She clenched her fists, and pressed on. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction. To hell with them.
But nothing happened. The CDD team dispersed after a while and were all talking and laughing amongst themselves. Only Cassiel still seemed eager to help Kara. He clapped his hands as he paced around Kara. “Okay—let’s try it again.”
“Cassiel, we’ve been here for hours ,” said Devon.
He stood up and turned his attention towards Kara. “Obviously, she can’t do anything. She’s nothing special. She’s useless, and she’s wasting our time—”
“Watch your freaking mouth, dumbass! ”
Kara looked up. And her eyes met David. Her body shivered. She watched him make his way towards Devon and Al. She hadn’t realized until this very moment how much she had missed him.
Devon straightened himself, squared his shoulders and stepped towards David. Kara noticed he was at least a head taller than David, and a lot thicker.
“Did you just call me, dumbass? Who the hell are you? You’re just a worthless little petty officer?” Kara didn’t like the way he said petty officer, as though it was something bitter in his mouth. Devon lifted his eyebrows at David, and looked at him with a mixture of disdain and surprise. “I could squish you like bug, boy, for that kind of talk. You little maggot!”
“Big words for the big dumbass . Did you think of that yourself, or did you get your crony here to feed you your lines.” David stepped up to Devon and flashed his teeth. He looked Devon up and down and raised his brows. “Man, what the hell are they feeding you at level five? You’re huge!”
“You better get out of my face, if you know what’s good for ya.” Devon towered over David, his face pinched in a deep scowl.
“Can’t do that,” mocked David, his eyes flashed mischievously. “You see, no one talks badly about Kara when I’m around. And now I’m going to have to kick your butt, big man.” He puffed out his chest.
Despite herself, Kara smiled. She locked eyes with David momentarily, and he winked.
Al pushed Devon aside and stood before David. “Why don’t you run along, Shorty—” he gestured with his hand, a few inches from David’s face. “—this is official CDD business. Your simple petty officer brain can’t handle it. Beat it.”
David smacked Al’s hand away and stepped closer, until their faces were only an inch apart. “Why don’t you piss off, unibrow. I’ll stand where I please,” David hissed, and his grin turned predatory. He squared his shoulders.
Kara started to feel anxious. She couldn’t help but feel grateful David was standing up for her. But she didn’t want David to get in trouble or ruin his chances to get accepted into CDD. She looked at Cassiel for help, but he just stood there with his arms crossed and a strange smug expression on his face. He looked at her momentarily and then back to the fight. She wasn’t sure if Cassiel was pleased to see David defend her, or to see his troops bullying David. Kara considered throwing him a rock to wipe off his self-satisfied look.
“David, forget it,” Kara pleaded. “It’s fine—really. No big deal.”
Devon squeezed himself in between Al and David. “David, eh? The same David that’s been trying to get in CDD for like…forever? You’re that loser?” He mocked. “Check it out, Al. This is the loser that everyone’s been laughing about back in the unit.”
“Shut up, Devon.” Kara was angry. She knew how much the division meant to David. This wasn’t fair.
David’s scowl deepened. “Call me a loser one more time, and you’ll see what a small-timer like me can do to your freaking face.”
Al lifted his right hand momentarily, and made a fist. “We crush losers for fun—”
“Stop it!” screamed Kara. Her body trembled. “What is wrong with you people!”
Devon turned to Kara. “Stay out of this, freak.”
For a moment, Kara just stared at Devon. She wished she had a rock to throw at
But nothing happened. The CDD team dispersed after a while and were all talking and laughing amongst themselves. Only Cassiel still seemed eager to help Kara. He clapped his hands as he paced around Kara. “Okay—let’s try it again.”
“Cassiel, we’ve been here for hours ,” said Devon.
He stood up and turned his attention towards Kara. “Obviously, she can’t do anything. She’s nothing special. She’s useless, and she’s wasting our time—”
“Watch your freaking mouth, dumbass! ”
Kara looked up. And her eyes met David. Her body shivered. She watched him make his way towards Devon and Al. She hadn’t realized until this very moment how much she had missed him.
Devon straightened himself, squared his shoulders and stepped towards David. Kara noticed he was at least a head taller than David, and a lot thicker.
“Did you just call me, dumbass? Who the hell are you? You’re just a worthless little petty officer?” Kara didn’t like the way he said petty officer, as though it was something bitter in his mouth. Devon lifted his eyebrows at David, and looked at him with a mixture of disdain and surprise. “I could squish you like bug, boy, for that kind of talk. You little maggot!”
“Big words for the big dumbass . Did you think of that yourself, or did you get your crony here to feed you your lines.” David stepped up to Devon and flashed his teeth. He looked Devon up and down and raised his brows. “Man, what the hell are they feeding you at level five? You’re huge!”
“You better get out of my face, if you know what’s good for ya.” Devon towered over David, his face pinched in a deep scowl.
“Can’t do that,” mocked David, his eyes flashed mischievously. “You see, no one talks badly about Kara when I’m around. And now I’m going to have to kick your butt, big man.” He puffed out his chest.
Despite herself, Kara smiled. She locked eyes with David momentarily, and he winked.
Al pushed Devon aside and stood before David. “Why don’t you run along, Shorty—” he gestured with his hand, a few inches from David’s face. “—this is official CDD business. Your simple petty officer brain can’t handle it. Beat it.”
David smacked Al’s hand away and stepped closer, until their faces were only an inch apart. “Why don’t you piss off, unibrow. I’ll stand where I please,” David hissed, and his grin turned predatory. He squared his shoulders.
Kara started to feel anxious. She couldn’t help but feel grateful David was standing up for her. But she didn’t want David to get in trouble or ruin his chances to get accepted into CDD. She looked at Cassiel for help, but he just stood there with his arms crossed and a strange smug expression on his face. He looked at her momentarily and then back to the fight. She wasn’t sure if Cassiel was pleased to see David defend her, or to see his troops bullying David. Kara considered throwing him a rock to wipe off his self-satisfied look.
“David, forget it,” Kara pleaded. “It’s fine—really. No big deal.”
Devon squeezed himself in between Al and David. “David, eh? The same David that’s been trying to get in CDD for like…forever? You’re that loser?” He mocked. “Check it out, Al. This is the loser that everyone’s been laughing about back in the unit.”
“Shut up, Devon.” Kara was angry. She knew how much the division meant to David. This wasn’t fair.
David’s scowl deepened. “Call me a loser one more time, and you’ll see what a small-timer like me can do to your freaking face.”
Al lifted his right hand momentarily, and made a fist. “We crush losers for fun—”
“Stop it!” screamed Kara. Her body trembled. “What is wrong with you people!”
Devon turned to Kara. “Stay out of this, freak.”
For a moment, Kara just stared at Devon. She wished she had a rock to throw at