Benji shoved another spoonfull of synthetic porridge into his mouth. It tasted as bleak as ever. He looked at his cohort seated around the table, eating the same food as he was with different expressions. The atmosphere was lighter now, and they were even conversating. The cafeteria was buzzing.
And so were Benji's thoughts.
'What am I forgetting.'
"...And then we were like, 'the worst she could say is no, right? Turns out, it was not!"
Benji turned to Oliver who was uncharacteristically enthusiastic all of a sudden. Benji had no idea whether it was because Madison and Rose-Anne had started showing him a little attention. A little..
He was so confused, he had zero idea of what they were talking about at that point. He was so deep in though he missed the whole hour or colleague bonding, or whatever that situation was...
He wanted to ask but ended up deciding against it instead. In the end it was Madison who asked. Her tone had a strange underlying emotion that was difficult to understand. Sarcasm, maybe..
"So, what exactly did she say Oliie?"
"She told me that she had to attend her grandmother's funeral that day. As I was comforting her on her granny's passing, her phone suddenly rang. She froze like a statue and slowly raised the phone to her ear, answering it. You would not believe me if I told you what she said next."
Even though Benji had no idea what they were talking about, he knew exactly who answered that call. However, before he could open his mouth and mock Oliver, he was interrupted by another voice.
"It was her grandmother, wasn't it?"
James had been so quiet before he even forgot he was there. Even the others seemed to share his thought because the looked genuinely shocked that he actually participated in uncouth matters like these. Ollie quickly snapped out of it though, continuing his story like nothing happened.
"Bingo! She literally answered the phone and said: 'heyyy, grandma? What do you need me for? A few errands? Its okay, I will be on it soon grandma.' She dropped the call and looked at me dead in the eyes. Before I could retort, she suddenly screamed and sprinted away. 'Leave me the fuck alone you weirdo.' I was so devastated."
He sighed.
"And that my friends is the story of my first heartbreak. Tough right?"
Rose-Anne chuckled and looked at Ollie incredulously. When she finally spoke, her tone was brimming with sarcasm.
"Aww you've gone through a lot young man."
Ollie retorted but at that point, Benji could not hear anything again. He was back in the dark embrace of his thoughts once more. This time, it was not about the strange feeling he had. The feeling of having a large cavity in your memories. The feeling of forgetting even that artist who's name is at the tip of your tongue. The feeling of incomplecity and incompetence. But most importantly the case of the unkown water bottle.
He still had no idea where that came from. He often thought about asking Major Black about it, but he was far too afraid of facing the tyrant. So he decided against it. That guy was truly confusing really. One time he is warm, nice and accommodating. It was weird because his reputation did not really go along with this persona, but he was still kinda cute nonetheless.
While some other times, he would be a raging storm of emotions, his wrath and presence instilling fear into the hearts of his subordinates. He did not really care much about this state of his - he still feared it through- because he knew everyone had bad days, and his superior was no exception.
But his third personality was undoubtedly the most fearsome. He would sometimes remain indifferent and emotionless, as if he did not give a single white fuck at anything. He would gladly slit your throat - or even better, tear it off using his bare hands - without batting an eye. That is why Benji minimized talking to that tyrant too much. He was definitely glad to never be called to his office...
He looked at James for a few moments and then continued consuming his breakfast in silence. So did James. The young man, did not look so good. He had dark circles under his eye, hinting that he has not been sleeping too well. Probably not at all. He must have been one of those coffee-obsessed maniac, but at the same time, Benji highly doubted it. It the past 12 hours of them being in the same company, he had not seen him with even one cup of coffee.
'It must be something else then, cause he probably does not drink coffee at all.'
Probably worried of his fiancé. In the military, news travel fast. Mainly because in the past few days, the morale of soldiers have been so down that the only way to pass time and forget about sorrows was to gossip. News about James's proposal to his girlfriend spread like a wildfire across all military base.
Apparently, the ring was more than just a promise of marriage, but also his promise to her girlfriend that he will come back to her. Like he always did. He would return triumphant from the mission and start a family with her. Of course Benji did not know what was true and what was not, but he really did not care either.
But maybe, just maybe he could understand what James was feeling, even though he had not experience. A promise like that would be heavy of a burden to carry, especially alone. Benji knew it all too well. That was not to say he was interested in sharing it with him though, he did not care either way. James was still in his bad books so he was still going to kill him...
"Do not think about it too much. It's just a disease that kills everyone in their sleep. So what? What are you so afraid of? Or you do not trust yourself to return alive from such an insignificant mission. I am so disappointed in you James. Where is your pride for fuck's sake? Are really reeling like that because of one fucking promise? Then do your best to fufil it then, what the heck is the matter you?"
Benji did not think he would console him with those words, but that was not the objective either. The last thing Benji wanted was for James to find solace in his words. Solace was a sin after all, especially during this crucial mission. He folded his arms and looked at James intently without blinking, waiting to see how he responds. James looked back with an unreadable expression and said nothing for a few long moments.
Now all the attention was on them. Even Oliver had stopped talking, waiting for his response. James opened his mouth and closed it again. He opened it once more, but before he could say anything, a familiar, petite young woman jolted into the cafeteria with a loud bang and ran straight to their table.
She gasped for air as the rested her arms on the table.
"Mr Walker, Major Black requests your presence this instant!"
"Huh..?"
"Now dammit!"
Before Benji could react, he was being dragged be the arm across the cafeteria. She was incredibly fast for her petite statue. Benji's cheeks suddenly turned a light shade of pink.
'What are people going to think? Ahh screw it, they probably heard her too. I am in so much trouble.'
After a few minutes of being dragged, the finally stopped in front of a steel slide door. The young woman just bowed and left him alone behind the door. He was as nervous as he could be at this moment. Who would blame him? This was his first time being called by Major, at this manner no less. He was definitely going to be beheaded next. He raised his shaking hand and knocked on the steel door as gently as he could.
"Come in."
The voice was eerily calm and collected, but Benji knew that once he was this calm, anything was possible. He slid the door to the side and took a step inside, then another one. His legs were heavy, not to mention shaking and buckling uncontrollably. He greeted his superior as formally as he could, but Major Black just remained silent. He gestured to the empty chair in front of him and said evenly.
"Sit."
He did not even retort. He couldn't. His mouth froze and his body moved on its own. He sat down quietly, not even daring to ask what he was called. Major did not say anything either, for a few long moments. He shook his head dejectedly, picked up a journal-like book and unceremoniously tossed it at Benji. He was momentarily confused, but somehow knew that confusion was not the best course of action.
He picked it up and opened a bookmarked page.
"Uhm sir what..."
Before he could finish that sentence, his face suddenly turned deathly pale. He looked at the page and shook his head in disbelief. He was even more confused and lost as ever.
'Meetings?! Four of them?! How could this be?! This is literally my first time being called by Major. What kind of prank is this?'
He looked at his superior and gathered all his strength to ask one single question:
"I am sorry sir but... is this a prank?"
Major's face finally cracked. He spat through gritted teeth.
"I should be asking the same question."
***
James watched as a young woman dragged Benji by the arm across the cafeteria. He could not stop thinking about what Benji had said. But not for the reason anyone would think...
'Benjamin, so it really was true. Then.. everything else must be true then. All of it. Fuck, how the hell did i get dragged into thsi mess?!'
His mind was in chaos. A few days ago he had unwilling become Benji's confidant, without even knowing how. The truths and revelations he bestowed upon him were unbelievable, literally. Or he simply did not think it was possible. But now, he was not so sure. Benji had told him exactly what would happen and how it would happen. But the reason why it would happen was simply unbelievable.
And now as he looked somberly at the door where they had just hurriedly left. For the first time in his miserable life, he was in constant distress every single day.
'Benjamin, you misunderstood me.'
Then he whispered in a barely audible tone.
"You are the one failing to fufil your promise. I really hope you snap out of it, Benji."
Then, he just sat up and left the cafeteria.