The Concert Hall of the Forks high school was buzzing like a swarm of wild bees.
Bella and Angela went together to the third row and sat apart from the rest.
"Didn't they try to dissuade you?" Angela asked.
"Of course, they did. Charlie promised me a new video game console, if I give up this idea, and Renee promised me a prom dress for $ 3,000." Bella grimaced. "They don't even realize that that's why I'm leaving. I can't stand their eternal bargaining. I feel like a thing auctioned.
The headmaster Mrs. Griffith came on the stage and clapped her hands, urging students to silence. Never interested in public life Bella immediately buried herself in the cell phone and only a sharp jolt in the shoulder from Angela snatched her out of the game battles.
"Bells ..." Angela whispered.
"What?" Bella hissed irritably, missing the opportunity to strike in a virtual bowling because of Angela.
"Look," her friend said and Bella reluctantly listened to the headmaster's chatter.
"As you already know, a month ago army recruiters came to our school" Mrs. Griffith said solemnly. "And four of our students have chosen this honorable holy way – to serve in the US Marines for themselves. Now the whole world is struggling with the most serious threat in the history of the mankind – the global terrorism. On September 11th the terrorism came to the house of every American family. And we need to show our enemies that we are not afraid, we are ready to defend our home, our loved ones, our values and peaceful future for all the mankind. As I said, four of our students enrolled in the ranks of recruits. And since due to the flood in March and subsequent repairs our school presents diplomas later than the others, our heroes will be forced to miss the prom to arrive to the recruiting station in time. So now I want to invite them on the stage, so that we can wish them to serve their country worthily, give them their diplomas and tell them how we admire their choice, their courage and love of our country!"
"Oh, shit!" Bella muttered, pressing her head in the shoulders. "I thought she'll just give me my diploma in her office."
Bella definitely didn't want to go on the stage in front of the whole school.
"Let's all greet our heroes!" Mrs. Griffith solemnly exclaimed and named first names of the three men, Bella's classmates from the baseball team. Bella was hoping that she was lucky, and that she was forgotten, but then the headmaster took a deep breath and blurted out "Isabella Swan!"
"Oh, hell" Bella cursed again, feeling all the looks around going to her.
Three guys with proud smiles and the cheering audience already entered the stage. Bella smiled nervously at Angela and went after them, seeing from the corner of her eye the expression of utter amazement on the face of the school queen Jessica Stanley.
Climbing onto the stage, Bella looked into the hall. Hundreds of pairs of eyes stared at her with a burning curiosity. Half of the looking at her now Forks students have likely heard for the first time today that they studied with some Isabella Swan, who was suddenly in the spotlight, along with the most handsome and popular boys in the school.
"Your parents are sitting in the first rows and I personally want to thank for the fact that they brought these Americans, the true patriots up." The headmaster continued her speech. "I ask you to take the stage near your children."
Parents of the baseball players immediately approached them and stood next to their children. Only Bella stood next to Mrs. Griffith in not so splendid isolation.
Considering that a diploma is just a mere formality, Bella ignored the request of headmaster, and have not called to school Charlie or Renee today.
"Where are your parents, Miss Swan?" Mrs. Griffith hissed.
"...They are very busy" Bella lied hesitantly.
The headmaster snorted because Bella ruined her holiday scenario, but then again returned a solemn smile on her face.
"You've done the most important choices of your lives." She said, shaking hands with them. "I'm sure you will bring glory to our hometown. After all, you are the best of the best, and we are all proud of you!"
Bella looked at the three guys that were above her head in height, gleaming white smiles, looking like the real wrestlers and her inner voice immediately shouted hysterically "Isabella Swan, you're absolutely nuts!"
"Angie, it's my fault that you're missing the whole year." Bella sighed, putting her diploma in the bag. They walked along the corridor, and all whom they met, followed them with a curious look, and some even strove to shake Bella's hand and wish her good luck. Never in her life Bella Swan was paid that much attention, and she wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible.
"You missed all the grants while trying to persuade me to come along in college." Bella said apologetically.
"It's okay," her friend waved. "I will help my parents babysitting the twins and the neighborhood kids. I like to be a nanny. I had a few offers from different universities and I will qualify for a scholarship next year."
Together they went in the bathroom, and as Bella went to the sink to wash her face she heard the cry behind from Angela. Two girls from the cheerleader team grabbed her and thrown in the hallway, slamming the door so that Angela could not return.
"What do you need?" Bella turned around and saw Jessica Stanley appearing from the cubicle.
"So, you're the best of the best, the pride of the whole school, Swan." Jessica said, approaching Bella with sugary smile.
"What do you want from me?" Bella asked, feeling threatened by Jessica.
"You're going to serve in the Marines, Swan, and we'll never meet again. So, I and the girls want to make you a parting gift" Jessica grinned. "Too bad you'll miss the prom. We wanted to see how you'll dress up for it so much. But apparently, your dad didn't have enough money for the dress, and your mother doesn't care about you. All her thoughts are taken by the young lover."
"Leave me alone, Jessica!" Bella snapped and wanted to go, but the two Jessica's friends grabbed her hands and turned her to face their ringleader.
"Don't leave, Swan. I said that we want to give you a gift." Jessica pulled a hand from behind her back and Bella saw with horror the scissors in it. "Hold her, girls. And I'll cut."
"Well, Swan, do you like our gift?" Jessica laughed, heading out into the corridor with her escort, cheerfully shouting from the doorway "Do not thank me! After all, we are so proud of you, soldier!"
The cheerleaders left the bathroom laughing, and the Hurricane Angela broke in.
"Bella! They closed the door and would not let me enter! Oh, my God!" She froze in shock looking at her friend.
Bella looked in the mirror and said calmly "Now I look like Demi Moore at least."
Stepping on the discarded scraps of dark hair on the floor, Angela approached her friend and exclaimed "They are completely nuts! We must complain to the headmaster!"
"No," Bella ran her hand over the sticking out in all directions short hair, which now adorned her head instead of the usual dark brown thick long curls. "I don't care and you still need to go through the prom.
"This Stanley is such a bitch!" Angela screamed in anger and then covered her mouth.
Bella laughed and hugged her friend "Well, it's good your father did not hear that!"
***
Bella slammed the door and entered the house.
Charlie rose from the couch to meet her, pressing mute on the baseball game. Looking at her new hairstyle, which Angela carefully trimmed with her father's clipper, he said "Bella, I see you're serious about this, but I think you're making a mistake," he said , putting all the severity in his voice. "This job is not for a young girl. And especially not for a girl who reads books since childhood, and is not running around the woods with a gun, like Leah Clearwater. Her in there, I can imagine... You, on the other hand, stopped to walk with us on the hunt cause you were tired of the dirt and Harry's vulgar jokes. But it'll be even worse in the Marines," he paused and asked suddenly. "Is it all because of my divorce with your mother?"
Bella looked at him in surprise. Charlie having such an insight was an apparent breakthrough. But she decided not to say anything at first, and listen to what he wants to offer.
"I will try to reach a compromise with Renee." Charlie said, but suddenly a lathered Renee jumped out of the room and blurted "Bella, you're not going to serve in the Marines! I talked to a lawyer. You can not sign the contract yourself, if you are under eighteen. And I will not give my consent!" Issuing this tirade, Renee triumphantly looked at her daughter.
Bella sighed and said, "I've already turned eighteen."
"What?" Renee's eyes widened.
"The fact that you were not there on my birthday, does not mean that it didn't happen." Bella replied.
Renee shook her head and turned to Charlie, "You didn't even bother to call me!"
"What kind of mother are you if you do not remember when your daughter's birthday is?" Charlie retorted.
"Maybe I don't remember something, but I took care of Bella my whole life alone while you were drinking in the bar with the guys and played poker with them!" Renee didn't stay in the debt. "You didn't do anything for your own daughter!"
"And did you do? You took of and fled with your fancy man, abandoning her. Do you know how she was looked at in the school thanks to her mother behaving like a real slut!" Charlie flipped out.
"I'm a whore? And who are you, Swan? You think I don't know where you always were on Saturdays!"
"I was earning money for our family!"
"Really? Where? Between the legs of Amanda Stevens?" Renee screamed.
Bella realized that her parents have long forgotten about her presence as hundreds of times before and quickly went up to her room.
Five minutes later, she heard a knock on the door.
Opening it, she saw Charlie.
"Are you telling me you've reached the compromise?" Bella smiled sadly.
"No," Charlie replied, his eyes downcast. "I just want to say that I'm sorry."
"Name, surname, age, place of residence," a high sturdy young man in military uniform with the insignia of Corporal demanded.
"Emmett McCarthy, 19, from Gatlinburg, Tennessee," high dark-haired guy with broad shoulders said. He was standing in front of Bella and his biceps were at least two or even three time bigger in girth than hers.
"Table number 42," the Corporal consulting the list said. "Next."
"Isabella Swan, 18, Forks, Washington," Bella said.
Corporal looked at her slender girlish figure with an obvious surprise, but still said,
"Table number 43."
"Where's the damn table?" Eyebrows furrowed, Emmett McCarthy muttered under his breath, straightening his baseball jacket.
"There" Bella said, instantly navigating in a noisy, filled with future marines Hall of the MEPS (auth. - Military Entrance Processing Station).
McCarthy turned his eyes searching for the source of the sound and saw Bella, only after bowing his head.
"Where is it there?" He asked.
"There - it's there." Bella waved to the right. "I have a nearby table."
"Ok," McCarthy perked up and went after her. "Did you come here to support your brother or boyfriend?"
"I am a recruit." Bella replied.
"Are you really?" Emmett laughed heartily. "Great joke."
Bella did not answer him, knowing that trying to prove something to the baseball or football player is completely pointless, and went to her desk.
"Name, age, place of residence." The man in uniform demanded again - this time the man of forty-five years with a strict unsmiling face.
"Isabella Swan, 18, Forks, Washington." Bella repeated, glancing at Emmett, who confidently sprawled on a chair waiting for his recruiter.
Recruiter looked at Bella, and she tried to take as much as possible confident look, the same as Emmett.
"You've passed the test ASVAB (auth.- Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery), psychological tests and medical examination, Miss Swan . The result of your test ASVAB is 56 points with the pass mark 31." The recruiter said, clicking on the mouse. "This allows you to rely on signing the contract with the US Marine Corps. Congratulations."
"Thank you, sir." Bella said, surprised with such a success, for she herself did not feel so confident on the tests, than suddenly she heard a loud cry from Emmett.
"28 points?" He roared like a wounded bear. "I could not get so little. I can kill a grizzly with my bare hands. Since my childhood I hunt with my father in the Appalachians. I can shoot better than any sniper!"
"You showed a low level of general knowledge and political culture," the recruiter replied.
"How so?" Emmett was surprised.
"For example, you wrote that Iraq is in South America, and that Al-Qaeda is the name of the leader of the Taliban."
"And is it not so?" Sincerely amazed Emmett asked and Bella couldn't help but laughed.
"Do not get distracted, Miss Swan," the recruiter besieged her. "Your tests and physical examination indicate a high level of intelligence, psychological stability, high level of theoretical knowledge of general and political culture, but it also showed a low level of physical fitness."
Bella sighed. This was expected, but still unpleasant.
"In this regard, we can offer you a service in the department of logistical support with the passage of the necessary training," the recruiter said. "The contract is valid for five years, it includes medical insurance..."
"No, no, no." Bella immediately imagined Charlie's and Renee's phone calls, beckoning her on every vacation, them arguing outside the gates of her base, while she is busy with accounting and inventory of the boxes with equipment or sleeping on the computer in a stuffy little room. "I want to serve in Afghanistan in a combat unit! Or in Iraq!"
"If Iraq is not in South America, then it's in Africa." Emmett thought desperately in a nearby chair and seeing a sneer on the face of recruiter said "Who cares where this Iraq is? The main point is that Emmett McCarthy will beat America's enemies wherever Uncle Sam sends him! I can walk 40 miles without stopping, go hiking with a backpack, I am the best tracker in my town. And I'll be a good leader - my baseball team won the state championship five times!"
Bella looked at him and thought that a hybrid of her and Emmett would be a perfect soldier, but individually they are both committed losers.
"Miss Swan, I understand your patriotic feelings..." the recruiter began but suddenly was interrupted in his speech by the sound of the gunfire from the corridor.
"What was that?" Bella jumped up from her chair and ran to the glass door. Emmett leaned against the glass behind her.
"You will not deprive me of my dream!" They heard a male voice faltering, standing with his back to them there was a man with a gun in his right hand. "If you don't take me in the Marines, I'll shoot in her head!"
The guy turned around and Bella so him pressing a gun to the head of the crying from fear woman.
Bella's heart suddenly dropped somewhere in her stomach, and her sight darkened.
There in the corridor of the conscription depot the crazed guy was holding her mother at the gunpoint.
