Idly the phone played between the snipers forefinger and thumb as she flipped it around and around again. Her ocean deep hues trained on a blank spot on her bed with the look of concentration, obvious debate playing across her expression every so often as she was lost deep in thought over what to do next. The day came every year and every year she sat in this same situation, always debating on whether or not it was worth the ear full she would get from her "adoptive" mother if she didn't call home. And each time she gave in.
Scrolling through the list of names she sought out the letter D's, obvious reluctance in her touch as she plucked at the number on the screen and held the phone to her ear to wait, listening to the ring on the other end with the dread of someone awaiting a firing squad.
"'Ello?" A rough voice grumbled from the slightly staticy other side, the sound instantly making the young brunettes heart rench as she tried to remember how to speak.
"Uh, hey dad." Hating how pathetically soft her voice sounded as she spoke, wishing with all her might that she could suddenly be her brother instead. At least he didn't hate him. "Happy Fatha's day."
"Dianna?" His question of her name somehow making her cringe as he said it, the man even making that resound with his disappointment. "Eh,..yeah. What are ya doin'? Where's yer brotha'?"
"Uh,...Knox is...out trainin'." She lied; knowing that Knowlen wouldn't ever forgive her if she told their father he was seeing a Medic. It wasn't of course the life ending crime of dating a spy, but it was pretty close. "I just...thought I'd call an' see how ya were."
"Why aren't ya trainin' with him? Is he lettin' ya slack off again?" His voice growling into the receiver in a way that had her shrinking in on herself; her forefinger and middle twining the ends of her hair nervously as her stress began to build "God damn it,....I should have guessed he wasn't keep'n an eye on ya like he's suppose ta. It's why yer soft. Just tha reason why ya got yer damn knife stolen."
Instantly her heart dropped into her gut as his last sentence sunk in. Her bright blue eyes going wide as her cheeks whitened ever so softly at the realization that her father knew she had let a spy steal her knife right out from under her. God, what else did he know?! "...W-what?..." She breathed out in a shocked stammer, to afraid that she might give away more to the store if she tried to explain right away; to afraid to speak in general.
"Ya heard me! Ben heard from Eugene that some RED stole yer knife right out of yer campa'." Ben being the father of her fellow BLU sniper, Eugene, as well as her own fathers best, and only, friend. "Damn it Anna, what tha hell are ya doin' ova there?! Just have'n an open house for tha whole damn RED team?! Bet yer just have'n a good o'time ova there, sittin' on yer ass make'n nothin' of yerself." A low unhappy rumble growling out from the other side as her father let out an irritated breath, "Guess trainin' ya was for nothin',....gunna be on yer back for whateva' spook want's as an easy target with tha way yer goin'. Can't even hold onta yer knife in yer own home,....." The utter disappointment and resentment ringing in his voice left a shine of tears in the young sniper's eyes. Her fingers having long since paused in their twist of her hair to simply hold onto the braid as she fought with everything in her not to make a sound as her father spoke; not a single part of her wanting him to know that his words were cutting her so deeply as she held back tears. "Tell yer brotha' ta call me when he get's in." The demand signalling the end of their conversation seconds before he hung up the phone, leaving Dianna to sit with her hands in her lap as her lids slowly closed, praying that she had at least enough strength not to cry.