Life Finds a Way

Chapter 23

Clarissa was awoken the next morning by a hand on her shoulder. She glared up at the blurry red blob that had woke her up. She rubbed her eyes and looked again to see Genesis with a smile and holding a cup with a lid out to her. Her face instantly transformed as the smell from the cup wafted to her. "Oh, you are my new favorite person!" She barely sat up before taking the cup from him and taking a sip. She grimaced slightly as the hot liquid burned her mouth but that didn't stop her from taking another sip after blowing on it.

Her devotion to the cup in front of her was interrupted by a low laugh. Genesis had sat down next to her. "I thought that might work to motivate you. I tried calling out to you with no luck."

"Thank you. What time is it anyway?" She looked around and found that it was still dark outside.

"It's 05:00. Your classes don't start until 07:00, but we need to get you a uniform first. I want to make sure you aren't missing anything either."

Clarissa gave him a nod before turning back to the liquid nectar. She noticed that it had creamer this time and turned back to him. "You remembered?"

"It isn't as if you had a complicated preference. Cream is easy to remember."

"Even so, thanks!" She had managed to ingest about half of the still steaming liquid before finally moving. She stood and held out the cup to Genesis. "Could you hold this a moment please?"

He gave her a questioning look but took the cup anyway. His look cleared up as she turned to tidy the couch and fold the blanket. "You didn't have to worry about that."

She turned back to him with a smile and a hand out to take her coffee back. "I don't mind, especially since I was the one that used it. Are we ready to go?" He gave her a nod before leading her out and down yet another hallway she had not seen before.

The requisition office was luckily already open. The requisition officer gave her a strange look when Genesis told him what was needed but didn't voice any of his questions. Clarissa found that it was a good thing they had come early. The cadet uniforms ran smaller than the general Soldier ones, as cadets could apply as early as 15 years old. It still took them some time to find one small enough for her since even at 15 most boys that made it as Soldier cadets were not small. The realization that she would not only be the only female, but smaller than everyone else made her a little nervous.

Once she was changed she followed Genesis back toward the training rooms. She was glad the halls were still deserted as they had at least a half hour before the class was supposed to start. She didn't like the uniform to begin with and wasn't thrilled with the idea of being jostled around in a hallway filled with teenage boys.

When they entered the classroom to the side of the big training room she instantly decided she was not going to like the instructor. He gave her a thorough once over, sneering at her before turning to Genesis. "So, this is the new cadet you're putting in my class two weeks in? No disrespect, sir, but there's a reason females aren't allowed in Soldier, even if she is related to the General."

Clarissa was glad to see she wasn't the only one irritated at the man's attitude. Genesis looked ready to set the man alight when he responded. "Sergeant, first, you are incorrect in the assumption that she is related to Sephiroth, learn to look beyond the obvious and it is easy to tell. Secondly, she is a cadet. Her gender is irrelevant, and she is to be treated no different than any of the others. The only special instructions are that she will be taking extra PT. I will be handling that." He didn't bother to pay any further attention to the man, barely watching him salute before turning to Clarissa. "I will be in the training room next door at 15:00. Don't make me wait."