"Please don't hate me, Cadet Avery!" Van said as Avery walked into his bunk room. Avery was shocked by this statement and how beautiful Van's bunk-room was! He felt a bit overwhelmed by the rich wooden carved walls and nice surroundings, but Van's statement really floored him! "Hate you?" Avery said as he carefully approached Van. "Come on! Why would I hate you?" Avery noticed Van looked a bit disheveled and like he had been crying for awhile. "I was so rude to you!" Van answered. "So arrogant! Please come in and sit down! I want to talk to you!" Avery walked over to where Van was sitting and found himself feeling even more nervous as Van looked up at him with pleading, puppy dog eyes. Van reached out and tenderly touched Avery on his shoulder. "Please sit. Make yourself at home!" Van said. "Can I get you something to drink?" "No...No , that's OK!" Avery waveringly answered. "I know now that I have behaved very badly!" Van said as he stared into Avery's eyes. "I am so sorry for the way I treated you, Cadet Avery! You never did anything unkind to me, yet I treated you like garbage! I will make it up to you! I will be the best servant to you, on my honor as a Cadet!" "Whoa! First of all, you can call me Avery! I am not a higher rank than you and I don't think I am better that you just because I won a practice match!" Avery answered. "Second of all, that servant business was your idea, so you can get just forget about it! I don't need a servant! I am NOT Cadet Bay Tellis!" Van frowned and shook his head. "On my honor I will fulfill my vow!" Van Answered. "I made a deal and I am going to keep it! Avery rolled his eyes. "Why is this guy so strange?" Avery thought. "What is his deal? I just want to get away from him!" Van reached out and touched Avery's shoulder and looked him at him with a desperate look. "I know I failed! I failed! My Dad saw the video of the match and he is furious! I don't know if he is going to take me away from here or what he might do!" Van said. "He reminded me that you are a far better Cadet than I. You are better looking, more talented and more honorable than a total failure like me! So, please let me be your servant until he gets here in a week! I can say I did something right before the end!" Avery froze. He didn't know what to say. Van was shaking slightly and seemed to grow more desperate every second. "Please, Avery! Let me make things right!" Van pleaded. "You are so handsome, so well liked and stalwart! Just the way you hold yourself is better than most! I know now I can NEVER measure up to you or Cadet Mab! I deserve whatever fate is coming to me!" Avery stared intently at Van, struggling to respond to Van's bizarre personality change. "What sort of a monster is Van's Dad to break him down to this?" Avery thought. "This guy is completely broken inside! How bad was it for him growing up? Why is he so scared!?" "That's OK!" Van said. "I am sorry to be so pushy, I know I am not worthy of being around you or Mab! I know that now. I was hoping to redeem myself in some small way before my Dad makes his visit." Avery thought carefully about how to handle the situation. Was it possible Van was telling the truth? "No no, if it's so important to you, you can be my servant!" Avery answered. "But understand It will be more like an assistant job, like helping me study or just keeping me company! Nothing weird!" "Really?" Van said with a smile. "Yes! But I want you to know I don't see myself the way you describe me!" Avery answered. "I don't think I am better than you and I am sure Mab doesn't think that either! I don't know whats going with your Dad, but I think you need a few buddies of your own around here to remind you that who you are isn't decided by what your Dad thinks! That is ultimately up to you!" Van wasn't sure how to process Avery's kindness. His face went blank. His Dad's opinions meant life or death for him, but Avery wouldn't understand or know about that! "Now, do you want to go down to the commissary and get a cup of coffee with me?" Avery asked. "Yes, Sir!" Van answered. "Not Sir, just Avery!" Avery said with a smile. "Okay,,Avery!" Van replied. "What have I gotten myself in for?" Avery thought as he stood up. "Maybe having this guy close by will let me keep in eye on him and find out what this danger from his dad is all about!" To Be Continued! Backgrounds created in Wombo Dream app