Military Love » Harry Styles

chapter twenty

When I returned to my bunk bed with heavy eyes and heavy mind I dropped my body on the sheet immediately, not planning to leave it until there was either an emergency or another training. 

When Sergeant Styles guided me to Mr Chilton's office, he had handed the rest of the group over to one of the other sergeants to guide their training while we were gone.

Because this was the case I had absolutely no idea where I had to go since he stormed off to who knows where and left me standing quite flabbergasted with Bradley, who was just like me confused about what happened.

He had asked me what it was about but I had pulled up my shoulders, clueless about it too. He had busted his lip as a result of a few of the Sergeant's slams on his face, but to the naked eye, no real damage could be seen.

I asked him if he wanted to go back to Mr Chilton, to report what had happened. But Bradley was all too glad that he got away with what he did, and didn't want to cause any more trouble. I nodded at his response and we decided to walk back to the other part of the camp.

Bradley retrieved from the bathroom as he walked over to my bed, climbed on it.

"Is it okay if I-" he didn't have to finish his sentence for me to understand what he meant. I nodded at him and gave him a small smile. He agreeably sat down next to me.

"Can I ask you a question?" I asked.

"I owe you some" He chuckled showing his rather attractive smile.

"Why did you pull that awfully unfunny joke on me?" As the words left my lips his back relaxed against the wall and he let out a loud breath.

"As I told you my friends and I was joking around and-" He started.

"No I understand why you did it, but why on me?" 

"Well," he sighed. "I've been seeing you around this camp a few times and you looked fun to be around-" Of course. It was only now that I remembered him on the first day of the boot camp. He introduced himself as Brad and was one of the 10 others in my team which was directed by Sergeant Styles.

Somehow, I had been so caught up by trying to understand Sergeant Styles, as well as befriending Melissa and Agnes, that I had hardly given anyone else in my team a second glance.

"So you thought that stealing my clothes causing me to run outside almost naked would make us friends?" I chuckled bitter, still quite upset over what happened. 

I didn't let him answer my sarcastic comment because soon another question flew out of my mouth. "Why are you here?" I realised that he probably wouldn't understand what I meant so I quickly added a few words. "At this camp I mean, what's your reason?"

Curiosity took my body over, a gnawing feeling came to live in my stomach, eating me from the inside until I got an answer to why Bradley was here.

"I'm a military brat" He smiled. Once I realised what he said I started laughing out loud.

"So you're a military brat, and your name is Brad?" A small smile crept on his face.

"Exactly" He pointed out to me, giving me a nod of approval.

"I know that it means that you're a child of a soldier or sergeant, but what actually makes you so special that you deserve a special name for it?" I joked at him.

We both laughed, but soon he gave me a satisfactory answer.

"Military brats grow up in a community of service. They grow up all over the world and move frequently. I've been living in 12 countries so far in about 19 years." He chewed on his lip whilst using his fingers to recount the countries he had been living in.

"Wow," I sighed. He nodded in agreement and we both sat down on the bunk bed in silence staring forwards to the other side of the room. 

"My father" He sighed "sort of pushed me into this."

Of course, we all were here for a reason. I was glad I was not the only one who had to prove something to their dad, dead or alive.

"I'm sorry," I said looking at him.

"Don't be," he said looking back towards the large entrance door. "I'm starting to enjoy this military boot camp." Again another smile crept on his lips. Now that he was smiling, his red lips didn't conceal the white teeth that were under these lips.

Again another silence followed.

"Don't we have training?" He suddenly asked, looking at his wrist, where he probably normally wore a watch. He slapped himself on the forehead when he realised he didn't have a watch anymore. No jewellery or watches apparently, according to Sergeant Styles who rudely stole my necklace.

I should've addressed this with Mr Chilton, as it surely was outside their rules of conduct to steal and ruin personal property. I made a mental note to return to Mr Chilton the next time I was close to his building. 

"I honestly don't know, and if so, I guess they should come and get me because I have no idea where to go." I chuckled and pulled my hand through my tangled hair.

He turned his head in my direction pulling a strain of hair out of my face. "You look sad" he whispered in my ear, making me shiver all over. He was too close for comfort. I shrugged and remember my father and how he always used to go to the woods with me. I miss that, I miss him.

"You know what my mother used to do when I was sad" he continued whispering against my ear, his lips almost touching my ear lobe. I was uncomfortable, but also didn't want him to move. I could feel his hot breath fanning against the back of my ear, smelling the minty breath his carried along with him.

Suddenly his hands moved quickly towards hips punning me on the bed. He himself tried to sit down next to me, which seemed hardly possible since there was almost no space on the bunk bed, but somehow he managed.

I had no clue what he was doing. His fingertips were making quick circles around my hips causing me to burst out into laughing fits. It was excruciating but so wonderful at the same time. 

I panic and scream and laugh, and gradually my lungs become worn out as I struggle to breathe, and my whole body becomes weaker and weaker from thrashing my body so much. But he didn't stop tickling me.

But again I couldn't stop myself from laughing so hard that even my vocal cords seemed to get damaged because over time my voice became hoarse. I was way too caught up with laughing to notice that someone had stormed into the room.

"Haven't you bothered her enough, Bradley?" He emphasised on his name. Bradley's hands quickly removed themselves from my hips.

"I should go" he whispered slowly sitting up and leaping off the bunk bed quickly making his way towards the door.

"I'll see you later Violet!" He said turning around giving me a small wave.

"No you won't" Harry snapped as he looked backwards waiting to speak until the boy closed the door again and we were alone.

"What are you doing here?" My hoarse voice sounded worse than I though.

"I heard someone scream," he said sarcastically. "and your training began while you weren't there." he murmured.

"I didn't know where to go, you ran away from me" I whispered, hoping that my hoarse voice wasn't noticeable.

He sighed deeply "Why do you always make it so bloody hard Violet."