Page 13
Story: Orders and Obsessions
Mason said, “It’s okay, I know what those are,” without thinking. Everyone, including me, looked at him, and he looked scared when he realised what was going on.
“Eyes out front soldiers,” he said, and everyone instantly snapped back to attention.
“Go on,” he told the guard without needing to explain why.
I took shallow breaths and knew that my n****e piercings had saved me from going to jail. I have never been more grateful for my breasts in my whole life. But then the dogs showed up, pulling men behind them.
Damn.
“Hey buddy! You’re so cute, look at your little nose.” I bent down and rubbed the German shepherd’s head.
He was a little too into sniffing my breasts, but I think he mostly liked how playful my hands were and how happy they made him.
Mason yelled, “Rivers! Stand up straight right away and don’t talk to the sniffer dogs.” I stood up straight and backed up.
The dog put his two paws on my thighs and tried to jump to my breasts again. The guards exchanged glances.
“Get moving,” Mason said, and they did.
They obviously didn’t find anything after checking every bootcamp recruit for hours.
I sat in the cafeteria with a bowl of slop in front of me. Jake sat down at my table and leaned in close.
He whispered, “You didn’t put the ring back. What happened? Did they catch you?”
I looked up at Mason, who was standing to the side of the cafeteria and looking around the whole room.
There was something off about him today; his whiskey-colored eyes looked sad. But as always, he stood up straight and strict, with a deep frown on his forehead and a scary aura around him.
“No, I put it in my bra, and when the metal detector beeped, I thought it was my n****e piercings,” I said.
He opened his eyes wide and then a smug smile pulled at one side of his mouth.
“And they didn’t search you?” he asked.
“No. They know I have piercings in my nipples,” I said quickly.
“How?” His eyebrows went up, and he was completely focused on what I was saying. He kept glancing down at my breasts.
“They just do.” I didn’t have a better answer without telling the whole shower story.
I looked back at Mason, and he was looking right at us. My heart raced. He looked sad, but he was also wearing a mask that kept his true feelings from showing.
“Can I see?” Jake asked, and he was able to get my attention away from Mason. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion until I figured out what he was asking.
“No,” I laughed and pushed his hand away.
He said with a smile, “You’re no fun.”
I looked at Mason again in secret, and he was still looking our way. His eyes were different today, which was the only sign of how he was feeling.
I had never really looked at them before. I had only seen him for the tough exterior he always wears. But at this moment, something about him seemed softer, almost weak.
The professional man is gone, and in his place is a person who is suffering inside and needs to come together.
I asked Jake, “Do you think the ring might have meant something to you?” He shoved a spoonful of slop into his mouth and swallowed it without chewing.
“It’s just a ring, Riley. I don’t think he’d want to remember that if his girl said no,” Jake said in a calm voice.
“But what if he was married or engaged and his girlfriend died or something?” I bit down on my lower lip and pulled it between my teeth as I thought of ideas.
“I guess they did make a big deal out of it this morning. It’s either very valuable or impossible to replace,” Jake said.
I made up my mind: “I have to give it back.” He dropped his spoon, and some food that couldn’t be eaten spread out across the table.
“Don’t you dare!” he yelled, not caring that his voice was loud. Jake said, “They’ll send you away. He’ll kill you. He has a gun in his car.”
“I have to do the right thing. I think he is sad,” I said with a sigh.
“Riley, he doesn’t get sad! He doesn’t have feelings. He’s not a person.” Jake looked worried and slowly turned his head towards Mason, then quickly turned it back to me, eyes wide. “Shit, he’s staring right at us. Do you think he knows?”
I asked, “How could he know?” in a calm voice. He let out a sigh.
“Okay, you want to give it back. Do it in secret. Go to his block when you know he’s not there and leave it somewhere where he can see it. He lives on block A, which is the third one along. I trust you can pick locks?”
I nodded. That was a good idea. It shouldn’t be too hard to sneak into his room, and that will stop me from getting any more punishments or doing his pointless punishments.
“I’ve made up my mind to leave now that he’s in here.” Jake looked at the food I hadn’t eaten yet.
He asked with a sly smile, “Can I eat that?” I stood up and pushed the plastic plate towards him.
He told me, “Don’t get caught.”
I took one look at Mason, whose eyes seemed to follow me as I left the cafeteria and went back to my room to get the ring from my trunk.
“Rivers!” I stopped in my tracks and stood still for one of the privates.
“There’s a phone call for you.” I rolled my eyes but went to the office anyway.
I wasted fifteen minutes of my valuable time telling my uncle about everything that happened at bootcamp and talking about the legal issues in my co-defendant’s case. I was finally able to finish my mission after that.
Sierra asked me, “Where are you going so fast?”
“I have to do something, and I’m running out of time.” I searched through my trunk for the loose piece of metal I had thrown in there with some clothes.
“Oh my god, is that what they were looking for? Whose ring is that?” she said as she came closer and took it from my hand to look at it.
I told her, “Shh. Don’t tell anyone.” I didn’t answer her questions.
“Of course they sent out a whole search party. The diamonds on this are amazing! The person who owns this ring must really like diamonds,” she said.
I put the ring back on and slipped it into my bra.
His annoying words came back to me.
“You’re not a diamond in the rough.”
“You don’t say,” I said quietly as I stood up before my own mind could make him feel bad enough to not want to give his ring back.
I told Sierra, “I’ll be back soon,” and then I left the shed and ducked through the hedge to get to the staff quarters.
“Eyes out front soldiers,” he said, and everyone instantly snapped back to attention.
“Go on,” he told the guard without needing to explain why.
I took shallow breaths and knew that my n****e piercings had saved me from going to jail. I have never been more grateful for my breasts in my whole life. But then the dogs showed up, pulling men behind them.
Damn.
“Hey buddy! You’re so cute, look at your little nose.” I bent down and rubbed the German shepherd’s head.
He was a little too into sniffing my breasts, but I think he mostly liked how playful my hands were and how happy they made him.
Mason yelled, “Rivers! Stand up straight right away and don’t talk to the sniffer dogs.” I stood up straight and backed up.
The dog put his two paws on my thighs and tried to jump to my breasts again. The guards exchanged glances.
“Get moving,” Mason said, and they did.
They obviously didn’t find anything after checking every bootcamp recruit for hours.
I sat in the cafeteria with a bowl of slop in front of me. Jake sat down at my table and leaned in close.
He whispered, “You didn’t put the ring back. What happened? Did they catch you?”
I looked up at Mason, who was standing to the side of the cafeteria and looking around the whole room.
There was something off about him today; his whiskey-colored eyes looked sad. But as always, he stood up straight and strict, with a deep frown on his forehead and a scary aura around him.
“No, I put it in my bra, and when the metal detector beeped, I thought it was my n****e piercings,” I said.
He opened his eyes wide and then a smug smile pulled at one side of his mouth.
“And they didn’t search you?” he asked.
“No. They know I have piercings in my nipples,” I said quickly.
“How?” His eyebrows went up, and he was completely focused on what I was saying. He kept glancing down at my breasts.
“They just do.” I didn’t have a better answer without telling the whole shower story.
I looked back at Mason, and he was looking right at us. My heart raced. He looked sad, but he was also wearing a mask that kept his true feelings from showing.
“Can I see?” Jake asked, and he was able to get my attention away from Mason. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion until I figured out what he was asking.
“No,” I laughed and pushed his hand away.
He said with a smile, “You’re no fun.”
I looked at Mason again in secret, and he was still looking our way. His eyes were different today, which was the only sign of how he was feeling.
I had never really looked at them before. I had only seen him for the tough exterior he always wears. But at this moment, something about him seemed softer, almost weak.
The professional man is gone, and in his place is a person who is suffering inside and needs to come together.
I asked Jake, “Do you think the ring might have meant something to you?” He shoved a spoonful of slop into his mouth and swallowed it without chewing.
“It’s just a ring, Riley. I don’t think he’d want to remember that if his girl said no,” Jake said in a calm voice.
“But what if he was married or engaged and his girlfriend died or something?” I bit down on my lower lip and pulled it between my teeth as I thought of ideas.
“I guess they did make a big deal out of it this morning. It’s either very valuable or impossible to replace,” Jake said.
I made up my mind: “I have to give it back.” He dropped his spoon, and some food that couldn’t be eaten spread out across the table.
“Don’t you dare!” he yelled, not caring that his voice was loud. Jake said, “They’ll send you away. He’ll kill you. He has a gun in his car.”
“I have to do the right thing. I think he is sad,” I said with a sigh.
“Riley, he doesn’t get sad! He doesn’t have feelings. He’s not a person.” Jake looked worried and slowly turned his head towards Mason, then quickly turned it back to me, eyes wide. “Shit, he’s staring right at us. Do you think he knows?”
I asked, “How could he know?” in a calm voice. He let out a sigh.
“Okay, you want to give it back. Do it in secret. Go to his block when you know he’s not there and leave it somewhere where he can see it. He lives on block A, which is the third one along. I trust you can pick locks?”
I nodded. That was a good idea. It shouldn’t be too hard to sneak into his room, and that will stop me from getting any more punishments or doing his pointless punishments.
“I’ve made up my mind to leave now that he’s in here.” Jake looked at the food I hadn’t eaten yet.
He asked with a sly smile, “Can I eat that?” I stood up and pushed the plastic plate towards him.
He told me, “Don’t get caught.”
I took one look at Mason, whose eyes seemed to follow me as I left the cafeteria and went back to my room to get the ring from my trunk.
“Rivers!” I stopped in my tracks and stood still for one of the privates.
“There’s a phone call for you.” I rolled my eyes but went to the office anyway.
I wasted fifteen minutes of my valuable time telling my uncle about everything that happened at bootcamp and talking about the legal issues in my co-defendant’s case. I was finally able to finish my mission after that.
Sierra asked me, “Where are you going so fast?”
“I have to do something, and I’m running out of time.” I searched through my trunk for the loose piece of metal I had thrown in there with some clothes.
“Oh my god, is that what they were looking for? Whose ring is that?” she said as she came closer and took it from my hand to look at it.
I told her, “Shh. Don’t tell anyone.” I didn’t answer her questions.
“Of course they sent out a whole search party. The diamonds on this are amazing! The person who owns this ring must really like diamonds,” she said.
I put the ring back on and slipped it into my bra.
His annoying words came back to me.
“You’re not a diamond in the rough.”
“You don’t say,” I said quietly as I stood up before my own mind could make him feel bad enough to not want to give his ring back.
I told Sierra, “I’ll be back soon,” and then I left the shed and ducked through the hedge to get to the staff quarters.