Pride, Mates, and Past Mistakes

I Change My Mind. Goodbyes over Hellos Anyday.

*Sierra*

I officially decided that I hate suitcases.

When I first arrived here at the IPKA, I had exactly one small suitcase and one carry-on. Now after a year, it was finally time to pack everything up, but nothing would fit. As if I didn't have enough problems to worry about.

Both Doreen and James watched me from their positions on top of the suitcase with amused expressions as I waddled around the side, trying to zip it up completely.

"Come on, Sierra, just one really hard tug!" Doreen encouraged as I tugged with all my strength on the zipper, trying to get it around.

James was trying not to laugh. "You could just let me—"

"No," I grunted, continuing to heave with the zipper. "I can do this. I can."

"Of course you can."

"Don't mock me."

"I wasn't mocking you, I was expressing my profound incredulity at your—"

I shot a glare at him and he shut up. I took one last deep breath, and then gathered all my strength before exerting all my strength into one gigantic tug.

The stupid zipper didn't budge.

I gave up and collapsed on my back on the ground. "A year's worth of training and bodybuilding," I mumbled, "to be defeated by a zipper."

James burst out laughing. "Can I try now?" 

I got up and shoved James off the suitcase and took his place. "Fine. You won't be able to do it."

James gave one good yank on the zipper, and it zipped closed.

I threw my arms up in the air, done. "Oh, sure, fine, okay." I scoffed defensively, shoving Doreen off the suitcase as she burst out laughing as well. I stood up and brushed off my pants. 

James snorted. "Sure, you did," he chuckled." Now come on," he yanked up my suitcase. "We have to be down in five."

He glanced around the room, and Doreen and I imitated, observing the room affectionately.

My room, where so much had happened.

Where we first bonded, watching a chick-flick on our first Saturday night here; Where we held movie night every Saturday afterwards; Where we hung out every day after training; Where we played truth or dare for the fun of it. It had been where we celebrated each of our sixteenth birthdays; Where Rowena had given us our first solo mission. It was here where Doreen first tasted mango pie, and where James realized he was actually 6'2 and not 5'9.

Where I had my first shift - an experience that had brought us closer together than we had ever imagined.

And now, we were finally saying goodbye.

It was weird, but I almost felt like I'd known Doreen and James for so much longer than a year. Of course, they'd never be someone like Casey, but I still considered them really, really close friends - which was weird for me to say.

Friends.

Not just one friend. But friends.

Because of them, I belonged, for once.

The day we had all really connected was the day after my first shift. For some reason, being together when I shifted had brought us closer together in a way I couldn't explain. The day after, one thing led to another, and the next thing we knew, we were confessing our life stories. Of course, I never told them about Cody, but I'd told them about Casey and I, and how we didn't fit in with the others, and why I was so eager to leave.