SG Vol. 1 pt. 33

With Kate gone, it’s not just me and the cadets who relax, but this entire damn side of the room.

Even the people who don’t have to directly deal with her don’t like her. Her presence alone is enough to stress out anybody with a wallet or mental sanity.

“I wanna hear more about what papa is like!” Naomi says.

I want to tell her to close her mouth, but this is Naomi.

“I could tell you all sorts of things!” Shitger says.

Damn it, Shitger, shut your fucking mouth.

“We haven’t been with him for that long,” Muscles says.

“Yeah, what the big guy said,” Shitger says. “How about you tell us what he’s like?”

My glare causes all of them to back off. Even Shitger, on his bed, scoots over to put more space between us.

“Papa is the best! He’s super funny, and nice, and does whatever I want, and takes me for rides on his motorbikey, and we do all sorts of fun stuff! Like, like he throws me up in the air and catches me, or blows on my belly, and cooks me food, and yeah!” Naomi explains, her wonderful, adorable little voice telling these brats way too much information.

I’m hoping that the glare of death I’m directing at them is enough to override everything that they just heard.

I think it might be working.

But…

“Your papa sounds like a wonderful father,” Clover says, still standing in front of the bed.

Shit. I forgot she was here.

“Of course he is!” Naomi says, looking in Clover’s direction now with a huge smile on her face.

“And he raised such a cute daughter, too!” Clover says.

“Ehehe. That’s because me and papa are the best! Isn’t that right, papa?”

“Yeah, you’re the best,” I answer.

“No! I said we are the best! Both of us! Say it!” Naomi demands with a pout.

“Alright. We are the best, but you’re the best of the best.”

“Hmm. Okay, deal!”

I swear if even a single one of these smiles around me is directed at me instead of Naomi.

Clover’s smiling the most – well, she was until now. Now, she’s looking down at Naomi’s arm with concerned eyes.

I look at where she’s looking and now I understand her concern.

Only, I just get pissed the fuck off.

One of Naomi’s sleeves is bunched up, showing a bruise on her upper arm.

That wasn’t there a few days ago.

“Naomi, what happened to your arm?” I ask. I’m not going to beat around the bush.

“Oh! Um… here?” Naomi asks, pointing up at the bruise.

“Yeah.”

“It’s hurt for a couple of days, but umm, I tried walking around in the underground place and Grandma grabbed my arm really hard and said I wasn’t allowed to walk away.”

So, it wasn’t Kate. Mom did it.

Clover’s looking at me with eyes expecting an explanation.

At least the cadets aren’t paying attention anymore. They’re finally talking to Shitger and giving him attention.

“My mom is… not that well. She’s got meds, but there are more triggers than meds and therapy can help her with. She was probably having a panic attack the entire time during what happened. When that happens, she gets extremely protective and doesn’t realize how rough she might get,” I explain for Clover. I know that Kate would never hurt Naomi since she knows I would send her to the hospital if she did, but I can’t think of a Naomi-friendly way to say that. “She’s fine most of the time, so don’t worry.”

“I would still like to check her arm if that is alright,” Clover says.

“Yeah, go for it.’

Naomi winces when Clover comes over to get a closer look at the bruise, feeling it and examining it, but she backs away and says, “It should be fine in a couple of days.”

“You’re nice! I like your voice,” Naomi says, changing the subject.

“Do you think so? I’m flattered! Your voice is much nicer than mine, though,” Clover says, leaning over just enough that I’m able to get a view down into her shirt.

Damn. She does have a nice—

Clover looks at me.

“Ginger, you’re running one hundred laps later,” I look away and tell him.

“Papa, be nice. Oh! What’s your name?” Naomi asks.

“My name is Clover Clark, but you can just call me Clover!” Clover answers.

“Can I call you Clove?”

“I don’t see why not!”

I look back at Clover now and see her with slightly reddened cheeks.

Did she notice before?

She’s not leaning over as much anymore, so she probably did.

Damn. Now she’s going to think I’m some sort of unfaithful pervert.

Wait, why do I care what she thinks about me anyways? She’s just some medic girl.

“I wanna be friends, Clove!” Naomi announces.

“That sounds like it would be wonderful! Are you sure that you want to be friends with me, though? I am sure that such a delightful girl could be friends with anybody who she wants to be friends with!” Clover says.

“Yeah! I choose you!”

Clover brings her hands up over her heart and visibly holds back an “aww.” “You are absolutely precious,” Clover says. That’s the most I’ve ever agreed with her on something.

“You should be friends with papa, too!” Naomi says.

And now I know what Naomi is doing.

If her words weren’t making it obvious enough, the fact that she tries to subtly elbow me in the side is telling on its own.

“I would love to be friends with the both of you!” Clover says.

Ugh.

I mean… I guess me and Clover are already kind of friends anyways, so it’s not like officially calling it that is going to mean anything.

“Papa, will you be friends with Clove?” Naomi asks.

Clover looks at me.

Dang it, Naomi.

“Yeah,” I answer.

“Good! From now on, you two are best friends!” Naomi declares.

Clover blushes and giggles, and she’s not the only one.

When I look to my right, those brats are all watching again and trying not to laugh.

They are so fucked when we get out of here.