25

FALLON

Gray’s words hit me like a ton of bricks, knocking all of the air out of me.

He kicked me out?!

My eyes swim with tears as I turn tail and run from the dining hall back to the barracks, overwhelmed by the enormous sense of loss I feel. The loss of my dream to make the squad, the loss of Gray. It’s too much. As soon as I reach the barracks, I can’t hold it back anymore and I burst into tears. I’m half blinded by them as I make my way to my bunk, stooping down to pull my suitcase out from underneath.

My whole body hurts- it’s like the gut-wrenching pain of Gray’s words is manifesting physically. It feels like there’s an empty hole in my chest where my hope used to reside. My body is wracked with sobs as I unzip my suitcase, flinging it open. I stomp around to the little open closet at the end of the bunk, pull on a t-shirt and shorts, and start yanking my clothes off of the hangers and throwing th