G.I. Hailee

~3~

We're in line at the cafeteria, and I have a burger and mashed potatoes plopped onto my tray.

Bertram wedges himself between Jessie and I.

"Well, I got the short end of the short rib. The all-you-can-eat BBQ rib place was closed down." He complains.

"They probably heard you were coming." Luke and I say in stereo.

We all speak gibberish, and we walk away from the lunch line

"Ew. These mashed potatoes are runnier than my nose." Zuri says.

"That's why I usually volunteer to cook around here, so these poor soldiers can eat something other than drink mashed potatoes." I say.

"Zuri, you have to eat something." Jessie says.

"No!" Zuri gets up and takes her tray.

Jessie grabs the tray back.

"No, Zuri, you have to drink these mashed potatoes!" Jessie exclaims.

Zuri suddenly loses her grip on the tray, and the food spills all over Jessie.

I put my fist over my mouth to force my laughter down, but I fail miserably.

I burst out into laughter, along with Luke and the other soldiers and privates.

"Jessie?" I hear someone ask.

I look up to see my bully, Darla strutting over.

"Jessie and Hailee Prescott, is that you?" Darla asks.

Darla lets out a small laugh.

"Aha! I see you're still having trouble with your table manners, and you're still that suicidal emo kid." Dadla smirks.

I glare daggers at her.

"Hey, Darla...nice to see you too." Jessie says.

"And you were the one that made me want to kill myself in the first place!" I say.

Everyone looks at me in shock, including Jessie.

I give her a look.

Oh, right, you didn't know, because you were hone and I was unprotected for the last two years.

"That's Darla? She doesn't seem like a witch." Zuri says.

"Oh, yeah? Throw a bit of water on her, and we can send her home in a bucket." Jessie says.

"I see you're still babysitting." Darla insults sweetly. "What happened to that big acting career you were going to have? And what about your dancing career, Hailee?"

"Oh, it's going well, it just takes time and practice." I say.

"Talent might help, too." Darla says, smiling sweetly.

"Meanwhile, I've been traveling all over the world as a flight attendant." Darla gloats.

"Really? Because I heard you were on the Galveston to Amarillo run." Jessie says. "I'm just glad I don't have a job where I have to run around waiting on people."

"Jessie, I need milk!"

"Jessie, take my tray!"

"Jessie, my nose is still running!"

Not freaking helping!

"At least they're calling for you. Unlike all the boys in high school." Darla says.

Luke comes around to the other side of the table and puts his arm around Jessie.

"Hey. That's my lady you're talking to." He says.

"Aw, you finally did catch a man! But he's so little, you amy want to throw him to your sister!" Darla says.

"Wait, Darla! Close your mouth! There's crap coming out of it!" I yell.

"Ooh!"

I give Darla a look.

I win!