Join My Team

Lucas eyed the somber expression of the boy sitting at the backseat on the rearview mirror. He wanted to uplift the mood of the poor child, but he could not think of anything nice to say.

Situations like this made him wish that he had that stupid giant's mouth.

…

Somewhere in the military base, an ungracefully thin and tall high school boy sneezed. "Hey, stop cursing me in your mind," he said to Macaw as they pushed their bikes home.

"Just so you know, I'm not the only person who hates you, Giant," Macaw said in a matter-of-factly tone.

Under the pale yellow light from the street lamp, they laughed in sync at the truthfulness of her reply. They continued to push their bikes on the uneven sidewalk that only slowed them, yet the company of each other made the long walk worthwhile.

…

Back in the car, Lucas glanced at the poor child at the backseat on the rearview mirror again.

"Where do you want me to drop you off?" he asked in his signature monotonous voice.

Four-Eyes was in a daze. He saw how Uncle James looked down on him. The piercing stare left a massive hole in his ego.

That stare… it was a warning.

He felt his ego crumble into pieces at the thought. Uncle James was right. How could he dare touch the bright little fairy of Northern Command?

Four-Eyes's father was an EP: enlisted personnel. His father's first assignment was to report daily on Uncle James; he was Uncle James's detail and driver at the same time.

This was the story of how Four-Eyes and the twins Hugo and Cora grew up together. Four-Eyes, along with his parents, lived in the quarters behind Uncle James's house in the Northern Command Zone of the military base.

Even when his father was awarded with colorful medals and promoted to the highest rank for enlisted personnel as the Sergeant Major of the Army, he would still drive for Uncle James from time to time.

This was also the case when Uncle James was ambushed last year. They were on their way home from a private meeting with foreign dignitaries, and his father sacrificed himself in the line of fire and took a bullet for his boss.

Unfortunately, when his father died, mother and son could no longer stay inside the military base. To show his sincerity and indebtedness for the second life that he owed to his late father, Uncle James took them under his wing and bought them a house just outside the military base.

Little did he know of the truth behind Uncle James's gesture of goodwill.

Lucas made a signal and pulled over the curb. He tapped Four-Eyes on the lap, which awakened the boy from his stupor.

Four-Eyes fixed his eyeglasses on his nose bridge.

He saw that the pick-up truck had pulled over the curb.

"I was asking where do you want to get off, but I guess I need to drop you off at your place."

"No, Big Brother Lucas. You can drop me off at the gate. Or here. Yes, I can go home from here," he nervously replied. He was embarrassed by his momentary lapse in thought.

Lucas hit the road, this time with a clear destination in mind.

"Is the admission exams in the academy difficult, Big Bro?"

"Mmm. But you can pass it. If not, we can make a way," Lucas flashed his gummy smile. He may look as if he was joking, but there is truth hidden behind his statement.

Four-Eyes nervously laughed at his Big Brother Lucas's half-meant joke. "Ha-ha! Ha-ha! Big Bro is too funny, isn't he?" He glanced at the girl who sat on the passenger's seat side. He waited and waited and waited a little more for her reply.

The car stopped on red, and the girl turned to face the boy sitting at the backseat. With a straight face, she said, "No, he's not joking. He will find a way for you."

"Ha-ha! Ha-ha! No wonder you "work" together."

Silence. The ticking sound of the left green arrow on the dashboard filled the dead atmosphere.

The pick-up truck pulled over to the curb. Four-Eyes eyes slung his backpack over his shoulders and alighted the truck.

Lucas helped him get his bike down from the trunk.

"Thanks, Big Bro!"

"I meant what I said."

There was sincerity and weight in every word that Lucas uttered. It made Four-Eyes look fixedly at his Big Brother Lucas's eyes.

Seeing not a single shadow of hesitation in his eyes, Four-Eyes exhaled and nodded his head.

"I know," he said in an almost whisper tone.

Four-Eyes dragged his bike that felt as if it was twice as heavy than usual towards his house. Once he got in, Lucas walked closer, his arm lazily rested on top of the steel gate and said:

"Hey, Reid. Think it through. If you pass the admission exams, you can try to join my team."

Edited by Swaning