Nightingale 》Jake Seresin

Chapter 8

Nova could use a day of rest. Actually, everyone could use that. The stress of the mission was beginning to get to all of them.

Not to mention, after yesterday's issues, Maverick needed this group to become a team. A team that would look after one another, have each other's backs, and do everything in their power to bring each other home.

So he did the only thing he could think of.

He sent a text to the entire group telling them to meet him at the beach behind the Hard Deck at 10. Nothing else.

So it was safe to say everyone was confused. But they all showed up on time, some in swimwear, others simply taking off shirts.

Nova arrived just before her father, swim gear on, and surf board under her arm. She hadn't had a chance to go surfing in a long time, and that was a good way for her to clear her head.

And after catching Jake taking his shirt off, she desperately needed to clear her head of any and all thoughts.

Soon enough, Maverick came down from the bar, a bag in his hands so no one could see what he was planning. (Although it was really just to keep Nova and Bradley from yelling.)

"What are we doing here, Mav?" Hangman asks what is on everyone's mind.

Coyote adds in his two cents. "Yea, shouldn't we be training? You know, in our jets?"

Mav shook his head. "What happened yesterday opened my eyes to one thing that is severely lacking with this detachment." Both Bradley and Jake looked down at that. While they hadn't said anything to each other, they had nodded at each other when they got to the beach. (You know, that weird guy nod that says they are actually cool, but don't say anything because it somehow makes it 'unmanly'.)

"Teamwork. This detachment needs to form a team for this mission to work. And that can't happen until you all get your heads out of your asses. So I figured, if anything could bring us together as a team, it would be this."

He looked directly at Nova and Bradley as he said this, causing them to look at each other confused. But it didn't last long.

Because Mav pulled out two footballs. And then the yelling began.

"I call green! "

"You always get green!"

"No I don't!"

Nova and Bradley were yelling at the top of their lungs at the same time. And matching the others' energy with ease that only comes from familiarity of years.

Everyone else looks at them like they are crazy. Again, no one really knew their relationship with one another, so this was just strange.

Mav cleared his throat, bringing the two to look at him. And for a moment, he was transported back in time. All he saw was a ten year old Nova arguing with a fourteen year old Bradley, who stood a full head taller than her, with a glare that could scare a grown man.

"And because this argument happens every time we play this game, I made an executive decision." He shows them the footballs, which they had completely neglected in favor of their arguing.

The two balls used for the game were blue and red. There wasn't any green in sight.

Nova gasped. "You can't change the colors! That just jinxed the entire game!"

Bradley nodded his head. "You know damn well it's taboo to change the balls."

Now, the aviators were doing everything they could to not burst out laughing. Suddenly, the two adults turned into children, complaining to a parent.