Our Bruised Bodies | Bradley Bradshaw

ACT TWO - PART ONE

And here we go with Act Two. Cheers!

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"Oh, shit sorry." A female voice said from behind him, after running straight into his back, which caused Bradley to turn around and look down at a small brunette with dark eyes, who brushed her hair behind her ear, a piece of paper in hand, while she had her arms slung around what looked like too many books.

"No worries." Bardley replied, noticing the piece of paper, just like his own. "First day?" He wondered before she could rush off, which caused her to give him a guarded look, before looking at him for a long moment. Bradley was about to tell her to forget it, as she nodded.

"Mine too." He told her, which caused the woman to reach out and pull his paper slightly over to her, to see his schedule.

"We're in the same class." She told him, with a small smile, before checking his paper again. "Bradley, right?" She wondered which caused him to nod, before offering his hand to shake, which she took, the smile on her lips now a bit surer and Bradley truly understood why. Most of the guys here were assholes, not that he wasn't one too, but he had grown up with something like a sister and Maverick had made sure to teach him how to respect women, or rather Grace did, with a few threats and one or two slaps when he was being an asshole and they were still in their early teenager years.

"I'm Natasha Trace." She replied, causing him to tell her that it was nice to meet him, before checking her watch quickly and cursing. They really needed to get a move on. They were walking down the corridor, finding the classroom easily, but Bradley faltered a bit, seeing the portrait of Ice hanging on the wall right there, to instil fear and teach respect right from the start.

If only the other students would know. Their family would be put in a bad light forever. He itched to drop a few hints, but in the end, what a difference would it make to him. He was here now. Two years late and after going through the worst bootcamp he could have ever imagined, but he was here, no matter what Maverick begged Ice to do. No matter how they betrayed him. He was here in Annapolis at the academy.

"Are you okay, Bradley?" Natasha asked, glancing at Ice as well for a moment.

"I have to admit, I'm a bit nervous too." She said misinterpreting his look, but he wouldn't correct her. If he would make the connection known, it would only cause him trouble. With other students, with teachers, who didn't like Ice or thought Bradley was lacking. He rather be just one student of many.

"I heard Commander Marsh, is a misogynistic asshole. Atkinson is hard assed too, but he's fair. So, there is a bit of hope." Nat said, which caused Bradley to give her a warry look, only for her to huff. Seemed like he looked like she felt.

He wanted to ask her what she was even doing here at the academy, what her story was, as they moved into the classroom, they would call their own for the next four years, only to find a seat next to each other in the third of six rows. Bradley turned to Nat, about to ask her, but his question got stuck in his throat as he saw familiar blonde hair out of the corner of his eye.

She always had an aura about herself. Turned looks wherever she stood, wherever she went. Easily stunned men into silence with her beauty. Her hair was full of sunlight, but there was mockery in her smile. Her mesmerizing eyes, coldly and calculating scanning the crowd. He knew that it was a challenge she held in her eyes, coaxing all the people in the room to rise to, but he wasn't even sure if she knew that it was her neutral but still somewhat arrogant gaze and her indifference that caused reaction left and right.

She was a challenge on two feet, the look in her eyes alone telling everyone else that she thought herself better than all of them together. He knew a ton load of men especially in the military who just waited for a woman like her, who would make it their lone mission to knock her down a few inches from her high steed. To reach for her chin and lower her gaze to the ground where they believed women's eyes should stay. To make her shoulders slump to show her, her place in their world.