NOVEL FROG Chapter 58: Graduation Day
The morning came with a surprise for Scott, as he woke up with Zoey completely nude in his arms. They covered themselves with the sheets at night, but as the tiny room had very little ventilation, she uncovered her back to cool herself, lying on her stomach to hug Scott and resting her head on his chest. As soon as he opened his eyes, he noticed she was in a deep sleep, and while it was awkward having her face right in front of him, a smug smile formed on his face once he saw the rest of her body under the sheets.
But as he started to relish his accomplishment and try to remember what happened last night, a noise started bothering his ears, drawing his attention to the door as it grew louder. It was the constant beep of a megaphone nearby, seemingly coming from the courtyard behind the barracks as they were closer to it. He gently moved Zoey off him to stand up and listen closely, but as he heard footsteps right outside, he began undressing in a frenzy. At that point, she had woken up as well, but since she was too tired to get up, Scott had to drag her out of bed. With a bit of resistance, Zoey eventually complied and started to put her clothes back on, but not without exchanging a couple of mocking stares with Scott.
The strong emotions from last night lingered as they smiled at each other, but without a word needed, they both shared a laugh and left the room. Scott first had to peek outside to check if the hallway was clear, and while they were able to leave without being noticed, they had to blend in with the crowd downstairs as everyone was leaving the barracks. They sneaked into the group, where they looked for their friends, but as they were more intrigued by whatever was going on, they headed in the direction everyone was going, which was indeed the back courtyard.
Joining a long line as they passed by the lunchroom, Scott and Zoey stepped into the courtyard and were met with a different sight from what they were used to seeing. Instead of everyone having breakfast, the tables had been arranged in two lines, leaving a decorated path that led to a stage at the front, right below the second floor’s balcony outside the main building. Most of the soldiers had positioned themselves at the back of the courtyard, right next to the gate to the training grounds, surrounding all the empty tables, though the higher ranks were found somewhere else.
Scott looked up at the balcony to see Cookie’s group and more soldiers watching over, as well as Viper and Snake, who were just leaving the office to step onto the balcony. Crisis was present too, with Frost and Indie already on the stage, discussing with the soldiers who were in charge of the megaphone and speakers. But as the rest of the team was standing on the side of the stage, they were obscured by the repurposed decoration from yesterday’s party, and all the students that were arriving in the courtyard focused only on the people on the stage.
While waiting for everyone to come, Scott and Zoey became anxious as they looked around the courtyard and only kept questioning their current situation. The event looked important as everyone was present, but at the same time, the recruits were the center of attention since the soldiers were guiding the first students at the front of the line to the tables. Scott and Zoey had to wait for their turn to sit down, but once they were brought to a table, they found their friends waiting for them while they chatted in anticipation.
–What is going on? Are they finally going to execute us?– Ace asked nervously as Chappy, Jumbo, Turtle, and a couple of other friends next to him began sharing their predictions and concerns about the event. He looked exhausted and still dazed from last night, but as they all shrugged at his question, he turned to Zoey and Scott with relief.
–Hey, there they are! You disappeared last night, we thought you were sent on another mission…– Chappy exclaimed playfully once he saw Scott, to which he laughed and distanced himself from Zoey in order not to arouse much suspicion. However, his friends weren’t really interested in whatever happened to them last night, as the beeping from the megaphone had been silenced now that everyone was found in the courtyard.
–It’s probably an important announcement, there’s no need to worry…– Zoey replied calmly and optimistically as she sat down next to Scott, wearing the same cheerful, lively smile from yesterday, though turning overly friendly and receiving strange looks in the process. Scott tried his best not to look at her, but even when he focused more on his friends than her, she brought too much attention to both of them as she kept glancing flirtatiously at him.
–Why are you so chirpy today? You still a little tipsy? Because I sure am…– Ace asked skeptically but turned comical as he couldn’t put much thought into his words. The table laughed for a moment and immediately forgot about the topic, although Scott made the mistake of looking at Zoey once again right when she was staring at him provocatively like yesterday.
–You could say that…– Zoey replied with a soft, kittenish tone that made Scott a little nervous. Luckily, no one really paid much attention to her response, but even when Scott instantly looked away, she kept giving him flirty eyes that distracted him. He gestured at her to stop, but as she kept teasing him, they garnered more attention until everyone turned to the stage. With everyone present, the stage was cleared to let Indie address the public, assuming authority effortlessly like she always did with her speeches.
–Good morning, everyone. I’m sure most of you are confused as to why we are gathered here, so let me explain briefly before we start this event…– Indie began speaking graciously, being loud enough for everyone to hear but also giving the audience some ideas that sparked some doubt and discussion. Even the soldiers seemed surprised to see the event, at least the ones on the balcony above, as they watched curiously over the stage. But since the trainees appeared to be the main focus of the occasion, they were the ones to speculate more, though they had a brief moment to do so since Indie kept speaking.
–We are going to celebrate our new recruits for passing their training program, commend their valor, determination, and improved skill, and accept them into our base as official New Saviors’ soldiers– Indie announced in a captivating manner, drawing everyone’s attention to the students, who were too intrigued to notice everyone staring at them. They still got anxious as they were heavily mentioned, but after a moment of excitement and slight confusion, Indie pulled out a long piece of paper, which she proceeded to read out loud after clearing her throat.
–But first, some words… Dear students, today you will begin a new phase of your life. I’m sure most of you aren’t ready to embrace a role as important as this, maybe you think you need more training, or you might not completely align yourself with our ideals. All of those reasons are completely acceptable. We respect you as individuals, and we will always keep your safety and well-being as the top priority. But also, we have seen your potential and the value you could bring to our state, which is why it would be a waste to not make the most of your newfound skills and knowledge…– Indie proclaimed wholeheartedly, inspiring everyone with her promising but sympathetic words, although most of the students were on edge as they were getting more of a warning instead of some actual information regarding their new roles as soldiers.
–You must not fret, as we, the New Saviors, will bear the responsibility of guiding each one of you towards a brighter future, no matter how difficult it may be for some of you. To those insecurities, I can assure you, no one is truly ready to play this part in a world like ours, regardless of how much you train or study. I believe each one of you has shown the smarts, courage, and specific strengths to prove your worth, with some more than others…– Indie added, now turning her attention to the tables with all of the students, giving a good look at each and every one of them. And while he did linger a little on the most well-known and highly skilled trainees, she showed the same level of respect and recognition to everyone, which certainly helped ease their worries as she focused too much on the negative.
–But to those who haven’t performed as well as they could have, you are still appreciated for being part of this collective journey, inspiring and helping others in their learning process, as well as staying committed despite needing more practice. We will continue teaching you the discipline you lacked, give you the experience you need to complete your learning, and cultivate your potential for you to achieve the same as your peers. Trust me…– Indie elaborated, reinforcing her ideas with her usual firm demeanor. But while she was trustworthy, the more she talked about the students’ flaws or shortcomings, the less they seemed interested in her speech, at least the ones that seemed to identify with her words. They were still grateful and proud for being commended, but even the ones who got some extra approval from her became bored as she just continued talking.
–I remember when our previous generations first started their training… It was tough, that’s for sure, but they were able to prove themselves just like you…– Indie commented, maintaining the same attitude despite the students getting distracted with each other. She did notice a lack of engagement from the audience, but as she seemingly began reminiscing out loud, she lost herself in her own words and began rambling to the point where her own teammates took advantage of the moment to chat a bit.
–These ceremonies are the worst, seriously…– Nitro sighed in exasperation as he sat down next to the stage and began fiddling with a screw sticking out of the stage’s platform to keep himself entertained. The rest of the squad seemed to agree, but they pretended to pay attention to Indie as they were standing close to her. And while she didn’t see them, their superiors were right above them, so to be able to talk, they had to remain quiet.
–Yea, but at least they put effort into them…– Panda replied in a considerate manner, trying to look on the bright side despite his teammates showing very little interest. Out of all of them, Frost appeared to be the most attentive, as he only stared at Indie from the side of the stage, turning his back on the rest of the squad, who found it easier to joke around while neither he nor Indie were looking.
–Well, I don’t think they deserve it. I mean, they only trained a little bit with some toy swords... I want to see them celebrating us every time we complete a mission…– Nitro followed up in a more annoyed but derisive tone. Panda and Candy scoffed at him, but as he was about to take out the loose screw, Tricky lightly kicked his hand away and proceeded to dispute him.
–We literally did, like last night…– Tricky replied in a slightly confused but lighthearted manner, prompting Nitro to take a moment to remember and have an audible moment of realization that was almost heard by Frost.
–I must have drank too much then…– Nitro quipped with an impish grin, almost letting out a chortle that was stopped by Panda as he lightly punched his arm. However, he couldn’t keep himself quiet as he and the rest of the squad cracked up, now being heard by Frost, though he remained focused on Indie’s speech.
–I personally think the trainees did a good job. I mean, you watched the flag game, it was great. Besides, it’s just a formality– Candy commented calmly and politely, getting Panda, Kiwy, and Tricky to reconsider their opinions. But in response, Nitro turned to her with a mischievous smile, and in anticipation of what he would say, he stood up to distance himself from Frost.
–You only say that because you never got any official training…– Nitro replied teasingly, genuinely offending Candy, despite her taking it lightly. She was still mad enough to change her attitude, but as Frost and Indie were around, she glanced back at them to compose herself before responding.
–For your information, Frost taught me everything I needed to know to fight. You are the one who clearly didn’t learn anything. You can’t even aim, so you chose to use a grenade launcher that doesn’t require any skill…– Candy replied in a snide and sarcastic manner, mocking Nitro by sticking her tongue out and impressing her teammates with her passive-aggressive response. If they could, they would have cheered for her, but instead, they only helped make fun of Nitro by staring intently at him, making him embarrassed for a moment, but also pressuring him into thinking of a comeback right away.
–I apologize, you do have some experience. I have to admit that you are very skilled with your hands… I bet Frost taught you that…– Nitro responded with a snarky grin, turning up the sarcasm and mockery as he mimicked her voice and played with her compassion. She gasped in pure shock and indignation, but as she didn’t know how to respond to the insult, the rest of the squad couldn’t hold their laughs and became loud enough to alert Frost, who aggressively turned to them with a stern look.
–All of you shut up for once, this is important…– Frost whispered threateningly at his team before turning back around right away. Even though he ignored Candy, she also froze in terror alongside her teammates, who instantly followed his order and kept quiet. But with his warning, they also noticed that he was oddly attentive to the ceremony, and since he kept watching Indie speak to an unresponsive public, they grew curious as to why he was so focused and started paying attention too.