ALICE

Chapter 25 - GEORGE

Chapter 25: GEORGE

Alice sat down with a lunch tray, trying to figure out how she had managed all the crazy ducks and jumps. She ate the watery green soup that was being served. As she looked doubtfully at the tepid liquid on her spoon, a second person sat down beside her. It was the boy with the black eye. He sat down, clacking a tray down beside her.

"Hi."

Alice acknowledged his existance with a grunt.

"Look, I'm sorry. I was rocking the rope, but I haven't eaten in days, I don't even think I would have been able to climb the rope. It seemed like my only option was to fight dirty and take out the competition. I'm really sorry."

Alice turned and looked at this guy, dark brown hair, midlength, pale skin, and striking blue eyes. His lip was split and his face was bruised, but he still managed to be quite attractive.

"I'm sorry too. And, I understand, we all wanted to eat. Those paintballs look like they hurt."

"Yeah, I have some nerve issues in my back, I'm pretty sure that bastard was aimng for there."

"Nerve issues?"

"Yeah, I got shot right around there a year back." He turned around on the bench of the cafateria-style tables, his back facing her, and pulled up his white t-shirt. Four heavy scars were like embossed boils, all over the same area on his back.

"Holy crap, how did that happen?"

"I was running, those are 5.56 rounds, one's still in there."

"Jesus."

"No big thing, I'm just not fit to do missions anymore, so I need to do basic training again, you know, get rehabilitated, yeah?"

"Jeez. That's awful uh..." She searched for his name.

"George, George Night."

"I'm Alice. Alice McCormick."

"Oh, I already know, word travels fast around here, general."

"Don't call me that. I can't believe that bastard Kendo conned me into this."

"He's a shifty guy, Jack. Very manipulative."

Alice looked at George, and noticed the striking blue eyes not looking away from her. Alice liked this guy, he had heart.

Jesus, I've only been here a week and I'm already fancying two people.

"Yeah... He put you up to whatever you were doing when you got shot?"

"You got it. On my own too. One entire base of LSF."

Alice looked at George, at this poor, incapacitated boy, that still managed to be attractive. As she looked at him, finding herself unable to keep her eyes off of the brilliant blue eyes, the mouth below them spat out the mostterrible, but adorable pick-up line she had ever heard.

"What do you know about science? Coz I think we've got some chemistry here."

Alice agreed, chemistry.