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

Chapter 23- Hopelessness

Dinner time. Mushroom soup for starters and salad for the main course. It was very hectic to set up four more big tab les for the newcomers. This was our way of paying them homage. Most of our visitors were agitated when they were served the salad. I swear I could see molds on the leaves of my cabbage. I tried not to show them my grimace or the look on my face but I was utterly grossed out. Even Hershel, who was under Lexine's command, pushed her plate away and gave it to hungry Steffi, her best friend, who very much enjoyed the meal.

I’ve got a number of complaints from people. I faced Chelsea about this but it seems that she had already told the Student Council member in charge of the food rationing, Trevor. That was weird. Trevor could not be found and he didn’t report today…Its quite strange that he wasn’t talking to me. I didn’t even know he was gone.

“Chelsea, why didn’t you want to tell me about my killers?”

She continued drinking her bottled water trying not to mind me. “Chelsea, talk to me”, I gripped her shoulder.

She stopped drinking and glared at me. “Because you think you’re always in charge. When you were as low as a student, everyone thought you were trying to get attention! When you were promoted to co-defense captain of the army, you've drastically changed”

She was spitting on my face. Every word hurt me. I bit back my lip only to taste blood.

“You were always the one being complimented by the president”, she said, eerily calm. Her hands were clenched on the cloth of the table.

“Mike?”, I was taken aback. Of course I was shocked. Mike never complimented me. “Mike never does that to anyone”

“He favors you above everyone else. People already knew you were going to be the next president”

“What’s wrong with that?”, I asked, confused looking around to see if people were listening. They all were whispering behind my back.

“You shouldn’t have been president. Alyssa deserved it”

Tears shot out from my eyes. I couldn’t take the pain anymore. “Chelsea, how could you question…”

“Just trying to open your eyes to what really should be true. Sometimes it pays to burst your bubble of fantasy and wake you up. I am doing you a favor”

Anger was boiling inside of me and unfortunately, the cauldron overflowed. “So fine! If you want the position, then here!”, I shouted as I slapped the EDSOR Seal from my pocket to the table. A couple of plastic cups fell but I didn’t care. I was tired of being insulted. Chelsea was surprised. 

Paulo whipped his notebook and started scribbling. The other War Council members were anxiously watching my next action. I was setting a bad example to Gerard, the VP. “Its yours, Chelsea. Happy?”

“Jesse, what are you doing?”, Marco asked behind me. I did not look away as I dashed out of the hall. Nikki and her group were astounded. I really am a bad hostess to my guests, right? No one would care anyway. No one does. Not for me. Not for all the hardwork I've placed into this war.

I try to run as far away as possible from them, wishing I could vanish into thin air. I end up in the La Salle Armory and cry as loud as I can.

“You okay?”, a husky voice asked me from behind the huge crates of weapons.

“Hershel?”, I asked.

“Yo, President!”, she cheerfully said.

“Why are you here?”

“I don’t really like crowds”, she shrugged as she played with a sharp arrow and twirled it around her fingers with swiftness and speed. “I’ve never heard you cry before”