Altitude ~Liam Payne AU~

Chapter 10

~Day 21~
"Stand up straight, no chatting or you'll run an extra mile." Payne scolded as he walked up and down our line at an excruciatingly slow pace.

We had just finished getting an early-afternoon lecture on proper etiquette outside in the courtyard. He explained how District 24 is always known to be the worst behaved district being almost everyone in it is in the middle or lower class. We apparently don't have proper manners and don't show respect to our peers or elders either. That's what you get when you don't have highly paid nannies watching over your children.

"If you want to survive out on the battlefield you need to learn to respect your commanders. Without trust there will be no survival." He continued to scold before pausing in the middle of our group and pulling out his clipboard. "Go run a mile. If you don't do it in under eight minutes you'll have to run it again."

We immediately set out in a steady jog over to the paved track. This time I was ready to run. I didn't have to run with the boys the first time because I wasn't apart of their tardiness, but I was included on not respecting commanders. However, I believe there's always a reason to justify my actions.

"On your mark, get set, go!" Payne yelled out as he fired his gun and we immediately set off around the track. Four laps to complete total. I was situated in the middle of pack surrounded by sweaty boys. I could try to slow down and move to the back, or pull up front and receive some fresh air. Unfortunately, I couldn't do either as there wasn't much room to maneuver around the slim track.

"One minute and fifty seconds!" Was called out as I completed lap one. Only three to go. Eventually, the pack decreased as some sped up and others slowed down allowing me a chance to run by the inside of the track. I was keeping pretty good pace up with the rest of the boys, happy that I had to follow the same standard as them for once.

"Seven minutes and twenty-eight seconds!" Payne called out as I passed the finish line on my last lap. I walked into the middle of the field to get out of the way and walk it off. I sat down a little while after as Payne approached our group.

"Alright, looks like you all made it. We're timing the obstacle course now with Malik's group. You only have four more chances to pass." He said as he walked off towards the course with the rest of the group following.

•

"Excuse me, sir!" I called out towards Payne as I saw him walking in hall around six in the evening.

"Walk and talk Woods, I haven't all day. I have meetings to attend!" He yelled back as I immediately scrambled towards him trying to keep up with his fast pace.

"I was just wondering if you've corrected the tests." I said as I struggled to keep up with him and his large steps.

"No I haven't." He replied curtly as he continued walking down the hall, arms swaying as if this was his normal walking speed and wasn't causing him the physical pain I was experiencing.

"Oh...well do you know when you'll have them done? I just want to know if I should start study-"

"I'm not correcting them." He said as he took a sharp right making me have to back up and redirect my feet.

"What? You said if we scored-" I tried to reason but was cut off again.

"No one studied, I'm not correcting a test no one put any effort into."

"I studied! A lot! I had loads of time because of my injuries!" He groaned in response as he took a left.

"Fine I'll correct yours tonight." He huffed.

"Thank you but that's still not fair. You should give everyone an equal chance!"

"I have meetings to attend and people to watch over, I haven't got the time to correct 25 60 point tests."

"You only have to correct till they get five wrong! If you think it'll take too long, I could help. You'd correct mine of course." I offered as he stopped in front of a conference room door and pinched his nose in annoyance.

"Meet me in my office at 20:00 sharp." He commanded as I nodded my head and he opened the door behind him and slammed it shut.

•

"Come in Woods." Payne called before I even had the chance to knock on his office door. I quietly opened it, peeking in to see him with papers stacked up on either side of his desk.

"Here's your pile. Get to work." He ordered as he shoved a stack towards a corner and gestured for me to sit down. I pulled the wooden chair out, sitting down and grabbing the blue pen. I pulled the first test off the pile, not saying a word as I began to correct it.

The first five tests I corrected had all the first five questions wrong making them automatic fails. They got better as I went down in the pile, but all of them had failed so far.

"Uh here's my test sir." I said as I pulled it out and handed it to him. He grunted in response as he threw it beside him and dove back into whatever paper he was currently reading. I found Harry's paper, laughing to myself when I found out he got all the way to the third page before getting his five wrong...and probably more. Louis's on the other hand ended very quickly when he got the first five questions about the fast jet engine wrong. Oops.

"All finished sir." I breathed about twenty minutes later as I pushed the now-corrected stack away and wiped my brow.

"Mhm. Did you know that dolphins can look in a mirror and recognize themselves?" He asked making me furrow my eyebrows in confusion as he looked up at me. "What? It says it right here in this article." He said as he pointed to it making me glare.

"That's what you've been reading this whole time? I thought you were looking over important paperwork and that's why I had to correct your tests." I rolled my eyes shoving the stack towards him.

"Hey, I didn't read this article the entire time. I corrected your test. You passed by the way." He said casually making my heart almost stop.

"I did?" I asked incredulously as he nodded making my body overflow with excitement. "Something good really did come out of those injuries." I said thinking over the past week.

"Speaking of injuries, you're getting your stitches taken out tomorrow." He announced making me fist pump. Two things of good news right in a row. Payne leaned back and kicked his feet up on his desk as I stood up.

"Well I'll leave you, so you can...work." I said even though I believed he would go back to reading his dolphin article.

"Wait I've got something for you." He turned around in his chair, digging through his file cabinet before turning back around to face me with an envelope.

"This came in on Friday. I meant to give it to you here, but that was when I had to search for you at the bar." He said as he handed me it. It had no return address making me wonder who it could be from.

I sat back down and started opening it as Payne began mumbling towards me. "I'm sorry...I tried to...It wasn't professional..." It was all fragments and I wasn't really paying attention to him as I pulled out the letter from my 12 year old brother.

Dear Cameron,
Please send instructions on how to do the washing. I've had to wear the same trousers for the past five days because no one knows how to wash clothes.
-Henry
P.S. Come home soon, no one knows how to do the dishes either.

"Doesn't know how to do the washing." I immediately began chuckling as I folded it back up and looked towards Payne. He was already looking at me confused as I widened my eyes realizing I hadn't heard a single thing he said the entire time I was reading the note.

"Uh-I accept your apology?" I said unsurely, praying that was the right answer to whatever he said, and when he nodded I knew I had chosen the right one. "I'm going to go write a letter back now." I announced as I stood up for a second time and walked towards the door.

"Tell little Henry I say hi." He called as I shut it behind me, making me freeze. How did he know my brother's name?

I thought about going back in to interrogate him, but realized that I had probably just read the letter aloud. I was going to drive myself paranoid if I thought Payne was trying to sabotage not only me, but my family.