Origin of the 11th

Chapter 2: A War In the Heart

"Timothy, you look even more down than you usually do. What's wrong?" James inquired in his usual passionless voice that conveyed his strong feelings of indifference.

"Nothing." I lied, relieved that lying could fool James in ways it couldn't fool Julia. "Why did you call me here? You said it had something to do with the commander's orders?"

"Yeah, that's right." James murmured as he pulled out two envelopes. "Here you go Timothy." He said, handing one to me. I opened it and read.

Timothy, you have been chosen as one of the four members of the graduating class to participate in a top secret mission. This mission will be debriefed tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. Your comrades for this mission are Julia Falcon, James Dart, and Tiffany Valdel. Arrive no later than the designated time. Commander Raptor Raiden.

"Well that's strange." I noted as I put the letter down. "Giving someone a letter to give to another person to tell them to be somewhere."

"That is what you are surprised about?" James asked in mock astonishment. "You aren't surprised that Tiffany and I are going to be part of a top secret mission with you and Julia?"

"Not surprised, just kind of disappointed." I muttered the last part under my breath. We had been at war for nearly a decade with an entity known as the Mechanon, an organization of militaristic mechanical life forms.

"This is so unreal!" James exclaimed about as unenthusiastically as someone could exclaim. "I get to be in a top secret mission so soon after graduating, especially a mission during this time of war."

"Or you may get yourself killed." I laughed, expecting a normal person to start sulking or in James' case, to at least change his depressing expression.

"I wouldn't be the one laughing if I were you." James said in a passive serious tone. "Knowing the nature of the Mechanon, any of us could die, even you or Julia."

"Julia won't die to soulless beings like the Mechanon." I said wholeheartedly. I knew how hard Julia had worked to graduate as valedictorian. Despite being quite peaceful by nature, her combat skills were not sloppy by any means.

"Maybe not, but there's always that possibility." James replied, attempting to smile, but ending up looking like a pissed bulldog. Because James was attempting to have a positive expression, I immediately realized that he was trying to provoke me into stressing out over Julia.

"Yes but the odds seem to be in her favor more than any of ours, especially yours." I declared, intending on defending Julia even if she wasn't there. James and I proceeded to bicker for about half an hour over probability of death before he gave up.

"When do you think the war will end?" James asked, back to his dull careless voice.

"I don't know, but it will soon now that we're part of it." I said, jumping on my bed and laying back. I was going to get the rest that I had agreed to get so I wouldn't be convicted of lying again.

"When are you going to admit them?" James asked as my eyes were losing focus. He seemed slightly more distant than usual, which didn't bother me in the slightest.

"Admit what?" I asked, yawning loudly as I tried to think of something other than Julia to dream about.

"Your feelings, that's what." James answered, seeming determined in his own undetermined way. I chose to open my eyes again because it was something that I actually cared about.

"Maybe some other time." I said casually, staring at the ceiling and refusing to look at James. He had been the first to know my feelings for Julia all those many years ago and had constantly pestered me to admit them. I always responded the same way, but today he seemed however slightly more determined than usual.