Soldier

Chapter 18: Alex

There are many things I've done with this short life I have lived so far. One of those things is singing. I was pretty good to. The only reason I ever really did it though was, because it made Kairi happy. I loved to see her smile, so I always sang to her when we were little kids at the orphanage. A lot of other people liked it too, but after she left... I promised I'd never sing again. Although... now this kid is asking me to do it again.

I walked with him to the table where the other students sat. All of them are wearing standard military uniforms and all three of them look about my age. Each of them have a picture of a small bird sitting on top a flower on their uniforms. Curious... wonder what that's from.

One of them stood up the moment he saw me. He has a smile on his face...

He looks...

He put out his hand for me to shake. I hesitated to move my hand. I feel like I should know him... who is he?

The guy pulled back his hand quickly and said,

"S-See, I told you he'd be here guys. We used to know each other from the orphanage we went to."

Did he say he...

I finally realize who he is. His name is Derk. Someone I really disliked when I was younger. He did, after all, just love to pick on Kairi at the orphanage. He and I always got in fights with each other over that. Usually though, we were broken up right away, or his gang would help him out. But now-now it's different. If he so much as says anything bad about me or, Kairi, I won't let it slide.

His dark brown hair, shifted as his slight tainted brown eyes stared at me. His uniform is wrinkled and tight.

A fit of anger washed over me as I clenched my fist together as hard as I could and launched it at him. I held back my arm before it reached his face. Derk scooted back his chair and fell onto the floor. The other students stood from their seats in amazement, ready to jump to his side. Just like the old days. Derk looked at me with hollowed eyes. He looked at me with a glimpse of pain in his face... with a hint of regret.

"I knew you were going to do that..."

"I just needed to get it out of my system... you left the orphanage before I had the chance, remember?"

He looked down at the floor.

"Back then you would have actually hit me..."

He stared at me more, sympathetically. He sighed and looked to his side, at the others, then back to me.

"Look, I'm sorry okay. I thought you'd have forgotten by now..."

I started to laugh to myself. How could I have forgotten that by now! How f____ing dare you! He has no damn idea what he actually did to her!

I walked up to him and grabbed him by his jacket collar. I lifted him off of the ground and pulled him face to face with me as I said,

"To hell with you. I don't forget things like that. Especially if its remembering old wounds that try to come back again! Like you!"

I calmed myself down and let go of his collar. He's not worth it... I am not the little boy I used to be, and I have more responsibilities to worry about now.

Derk stumbled backwards into a chair. I turned around and started to walk away towards the door, when Derk said,

"Wait! I'm sorry!"

I stopped to listen to what he had to tell me. I didn't look back at him as he continued,

"I said a lot of screwed up things in the past, okay? I did a lot of things I am not proud of... But you need to forget the past. People can change!"

I took a deep breath as I turned around to look at him. I looked into his eyes. He looks like he's sincere... maybe, he is as sorry as he said. I looked around at the others who hadn't said a word since I nearly punched Derk. All of them stared at me uneasy...

I guess, I better say something...

"Look... I will forgive you Derk... and I'll still help... but, I'm doing this for Kairi though."

The others settled down and sat back in their seats.

Derk smiled and started to stand back up again. His eyes suddenly turned a hazy grey as his pupils became smaller. A grin grew on his face as he threw a punch at me. I sidestepped and caught his arm, and used his momentum to throw him onto the floor. Derk didn't stay down this time, got back up and threw another punch at me. I stepped to the side, and barely dodged his punch.

Why is he-

Derk grabbed ahold of me and pulled me close, as he whispered,

"It's just beginning, Alex."

One of the other students grabbed him behind his arms and held him back. The rest yelled at him to cut it out, until he calmed down, and passed out right then and there. Something is definitely wrong with this. But, I guess the others don't seem to care too highly of it. They just keep looking at me as if to say... sorry.

I don't know though, this is weird.... why did he say that...? If anything else... why did he say it...?

The kid from before shook my arm as I remembered why I am here. *Sigh*

As long as it makes Kairi happy I guess, it'll be fine...

I walked with the two other students that were sitting at the table as the kid stayed by Derk in case he woke up. Why would he just attack me like that though... especially after he apologized? And why did he say 'It's just beginning'? It doesn't add up!

In no less than a moment later, the other two handed me a sheet of paper. On the top it, it is labeled "Bayside."

What is that? I don't even have a guess. One of the two students took off his cap to show his brown hair. Excitedly he said,

"Bayside's an old band. We-our group that is-all just love their music too. That's why we started our group here. And why we want you to sing this..."

With his last word, he pointed at the paper. Hmmm. I looked at it intently. I don't think I'll mind doing this...