“No,” Ilen shook her head in response to her wing mate’s question.
“Ven said you’d say that,” Rick said.  “He also said that you’ve turned down any offers for a date.”
“Yes, well he’s right.” Ilen started to sift uncomfortably in her seat.
Rick shook his head, “You’ve been here a month, you keep your distance from almost everyone, and we know almost nothing about your past.  We are your squadron, why won’t you let any of us in?”  Rick reached over the table and brushed Ilen’s long hair back.
Ilen recoiled away from Rick’s touch.  She quickly stood up and said, “Because I have other priorites.”  She quickly left the mess hall.  Back in her room she leaned against the wall.  Running her hands through her hair she took a deep breath.
Rick was right she did keep everyone out.  Most of the time when new members came into a squadron they’d fit in and become a part of the community within weeks.  Ilen had been in her squadron an entire month and still she was a loner.  
She didn’t want to become involved with them though.  She especially didn’t want to become involved with any one romantically.  She had left all of that back home.  Lan was back there somewhere, on an under cover mission.  Ilen had gotten away from her home and joined the resistance.  Lan was already a part of the resistance but he worked as an under cover agent on their homeworld.
Because of that work Ilen hadn’t heard from him since she left her home three months ago.  She hadn’t seen much of him since he had joined the resistance, but at least at home he had been able to arrange secret meetings with her.  Right now she didn’t even know if he was still alive, but he promised he would come and find her as soon as he could.  She was holding him to that promise.
She started running her hands through her long hair.  Even now Ilen could imagine what his hands felt like running through her hair.  He’d really liked her long hair and had played with it often.  The problem was every guy liked her long hair, as Rick had just so ungraciously shown.  Ilen looked at the chronometer.  She had a couple hours before her work schedule began.
Ilen left her quarters and went two deck’s down.  A couple downs down the hallway there was a barbers shop.  She entered and sat down in an empty chair.  One of the barbers came over.  Ilen told him what she wanted.  He began cutting, he wasn’t very talkative but he was fast.  
Finally the barber finished.  He turned her around to look in the mirror.  Ilen ran her hands through her hair.  They didn’t go very far.  Her hair was now the length of her face.  It was a very short severe cut.  Ilen barely recognized herself.  “Until he finds me,” she whispered to herself.