Page 30 of My All American Girl

The feeling of plummeting through the air with no control nearly made me sick. If I was in the pilot’s seat, I could have handled it better. I didn’t like not being in control.

And he did it all on purpose.

Ryker didn’t even spare me a glance as he exited the plane, leaving me to struggle with my shaky knees and queasy stomach. I fumbled with my seatbelt, feeling weak and drained as I finally manage to stand. With unsteady steps, I made my way toward the rest of the class. They were watching me with wide eyes, obviously aware of what just happened up there.

“Who’s next?” Dean’s voice cut through the tense silence as he looked down the line of pilots.

Nobody volunteered.

Dean’s chuckle sent a shiver down my spine. He was getting a kick out of this. He knew I was the best pilot in the class, and he figured if he could scare me, that would teach the others a lesson.

“If nobody volunteers, I’ll have to pick someone, and I’d much prefer someone with guts,” Dean said, taunting me and the others. “Don’t make me draw straws.” His eyes scanned the line of pilots, one by one, each of them attempting to hold his gaze and failing miserably. I knew what he was trying to achieve, it was a test of nerve, a show of force designed to weed out the weak and uncommitted.

I watched Ryker, arms crossed over his chest as he regarded us with an unreadable expression. For a fleeting moment, I saw something close to respect in his eyes before it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

I watched as a young man stepped out of line.

Dean looked him up and down. “Let’s go,” he said.

Dean got behind the male pilot and let him take control of the plane. Anger boiled up inside me. What a jerk! I couldn’t believe he’d put me through something like that, just to see how I would react. It was reckless and irresponsible, and it was downright cruel.

I clung to my stomach, trying desperately not to vomit. They taxied back out to the runway. Once I was confident Dean couldn’t see me, I let out the breath I had been holding in because I was afraid to show Dean any emotion. I wasn’t going to let him see what he had done to me.

Kylee walked over with a look of concern. “Are you okay?” she asked. “You’re white as a ghost.”

“I’m fine,” I said.

“What happened up there?” she asked.

“I confronted a nightmare,” I admitted, forcing a laugh that sounded more like a croak. “I thought I could handle it but it was like being on the edge of a cliff with nothing to hold on to.”

Kylee gave me an understanding nod, her face softened with empathy. “I can’t imagine. What did he do?”

“He cut the engine,” I said. “He turned it off and asked me what he should do. I wasn’t the one flying. He wanted me to tell him what to do. If I was in control, I could have just done it, but no, he wanted me to go through it step by step.”

“Maybe he wanted to see if you could remember,” she said. “I guess it’s a training style.”

“It was reckless!” I hissed, my hands balling into fists at my sides.

Kylee just shrugged. “Yes, it was. But maybe he wanted to see how you would react under pressure. And from what I can tell, you did just fine.”

I scoffed at her words, feeling the knot in my stomach tighten. “You call nearly passing out ‘doing fine’?”

Kylee patted my shoulder sympathetically. “It’s a tough gig,” she said. “Everyone knows Dean’s methods are unconventional.”

I sighed and rubbed my temples as I watched the airplane ascend into the sky again. All I wanted was to be in control of that plane and not on the ground, watching the horror unfold for another pilot. The look on his face before he boarded mirrored my dread.

“He was testing me,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “He was testing all of us. He wanted to see if I would tap out. If I tapped out, maybe some of you would follow me out. It was a way of culling the herd.”

“All that for a power trip?” Kylee’s voice was incredulous.

“This is survival of the fittest—except it’s not about the strongest or the smartest. It’s about who can hold their nerve even when they’re scared out of their minds. I think he actually thought I was going to panic and he was going to have to save the day. Then he would tell my dad I failed, and I have no doubt in my mind my dad would do what he does, and I would be pulled from the program.”

“But you passed, right?” She smiled.

I rolled my eyes. “I swear, if I get the chance to be in that cockpit with him in the back, I will show him what it’s like to be at someone else’s mercy.”

Kylee chuckled, patting my back. “Scare him out of his wits.”

I shook my head. “No, not scare him. I want to make sure he knows that I can handle any situation calmly and competently. He won’t have anything to hold over me.”

Kylee gave me a thoughtful nod, her gaze drifting up to the now distant plane etching a line in the clear blue sky. “That’s the best payback there is.”