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“Is all of this just a way to impress your dad, or do you really care about your job?”
His face got hard and his shoulders straightened. He quickly raised his guard and pulled all of his feelings out of his eyes. He coughed.
“Stand to attention, soldier,” he yelled. I stared at him with no expression. “Now Rivers.” I didn’t want to, but I got out of bed and stood up straight, putting my hand on my head. “Um… the T-shirt rises up,” he said, his voice shaking and his face turning red. I let go of my arm and pulled on his big sweatpants.
I changed the subject and asked, “Behind the cafeteria?” He nodded. “Be quick sending the general.” I tucked the bottom of his trousers into my boots and left, avoiding the many staff members who were walking around the quarters this morning. I was lucky enough to get behind the cafeteria without anyone seeing me. I lay down in the foetal position and closed my eyes.
“Rivers! Wake up.” I jumped up and said something that didn’t make sense. “Have you been drinking? He’s really going to have your tits for this,” the general said in a low voice.
“No, I passed out. I think I’m sick. I need medical.” The general looked down at what I was wearing and stayed quiet for a few seconds while he took it all in. “Did you sleepwalk?” he asked.
“Uh, I can’t remember. I’m so confused. I think I’m going to pass out again.” I sucked in my lips so I wouldn’t smile at how stupid he was. He used his walkie-talkie.
“This is yellow swan calling for red dog.” Mason answered right away.
“This is red dog answering yellow swans call, what’s up general?” My desire to smile only grew stronger.
“Sir, I’ve found Rivers. She looks a little weak. She was passed out and is asking for medical help. May I be so bold as to say that she doesn’t seem to be in good spirits at all?”
“She’s fine, general. Take her to the field.” I grumbled and fell to the floor again, closing my eyes.
“Sir, she has passed out again. She needs medical help.” Mason actually sighed into his walkie-talkie. I could picture how angry he would look. I had to bite my cheek to keep from laughing out loud.
“Okay, general. Send her back to bed and call a doctor to check on her. Let all the recruits know that I will be stopping by their quarters at 1700 hours. Over and out.”
The dumb general helped me back to my dorm and put me in bed. It felt even worse now that I had slept in Masons’ bed, which was a luxury. A nurse came in a little while later and checked my temperature, blood pressure, and pulse rate. Everything was fine.
“I’ll tell the Lieutenant that your body crashed because you worked too hard.” She smiled sweetly at me.
“I know he’ll love that,” I said in a croaky voice.
“Get some sleep; you’ll be fine by tomorrow.”
I closed my eyes and enjoyed the rare quietness of my room. I also felt smart for coming up with this clever plan.
“Rivers!” He yelled right next to my ear, making my heart drop out of my mouth.
I yelled in a high-pitched voice, “You f*****g idiot!” while holding my heart.
He began to laugh.
I got out of bed and looked around. The sun was setting behind the thin glass windows, and my room was empty.
“That’s not how you should talk to your Lieutenant,” he said quietly.
He pulled over a chair and sat down next to my bed, putting his feet up on the frame.
“How was your day of nursing your hangover all by yourself in bed?” I yawned and stretched.
“Yes,” I said with a proud smile.
“That was smart; you got away with everything. You do know you’re going to really make up for that tomorrow?” My smile faded, but his smile grew.
I said, “Do you like hurting people?”
“It’s my favourite thing to do,” he said with a laugh.
When the door opened, you could hear muffled laughter and voices coming through the wooden walls. Mason jumped up from his chair right away and stood up straight. He acted like he was doing something wrong and was going to get caught. Sierra, Raven, and Amber walked in, saw Mason, and then stopped talking.
They stood at attention.
“At ease, soldiers,” Mason said in a stern voice.
His voice was back to being authoritative, his posture was tense, and his face was completely straight.
“It looks like Rivers is feeling a little sick. Make sure she doesn’t cause any more trouble tonight.” He saluted the room and left.
The girls calmed down right away and ran over to my bed.
They asked me a lot of questions, like, “Oh my god! What the f**k happened? Why are you still here?”
I shrugged. “I woke up this morning at the back of the cafeteria and told the general I fainted. He gave me a day in bed to get better.” I hoped they couldn’t see through my lie.
Sierra said, “You lucky bitch! The Lieutenant went so hard on us today. It’s like he knew we were all hungover or something.”
I picked up a bottle of water from the floor and started drinking it to keep my lips busy. I was so happy that I had a break from the awful bootcamp.
Amber said, “Let’s toast some s’mores tonight.” They’re giving some away in the cafeteria right now, and the guys are loading up on them to give away later.
“Sounds nice,” I said quietly as I got up and grabbed my shower caddy. “I’m going to take a shower,” I said. The girls laughed and shook their heads.
It took me about an hour to wash and blow dry my hair. It had become my safe place here. It made me realise how much I’ve missed taking hot showers in the last few days.
I folded Mason’s clothes neatly and put them in a bag. Then I opened the door to make sure no one was around before I walked through the staff quarters and stopped at Mason’s shed on the way back to my own.
“Wow!” He yelled when I opened the door and walked in.
“Sorry, I can’t just knock and wait for you to answer.” I said, looking away from his almost naked body. I’m sure he was still getting dressed, but at a faster pace.
“Your hair looks freshly washed and blow dried.” The way he said it made it sound like he was accusing her of something.
“Do you want me to answer that or just say thank you?” He shook his head and rolled his eyes.
He cleverly decided to say, “Don’t answer that.”
I gave him the plastic bag, and he took it and looked inside with interest. “Your clothes,” I awkwardly pointed out.
He threw the bag on the floor and sat on the end of his bed, rubbing lotion into his hands. I held back a smile at this tough, professional, man’s man who was proud of how he looked.
“You know you’re going to get caught sneaking around here, there, and everywhere.”
I put my hands up to protect myself.
“I promise this is the last time I’ll come here.” He straightened his lips into a thin line and nodded.
I was about to leave when I looked back at him. “Tonight the recruits are making s’mores around a campfire. Why don’t you join us?” His brows knitted together and his eyes narrowed.
“Riley, you can’t make open fires without supervision,” he said to me suddenly.
“Oh.” That was all I could say in response.