Page 15 of Nova Academy

Instead of speaking, he rifled through one of the small cubbies attached to the foot of each bed and produced a pair of casual pants, extending them in my direction.

It did not compute.

‘Sir, you should take these,’ he offered, shaking the item at me as if that would make it make sense, and my bewilderment grew right alongside the room’s bewildering mirth.

‘Captain, you should put them on,’ he tried again.

‘Why?’ I asked, when I released my facial muscle’s grip on jaw and found my voice.

‘Uh, because you’re not wearing any pants, sir.’

My mind blanked and then kickstarted as if it had undergone a reboot. Glancing down my body, I noticed that I was, in fact, wondering around my ship and barging into unsuspecting cadet’s quarters, bare legs and chest on full display. Now, I wasn’t ashamed of my body, but I didn’t make it a habit to parade around in my underwear around my subordinates.

My eyes closed as I breathed deep, letting the mortification rush over and off of me before grabbing the pants and sliding them on.

‘Thank you,’ I mumbled, and I was fully aware I sounded like a grumbling child.

He faced Addy, then, looking more stern that I think even I could manage. ‘And I think you should go somewhere else to resolve your dispute.’

Though Addy’s bottom lip jutted out, I knew she wasn’t actually feeling as dejected as she wanted us to believe. She waved goodbye to the cadets, bidding them a good night and informing them that she would see them bright and early in the morning, and then she was gone.

Once again, she had left me gawping at a closed door like a dolt, and I questioned why I even loved the crazy woman. Best friend or not, she was pushing things way too far.

‘Please accept my sincerest apologies for my… less than professional behaviour this evening,’ I said, too afraid to look back at the group of young men that had just witnessed my moment of mortification. I spoke to the door instead. ‘It won’t happen again.’

I did turn to face Mercer, though, when I realised I had one more thing to address. ‘I shall return your pants folded and laundered sometime tomorrow.’

And then I was out the door.

Was I fleeing? Yes.

Did I care?

Also yes.

CHAPTER 8

Artemis

‘Ithink I want to try it,’ Libby said, the images of our research still displayed in a halo of blue light that hovered in the air.

‘There aren’t any here to try it with,’ I reminded her.

‘No, not that. I mean, sure, if I ever met a Griknot I’d totally see what the fuss is about, but I meant I want to see what it feels like for someone else to touch me.’

I didn’t know how to respond. We were secretly watching videos of Griknot males pleasuring women of a variety of races, our curiosity burning with the need of young ladies just on the cusp of womanhood. Except, we had been denied anything of the sort for so long that the idea was almost ludicrous. At sixteen solars, we had never even met a boy our age. Just the older white coats that meant pain, not pleasure. It didn’t exactly allow for other, better feelings for us to explore.

But I didn’t understand what Libby was saying. How could she experience what those women were feeling in the holograms without a male to assist? When I asked as such, she merely giggled and shook her head at me as if I should have known better.

‘No, silly. Not with a boy. It would have to be you and me.’

…

Huh?

‘I know what it feels like when I do it to myself, but I heard from one of the other girls that it feels better when someone else touches you. I want you to touch me, A. I want you to make me feel good, and then I want to do the same for you.’ When she saw my hesitation and doubt, she pushed some more.

‘Please, A. I don’t want to go my whole life without knowing what it feels like to be touched by another, and you’re the only one I trust. I don’t want them to destroy me before I know what it feels like. Please.’

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