Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.

Sunday

I got sent to the psychologist after breakfast, who I haven't seen for like two weeks. She looked a little surprised at seeing me even though she was the one who sent for me. I guess I probably look a little different, you know with my face growing whiskers and my cracking voice.

She discussed my progress with me and was very interested and somewhat impressed that I was the drill sergeant for my group. I told her it was just because their regular drill sergeant had something come up and they couldn't think of anybody else. She told me that I was being modest, which is ironic considering most people tell me that I'm too sure of myself, at least they did at school.

She said that there had to be something to it because otherwise they would have just split the group up and put them into the other groups. I guess that made sense. It made me feel really weird though. Oh, well.

I say this every time, but every time it's true. When I got to my all day training, I went even harder than I ever have before. This is my last week to improve myself, to prove to myself that I'm not just a worthless sack of embarrassment as the head drill sergeant had told me I was.

Monday

When I got to my group I told them that Thursday was the day that we compared ourselves to how we did first. We were going to do the obstacle course as a race like we did on the first day. They looked a little nervous.

I told them that I knew that they didn't appreciate my making them do one-handed pushups all week last week, but that I really did have a reason for it. I said that it was to make doing two-handed pushups so much easier for them. They looked really skeptical, which I don't blame them I guess, but I knew what I was doing. I had us do one hundred two-handed pushups and they were surprised at how easy it now seemed, just like I thought they would be.

After we did a couple of things on our daily list I asked if they wanted to try doing two hundred two-handed pushups at one time. They said that they did and were amazed and proud of themselves when they were able to do it.

We made it through the whole list even sooner than ever because we didn't have to do pushups more than twice. So until it was time for my extra training we worked on stuff they thought they needed help with. There were some things, but not nearly as much as there would have been when I first started as their drill sergeant.

Tuesday

After we were finished with the list and had worked on what they wanted to work on, I taught them the exercises that are supposed to be able to help you lift more. We keep getting done earlier and earlier which I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. I mean it is because it means that they're improving and everything, but it also means that I have to think of more and more things for us to do myself.

We're still working on expecting the unexpected. We're getting better at it, but it still needs a lot of work. I'm also having us work on restraining and other stuff. I learned this really cool move that allows you to flip somebody over your shoulder even if they're a whole lot larger/stronger than you are. I taught that to them as well. I had them try it on me after they had it perfected. They seemed very proud of themselves when time after time I got thrown over their shoulders. I have really big bruises on my back, I'm sure.

You'd think that I'd learn that move from one of the other drill sergeants or the head drill sergeant, but I actually learned it from one of the kitchen staff. I ran into them when I was headed to the shower and they were headed to the kitchen. I told him how I was running out of things to teach them and he taught me that move. I thanked him over and over again.

Wednesday

I was excited and yet not because today's my last day with my group. I'd like to think that we've become quite close. I mean I don't think any of them think of me as a friend or anything, but some of them have told me that they looked up to me. Of course, they don't know that I'm only sixteen years old. I wonder if that would make a difference?

We did everything on the list, along with going to the shooting range, doing archery, working on some other stuff, and whatever else they wanted to work on. I had us practice some stuff on the obstacle course, that we could do without actually having to be there.

For the first hour of extra training, I went swimming again. Believe it or not I made it around one hundred fifty laps in an hour. (A/N: I know that seems like a massive improvement and it is, but this is a cartoon, get over it.) Finally I might stand a chance of beating my old time.

Thursday

Today was the day. The day that I proved to myself, and everyone else that I wasn't just a sorry sack of embarrassment. I'm so freaking nervous.

After breakfast we went to the obstacle course. I found my group and wished them good luck. They said the same for me. I had told them yesterday that I was to be in on it too. I told them that though I still wanted them to think of us as a family, that today it was okay to be selfish and think only of themselves so they could do the best that they could do.

The starting sound went off. I ran as fast as I possibly could to the big cargo net type thing and then climbed up one side and down the other. I did fifty two-handed pushups and ran the mile to the rope to swing over the mud puddle. Afterward I did the thirty sit-ups, then ran the 500 yards to the makeshift pool. I did the fifty laps and then raced to the finished line. The head drill sergeant shouted time and clicked on his stopwatch. I looked behind me and realized severely surprised that I was the first one done.

I changed into dry clothes and did some exercises while I waited for the rest of them to get done. When everyone was finished we met in the mess tent. The drill sergeants, me included, now had to show off what their groups knew. My group went last.

We got some exclamations of surprise, that's for sure. The first one was because I was their drill sergeant. My old group looked like they were about to faint. It was hilarious. Then we showed off what we knew. We showed the pushups that they could now do in one sitting, the restraining, I had them show the flip thing I taught them, which a lot of the drill sergeants and boot campers included wanted to learn, the shooting range, archery, etc. I was proud of my group. In the shooting range and in archery I had them do two clips and ten arrows in a row respectively. They hit the bulls-eye every time. We showed marching in unison, and everything else I've been teaching them. I was doing everything with them like I have since the beginning.

We also did the exercises that are supposed to help you lift more and then did how much we could lift in the backpack. I told how much each could lift, including my self ignoring my embarrassment, and then how much they were now lifting. When I said that at first I could only lift twenty pounds I got plenty of laughs, which I was expecting, my group looked at me surprised. I got my backpack and picked it up. When we put it on the scale to tell how much you could lift, it said three hundred ten pounds. Nobody was more surprised than I was.

Since we were the last ones to show off our skill, we had dinner right away afterward. The kitchen staff made a special meal as a congratulations for so much improvement. Everybody ate together: the kitchen staff, the drill sergeants, and the boot campers. It was one of my favorite days that I've had here. One of the campers in my old group had mentioned that they hadn't heard my voice crack once. I thought about it and realized it was true. I guess I hadn't even realized when it stopped cracking. I'm so glad that's over.

Friday

Wow! I can't believe that today's my last day here. I get on a plane to go home tomorrow. We're still writing our weekly letter to our parents, but they're going to send it express so that our parents will get it before they start heading out to pick us up. Therefore, we're writing our letters right after our closing ceremonies. I didn't even know that they had closing ceremonies, but apparently they do.

After breakfast we headed out to the big field where the rest of them would have their Sunday sessions. The head drill sergeant had a couple of announcements and then he had a few prizes. The first prize was for the most improvement ever in a six week period. I won that one. I was surprised because even though I knew I improved a great amount, I didn't think that it was the most of anyone ever in a six week program.

Another one was someone who became the youngest drill sergeant ever. I won that one too. All the campers looked at me in shock. I'm sure I looked equally shocked. I mean sure they had me be a drill sergeant to take over for the one, but I didn't think that they'd consider it official or anything. The head drill sergeant told everyone that when I started as the drill sergeant for my current group that I was only fifteen. You should have seen the faces of them. Also the fact that I had my birthday while I was here.

Then something I didn't think would ever happen happened. I got a standing ovation from all the campers, and drill sergeants, including the head drill sergeant. Some of the people who weren't in my group that I had or in the previous one looked a little skeptical, which is understandable.

Then the head drill sergeant surprised us by pulling out a videotape and another drill sergeant brought out a TV and VCR set. We all watched curiously as he plopped in the tape. It just so happened to be a tape of the first day at the obstacle course. He had sped it up, but you could still see the time. It showed, much to my embarrassment, all six hours of me on the obstacle course. He sped it up so that it was only ten minutes long, but everybody was laughing. I was too, I looked ridiculous. Then he stopped and fast-forwarded to another point on the tape and pressed play. You could tell it was still me, just barely. It was of yesterday. He had sped it up again and you could still see the time. The second one lasted probably five minutes because he didn't speed it up as much. The end time was one hour.

"I knew there would be some of you who would doubt that he improved as much as he had; therefore, I made this tape. He went from being dead last at six hours to being absolute first at one hour in a matter of six weeks." the head drill sergeant said. I got another standing ovation. "Sixteen year old Tucker Foley, you are no longer a sorry sack of laziness and embarrassment, I'm proud to have served with you." Then to the astonishment of everyone, myself included once again, he saluted me. Whoa! It turned out that the second place person came in at two hours. I beat everyone by at least an hour.

I got congratulations from everybody. Some didn't really mean it, but they said it anyways. I did teach everybody the flipping people over my shoulder to appease everyone. I also told them who taught it to me. Robert, the kitchen staff person that taught it to me, turned beat red from the attention he was receiving.

Believe it or not, I'm gonna miss it here. Yeah, I said it. How weird a difference of six weeks can make on a person. I went from being the most pathetic excuse of a person when it came to physical fitness to being one of the best. I wrote the last letter to my parents.

Dear Mom and Dad

I miss you guys so much. I'm glad I'll be coming home this coming week. I won a prize for having the most improvement for a six week program ever. Also, I didn't tell you but for the last two weeks I've been a drill sergeant for a group whose former drill sergeant had an emergency and wasn't able to come back. I got a prize for being the youngest drill sergeant ever as well. My group also had the most improvement from the two weeks that I've been they're drill sergeant than their former drill sergeant had in four. I'm glad you sent me here. If you hadn't, then I never would have known that I am able to be a leader instead of always only a follower. I'm going to be arriving at gate 201B at 2 p.m at the airport on Saturday. I can't wait to see you. Thank you for having the courage to send me here. I love you both and I'll be home soon.

Love,

Tucker

Saturday

I got up at three am so that I could get the half hour ride on the dirt road once again to the airport. I haven't ridden in a vehicle for six weeks. That's a really weird feeling.

My plane left at 5 am. I got there in time to get checked in and everything. The plane ride was crazy. I was so bored just sitting still. I was saddened that I had to give back the walkie talkie to the head drill sergeant, but I have plenty of PDAs once I finally get home. It seems like I haven't been home in years. I'm extremely nervous, though I'm not exactly sure why.

I got into the airport at 2 pm like I told my parents. I was finally going to see my parents after not seeing them for six weeks. What if they're still mad at me? What if I didn't make them proud like I hoped I would? I decided to stop thinking about what if questions and wait for my parents.

A/N: I'm done with the next chapter, but I'm holding it ransom until I get at least one review.