Page 14
Story: Orders and Obsessions
I looked at the lock on his shed and kept an eye out for anyone who might be walking by. It was dangerous because it was the first time I had been on this side of the hedge during the day.
I pulled on the handle without thinking and saw that the door was unlocked. I pushed it open, stepped inside quickly, and closed the door behind me.
Mason’s voice yelled from behind me, “What the f**k?” I closed my eyes and let the regret wash over me. Then I slowly turned to look at him.
He was sitting on a brown leather couch in front of a TV with a remote control in his hand.
I blinked at what I saw. It was strange because it looked so normal.
He got up and walked to the window. He looked out and turned his head to the left and right to see all the ways his street went. Then he took my hand and led me to the centre of the room.
His living space was small, but it looked like a palace compared to mine. There was a double bed against the back wall. It had a pine frame and a powder blue buffalo check duvet on it. To the left, he had three kitchen units that held a sink, a microwave, a coffee maker and a small fridge and freezer. In front of an old box TV was a three-person couch.
“You were in the cafeteria,” I weakly pointed out.
His eyebrows shot up, and his face lit up with rage.
“I haven’t been in the cafeteria for half an hour. But you obviously wanted my spot empty, so what the hell are you doing here, Riley?”
He crossed his arms over his strong chest and squinted at me. I looked down at his boots and straightened up.
“Sorry, Lieutenant Sir. I messed up,” I said with confidence, just how he likes it.
“This is a huge mistake.”
Damn.
“Can I speak to the Lieutenant?”
He laughed.
His laughter echoed off the wooden walls of his home. They moved through my body, wrapping around me like a hug and squeezing me tightly.
He then remembered who he was and stopped laughing, bringing back all of his professionalism.
I kept my head down and stood up straight like a soldier. I’m going to get in a lot of trouble for this. I can only avoid being sent away so many times. This time, I was definitely gone.
“Why are you acting strange?” he asked. I looked up at him. His eyes were the same colour as the perfect snack, with hints of caramel and cocoa. I wondered if he was just as sweet under the tough exterior he wears.
“Isn’t that how you like to be called?” I asked in a confused way.
“No,” he said in a sharp voice. “Yes,” he said in response. “Since when have you ever followed the rules?” he finally said.
“I promised you I would because you didn’t tell your precious commander about me,” I said in a low voice.
He slowly looked around his living space, a smile on his face.
“And how are you keeping that promise so far?” he asked, a smile almost hidden on his lips.
I looked down again, feeling a little worse for breaking my promise to him. I promised to be the best soldier, but I took his car for a joy ride, stole his diamond ring, and broke into his private space.
I could feel his strong fingers gently grip my chin, and he slowly pushed my face up to look at him.
I felt butterflies in my stomach, and my lips parted slightly. I had never felt that way before.
“What are you doing here, Riley?” he asked in a serious voice that made my head hurt.
I slowly closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again. Putting my hand down my T-shirt and grabbing the ring. Then I held my arm out and saw the diamonds sparkle on my hand.
Mason looked at my hand and took a few steps back. Then he blinked and blinked again, as if he was trying to understand what his eyes were telling him.
“I didn’t mean to take it. I tried it on and then forgot to take it off. It was only this morning—”
“Shut up!” he yelled, and my whole body jumped in fear.
There was no sign of his rare kindness from a moment ago. The Lieutenant’s voice was back, strong and sharp.
He turned away from me and walked a few steps with his hands on his head. He was very angry.
“Do you have a personal grudge against me?” he asked, turning back to face me with his thick brow furrowing. He looked mad, and maybe even a little hurt.
“No, what?” I said in my defence.
“Is it because I treat you differently?” He ran his fingers through his short hair and walked around the room again.
“You do?” I said in a low voice.
“You take advantage of that,” he said, and I frowned. “I’m so dumb,” he said quietly to himself.
He stopped walking around and angrily took the ring from my hand. He stood up straight and took a deep, calming breath.
“Rivers, straighten up and look down.”
He yelled, and the force of his words sent thick gusts of air hitting my face.
I did what he told me to do.
He looked at my body. He told me to “tuck in your shirt.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, tucking my shirt into my waist.
He looked at me like he was sick of me; to him, I was just a dirty criminal.
“You stole my car. Who helped you?” He said through clenched teeth.
“Nobody,” I said quickly. “I did it by myself, Lieutenant Sir.” I remembered my manners.
He asked with a lot of anger, “Jake didn’t have anything to do with this?” I could tell from the way he spoke that he already knew Jake was involved. I would never say it out loud.
“I swear it was just me, Lieutenant.” I said without thinking.
He said in a cold voice, “I need you gone.”
“Okay, I can leave.” I turned towards the door, really grateful that he was letting me get away from him.
“No,” he said, stopping me. “I need you gone.” He said it again, this time in a more serious tone, and I knew he meant he needed me to leave the bootcamp.
I asked him quietly, “Are you going to tell the commander?” His eyes looked sad and full of regret.
“Do you leave me much choice, Riley? You s**k at drills, you always look at me, and you talk back.” A few lines of frown appeared on my forehead. I wanted to roll my eyes at his scolding, but for some reason I didn’t. I looked down instead. “When I punish you, I feel bad, but I don’t know why.” My head shot up right away, and my eyebrows went up.
“You left the bootcamp and got seven other girls to go with you. I couldn’t help but cover for you. You disrespect me on the pitch all the time, but I let it slide. You f*****g jumped in my shower. Do you know how off-limits that is? Do you know what I would lose if the commander found out?” My mouth fell open and I shook my head very slowly.
I pulled on the handle without thinking and saw that the door was unlocked. I pushed it open, stepped inside quickly, and closed the door behind me.
Mason’s voice yelled from behind me, “What the f**k?” I closed my eyes and let the regret wash over me. Then I slowly turned to look at him.
He was sitting on a brown leather couch in front of a TV with a remote control in his hand.
I blinked at what I saw. It was strange because it looked so normal.
He got up and walked to the window. He looked out and turned his head to the left and right to see all the ways his street went. Then he took my hand and led me to the centre of the room.
His living space was small, but it looked like a palace compared to mine. There was a double bed against the back wall. It had a pine frame and a powder blue buffalo check duvet on it. To the left, he had three kitchen units that held a sink, a microwave, a coffee maker and a small fridge and freezer. In front of an old box TV was a three-person couch.
“You were in the cafeteria,” I weakly pointed out.
His eyebrows shot up, and his face lit up with rage.
“I haven’t been in the cafeteria for half an hour. But you obviously wanted my spot empty, so what the hell are you doing here, Riley?”
He crossed his arms over his strong chest and squinted at me. I looked down at his boots and straightened up.
“Sorry, Lieutenant Sir. I messed up,” I said with confidence, just how he likes it.
“This is a huge mistake.”
Damn.
“Can I speak to the Lieutenant?”
He laughed.
His laughter echoed off the wooden walls of his home. They moved through my body, wrapping around me like a hug and squeezing me tightly.
He then remembered who he was and stopped laughing, bringing back all of his professionalism.
I kept my head down and stood up straight like a soldier. I’m going to get in a lot of trouble for this. I can only avoid being sent away so many times. This time, I was definitely gone.
“Why are you acting strange?” he asked. I looked up at him. His eyes were the same colour as the perfect snack, with hints of caramel and cocoa. I wondered if he was just as sweet under the tough exterior he wears.
“Isn’t that how you like to be called?” I asked in a confused way.
“No,” he said in a sharp voice. “Yes,” he said in response. “Since when have you ever followed the rules?” he finally said.
“I promised you I would because you didn’t tell your precious commander about me,” I said in a low voice.
He slowly looked around his living space, a smile on his face.
“And how are you keeping that promise so far?” he asked, a smile almost hidden on his lips.
I looked down again, feeling a little worse for breaking my promise to him. I promised to be the best soldier, but I took his car for a joy ride, stole his diamond ring, and broke into his private space.
I could feel his strong fingers gently grip my chin, and he slowly pushed my face up to look at him.
I felt butterflies in my stomach, and my lips parted slightly. I had never felt that way before.
“What are you doing here, Riley?” he asked in a serious voice that made my head hurt.
I slowly closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again. Putting my hand down my T-shirt and grabbing the ring. Then I held my arm out and saw the diamonds sparkle on my hand.
Mason looked at my hand and took a few steps back. Then he blinked and blinked again, as if he was trying to understand what his eyes were telling him.
“I didn’t mean to take it. I tried it on and then forgot to take it off. It was only this morning—”
“Shut up!” he yelled, and my whole body jumped in fear.
There was no sign of his rare kindness from a moment ago. The Lieutenant’s voice was back, strong and sharp.
He turned away from me and walked a few steps with his hands on his head. He was very angry.
“Do you have a personal grudge against me?” he asked, turning back to face me with his thick brow furrowing. He looked mad, and maybe even a little hurt.
“No, what?” I said in my defence.
“Is it because I treat you differently?” He ran his fingers through his short hair and walked around the room again.
“You do?” I said in a low voice.
“You take advantage of that,” he said, and I frowned. “I’m so dumb,” he said quietly to himself.
He stopped walking around and angrily took the ring from my hand. He stood up straight and took a deep, calming breath.
“Rivers, straighten up and look down.”
He yelled, and the force of his words sent thick gusts of air hitting my face.
I did what he told me to do.
He looked at my body. He told me to “tuck in your shirt.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, tucking my shirt into my waist.
He looked at me like he was sick of me; to him, I was just a dirty criminal.
“You stole my car. Who helped you?” He said through clenched teeth.
“Nobody,” I said quickly. “I did it by myself, Lieutenant Sir.” I remembered my manners.
He asked with a lot of anger, “Jake didn’t have anything to do with this?” I could tell from the way he spoke that he already knew Jake was involved. I would never say it out loud.
“I swear it was just me, Lieutenant.” I said without thinking.
He said in a cold voice, “I need you gone.”
“Okay, I can leave.” I turned towards the door, really grateful that he was letting me get away from him.
“No,” he said, stopping me. “I need you gone.” He said it again, this time in a more serious tone, and I knew he meant he needed me to leave the bootcamp.
I asked him quietly, “Are you going to tell the commander?” His eyes looked sad and full of regret.
“Do you leave me much choice, Riley? You s**k at drills, you always look at me, and you talk back.” A few lines of frown appeared on my forehead. I wanted to roll my eyes at his scolding, but for some reason I didn’t. I looked down instead. “When I punish you, I feel bad, but I don’t know why.” My head shot up right away, and my eyebrows went up.
“You left the bootcamp and got seven other girls to go with you. I couldn’t help but cover for you. You disrespect me on the pitch all the time, but I let it slide. You f*****g jumped in my shower. Do you know how off-limits that is? Do you know what I would lose if the commander found out?” My mouth fell open and I shook my head very slowly.