CHAPTER 23: IN THE LONG RUN
With the first day of training done, Scott was one of the first students to return to the base, sneaking out and eating lunch in secret to be all by himself. Zoey looked for him around the courtyard, but there was no sight of him. Once she began eating, he was already heading to the barrack’s basement to finish his work shift as soon as possible. For a couple of minutes, he was completely alone at the laundry stations, which he took as an opportunity to reflect and work peacefully. However, as no one was around to hear or see him for a good while, he made sure to de-stress and let out all of his pent-up frustration, taking it out on his work as he washed dirty clothes aggressively.
He finished his batch of dirty clothes before the others could even start, and while he received a couple of weird looks from his coworkers, he managed to return to the barracks relatively unnoticed, hurrying up to shower before the other recruits finished eating. Sneaking into the showers, he was surprised to see no one around; everyone was either on break or just starting another shift of work, so again, Scott enjoyed complete solitude as he washed off the mud that had dried on his body, as well as getting rid of the stink that was bothering him for the better part of the day. He did take a bit longer to shower, though, eventually sharing the room with other people as he finished cleaning his body, but at least none of them were his classmates.
Now that his belly was full, his body was clean, and his work was done for the day, he was able to truly relax for once. However, as soon as he left the showers, he remained slightly paranoid as he had to walk amongst his classmates, trying to pass by them without garnering much attention. He tensed up as he tried to return to his bedroom to spend the rest of the day there, but since the barracks were filling up at this time, he feared bumping into anyone.
Scott followed the current of people flowing into the barracks, laying low, getting lost in the traffic that formed in the hallways after lunch, until he reached his room, right to the main hallway. But before he could enter his shared room, he stumbled into someone trying to reach the staircase at the end of the right hallway. He panicked for a second, trying not to look at them, but as the person had already turned around and seemingly recognized him, he had no escape. Luckily for him, he encountered a friendly face, probably the only one that he could talk to without feeling totally embarrassed.
–Oh, hey! You finished training so early?– Cookie asked with a pleasantly surprised smile as soon as he saw Scott behind him. While Cookie remained friendly as usual, Scott hesitated to interact with him due to his lighthearted nature. So, without knowing how to respond, he just stood there nervously. But as Cookie noticed how jumpy and tense his friend had become all of a sudden, he tried leading him somewhere more private to talk without all the people currently surrounding them.
–Come here, let’s chill with some of my friends, I’m sure it must have been traumatizing…– Cookie added nonchalantly, with a bit of sympathy, though Scott couldn’t really tell if he had found out about what happened in class. But as Cookie began walking down the hallway to head upstairs, Scott just stayed quiet and followed him, constantly looking around to see if he had been spotted.
Scott managed to calm down a little once they reached the second floor, which seemed to be reserved for official soldiers only, so there were no classmates in sight. And while he was curious to look around the new floor, he didn’t get to see the living quarters of the soldiers, which were found throughout the main hallway after the staircase. Instead, he only got to explore a short hallway on the right of the staircase, which connected with a small lounge, where various soldiers were hanging out, playing cards, or eating lunch since there was a small bar at the back of the room.
They had entered what looked like a semi-private area, which made Scott grow hesitant about meeting the soldiers found there, though it looked like most of them were acquainted with Cookie as they greeted him as soon as he showed up. While he greeted some of the other soldiers, Scott checked out the lounge, spotting a large fridge next to the bar, a big coffee table at the center of the room, and three long couches around it, with what seemed like a dresser or tall cabinet in place of a fourth couch on the side touching the wall. Sitting there, Scott saw a few soldiers playing cards and drinking alcohol, and while they were the only ones who didn’t greet Cookie since they were so focused on the game, they were the first ones Cookie tried to introduce to Scott.
–Alright, so let me introduce you to these fellows… That’s Marx, that’s Dino, and that’s Groovy. They are what we call knuckleheads, though people like Frost use harsher terms… They only serve to kill, kill, and kill, but they are actually pretty chill guys…– Cookie said as he pointed to each of his friends, respectively, without elaborating further as he reached over the couch in front of him and Scott to grab a drink.
Since his friends were all facing the table in the middle, and they didn’t even bother responding with more than a dismissive wave, Scott didn’t get a good view of Cookie’s friends. He saw that Marx, a chubby man a few years older than Cookie, had a distinctively large beard that made him stand out, especially because it looked like he was going bald, at least from Scott’s view as he stood behind him. Dino was sort of skinny and slouched too much when leaning toward the table, but apart from that, he looked like any other soldier with a short haircut. Groovy seemed to have a similar physique to Cookie, though a bit bigger in size and more toned.
Regardless of their appearances, Scott didn’t seem too interested in meeting them anymore since they all looked like regular veterans. But as Cookie sat on the only empty couch facing the wall and Dino, Scott hesitated to follow him until he insisted. He received a few weird looks from the soldiers around, but with Cookie’s charm making him blend right in as one of them, Scott sat down next to him and tried to relax and enjoy some questionable company. He let out a sigh and seemed to melt on the couch due to how comfy it felt on his exhausted body, and seeing how tired he was prompted Cookie to accommodate him further after a hearty laugh.
–Want a drink?– Cookie asked as he casually reached for some bottles on the table, almost interrupting his friends’ game. But before he could serve Scott a drink, he declined with a negative gesture. Cookie insisted, but as Scott completely dismissed him, instead of pouring some alcohol into a glass, he just started drinking straight from the bottle. Scott tried to close his eyes to enjoy the comfort of the couch to its fullest, but hearing Cookie gulp down the drink right next to him seemed to interrupt his peace. Cookie glanced at him, and after seeing his reaction, he stopped drinking and burped loudly, getting a few laughs from his friends before talking directly to Scott.
–That’s it, relax man. I don’t know what happened, but it looked like you were being chased or something– Cookie said playfully as he inched closer to Scott, getting more comfortable as he put one foot on the table in the center, even though Marx tried to swipe it off because it was blocking his view of some cards. He clicked his tongue at him to make him piss off, and as he turned to Scott, he gave him an unpleasant smell of his breath. He tried facing away, but as Cookie was so overconfident and easygoing, he didn’t have much trouble responding, even though he didn’t seem very excited to share his experience in class.
–I was just trying not to bump into someone…– Scott replied vaguely, almost dismissively, to see Cookie’s reaction. He didn’t seem to take it too seriously, so before Scott could elaborate, Cookie just laughed it off and took another big sip of the bottle.
–Oh, so you made enemies? Nice…– Cookie asked tauntingly before laughing at his own joke. However, he showed genuine curiosity, which led Scott to think well about how he would explain the incident from earlier.
–Kind of… Some people just don’t like me, I guess. But my main problem was with Frost, he just really got on my nerves– Scott replied unenthusiastically, a little nervous to talk about Frost, but being earnest enough to grab Cookie’s attention, who seemed to understand, and even agree completely as soon as he mentioned Frost.
–Of course, he’s everyone’s problem. He gets on my nerves too, but you’ll get used to it… Though I can tell by that look that he probably did something infuriating. I bet he made you fight to death with Zoey or something…– Cookie said jokingly but was honest as well, even though the casual nature of his words made it hard for Scott to tell if he could actually relate to him. Still, he caught Scott off guard by how close he was with his guess, and though it was still bothering him, he was gradually more open to talking about his failure with someone who seemed used to the topic.
–It was something like that. He made us duel, but that wasn’t the worst part…– Scott replied in a more carefree manner, not paying much thought to the matter, even getting to laugh about it a little after seeing Cookie’s surprised reaction.
–What, really? Did you lose?– Cookie asked bluntly, as he couldn’t contain his curiosity. Scott immediately sighed as he struggled to admit what had happened, but after thinking about it for a second, he just nodded in defeat to confirm Cookie’s suspicion.
–Yea…– Scott muttered in embarrassment, but significantly less ashamed than before. Thankfully for him, Cookie didn’t seem to find it as bad as he did, at least at first. He chuckled at Scott’s confession but tried to remain quiet to be respectful and not make him feel bad. But as he kept thinking about it, he came to a realization that made him crack up, all while Scott quickly lost all the confidence from sharing his failure as he saw Cookie piecing it all together.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
–Oh man, I know where you are going… What nickname did he give you?– Cookie asked while on the brink of bursting into laughter, trying to hold it in until he got his answer. And as embarrassing as it was for him, Scott was impressed to see Cookie figure out what was bothering him so quickly, finding the humor in it as well. And since he was eager to see him laugh, he didn’t hesitate for long before revealing his new nickname.
–How did y-...? He called me Sissy…– Scott replied with an embarrassed but amused smile, becoming chipper as Cookie started laughing out loud, joining him shortly after to ease the shame.
–OHHH! No way! That’s so…– Cookie exclaimed between laughs and snorts, which caused him to start choking as he lost control. Scott laughed with him, though not as hard, but still found it the tiniest bit funny now that Cookie had found out about his ridiculous nickname.
–I know, it’s dumb…– Scott admitted with a cheery grin, not as embarrassed as before but still a little apprehensive about it, especially when Cookie didn’t stop laughing for a good while.
–It’s more than dumb, it’s awful– Cookie replied teasingly as his voice broke from his boisterous laughter. Scott grew bored rather quickly, and after seeing that Cookie was nowhere near done making fun of his nickname, he tried to change the subject.
–Thanks for making me feel better…– Scott groused sarcastically as Cookie continued to ignore him in his uncontrollable laughter, garnering his friends’ attention, who laughed as well despite not knowing the context. Thankfully, his comment did get Cookie to compose himself before his friends could get in the joke, and after seeing Scott’s reaction, he tried to turn down his playfulness.
–Oh come on, don’t worry about those stupid nicknames. They don’t mean anything, really, no one takes them seriously, maybe except Frost and the other main guys. Besides, he probably told you this, but you can earn a much better nickname later on if you earn it– Cookie responded in the same lighthearted demeanor but with more sympathy, prompting Scott to reflect for a moment and think well about his response, not knowing if he should trust his word or not.
–Yea, I know. I hope I get a good one soon…– Scott sighed with more optimism, though he was not completely convinced that his wish could come true. Regardless, with him not minding his nickname as much as before, Cookie was satisfied with his advice and just kept drinking, but mid-sip, Scott grew curious about the same topic again.
–By the way, what about your nickname? How did you earn it?– Scott asked innocently, though his question interrupted Cookie as he drank from the bottle and seemingly caught him so off guard that he almost spit it all out. He stopped himself from choking on the drink, but instead of laughing off Scott’s question like normal, he turned slightly nervous and took some time to even think of how to respond, causing Scott to worry slightly.
–Oh well, I didn’t really do anything to earn it. It was kind of dumb. I don’t even remember why he called me that, but it was something funny… at least he found it funny, I think. Well, he just came up with it and then I kind of just got used to being called Cookie– Cookie replied hesitantly, chuckling nervously, and then took another sip dismissively. Scott was left with more questions than answers, as his vague explanation of his nickname didn’t seem to make much sense. He still had the same doubt, but as he started to get an idea of the origin of Cookie’s name on his own, he didn’t try to question his backstory much, though it did spark more curiosity about the topic.
–Wait, so he just gave you that nickname, and you never got a better one?– Scott asked skeptically, to which Cookie just continued nodding evasively, making an awkward expression as he appeared uncomfortable having Scott ask so many questions about his nickname.
–Umm, yea, why?– Cookie replied in his best attempt to be nonchalant, which still showed some insecurity that, unfortunately, Scott was able to pick up on. Scott could tell he wasn’t being honest, and if he was, he couldn’t stop thinking about his nickname until he eventually just had to share his opinion.
–That’s a pretty dumb nickname. To be honest, you should have a cooler one…– Scott commented playfully, getting a nervous laugh out of Cookie, but at the same time, making him stop everything he was doing as he froze in place with a pensive expression. Scott immediately became concerned that he had struck a nerve, but it looked like Cookie didn’t mind being teased as he returned to his usual nature.
–Oh come on, Cookie is a cool nickname, right? Right?– Cookie asked casually, though growing anxious and insecure, even asking his friends for reassurance, though all of them just ignored him and laughed subtly at his question. Scott tried not to laugh, but after seeing Cookie question the nature of his nickname, he began to reflect as well, turning just as insecure as him for a moment.
–I guess I’ll be stuck as Sissy forever…– Scott said under his breath, letting out one more sigh of defeat, which immediately grabbed Cookie’s attention again, now making him forget about his own worries to cheer up Scott.
–Don’t believe that. I know you’ll do something worthy of a cool nickname, like Soldier or Sailor… Oh, wait, I think those are already taken…– Cookie responded in an encouraging and amicable tone, even though he was still doubting himself out loud. Despite his poor attempt to make Scott feel better, Cookie still got Scott to be more optimistic, and while he still seemed embarrassed by his nickname, he quickly forgot for a moment as he turned curious to hear more about Cookie.
–Hey, I was wondering… How come we are trained to use wooden swords, but Frost and those other guys get to use cooler weapons that shoot stuff? Will we eventually learn how to use those, or are we really not even getting the chance to fight out there?– Scott asked with keen interest, even showing some hope for his future as a soldier. Cookie was pleased to hear him ask about the advanced weapons that Crisis members used, and as he seemed pretty knowledgeable of the subject, he didn’t hesitate to clear his doubts.
–I doubt it. Those cool weapons are special guns that were assigned to each of them. We have a couple of others, but those are like made for them or whatever, so I don’t think you’ll get to use them. You’ll probably just stick to normal swords, maybe a small pistol or lighter caliber gun. That’s what rookies usually use in battle…– Cookie replied earnestly, though his response was quite blunt for Scott, as it seemed like all of his hopes and dreams vanished in a second. Seeing how disappointed he became, Cookie immediately tried to continue explaining to inspire more faith in himself, even though he didn’t seem too comfortable doing it.
–Well, unless you are actually a part of the main squad or a high rank. But of course, you could use more powerful stuff like us in the future. If you excel in this program, keep training hard enough, get some experience out on the battlefield, and whatnot, you will begin climbing the ranks until you get to a high position like me. It’s a lot of work, but in the long run, I’m fairly certain that you might eventually get a high rank, and then, probably, you’ll get to do whatever you want… How does that sound?– Cookie added with more enthusiasm, trying to be encouraging despite being a bit drunk and slurring his words a little. Despite not fully convincing Scott, he could tell he was being hopeful and truly supporting him from the way he smiled, though it could be the alcohol getting Cookie’s good side out. However, as Scott halfheartedly nodded in response, causing Cookie to just smile awkwardly, he relieved him as he showed more interest in another subject.
–Sure. So, are you a part of the main squad?– Scott asked curiously after quickly moving on from the previous topic. Cookie was glad to hear a different type of question, though the sarcasm in Scott’s tone made him hesitate to respond yet again. Scott was already a little skeptical of some of his answers, but as he seemed entertained when Cookie got nervous, he kept asking regardless of the veracity of his words.
–Umm, you could say I play an important role in the team… I’m specialized in the support department, specifically of the moral variety, but I was also titled as an expert in buffoonery. So, you know, I’m kind of the big deal– Cookie replied with the same insecure tone as before, but as he talked more, he turned more comical, not trying as hard to convince Scott as it looked like he still admired him for anything he said. Scott looked genuinely impressed, though it seemed like he didn’t understand the technical terms he used. He praised him with a brief applause, which Cookie received with a smug grin, posing for Scott to show off the stripes on his uniform.
–Awesome, and what’s your special gun?– Scott asked with increasing interest, but this time, Cookie just answered right away as his overconfidence returned in full force.
–I don’t need one. I can take bad guys with my bare hands. Of course, I rarely go out to the field with the rest of the squad because I don’t want to take all the credit…– Cookie replied with a proud and cocky grin, striking a couple of heroic poses for Scott to show his respect and praise him even more, which he kept doing amusedly.
–Wow, I didn’t know you were a part of the main squad! I hope I get to see you in action soon…– Scott exclaimed with an excited smile, to which Cookie just laughed nervously as he came up with an excuse on the spot.
–You better hope you don’t. If I must step in, that’s when you know things are reeeally bad…– Cookie responded jestingly, exaggerating his self-assured expression to get a laugh out of Scott but also disregarding his expectations. Thankfully, Scott was naïve enough and just laughed, but so did Cookie’s friends, which made him shut up immediately and change his demeanor drastically. He noticed Scott still seemed to appreciate and admire him, so while there were some points where he was skeptical of him, there didn’t seem to be a risk of telling him a few white lies. However, he became anxious as his friends picked up on his conversation, and before they got a chance to ruin his image, he stood up and invited Scott to do the same.
–Anyways, it was nice talking to you, but I think I have to throw up now, so bye…– Cookie added as he quickly got up and dismissed himself as he headed towards the bathroom next to the lounge. After ending the conversation abruptly and saving himself from saying another stupid thing, Cookie left Scott to his own, who just laughed at the silly way he ran to the bathroom, even though it looked like he wasn’t doing too well.
–See ya!–Scott shouted after Cookie entered the bathroom. He kept staring at him with a smile until he realized he was now alone with strangers. He stood up and left the lounge, looking much more relaxed as a bright smile remained on his face, all the way to the bed as he tried to get enough rest to keep training tomorrow.
| WHEN IT ALL COMES DOWN
WE WILL STILL COME THROUGH |