Together

Chapter 5□ Ender

I follow the green green brown color code across the school until I come across a group of people playing a game with a bat and a ball, which come straight at me. I catch it easily. A tall, dark skinned boy walks up to me.

"You lost, launchy?" He asks aggressively.

"I'm Ender Wiggin. I'm supposed to report to Bonzo Madrid."

"So you're the replacement? " a girl near me asks.

"Ender Wiggin," I say, walking over to her with my hand outstretched.

"Petra Arkanian," she says. "Nice to meet ya." A short, blond boy walks around the corner.

"Are you the replacement?" he asks.

"Yes sir. Ender Wiggin, reassigned, sir."

"I ask for a replacement for O'Reily, and this is what I get. A skinny, useless, untrained snot."

"I'm a quick study-" I protest, but he cuts me off.

"Let me be clear. In battle, you will not pass through the gate until all of my soldiers are through. Then, you will remain just inside the gate with your weapon undrawn, and unfired."

"So I am to do nothing?" I say more than just a bit angry.

"You are to keep out of the way. You bunk in the back of the room."

I turn and head towards the back.

★★★

I hear commotion coming from the hallway, so I get up to see what's going on. I see the boy walk up. Our replacement. Ender, his name. I witness Bonzo's harsh tone and words towards him. I wince. He was- no, is much nicer to me, and to the rest of his soldiers. I wonder what makes this boy different. Petra walks in. At least she was considerably less hostile to the replacement than everyone else. She goes and talks to him. Offers to train with him. Could she be more obvious? I think. She definitely thinks he's cute. She goes back out to the hallway as I head for my bunk. I nod as she passes me, and she does the same.

□□□

I hear someone walk towards me. A girl. She sits on the lower bunk opposite mine. She seems much friendlier, if not just less hostile, than everyone else so I wave. She waves back.

"It could be worse." She says. "My name is Amy Thompson."

"Well Amy," I say, "I don't see how. I've only been here a month."

"I've only been here a day." She says. Ok. Wow. So it could be worse. "Although, I don't think Bonzo likes you very much, so it's probably about even on the terribleness scale." I snicker at that. "Don't worry. Petra will make sure you get good training, at least in shooting. She's really very nice, even if she likes to pretend that she isn't."

"Noted. I'll pretend to act terrified every time she comes my way." She laughs. She's very average looking, brown hair to her waist, 3 3/4 feet tall, average build, small nose, but her eyes are an even more brilliant shade of blue than mine.

"Well, Petra looks like she's ready for training."

"Yeah, I guess so." I say. I like talking to Amy. She's the only one who's been willing to be nice to me so far. "I better get ready." She nods.

"Shoot straight."

"I will. Oh, I'm Ender, by the way."

"Well then, Ender, see you later."

"See you later," I reply. I'm looking forward to it.

★★★

Two people come in. Ender and Petra. They're smiling, so I guess training went well. Bonzo gets up and walks towards them. He doesn't look happy.

"Where have you two been?"

"Training," says Petra.

"In free time," Ender adds. Bonzo won't like that comment very much.

"You don't practice with her. In fact, you don't practice at all." Bonzo says to Ender. That's not fair, I think. Ender should be able to train, it's free time.

"May I speak to you privately, sir," says Ender. He turns and walks out of the room. Bonzo follows, looking offended. If Bonzo didn't like Ender before, he definitely hates him now.

★★★

Ender and Bonzo come back. Ender looks defeated, and Bonzo looks like he put Ender in his place. That's not good.

"What happened?" I ask. The question comes out before I have a chance to filter it. "I'm sorry. That's a confidential conver-"

"Bonzo agreed to let me train with Petra," Ender says quietly. I feel relieved. "I told him that he could trade me easier if I trained."

"Well that's logical. I'm surprised Bonzo gave the order in the first place."

"Yeah," Ender says. I take it that this conversation is over. People are starting to climb into bed.

"Well, sleep well. See you tomorrow."

"You too Amy. See you tomorrow."