“Back off, Habib. He’s not going anywhere. Although I wouldn’t blame him, if that’s the way you’ve been talking to him behind our backs.”
Habib shrugged. “He can be your charge tonight, then.”
“He doesn’t need a babysitter,” she hissed, grabbing Zeke’s arm. “Come on, Zeke.”
He shook free of her grasp, but followed her down the corridor.
“I didn’t know they were treating you like that,” she said.
“Not all of them. Only Habib really, but it was just a few comments until just then.”
“I’m going to tell Noah he was being super aggressive.”
“What’s the point? Noah probably put him up to it,” he said, although he didn’t believe it.
Frankie narrowed her eyes to give Zeke an incredulous look. “I doubt that. You may not have noticed this, but Noah’s a bit of a softie at heart. We definitely got lucky to be assigned to him.”
Frankie delivered him to his room, making him promise to tell her if Habib was rude to him again. Sighing, he lay on his bottom bunk, fingering the knots in the wood above. Habib’s sudden aggression had shaken him. Where had it come from? But what he’d said to Zaya earlier was true—despite Squad E’s best efforts, hewasa liability—a liability who’d made it clear that if he could leave, he would in a heartbeat.
The entrance of the others into their room interrupted his self-pity parade. Splat pushed Noah through the door, with the others following close behind.
“We’ve dragged Noah to our room in case he got lost on the way to the gate,” Splat explained, with a wink. “Luo and I spent the last thirty minutes trying to find him. He was hiding out with Alice and the dogs.”
“I was returning Wolf for the evening.” Noah shrugged Splat off him.
“So, boys, are we suiting up or what?” Luo sprawled on the floor half-naked, organising numerous huge piles of clothes. Zeke finally understood why he needed two drawers.
“What do you mean?” asked Zeke.
“Ignore him,” said Noah. “He likes to wear his military uniform into the city to attract more attention, but the rest of us don’t stoop to his level.” Noah threw Luo’s shoe at his head.
“Aww, come on. You know it works best when we do it together.”
“To be fair, Noah, you did promise me you wouldn’t brood in the corner for the entire night this time, and at least scope out the scene,” said Habib.
Noah’s eyes widened. “I did not!”
“We’ll see.”
Zeke shuffled through his drawer. As his brain had been scrambled the night of his enforced conscription, he’d only brought the clothes he arrived in. He wore them every evening after he showered, often washing and drying them overnight. As he reached for them, Splat interrupted him.
“Nope,” he said, slamming Zeke’s drawer back under the bed. “No way in hell. You may be content to wear your one outfit until you die, but the rest of us are sick of it. You’re borrowing something of mine. We’re about the same size.”
Zeke raised his eyebrows. Splat was by far the shortest of the group, close to Zeke. But although he’d definitely gained some muscle definition in the last few weeks, the comparison was still laughable.
“It’ll be fine,” said Splat, throwing various clothes at Zeke’s face. “Do you have any other shoes?”
His well-loved black trainers sat waiting for him next to his drawer, their laces fraying. “I’m wearing these,” he said. Splat grimaced but said nothing. Zeke selected a periwinkle-blue linen button-down shirt and a pair of dark jeans, throwing the rest back over to Splat.
“You look great!” said Luo, after he dressed. “You can totally wingman me tonight… unless we’re flying in opposite directions?”
He sensed all ears in the room turn to him and cringed. It didn’t take a genius to work out that his sexuality was obviously under speculation. Over the last few weeks, several of Squad E questioned him on his dating life back in the city, receiving limited information back. “I’m notflyingin any direction tonight,” he replied.
“Okay, but if youwereto be flying—”
“Enough Luo.”
Although delivered quietly, Noah’s tone brought Luo to a halt. Zeke was glad to be spared answering him. He didn’t actually know which way he was flying anymore. Definitely not in astraightline, anyway.
