To The Mountains

The chairman rolled in a whiteboard, ceremoniously unveiling it with pizzaz to reveal the contents underneath. Both Zeirenne and the lieutenant's passport photos were pinned at the center. With a marker in his hand, the chairman drew a circle over the two pictures.

"Now, it's time to write your love story," he started, oozing with confidence. "When did you first meet?"

Zeirenne sighed. That was an easy question. They met earlier this morning, inside this very office—mere hours ago. But obviously, that was not the right answer.

"I'm not good at stories," Zeirenne said, turning to Lieutenant Evans. "Perhaps, Lieutenant Evans can take charge?" 

How would she even craft a story? She had no idea how lovers meet. Do they ride the same elevator and decide they were made for each other? Do they survive a life and death situation, poisoned by the suspension bridge effect, they assume they were in love with the person?

Zeirenne would never know.

Thankfully, Lieutenant Evans obliged, and he began giving out suggestions. "Please pick a trope. Are we childhood sweethearts? High school classmates? College friends?"

Zeirenne almost scoffed. Ah, he's bad at it too. Perhaps, all the lieutenant's mission before had nothing to do with romance. For him to give out the most cliche of plots, Zeirenne could only shake her head in silence. Or maybe they weren't really cliche, and she just knew nothing. Whatever.

"We'll go with what the lieutenant sees fit." Zeirenne leaned back into the couch, stifling a yawn. "But being childhood sweethearts would be a hassle. We'll have to go back twenty years to forge our childhood photos, won't we?"

"That won't be a problem. But if Miss Lynn says so—" The lieutenant finished his tea, also settling into a more comfortable position. "Let's go with being college friends. We both attended the same university and took the same class. What happens next?"

Zeirenne pinched her chin. "We attended the same history class—Mrs. Johnson's. I flunked one of her tests and sought for your help—the top student. Whatever happens next is history. Are we good now?"

She wanted everything done, her eyelids barely kept focused. 

The lieutenant's head tilted, about to express his opinion but the chairman beat him to it.

"No one would believe that!" the chairman interjected. "You've always been known as an impressive student, A-rin, ah!

Urgh. Zeirenne had to reminisce her college days. Of course everyone knew her as a diligent student. All she ever did was study. No parties, no proms, no sororities, no clubs. She had the most boring college life. 

"If we don't fake everything, we can't fake anything." she said. 

No one would believe that a Zeirenne Lynn fell in love in college either. She barely talked to anyone. Might as well fake the entire college experience. 

The lieutenant nodded. "Alright we'll go with that story." He crossed his arms and met Zeirenne's empty eyes. "So, what did I study in college?" He quizzed her out of the blue, letting her know he takes his job seriously.

But Zeirenne was not gonna be the one to be shoved around. So she answered. "International Law. How about me?"

"Veterinary, Microbiology, Zoology, Animal Science and Forensic Pathology." he said, looking impressed. Zeirenne wasn't sure if he was impressed by her credentials or how he answered everything correctly." You graduated from college within seven years—but had not one, not two, but four doctorate degrees."

Zeirnenne threw her next question. "Whats our anniversary date?"

"February 16, four days before your 23rd birthday. You wanted to surprise me and said the greatest you could give yourself is making both of us happy."

This son of a bitch.

"I refuse."

"Hmm?"

"I refuse to act like such. Change it up."

"What do you want?"

"I don't know. Let's say you got shot, and out of pity, I accepted your feelings."

A loud laugh echoed around the room. "I apologize, Miss Lynn. But real relationships don't start like that. We may have to make ammends and reconside and basta the word that means to be on the shorter end of the stick. compromise.

"How about this..." The chairman interjected. "Let's say you two broke up, and met again at a party. You became close again and decided to confess your feelings to each other."

Zeirenne spared the chairman not more than a glance before turning back at captain johnson. "Yiu have anything else?"

Ignored, couldn't helo but pout.

"Hmm. Then, let's say we both got super drunk. Shit happened and then we got together. How's that?"

"Alright. That's a good one," Zeirenne said. Afteralll, the more embarrassing a lie is, the more believable it is. "Do you know how many moles I have in my thighs?"

The captain was dumbstruck for a moment. Seemingly finding it hard to believe such uncouth words would come out of an innocent looking face.

"I..." The captain hesitated, threading his words carefully. "I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that question."

"Do you wanna see?"

The room stilled for a fee seconds,the chairman stumbled, almost breaking his nose. The captain's eyes idened, and Zeirenne believed that was the most genuine expression he would ever make. His ears reddened.

Just what I thought, Zeirenne thought, triumphant. What they had was was a battlebetween who takes their job more seriously and she was not gonna lose. That day, she established hedself as the alpha. On their future mission, she would remain so. This man would never be able to boss her around.

Zeirenne rarely worked with people. But on rare occasions she needed to, she knew how one should always make their stand the furst chance that they get. Team work is a push and shove If you don't wanna be pushed, you have to shove. The key was immediately establishing yourself as the alpha because the alpha gets to decide how tha pack works. And on this mission, she was not gonna be pushed around by a baby sitter. She will be doing things on her own, and this man was not a supervisor but a puppet. He does what she tells him to, and not the other way around. He only needed to exist. That was his purpose.