12 Seconds (#1 in Military series)

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

“Afghanistan!?” Her mother screeched as Julia told them her news a few days later.

She had waited to hear back from the director of the programme before she said anything; she didn’t dare get her hopes up only to have them crushed again.

But he had rung her that morning to inform her that she had been accepted.

In fact, Julia had just narrowly missed the deadline. Maybe she had luck on her side after all, but she wasn’t counting on it.

“You are not going,” her mother stormed her to feet, shaking her head defiantly as she ripped the information leaflet out of Julia’s hands.

And before Julia could do anything Katherine had thrown the leaflet in the bin.

“Mum!” Julia exclaimed in anger, reaching around her for the bin but Katherine placed her hands firmly on Julia’s shoulders, holding her back, “Why would you go back there!? And who put such a ridiculous idea in your head?”

“Moth-” Julia started to speak before her mother came to her own conclusions but it was already too late.

“It was Marcus, wasn’t it!?” Katherine screamed in anger, sharing a look of outrage with her husband before turning back to Julia, “I knew I should never have let him back into your life. All he has ever done is lead you into trouble!”

Julia was begging her to be quiet; Marcus was just upstairs in her bedroom; he could hear everything her mother was saying and Julia felt, not only embarrassed for him but for herself as well.

What must it feel like to be hated by your fiancés family? Julia frowned at the thought; it didn’t feel right saying ‘fiancé because Jules had been the girlfriend. Not Julia.

“It wasn’t Marcus,” Julia wrenched her arm from her mother’s grip and retrieved the leaflet from the trash, anger quickly seeping in, but as she turned back she could tell that Katherine didn’t believe her.

Her mother would always hate Marcus. She would always blame him for Julia’s ‘accident’.  

“Katherine,” her father spoke softly from across the room where he was sat opposite her brother, “Come and sit down,”

“But-” Katherine started to argue but Julia’s father simply gave her one of his stern looks which said he wasn’t in the mood.

And the more this went on Julia was deeply regretting telling them. She should have just left a note on her bed like they did in the movies.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Julia said through clenched teeth, remembering Marc’s words on taking the higher ground with her mother but it difficult.

She could only imagine the wide grin that was on his lips as he listened in from upstairs.

“And I hoped that you would support me in this,” Julia guessed she was hoping for too much.  

Sharing an awkward glance with Rhys who simply sat on the sofa, watching everything unfold with detachment, “I’m leaving in the morning.”

Leaving the leaflet on the coffee table, Julia turned and walked up the stairs to her bedroom where Marcus was waiting for her.

At least he supported her and soon she would be with a group of people just like herself.

* * *

“What’s it like over there?” Julia asked Marcus after nearly ten minutes of silence and staring out at the black ocean.

As it grew nearer Julia’s heart started to race in fear. All she remembered about Afghanistan was being blown up.