Food tasted like ashes. Drink tasted like blood. I still can't have the full enjoyment of life.

I was twelve when I first met Caine. That was her last name. We always went by last name. She was thirteen at the time and we hated each other.

We were gifted. I was five grades ahead of my time and she was four years ahead of the curve. Anything the other did, one would try to top. It was this kind of competitiveness that made us even better. Academically we could do no wrong. In extra-curricular activities, we'd end up in the same program. She even studied martial arts to be the exact opposite type I had studied which was all defensive. Who knew she'd be the death of me?

In Canada there is the Cadet Program. Caine and I enrolled in this. We were Air Cadets. I think I was there first and she naturally followed me. We fought a lot there as well. Outside the confines of the school she's get pissed at one of our arguments or how pig headed I was being and she's let loose with a combo of hits.

At the time I was a male chivalrous pig. I refused to hit a girl. So she would punch and kick me and the best I could do was push her to the ground and run away as fast as I could. It was because we were always dealing with each other that we learned to be leaders. We knew how to deal with the stubborn, the irrational and space cases. Again we brought out the best in each other.

Summer time came and we were shipped off to a military camp. We represented the best Ontario had to offer. I learned quickly how different I was from the other camp cadets.
I wasn't athletic enough and I was too overbearing for my team mates to deal with. When lights out was in effect, they'd throw combat boots at me because I snored too loud. I didn't sleep anymore those nights. I simply stayed awake and found other options during the day.

Caine didn't have the same problems I did. She was athletic, well liked and pretty. Everyone wanted to be her friend or date her. There was a day we got in one of our arguments and I set her off to the point she was taking swings at me again. To the average person, it looked like she was a whirlwind. By this time I had learned all the defensive postures to take and blocked her blow for blow. No one even thought about it and they ganged up on me thinking I was attacking her. Lucky for me she explained it and said I was her sparring partner. I think she took great pleasure in saving my hide and rubbed the salt into

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