Simple joys of friendship

They ran through the crowded street laughing. Neon lights blinked at them and hot grease from the cook stands spat at them. It felt good to be out and running. After 6 months training, they had a week before they shipped out. One week to enjoy the world that was their home. None of them thought that they might never see it again. Even though they had all been warned about it time and time again, it just wasn't real to them. Not real like the hard concrete under foot, or the think smoke from the cook fires mixing with the humid air. How could they never see home again?
Out of breath the five cadets swerved into a small alcove, crashing into the wall to stop their momentum with a combination of uffs and laughter.
"Oh that felt good. I can't remember the last time I ran just for fun," the tallest boy, Antio panted out with a grin.
"No kidding. I am so tired of all the fitness training. OOOOHHH....lets get something from the bizarre to eat!" piped in the shortest boy, Kelf.
"Sweet cream!" squealed the shortest girl, Meyno, shorter then the boy by a hand.
"Chocoberries!" piped in Antio.
"HMMMM Sauteed meat sticks" groaned out the tallest girl, Pello, a dreamy smile sliding across her face.
"More eating. Less talking!" order the last girl, Leonara, with the air and voice of some one in charge. Then she sped off into the bizarre with laughter trailing after like exhaust fumes. The others giving chase.
Before long all five were back in the alcove with a feast spread before them.
"Can you just imagine the expressions of the senior officers if they saw all of this?" Kelf said through a mouth of Chocoberries. All of them laughed.
"Most probabaly wouldn't know what to do. "What is this you are putting in your mouth? The nutritious value is limited. Unapproved. Unapproved" " Pello mocked. Antio choked on the roasted meat he was eating while trying not to laugh.
Leonara leaned back, a satisfied look on her face. "Hard to believe that we will not even see something like this for the next 4 years."
"Nutrition packs for 4 years." Meyno grimaced.
"Say that again while we are on leave and I will pummel you." Threatened Kelf, waving a frozen sweet cream at her. Meyno smiled, her eyes narrowed at the challenge.
"Nutrition.."
"Don't"
"Packs.."
"I'm warning you"
"Fooooouuuuurrr....years" The Sweet cream hit her square in the forehead. Pello, Leonara, and Antio scrabbled to save the food as Meyno and Kelf rolled around.
"Ok ok cut it out you two. Plenty of time to kill each other later." laughed Leonara.
The week past slowly it seemed. As they were returning to the port is seemed, looking back, to have passed to quickly. Leonara stood at the top of the ramp leading into the launch bay and looked at the filthy metal neon filled world that was her home and felt, for the first time, a fear. Fear of leaving her home. Her world.
"Please be here" she whispered to the cook stoves and the people who tended them, to the venders selling their goods, to the dirty corridors that had never seen any light but that of the neon lights that flickered some secret, private message.
Four years is a long time. Time enough for hearts to change. For places once loved to become alien and unwelcoming.