Salute! I am a Girl!

12

"I still can't believe it." Jason said looking back and forth between Will and I, the next morning at breakfast.

"I know. One girl comes here and Will gets her. Can't they send some more for the rest of us?" John added.

"Or we could just share." Jason stated looking hopefully at Will.

"I'm not sharing. She's mine." Will stated firmly holding my hand up for all to see.

"Come on Will. Didn't they teach you to share when you were little?" I said messing with him.

"I never was any good at it." He said smiling at me.

He kissed me lightly, gaining a groan from all the other guys around the table. I looked at them and stuck my tongue out.

"If we have to deal with this everyday, then I'm going to end up killing one of you two." Dave said.

"You? Oliver and I have to live with the them!"

"Hey!" I yelled smacking him in the arm.

"Attention students!" A crackling voice called over the intercom. "Don't forget that Parent's Day will be here soon. We want to remind everyone to be on their best behaviors. Also, will Ms. Lily Daniels, please report to General McKain's office now. Thank you."

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!

I looked over and saw Cal repeatedly banging his head against the table. I felt like doing the exact same thing. Instead I got up from my seat, waved good-bye to all of the boys and strode off to my Uncle's office.

I knocked on the wooden door and stuck my head in.

"You wanted to see me?" I asked.

"Oh. Hello, Lily. Come in." My Uncle said with a warm smile from behind his desk.

I plopped down in the chair that was seated across from his desk and crossed my legs.

"As I'm sure you're aware that Parent's Day is this Friday."

"Yes."

"I know it will be hard on you, with all the other parents being here, and I was wondering if you would like to have the day off, to go off campus and enjoy the day?"

Here it was my perfect opportunity. This was exactly what I had needed. However it just didn't feel right. It felt like a cop-out, like I was running away. Hadn't that been what I was doing all along though? Maybe it was time to stop running and face it. My parents were dead, they were not coming back, and no one would ever replace them.

"It's okay. I think I can handle it."

"Are you sure?" He asked sounding surprised.

"Yeah."

"Well, if that's how you feel, I guess I can't force you."

"Is that all you needed to talk to be about?" I asked wanting to get out and away from the awkwardness.

"Yes. Here take this note, so you won't be marked late for class." He said passing me a small piece of crisp white paper that had been folded neatly.

"Thanks." I called over my shoulder as I closed the door.

I made my way to my first class, the entire time thinking about what I had just done. Was I really ready to tell someone? Would I ever be ready to tell someone? Whether I was or not, eventually they would find out. The question I had to ask myself was did I want them to find out from me or from some other source?

I pushed open the door to the classroom and slipped into my seat beside Oliver. He glanced at me and gave me a friendly smile, before returning to the assignment we had been given.