Deviant

Chapter 17~ Army Strong

The midnight drive to the airport was eerily quiet.

Alex was driving, dressed in his more formal military uniform.

He made the announcement of his surprise departure to our family the same day I found out.

We all reacted in different ways, mostly shock or sadness. Andrea was visibly shaken and suddenly, she got up and left. Alex ran after her, leaving us stuck in a strange silence.

None of us were expecting him to leave this early.

As of now, no one had spoken since we got in the car. The atmosphere was thought filled and weary.

Becca, for once, left her phone stranded at the side as notifications dinged periodically. She ignored it and stayed quiet, sinking lower into her seat with every bump.

The twins were in the back sleeping, their soft snoring echoing our restless sighs.

My mom was sitting to the far left of me, her soft lips curved into a deep frown.  Andrea was in the middle seat next to me, her head laying against my shoulder.

My dad in the front seat, on the other hand, displayed no emotion. You could never tell when he was feeling anything but anger, which was alarmingly noticeable.

One thing's for sure is that we were all thinking the same thing: we wanted him for another month but the country needed him more.

I shook my head and stared outside the window, looking for a sign of life in the dark world outside.

My brother was too good of a person.

We wove through airport parking lots illuminated only slightly by headlights. Alex slid into a spot and cut the engine off.

No one moved, all of us looking as Alex laid his head back and closed his eyes.

We sat in even more moments of silence before we heard a deep sigh from the driver's seat.

Alex brought a hand up to his face. "I'm sorry." He said softly.

He picked his head up and looked at each of us in the mirror.

Without another word, he popped the door open and stepped out of the car, each of us following.

* * * * *

Alex reported exactly on time to the designated meeting area but they weren't supposed to board for another 2 hours.

As soon as we arrived, the staff sergeant and other military personnel each whisked Alex away as the rest of us walked around.

My mom had forced us all to wear formal clothes, including a stubborn Becca.

My mind was reeling as strolled aimlessly around the airport. I tugged my velvety, forest green dress down, feeling uncomfortable.

Everyone looked so official and important, so this must be a bigger deal than usual.

Alex's squad would arrive any minute. There was a woman named Normani on his team I really liked. She was tough yet feminine as well as tactical and intelligent. Alex said she was the brains of the group-his right hand, his go-to.

There were 13 other people on the troop, all under Alex's command and Normani's expertise.

I recalled a memory from a while ago-the day Alex was ranked sergeant. I remembered the pride plastered on his face as he addressed his troop confidently. He works hard, is cooperative, and definitely is a leader.

But all happiness comes at an expense and this time the price he had to pay was time with us.

I anxiously kept untying and retying my black combat boots, waiting for them to arrive.