probably checking out my ass rather than being gentlemen. This was the first time we had been this close for such a long period. In class, it was only for thirty or forty minutes.

"Thank you." I put on a smile, though I was still suspicious about the whole thing.

"No problem, Raven. You look good, by the way," Kyle answered. Both he and Dylann had smirks on their faces.

Please let this training go by fast.

The jet ride was more relaxing than it originally appeared. It offered snacks, sweets, and savory treats. The best part was that it was all free; my friends would have loved it.

PING!

I pulled out my phone and tapped the message icon.

Ntsakela: Hey Raven, we miss you already. Send us lots of pics! We hope you have a great flight.

I typed back and attached a picture of the jet I'd snuck while everyone was busy.

Hey Kela! Guess what... I'm traveling in a jet! A freaking black jet! How cool is that!? I miss you guys too. It's so awkward with these people. I think Dylann is trying to flirt with Irina, but you know how she is. They're all giving me the evil glare. Bruh, I've never been so scared in my life. LOL! Kyle keeps giving me weird looks that give me chills. He's been staring a lot since school started... Oh! Remind me to get my own private jet when we're famous, you guys would love it!

I sent the message with plenty of emojis. I couldn't wait to show them where I'd actually be training.

PING! PING! PING!

Geez, three messages already!

Message one:

Ntsakela: Damn girl, good luck! That's just how Irina is. Don't be surprised if she ends up in her underwear to get the soldiers' attention. Apparently, Kyle and Nelly broke up. Be careful of him. Will chat later, heading into ART class now. YAY! Be careful!

Thanks for that mental image! Eww! I scrolled down. My friends always knew how to cheer me up. I felt a twinge of guilt for not telling them why I really put my name down, but that was my own burden to bear.

Message two:

Private Number: Glad to see you're enjoying the jet ride. Don't get too comfy; soon the real work begins. I can't wait to have a taste of you. Just teasing... maybe. -S