Never Let Me Go

Chapter 2 - Secrets Unfold

Basic training was fourteen weeks, an extra few months for those who wanted to specialise. We stayed at the training base for six months; I saw the tears Lu cried when they shaved away his side sweeping fringe. I don’t think I’ve laughed so hard in my life, but he got his revenge as the booze in the girl’s dorm was confiscated, and all of us were made to run laps every morning from around four o’ clock. That’s the last time I trust Jessica Deacon and her drunken flirting. She came onto Lu once after his hair cut, I actually hit her. I had no idea what came over me but Lucifer looked at me with a big smile on his face and gleam in his eye, as if he had a brilliant secret he wasn’t going to share with me.

We had two weeks before we were all given our destination deportation notices. The day I’d find out where I was travelling to. I suspected I would be split from Lu but I secretly hoped we were kept together. Who else was going to drag his ass off of the battlefield when he stepped on a landmine?

We were being trained harder than ever, the assault courses nearly impossible and this close to the end our captains were determined to send us all out to war. Preparing us for the bloody fight was their job.

Two days left before the notifications were given to us, everyone was on edge and all spare time was spent either drinking or running laps to keep the nerves at bay. I haven’t seen much of Lu as he’s been on a hiking exercise with his group. We finished early as we were given the first go. I missed him, with his childish ways and silly grin whenever I fell over and got mud on the ass of my combat trousers. Our competitive team play against each other in the weekly ping pong tournaments between the sexes. If I won we would always call I cheated, and when he won I would try to throw my bat at him before making a run for it. We had too much fun to be considered real soldiers, but here we are. Finally ready.

Today was the day, only a few hours before we all knew where we were going. I was nervous and biting my nails was never a habit of mine, so I wiggled my foot until I was told off out of annoyance. Lucifer came back yesterday and gave me a big hug, lifting me off my feet when he came into the lunch hall to find me. He told me about the boy’s expedition and how different it was in the black hills than any other simulation we’ve done. He now looked in his element, mud on his face and the twinkle in his eye I haven’t seen since the day I beat Deacon up for flirting with him. He said we hoped we were being sent to same base and I silently wished too.

Footsteps pounded down the corridor, shouts of the notices being handed out, every woman looked at each other before running to the door. I was wary of getting up, the dreading news if I wasn’t with Lu. I guess I should expect it, to stop the pain.

I was the only one left in the dorm, I made my way slowly down the steps, sliding my hand down the cool metal banister. Remembering the first day I came here, standing behind a yellow line along with my companions, the motivational I’m not your friend talk given by our sergeant. My first assault course and nearly dying on the monkey bars. Something I could never do as a child. The first time I saw Lu without his hair, the first time we completed our team activities together. The fastest time throughout the couples. I reached the end of the stairs as the front door crashed open and Lucifer ran up to me.

“Do you know?” he looked as if he was going to cry.

“I haven’t checked the board…” before I could finish my sentence we wrapped his arms around me and smothered my face into his muddy shirt. I wrapped my hands around his waist.

I guess we were being split.