Chapter 2
2286 Words
~Christa~
At five am we rushed to the training grounds after I had to wake the guys up. Cappie and Tank are already standing in front of our squad waiting for us, and we quickly take our positions.
Cappie: “Thank you for joining us.”
He smiles, and I just know we are going to pay double time for last night in the dining room and this! We stand at attention and Tank walks out the way.
Freddie: “F@ck!”
He whispers under his breath.
Miller: “Shut up!”
After we said, goodnight, the two of them took the left-over beer and had a party on their own, so they stink like a brewery, and there is no hiding it!
Tank: “Cappie, we have a couple of hungover friends here, and, by the looks of it, a teammate that stuck by her friends.”
Cappie: “Teamwork! Now that’s what I like to hear. Unfortunately, the rest of the squad didn’t make sure that the trouble makers stuck to the rules and arrived on time. What was it that I said yesterday, Tank?”
He holds his hand behinds his ear pretending to really listen and Tank shouts from just behind us, making that headache really hit home.
Tank: “We work as a team, Cappie!!”
Cappie: “Right, so, in today’s training we will learn how to suffer as a team because we can’t work together as a team!!”
He shouts and we hear complaints all around the squad…
Freddie: “F@CK!”
Miller: “SHUT UP!”
Christa: “Next time we drink as a team.”
I whisper trying to think of a way to get us out of the trouble we are going to be in after PT.
Cappie: “Thanks to our teammates we aren’t going to start with a nice walk in the park. We are going to run to the tree over there and back. If you can beat me, you can sit out training for the next hour. If you can’t… I will sit out training and you will run another fifty laps.”
Freddie: “F@ck...”
He sounds like he is about to cry, and Miller and I both tell him to shut up. Okay, so, I ran track at high school… How fast can this guy really be?
We all line up at the starting point and Tank counts us off.
Tank: “Ready… set… GO!”
I run as fast as I can, not even turning to look behind me in case it takes time off my lap. When I come around the tree, I see Cappie and Tank at the starting point laughing their butts off, but fine! I keep up my run and make sure I pass the finish line first.
Christa: “I beat you.”
I say confidently. Cappie checks the time and Tank pulls out an award with a time printed on it. Turning around the frame, I made it by one second.
Cappie: “Well, well, I do believe you hold the new record. You beat my original time by one second. You can rest, mutt. The others, keep on running until the last person has done his fifty laps!”
What the hell? That is cheating! He said nothing about beating his record from when he was a cadet! But at least I did it! I just feel sorry for Miller and especially Freddie who is clearly the one dragging the squad behind.
By the time he finishes his fifty laps, the others probably did a hundred!
Cappie: “Now you all can have a seat. Tank, give these mutts some water before they pass out on us. As Bradley here found out, the time you had to beat was my original record for my first run on my first day. What you still didn’t learn, is teamwork. If you lot wanted to finish faster you simply had to pick up old dead as a doornail over there and carry him over the finish line!”
Tank: “Cappie, but then Bradley ran into the burning building first without back-up, so she is dead I guess.”
Cappie: “That is true, Tank, absolutely true.”
Oh, hell, what do they have planned for us now?!
Cappie: “We can’t leave a teammate behind. Do you mutts see those poles over there? Not the reeds… The nice thick wooden poles? We are going to practice carrying our dead teammates’ home!”
Tank: “You heard what the man said! Get you’re a**es up!!”
Miller: “At least you got a bit of a rest.”
He whispers as we run to the poles
Christa: “Yeah, and a bullseye on my back.”
We decided that seeing as the three of us are the outlaws, we will work together and grab a pole where the other teams are grouped in teams of four. I’m lucky to be tall enough to run with the boys and they are gentlemanly enough to let me take the middle.
What we didn’t see until we took up our places in the next square, is the hill we have to run. Freddie is about to swear again when Tank walks past us.
Tank: “Shut up, Campbell!”
Making both me and Miller fight not to laugh. With the alcohol out of our systems by now and something to prove
Christa: “Guys, I have a plan to fix things, give the squad a head start we will pick up the slack at the back and push them forward. That way we can make sure the entire squad makes it over the line in time and we don’t suffer anymore because of us.”
Freddie: “Dude, I don’t think…”
Miller: “Dude, that’s the problem… Don’t think, just run!”
We put Freddie in the front so we can push him from behind and when the whistle blows, we give them a slight head start and I watch Cappie’s reaction as we “wait” for the pack to get a move on.
As I predicted there are the ones who either can’t make it up the hill or can’t carry the weight of the poles, so we shift the weight and take on a second pole with stronger guys and let the fast runners run behind us to push boost our confidence.
We keep adding this on until we reach the front team… The pep squad… They throw a hissy fit and refuse to do it our way, saying we are going to get them into trouble and have us do harder exercises. But it’s too late to make any changes because we are coming over the top of the hill on the other side and on our way back down to the square.
Cappie and Tank have already seen our strategy and we are basically running onto the grounds as a team as they asked… One squad… Even with the pretty preps that did not want to join the rest of us.
Tank: “I think they cheated.”
He laughs, standing next to Cappie with his hands on his hips.
Cappie: “I think this bunch is at least a bit smarter than the last lot.”
He joins in the laughter.
Cappie: “So you learned about teamwork. Whose clever idea was this?”
We stand still not letting go of one single pole and not saying a word. Nobody wanting to claim the recognition, just in case, there are repercussions.
Cappie: “Come on, someone had to have come up with the idea. Who is the clever little mutt in the team?”
Not a peep until Chante pipes up.
Chante: “It was me, Sir. You asked for teamwork, but someone has to lead a team.”
Little liar!! She is part of the pep squad that didn’t want to do it!! But we say nothing.
Cappie: “Well done, little Legacy. Great way to take charge of a squad.”
She grins proudly and the guys and I roll our eyes and her teacher’s pet look. She just has to go sit on his lap and put a lollipop in her mouth and the picture would be complete.
Cappie: “Only thing is Legacy… You see there are remote microphones in each pole… And we know that it was a girl and it sure as hell wasn’t you. You just lied to your commanding officer. I will deal with you after training. Now, that leaves two girls. One I know for a fact is the one I’m looking for because her group left last.”
He walks up to me, standing in front of me as close as the poles would allow.
Cappie: “We heard you, even whispering, those microphones are state of the art little miss mutt. I will see you after training as well. Well, done on getting your squad over the finish line.”
He grins at me and I almost jump out of my skin. He looks like the Joker when he smiles like that… He only needs the make-up!
Cappie: “You’re in luck boys and girls. It seems I have some disciplinary action to take care of now. Squad dismissed until tomorrow morning at five. Am. SHARP. MUTTS!! ALL OF YOU!”
He points in our direction and I blush bright red.
Freddie: “F@uckit...”
Miller: “Shut up, Freddie. What do you think he wants Bradley?”
We put down the two poles and it feels like the weight of the world is lifted off my shoulders. Some of the squad members walk over to thank us for our brilliant idea and others just look us up and down… Especially the pep squad.
I shrug.
Christa: “I have no idea, but whatever it is, it can’t be good. I will see you guys later. Better not keep him waiting.”
I make my way off the field and to the offices. Walking down the passage, I hear his bouldering voice having a go at Chante. She doesn’t stand back and keep quiet like a good soldier though. She fights back as if she is entitled and all I can think is that she is making it worse for herself.
Just as I’m about to reach the door, it slams open and she storms out. Seeing me she stops.
Chante: “YOU! I wish I had never met you! Piece of low class, nobody, trash! Thank you for ruining my perfect future!”
Storming out of the building, she leaves me standing there with my jaw open and speechless. I’m hardly ever left speechless… Has she been kicked out? I didn’t mean for that to happen… She can’t blame me for that, surely.
Cappie: “Come in, Bradley!”
He shouts and I find him and Tank sitting in his office smiling and talking as if nothing had just happened. I'm about to ask him about it when he bursts out laughing. The concern on my face must have given me away.
Cappie: “Don’t worry about that drama queen. You didn’t ruin anything for her. She should have thought twice before lying to me. She thinks I’m going to write a note on her permanent record, but I just wanted to put her in her place after her attitude and ego got a bit huge for my liking.”
I was going to say something, with my hand still in the air pointing at the open door, but decide against it, closing my mouth and standing at attention.
Cappie: “At ease mutt. Okay, so you are a bit of a trouble maker, but you made up for it today. I’m impressed with how you got those two wild boys to work with you and get the entire squad together so fast. Most squads take at least a week to catch on.”
I don’t know if he is complimenting me or going to discipline me for it, so I just stand there with as blank as an expression as I can muster.
Tank: “It’s a compliment, mutt. Usually, you say thank you when you get a compliment.”
I look wide-eyed at him.
Christa: “Oh, sh!t, sorry, thank you!”
Realizing what I had just said, I smack my hand over my mouth, slowly letting it down to behind my back when they both burst out laughing.
Christa: “Thank you, Cappie.”
I try again, blushing blood red.
Cappie: “We see a lot of leadership potential in you, Bradley. Don’t stuff it up by choosing the wrong friends, and if it has to be those two, keep them in line. Who knows? You three might just make it to the dream team of the squad. Now, stuff off before you grow a big head and I have to punish you tomorrow!”
He gives me a wink and I blush blood red again, making Tank burst out laughing.
Tank: “Now see what you did to the poor girl!”
I make myself scarce as quickly as possible and decide to go take a shower before meeting up with the guys. Finding Chante in our room busy telling Daniella how I’m the reason she has been so humiliated.
Christa: “Girl! Maybe you should try not to sit on his lap next time.”
I wink at her and Daniella gasps.
Daniella: “You did what?!”
On my way out I hear Chante’s protests and Daniella telling her off, making me smile.
Christa: “Today was a good day.”
- Writer
