The Fight for Freedom (Book One in the EDSOR Military Academy Trilogy)

Chapter 3- Meeting Thomas and Stephan

My walk turns into a dash as I heave my way through the Ica building, where the main computer lab was. Thomas, my childhood friend and his cute younger brother, Stephan program the entire school interface. The part about advanced classes was a little bit true. I go there to learn how to hack and program. But mainly, I go there to check on their work and chat with them. I’ve been really close with them that when I get stressed, I vent out all my anger on them.

I finally reach the third floor where the ICA library is. The hallways look deserted. I am used to dark places. I pass by here every other day. The pale orange door to the computer room creaks and I see Thomas frantically searching the piles of papers for something.

“Thomas”, I call out, wondering what he’s doing. “Oh hey Jesse! I was looking for my notes on Modems. They’ve got to be here somewhere”, he sighed. I bent down and helped him look for his notes. His black hair had just been trimmed and he was more dark-skinned than ever. He adjusted his glasses as he slumped himself against the wall.

“You’ve been spending so much time under the sun”, I plainly said, sitting beside him. He’s more like a brother to me, someone I can trust and count on.

“Yeah”, he shrugged. “My computer classes are getting more hectic after I’ve heard the announcement”

“Oh right…the announcement. Are you skilled in combat?”, I asked, curiously. I saw him wielding a sword yesterday in the Weapons room. He was so…sure of himself.

“No”, he briefly said as he placed his hands to his forehead. “I don’t think I can handle it anymore. This war is useless. We’ll all perish before we know it. Its better if the War Council should surrender in order to prevent loss of lives”

That hurt me. I wasn’t expecting that. “It doesn’t hurt to try”, I meekly explained. He dropped the papers he was holding and moved closer to me. “Jesse, I know how being co-defense captain means to you but you should at least try to gauge other children’s reactions. They’ve got no more hope left inside of them! All you’ve done is made them suffer and painfully wait for death”, he angrily said.

I stood up. “I shouldn’t have come here”, I firmly say as I walk to the door. Thomas grabs my wrist. “Wait Jesse”

I do not wait for his next move. I swiftly pin him down and he ends up on the floor as I knelt on his right hand to prevent any further attacks.

“I still have hope. I won’t let your negative energy drain me”

Thomas weakly said something. “I am sorry, Jesse. I also wanted to tell you something”, his voice croaked. When I let him go, he quickly stood up and clutched both of my hands. I never knew his hands were so strong. They were trembling too. Must’ve been typing non-stop.

“Promise me you’ll be okay. The last thing I want to know is you’ll be assassinated”, he bit his lip.

I don’t know why I was feeling so warm inside. He then hugged me. “Promise?”

Agh! I yelped. After so many years of being friends, I never knew how it felt like when he hugs. The door then creaked and Stephan comes in, in a bewildered look. Thomas lets go of me and grins at his little brother. “Tom, what are you doing?”, Stephan asks in a high pitched voice. His Adam’s apple hasn’t come down yet and he was sooo cute!

“Little brother, unfortunately you have come at the wrong time”

I turned red. “Stephan, you’ve come at the right time”, I corrected. Stephan is Thomas’ little brother. Their age gap is about two years. He was a freshman and I’ve heard he’s good in GPS tracking.

He had long hair which was messily ponytailed and red braces on his teeth. “Check this out guys! I created the first digital GPS! It is now possible to plot the designed coordinates of the battlefield, although we need a helicopter.”

Thomas nodded. “That will require some work and a lot of money but it’s possible. When do you reckon the Militicians will attack?”

“From what I’ve heard, they’re still on the south coast of the Visayan region. If we can manage to prepare our troops for a month, we will have a sure chance of blocking them”

Stephan raised his brows. “But Jesse, the Militician army is big and….”

“There is hope”, I replied. “I am sorry to interrupt you. Your goal as of now is to plot the correct coordinates using hypothesis and I’ll come back to you as soon as we get enough funds for a single damn helicopter”, I nodded as I left. Thomas didn’t try to stop me. He just stood beside his brother, staring at me. Whew! I needed to get away from Thomas. Yet I could still my heart beating really fast, as if I had been chased by a lion again.