It was still predawn. The sun hadn't started to burn off the rain from yesterday, everything was still damp and cold. Johnny was in a lot of pain, but he could have been much worse off.
He never did thank his friends, he was too busy holding back screams of pain as they carried him back to the barracks. Johnny must have been passed out for at least an hour before they found him curled on his side, his body frozen in the fetal position. His muscles had been so overworked and so strained that pulling his limbs straight was like trying to tear into a phonebook.
Not only did they bring him back, but they washed him up and put dry clothing on him. They stole all sorts of topical ointments from the medical facility – some that dulled pain, others that were supposed to heal muscles. Johnny didn't have the luxury of being embarrassed as his friends rubbed out knots and pulls, it hurt too much. Morris said they'd get him ready for the next day and they kept their word – Johnny was walking back to the quad for more of the torture he suffered the day before – something he wouldn't have been able to do without their help.
There were a handful of other soldiers stretching and walking around the quad area trying to shake off the cold. Johnny would have joined in, but just standing was taking an extreme amount of energy to endure.
Soldiers started to fill in fast during the last moments before roll call. Johnny looked around, it seemed that there was a large number of men who had passed yesterday's test but decided not to return. Johnny smiled as he pulled his balaclava over his face, sliding on his shades to complete the mask. Perhaps he was more soldier than everyone had made him out to be.
"Alright men," Out from the shadows, an especially large SpecialOps soldiers appeared. "We're going to go for a little run."
This was it, Johnny didn't know how he was going to do it, he could hardly walk, let along run. Adrenaline started to pump through his veins, it made his hands tremble and his body sweat, but it wasn't enough to numb his muscles. This was it. Soldiers around him started to get set, readying for the flight across the quad.
"Halt!" From one of the nearby buildings a soldier came running up to the SpecialOps leader. The two had a whispered conversation.
"Well, it seems the commander has different plans for you today. Eh, pity....Right face! March!"
Johnny let out a sigh that made a few heads turn. His last chance really was paying off. It looked as though they were headed into one of the buildings. He didn't know what for, but it wouldn't be for ops training, there were only conference rooms and offices there.
The group was led into a small makeshift classroom. Long rows of tables lined with chairs were crammed in. Meryl was already sitting in the front row closest to the window. She was leaning back, hands hooked behind her head, legs perched on the table top.
Johnny, not wanting to appear to eager, found his way to the seat directly behind her. She didn't acknowledge any of the soldiers taking their seats, she just sat idly, claiming the space around her. Johnny couldn't help but stare, even if it was just the back of her head, he never got to be this close unnoticed, he felt like he was spying on her, though he knew the thought was ridiculous.
It appeared as though they would be tested on tactics theory aptitude. An unsoldier-like man stood at the head of the class, he passed out paper exams and marked his watch. Everyone, including Meryl, started writing down answers.
Mathematics and probabilities were something Johnny never needed to study, he could visualize any problem, of any complexity, like it was a photo in a frame; he could tip it to shield it from glare and bring it close to examine the details. Math was comfortably familiar to Johnny; it was black and white, and it never lied. Johnny always had a hard time reading people the way others took for granted. It made it difficult to establish friendships, it made it awkward to talk with women, it made his life confusing. But math – math was easy – it was clear and concise.
Flipping through the seemingly endless amount of pages Johnny surmised this test was supposed to be incredibly difficult and would occupy most of the day. Even so, Johnny had finished it, placing his pencil down as everyone else still struggled halfway through. Leaning his chin on his hand, protected behind his mirrored shades, he watched the fury of pencils and erasers. It was nice to be at the head of the race watching other try to catch up. A smile hidden beneath his dark mask crossed his face.
As Johnny's eyes wandered the room they stopped in front of him. He watched Meryl write. She was hunched forward, her elbows jutting out. Johnny ventured a guess as to what her handwriting looked like – probably chicken-scratch like his – though perhaps he only thought that so they would have it in common. Johnny couldn't help but trace the lines of her body with his eyes. He followed the sharp definition of her shoulders downward. He caught a glimpse of skin peaking out where Meryl's sneaking suit top met her pants. He didn't know why, there wasn't anything inappropriate about it, but Johnny found the nape of Meryl's back irresistible. He looked forward to each time she shifted her position, revealing just a bit more skin as the back of her shirt rode up.
He closed his eyes, sinking his head into his hand; he tried to imagine touching that little bit of skin and how soft it might be. His fantasies were never more elaborate than thoughts like that. He was more modest than he wanted to be, it was always the simple things that turned him on the most.
Johnny was content, he had aced the test, the classroom was warm, he was settled and comfortable, and even had some time to daydream. With his eyes closed, he lost track of time and dozed off.
Johnny didn't know how long he'd been out, but he was rudely awakened by the tabletop smacking his face. He raised his head up, looking to the ceiling, one hand grasping his nose. There was a metallic taste in the back of his throat, his nose was definitely bleeding; he wondered if everyone else could see it. As his head came back down he pieced together what had happened. His other wrist was inside Meryl's tight grip. She had yanked his hand out from underneath his chin letting gravity dole out some punishment. Angry couldn't begin to describe how she looked. In a sudden movement, Meryl threw Johnny's arm back at him, snatching his test paper from the desk.
"We're not here to nap..." The words came from her quietly, though they were anything but subtle.
It seemed Johnny hadn't been dreaming very long. The way the other soldiers looked, this situation had interrupted them mid-test.
Meryl handed the paper to the proctor. He flipped through the pages in a cursory fashion. "You've finished the whole test?" He asked it like a question, but he didn't wait for a response.
The proctor walked to a desk at the front of the room and pulled out what could only be an answer key. With a quick glance at each question, he adjusted his glasses, placed the paper down and folded his hands over it. With a stunned expression he looked at Johnny. "You finished the whole test and only missed one problem..."
Johnny, who was still holding his nose cut him off mid-sentence. "If you're talking about number 86, I didn't get it wrong." His voice was muffled and nasally.
Confused the proctor reexamined the papers. How could this soldier even know what problem he was talking about? All eyes turned to look at the befuddled man sitting at the front of the class.
"The theorem presented is impossible, read the corrected version I wrote, you'll see where you went wrong..." Johnny leaned his head back again, his nose was throbbing and he could feel moisture building around his mouth and chin. He wondered if he would have two black-eyes in the morning.
Some soldiers turned to look at Johnny, others skipped ahead in their test booklets to see the impossible problem. Meryl turned to face her test. As she flipped through the pages, it became clear she hadn't even reached the problem in question.
She climbed over the tabletop, promptly walking to where the proctor sat. Facing away from the awaiting men, she leaned her hands on the table, whispering back and forth with the man. As the proctor spoke to her, she turned her head, taking a glimpse of the soldier who had defeated what was suppose to be an impossible test.
Johnny looked back at her. He let go of his nose and pulled his shades away making it known that he was watching her. Meryl turned back to finish her conversation.
After what seemed like an eternity, Meryl turned around, leaning back on the desk, she crossed her arms and exhaled a deep breath. "The test is over, pass your papers to the front." The words were reluctant. "Today's exercise is over, I expect everyone to be back tomorrow ready for combat."
Complaints about still having time left to complete the test could be heard throughout the room. Johnny felt a shove come from behind. Even in his triumph, he was still managing to piss off everyone. "Nice one, jackass..." was the outgoing remark as the classroom emptied.
Always the last one out, Johnny stood to leave. Meryl, still leaning on the desk at the front of the room, caught Johnny off guard. "Did you cheat?" She looked him up and down like he was a piece of meat, her stare icy cold.
"No, commander." Johnny pulled off his balaclava, wiping drying blood from under his nose with the back of his hand. Johnny could feel his brow pressing downward, he didn't like being called a cheater.
Meryl nodded, turning her head to look out the window. "So, what? Are you some kind of genius?" She seemed to believe his answer.
"No." He meant it, he had never thought of himself in terms like that.
Meryl turned back to look at him, waiting for more of a response than that.
"I just... I just see the numbers, ok?" Johnny looked down as he wiped his nose again. He didn't like this conversation, it made him feel like some sort of circus act.
"And you can just do it in your head like that?"
"Yeah." Johnny's retort almost cut Meryl's question short.
"Hmm." Meryl nodded again. There was a long pause. "You should put some ice on that." She said it in passing as she walked out the door.
Johnny sat back down in his chair, he had passed another one of Meryl's tests, and it wasn't on paper. He had to smile at the situation, he just had his first real conversation with the woman he idolized, and his face was stained with blood, so much for first impressions...
Johnny wiped his nose once more, looking at the blood left on the back of hand. He sat for a few moments longer, savoring his victory, before walking back to the barracks to ready himself for what would be thrown at him next.
I think there's going to be 2 more chapters. I would love to know what you think, even if you think it's crap :-)