Here I thought the day was going so well. For being what most called a 'typical Tuesday', it had been relatively eventful yet boring all at once. Woke up at the crack of dawn like most teens in high school, groaning and complaining about how unfair the world seems to force me to go get an education so early in the morning, muttering nonsense about how if the morning began after noon that I would be a morning person. Getting my butt out the door after a quick portable yogurt in attempt to get my brain to function, I headed to my 1997 Bonneville to drive to school. What? Being a senior has its perks.
When I finally got there after a fifteen minute drive down some back streets that avoid traffic completely, I began the arduous process of going through the motions. Walk to class, sit there bored out of my mind, semi pay attention, write notes, get up, go to next class, repeat. Yeah, don't deny it. Everyone has those times when they just don't care and after going through the same routine over and over, it does get irritating. The only saving grace is when a teacher actually gives you something new to do. Case in point, JROTC.
You see, the first time I heard that high school had a program that was based off a branch of the military, I avoided it like the plague. I never really handled getting yelled at all that well since my parents hardly had a reason to do so at me, playfully labeling me the 'good child' between my sister and I. But at the end of the first semester, I needed a course that met my requirements and had a slot open. As fate would have it, JROTC was the only thing available at the time. So, with many a moan and groan, I set out in the new semester to figure out the soonest time I could get out of it though that meant suffering through a semester with my instructors. They were just like any other teachers or coaches that any of you may have had…save for one difference.
They were all retired marines.
The program is of the Marine Corps branch, the neighboring high schools having Air Force and Army. Little did I know that in the military service, the Marines are the most hardcore of the branches. The instructors were all high ranking, three in total and each taking control of a piece of our schedules. The eldest instructor, Lieutenant Colonel Whelehan, was based with academics such as history and even if his instructions could be vague at times, it would make sense by the end of the day. Second in command of the program was Master Gunnery Sergeant Caraway and his specialty was marksmanship and working on financial stability for the program. We did have daisy air rifles in our armory, a few having to be manually pumped for a shot though a select few had air canisters for easier shooting. Then, the strictest of the instructors, was Master Sergeant Dunes. His area of expertise was physical training and drill, or marching as most are known to call it. He was intimidating at first to everyone, strong build, calculating gaze, and a voice that could clear a room in a second if he commanded it. No one had a qualm that he was dark skinned, that not being why he was so intimidating but when I looked at him after a few years, I couldn't pinpoint why he seemed so…malicious.
Anyway, beside the point, I actually stuck it out throughout my high school career in the MCJROTC program and currently am a second lieutenant of Delta Company, or the sixth class period out of seven. If I ever needed help with anything, be it scholastics or even just to vent about frustrations at home or school, they would welcome me with open arms and hear me out. The class didn't seem that way at first but after a few years, I had found that it was more than just something to fill the curriculum but more so a family. We all stood up for each other and cheered each other on if one of us or a few of us were struggling with anything, be it physical training or simple teen problems like parents.
Well, that sense of camaraderie was gone in an instant before the end of the day and a newfound fear of my drill instructor was instilled.
Being at the end of the school day and not having a last class due to my senior status, I usually just hung out at ROTC to wait out the traffic of early-leaving students and spoke with Col. Whelehan or Top Dunes. The title 'Top' applies for both Dunes and Caraway, mind you. When I found myself meandering the small hallway that connected all three instructors' offices together, perusing through the large frames of past cadets with my face in four of them for my time in the program, I heard muttering from the drill sergeant's room.
Of course, I was a moron and let my curiosity get the better of me. Acting as though I were looking at a picture of the class of 2000-2001, I focused on one student with my eyes but my mind and ears were honing in on what was said.
"No, sir. We haven't caught them yet."
A pause.
"I know, sir. I won't let you down. We will bring her in to see you…Yes, sir."
A beep and the sound of something being put down on a table, the sound of metal origin so I knew it had to be his phone. But, who was on the other line. There was only two other people that he ever referred to as 'sir' and that was his fellow instructors but even then, it's only because of their higher ranking.
And, for that matter, who is he after? I had heard that it was a female but that only cut the population of the planet in half at the most. Bring her in for what, might I add. There were so many questions floating around in my head, my eyes staring at the image before me but not 'seeing' anything as my mind tried to think of a million possibilities all at once and gave me a migraine. Deciding that I shouldn't chance getting caught as a proverbial 'peeping Tom', I turned to head down the hallway but only made it halfway down the corridor.
"Barrett. I want to see you in my office."
I had to restrain the urge to hunch my shoulders at the sound of my name, the gesture a sign of disrespect and if there was one thing I learned over the years, it was to not disrespect Dunes or I'd been doing push-ups until my bones cracked.
"Yes, sir." I echoed, performing a perfect about-face and stepped off to walk back down the hall towards the room he had been talking on the phone in previously.
There was nothing all that special about the office, having a few simple and basic items that one would need. A desk, a mini-fridge, a coat rack with a few different types of jackets on it for any kind of weather that Florida has to offer, a counter along the far wall with a few cabinets above it for storage of small items like spare ranks; all the necessary things that this tall man has deemed of use to him and now, apparently I am to add to the list. Watching him sit himself down in his large, high-backed desk chair, he gestured for me to sit in a seat as well dead center in front of his worktable.
"You wanted to speak to me, sir?"
"Yes, I did. You've been excelling in the program for quite some time now, a rather large change from when you first began. If I recall correctly, you loathed the program." His tone was blunt, his gaze sharp as he lifted a hand to silence me when I was going to argue his truthful observation. "I don't blame you for feeling that way. I thought for certain that Whelehan was going to kick you out of here in that first semester but you improved enough to impress him, thus earning your right to stay. However," he pushed himself out of his seat and turned to face the window just behind him, closing the blinds with a flick of his wrist. "You have also impressed me. That's not easy to accomplish, young lady. But more importantly, you've impressed someone else and they wish to see you."
"M-Me? Who is it….sir?" I asked, eyes wide in surprise as I hastily added the formality at the last second before he could berate me for my disrespect. He was right in that it was hard to impress him, only his precious PT team able to so this was a rather high praise.
The bald-headed marine shook his head, clasping his hands behind his back thoughtfully but his shoulders set a bit tighter at hearing me ask such a question. "I can't say but he wants to see you now."
I blinked a few times deliberately, glancing around the semi bare office of my instructor. "Now? During school time, sir?"
"There's no need for you to be here any longer. You have spent enough time training and have proven yourself ready."
My skin crawled at hearing something like that come from him, feeling my spine straighten when he turned to look at me full on with a determined sheen in his dark brown eyes. "But, sir…"
"Are you debating with me, Hayley?"
I froze in place, never hearing him speak my first name before and it felt alien. I never thought my name would ever sound so different to me, coming from the man that practically treated my rank as my first name for all my years here and yet finally spoke it out of anger. My heart was racing in my chest as a sense of dread settled in the pit of my stomach and made me feel cemented to the yellowing linoleum. I could bring myself to say 'no', gazing at him with my slate-blue eyes widened a little in surprise of his sharp tone.
"I wanted to simply take you to him, not wanting any trouble, but if you continue to argue with me on this, I won't have any choice." He mused aloud, turning to walk over to the small counter and pulled something out of the top drawer.
My eyes snapped to the item in his hands, wondering how the hell he got that on school property in the first place but didn't want to ask, for in his hand was a small tranquilizer pistol. Its body shape was exactly the same as a regular pistol that anyone would use but the barrel of it was far too large for anything smaller than a numbing dart.
Then, before I could think twice about it, I just started running.
I heard a shout of anger come from my instructor but I wasn't about to stick around to find out just what resided in that gun. It could have been a tool used for bluffing me into cooperating but I wasn't going to take the chance, dashing from his office and down the small hall right to the door out into the main school itself. Slamming the door shut behind me to buy at least a second's breath of time, I pivoted to my left to head towards the front of campus.
I couldn't believe for an instant that one of my teachers actually had a real weapon on grounds, my heart racing as the idea of a retired marine having one sank in and a stone of worry dropped in my stomach. I was actually at school and fearing for my life. Shouldn't I feel safe here? Well, not when the fear of bullying is a reality far too often for me but I should at least feel comfort in teachers; though, now that thought seemed like a joked considering the circumstances.
Hearing Dunes shout my name and a click echoing in my ears as the sound bounced off the hall's walls, I turned to my right towards the gymnasium to lose him in the crowd as the bell rang for class to be dismissed and changed.
Thankfully, I was able to get through no problem though Dunes wasn't so lucky as he had to conceal his weapon from the prying eyes of high schoolers and their insatiable appetite for gossip. I smiled a bit as I burst out into the parking lot and fumbled for my keys. It wasn't time for any of us to go home but I didn't care; I don't think anyone would blame me if I left in a time like this.
Though, at this moment, I was rather frosted with myself for parking so damn far from the school!
Traffic while getting out of school was a bitch to deal with, needing to inch your way out and hope you get lucky that someone lets you out before them but teens are never as gracious as adults. So, to get around that, I park by the exit so all I have to do is dash to my car and zip out of there before all hell breaks loose.