Chapter 15

The tree house

Green Sand Air Force was going to have their first Training Week this year at the open field near Mount Beruang. Every fighter jet aviators would have to show up for the training. They will be divided into different teams to fight against each other just like they were going to fight in real battles, except they will be using artificial shooting materials to avoid real damages. Each team will have eight aviators, whichever fighter jet that has been shot with the artificial ximeon will be eliminated until the next training session.

The names of Gerome’s team members were sent over to his Eli few days ago, but he had not checked it. He was too tied up with the SOAR tournament. Now the tournament was over, he finally had time to sit down and get back to his business. He gave a quick skim at the names of his team members.

Technical Sergeant: Spence Cartell.

The name irked him. Clearly this is inevitable, though he was hoping he would not have to confront with Spence Cartell in all the trainings. Cartell was an utter bugger. They have had several trainings before, and he really dislikes the way that Cartell had been deliberately aiming and attacking him only. It was very unprofessional of him, and very immature for a trained aviator. Gerome assumed it was just one of Cartell’s many inexplicable behaviours. He was a complicated person anyway.

He is a nutcase. How unlucky I am to be in a same team with him, he said in this heart with intense detestation, and swiped the screen away to check for other notices.

Two years of hard graft in exchange of a successful outcome finally comes to an end. Gerome started to feel his body grumbling for a time off already. SOAR was definitely an enervating game. At this time he was just glad that he was in the most comfortable place in the whole world – his bedroom. With a single wave he turned off the lights and slumped onto his bed, could not wait to get some sleep.

The brightness of the starlight suffused his room, coaxing him to glance over through the balcony (glass) doors. The stars were shimmering in the sky. They were remarkably lovely tonight, as if they were shinning for them for winning the SOAR tournament.

A sudden thought crept into his mind: the tree house. He used to sneak to the tree house at nights when he was a lot younger. Jade sometimes came up to accompany him.

“Do you know which one is my favourite colour?” Jade asked Gerome, she meant the stars.

“Which one?”

“The green one of course, coz it’s like my name, Jade. What about you?” Her beautiful eyes gleamed under the stars.

“Uh... I don’t know,” he said indecisively.

“Come one. Pick one.” Jade prodded.

“The green one of course, coz it’s like your name, Jade,” he mimicked the way she talked.

“You copied me?” Jade gave an irritated look at him playfully.

“No, I’m not. I wouldn’t dare.” Gerome pretended to be scared.

“You copied me. Be original, okay?” Jade poked him in the ribs.

“I am originally a talented copycat.” He tried to block her finger from jabbing him with his arm. They both laughed hysterically.

One of those sweet memories, he smiled to himself as he thought of that. Judah and Gerome had been busy ever since they got their own jobs, and if they were not working they were pretty much occupied with SOAR practices and workouts. He sometimes wondered if Jade feels left out, they hardly spoken to each other lately. Work and SOAR really encroached a lot of his personal time, if he had any. Suddenly he missed those days with Judah and Jade when they were younger, when everything was so innocent and simple.

Can’t miss the celebration with the shining stars for winning SOAR, he thought, giving himself another reasonable excuse to leave his bed for a while. With a sheer determination, he decided to get out from his bed. He opened his balcony and decided to slink down from there like a soundless cat. With only a few strides he reached the treehouse. This might be the first time he climbed up to the tree house in his not-so-cool pyjamas.

Who cares, it’s not like I’m going up there to impress anyone, he told himself as he manoeuvred carefully up without making too much noise.

Maybe having the pyjamas was a bad idea.

He was a little shocked to see Jade was already there before him. It was too late to climb back down.

“Oh, Romey. You scared me,” Jade said. She poked her head out from the tree house, looking surprised to see Romey’s head emerged from the stairs. She too, was in her nightgown.

“Sorry, didn’t expect to see you here. Haven’t been up here for some time,” Gerome said, hoisted himself up. “The tree house looks smaller now.”

“We are big people now. I used to think dad made this house too big for us,” Jade said with a lovely grin.

Gerome managed to move carefully without bumping his head, the roof is quite low. He inched himself next to Jade. He had got the jitters, and hoped he could cope with it, conceal it.

“So… how’s everything?” Jade managed a casual question.

“Alright. You?”

“I am getting into the Intelligence Department. Miss Tara introduced me to her twin sister, and she offered me a position.”

“Congratulations. That’s good news.”

“Thanks.” Jade’s face blushed a little. Her heart was pounding fast too. She too, was trying to conceal that jittery inside her. “By the way, it was awesome, the game and the party. You guys were brilliant. Mom and dad are so happy for the both of you, and Luke and Aamali.”

“Yeah, things turned out to be quite well.” Gerome’s mind was actually replaying the images of Jade, in the beautiful peach dress at the party.

“And you know what? Dad watched the SOAR live broadcast on the new-orb today with mom, for the first time.”

Gerome turned and looked at Jade, with lack of belief. “Did he?”

“He did. Mom told me he was really enjoying it. He was cheering so that she had to remind him to keep it down. Mom and dad got quite worried when you got hit in the head. How’s your head?” Jade asked. Her heart was still smarting from the thought of Gerome being socked in the head by McKnight.

“Oh, it’s alright, I think. I totally forgot about it,” Gerome said, rubbing his head softly with his palm.

“Mom said you should get yourself checked by neurologist.”

Gerome just smiled. He obviously thought that was not necessary. The helmet itself was made of adamantine materials.

“You should be more careful next time, they get overly aggressive sometimes,” Jade reminded him.

Gerome nodded as to respond Jade. She wished he could say more. It seemed ages since the last time she heard his voice. But he remained sangfroid, as always.

“So are you joining us on Monday?” Jade asked.

Gerome had totally forgotten about having training on the same day. Aamali bought a permanent luxury nest in Seven, after being confirmed that he will be transferred to Seven. The air force training should be finishing before in late afternoon, so Gerome planned to head to Seven for another celebration with the old friends, a get-together cum house warming party at Aamali’s newly furnished penthouse.

“I will, after the training,” he said.

“You have training? What time?” Jade revealed her disappointment through her eyes already.

“I should be able to complete it before late afternoon. I’ll go to his place after that.”

“But it’s going to be dark by the time you get there.” Jade frowned. It will take about two and a half hours to drive from Green Sand to Seven.

“We will be having our training at the open field near Mount Beruang, which is close to Seven. I’ll be able to get there in less than thirty minutes,” Gerome explained.

“Oh, okay I get it. That’s good,” Jade said. Her green eyes looked very pretty tonight under the twinkling stars, gleaming just like the stars above them. Gerome would love to stare longer at her eyes, her nose, her hair and every part of her. But all he managed to do was stealing some glances at her each time she turned to speak to him.

“Oh yeah. By the way, do you remember I had two summer jobs two years ago?” Jade asked.

“Uh-huh. For your StarGaze.”

Gerome listened to Jade attentively as she was telling him about Job, whom she met at the party just now. He hadn’t a clue why she was sharing about the incident out of sudden. After all, it happened two years ago. He let himself enjoyed anyway, listening to her lulling voice as she spoke with full concentration.

Gerome looked at her after she stopped talking. “You sound a little disappointed. Sorry.”

Jade shook her head lightly. “It’s okay. It’s just… keeps me wondering who that person is, and why tipping me without letting me know.”

“What will you do if you find out who he was?” Gerome asked.

“How are you so sure it was a he?”

Gerome was stumped for words for a moment. “Just a guess. I am a bit light-headed after a long day.”

“What a day for you guys.”

“You are right. I should get some sleep. See you.”

“See you…”

Gerome left with a simple good night, leaving Jade desolated in the tree house. Jade watched soulfully as Gerome disappeared from her sight. The two siblings eventually found time for a short conversation. It was conspicuously stilted, slightly unnatural. Both of them seemed to be hiding something that they were afraid to be discovered.

She wished he could stay a little longer, talk a little bit more, and smile a little bit more. Facing the winning stars melancholy, she couldn’t even remember how many times she had let out those downhearted sighs.

How hard it is to retain a secret from somebody?

Very.

It was certitude of love towards her brother, and yet afraid of letting him know. She wanted him to know her feelings for him, in a way that someone would snitch it to Gerome instead of telling him herself. But what happens if he knows about it?

Probability one: Ignore it. Pretend nothing happened.

Probability two: Avoid her. Have breakfast, lunch and dinner outside.

Probability three: Respond to her. “I like you too. Be mine”.

Probability four: Move out of the house, which is mostly likely to happen.

Okay, probability number four freaked her out. She seriously believed that Gerome would do that for the sake of Rhu and Marteena. Gerome respects them a lot, with a hundred and one percent of selfless acquiescence. It was patent he wouldn’t do anything that crosses their cordon, anything that puts them in uncomfortable position. If Rhu and Marteena do not favour the idea of them dating each other, then the foreboding probability number four would become a dreadful reality.

No,no,no. Jade shook her head. The thought of not being able to see Gerome summoned a tidal wave of unnerving fear into her whole body. It made her muscles slightly quivered. She couldn’t bear the idea of losing Gerome. Once Gerome told Rhu and Marteena it is time for him to move out, since he has a steady career and is financially solvent. What happened was, Marteena implored him not to leave, almost with tears. Rhu pulled out his man-of-the-house and commander clout from the closet, refusing to accept Gerome’s request for leaving the house. At the end Gerome was left speechless, and choiceless. He stayed of course, to make his two surrogate parents happy.

Well then, I guess I’ll just have to wait for my fate.