Page 19
Story: Orders and Obsessions
My lips made a perfect “O” shape, and there was only silence after that as I realised I had ruined the camp’s plans.
“Then that is definitely not what we are going to do,” I said, and I didn’t sound like I meant it at all.
I could see him trying not to smile, but his lips were twitching.
“I’ll keep an eye on things,” he said.
“I suggested, “Or you could join in.”
“I will supervise,” he said again, making his role clear.
***
This was a big bonfire in the middle of a field made by two arsonists. I thought it was a small campfire. Mason had pulled out at least forty generals and privates to keep an eye on things, and they all stood at attention all over the pitch.
“I can’t believe he said yes to this,” Sierra said. I looked over at Mason, who was standing close by and looked very stiff and on guard. “How did he know?” I shrugged.
“Rumours spread quickly,” I said in response.
“He’s so freaking hot.”
She looked at him from head to toe and bit her lips like she was looking at a chocolate cake. I laughed.
“I bet he would make you call him Lieutenant in bed, look down, and say you’re a bad girl and give you all the punishments.”
I laughed even harder and looked at him again. He still didn’t look comfortable at all.
Maddie came over and licked around her s’more. “What are we talking about?”
“How dominating the Lieutenant is,” I said right away.
“Yes, I would love for him to spank my a*s and bend me over.” I shook my head in disbelief. “I wish he was easier to talk to,” she said.
“Well, have you tried talking to him? He’s totally open to talking.” They laughed at me, like my idea was the dumbest thing they’d ever heard.
“No way, he’s scary. I might get extra laps just for saying hello,” Sierra said under her breath.
“Watch and learn, ladies.” I stood up and walked to the bonfire, where I made a s’more with graham crackers, chocolate, and a marshmallow. I warmed it up by the bonfire until it was gooey and tasty, and then I walked over to Mason, feeling like my friends were watching me.
Mason kept his eyes open and looked at everything that was going on. As I got closer, his body twitched a little, but he didn’t move.
“I made you a s’more,” I said, but my voice sounded small and quiet.
“I don’t want it, Rivers.” He said this loudly and kept his eyes on the road.
“Rivers?” I asked in a low voice.
He didn’t move, so I held the S’more up to his nose and waved it around. He kept his eyes on the road and his body stiff.
“Are you sure? It’s really good.”
I could hear Sierra and Maddie laughing from far away. I turned to look at them and laughed too. Mason’s jaw was tight with anger.
“Fine, your loss,” I said, and then I ate the dripping marshmallow.
He only moved his eyes to look at me for a second before pointing them back out front.
“I heard you,” he said in a stiff voice, as if he was trying not to move his lips as he spoke. “Talking with them about… me.” He spoke so softly now that it sounded like a mumble.
I asked, “Oh. Are you mad at me for that or something?” His eyes got a little bigger, but in the end he didn’t do anything.
“No,” he said. “But it’s an odd choice of conversation.” I laughed without thinking.
“Mason, your d**k and what you do with it take up at least 90% of our conversations. They think you’re hot.”
I licked more sticky marshmallow. He looked at me for a split second before going back to what he was doing.
“And you?” I asked, my brows furrowing in confusion.
I asked quietly, “What?”
“Do you?” he asked again.
I sucked my lips in to stop my smile from getting bigger.
“No, don’t answer that. That was… uh… too much.”
I could have answered him right away, but now that I knew he wanted to know, I wanted to keep it from him and let him stew.
“Stop bothering me, Rivers, or I’ll put out this bonfire and call for lights out.” He was back to his normal loud, bossy voice.
“Keeping your reputation, I see,” I said under my breath before walking away and joining my friends.
I stood in line with the other recruits while Mason and the other privates paired up the troops based on their size and/or skill level.
I was getting impatient and couldn’t help but let out a few sighs here and there. People around me disappeared in pairs until I was the only one left.
“Ahh, Rivers,” Mason said, looking over his charts. God only knows why, since it was clear that I was the only one left without a partner. “We seem to have an odd number of people. That’s a puzzle.”
One of the privates said, “I could partner with her Lieutenant Sir.” Mason looked at him.
“There’s no need, Private. I guess this is a good chance for me to help her improve her skills. She has a lot of work to do.”
I put my lips together.
Don’t say anything back.
Don’t say anything back.
Don’t say anything back.
I didn’t miss the smile that made Mason’s lips twitch.
“Left, right left, left, right left!” Mason yelled, telling me to march. I stepped in queue next to him and marched straight to the lake. As soon as the privates couldn’t see us anymore, I stopped marching and walked next to him. He asked in his normal voice, “Did I tell you to stop marching?”
I said, “No, but I guess I need a lot of work.”
He laughed out loud, but it was a splutter. “Get in the raft, dummy.” He pointed to a small orange boat for two people that was floating on the river. I wasn’t very sure about it, but I stepped in and carefully sat down on one of the seats. He got in on the other side of me.
“I can’t believe I’m stuck with you. Everyone else is probably just lying on the bank and getting some sun. You’re making me get into this death trap and float up the river.”
“You will be rewarded with better health and skill.” He said this with a shy smile, and his neck turned red with embarrassment until it reached the tips of his ears.
“I’d rather get a golden tan.” He picked up the ore and gave me one as we rowed up the river. It hurt my arm a little at first, but thanks to his strength, we were able to move at a decent speed.
“Uh, Mason?” He turned to me, looking calm and relaxed. His dark blonde hair blew in the wind, and in the sun, his eyes looked almost golden.
“Shouldn’t the water be outside the boat?” I asked as I splashed in the puddle that was getting bigger around my feet. He looked down at the floor, and all of a sudden he wasn’t so carefree anymore.
“Shit,” he said quietly, looking around for the source of the hole.
“Then that is definitely not what we are going to do,” I said, and I didn’t sound like I meant it at all.
I could see him trying not to smile, but his lips were twitching.
“I’ll keep an eye on things,” he said.
“I suggested, “Or you could join in.”
“I will supervise,” he said again, making his role clear.
***
This was a big bonfire in the middle of a field made by two arsonists. I thought it was a small campfire. Mason had pulled out at least forty generals and privates to keep an eye on things, and they all stood at attention all over the pitch.
“I can’t believe he said yes to this,” Sierra said. I looked over at Mason, who was standing close by and looked very stiff and on guard. “How did he know?” I shrugged.
“Rumours spread quickly,” I said in response.
“He’s so freaking hot.”
She looked at him from head to toe and bit her lips like she was looking at a chocolate cake. I laughed.
“I bet he would make you call him Lieutenant in bed, look down, and say you’re a bad girl and give you all the punishments.”
I laughed even harder and looked at him again. He still didn’t look comfortable at all.
Maddie came over and licked around her s’more. “What are we talking about?”
“How dominating the Lieutenant is,” I said right away.
“Yes, I would love for him to spank my a*s and bend me over.” I shook my head in disbelief. “I wish he was easier to talk to,” she said.
“Well, have you tried talking to him? He’s totally open to talking.” They laughed at me, like my idea was the dumbest thing they’d ever heard.
“No way, he’s scary. I might get extra laps just for saying hello,” Sierra said under her breath.
“Watch and learn, ladies.” I stood up and walked to the bonfire, where I made a s’more with graham crackers, chocolate, and a marshmallow. I warmed it up by the bonfire until it was gooey and tasty, and then I walked over to Mason, feeling like my friends were watching me.
Mason kept his eyes open and looked at everything that was going on. As I got closer, his body twitched a little, but he didn’t move.
“I made you a s’more,” I said, but my voice sounded small and quiet.
“I don’t want it, Rivers.” He said this loudly and kept his eyes on the road.
“Rivers?” I asked in a low voice.
He didn’t move, so I held the S’more up to his nose and waved it around. He kept his eyes on the road and his body stiff.
“Are you sure? It’s really good.”
I could hear Sierra and Maddie laughing from far away. I turned to look at them and laughed too. Mason’s jaw was tight with anger.
“Fine, your loss,” I said, and then I ate the dripping marshmallow.
He only moved his eyes to look at me for a second before pointing them back out front.
“I heard you,” he said in a stiff voice, as if he was trying not to move his lips as he spoke. “Talking with them about… me.” He spoke so softly now that it sounded like a mumble.
I asked, “Oh. Are you mad at me for that or something?” His eyes got a little bigger, but in the end he didn’t do anything.
“No,” he said. “But it’s an odd choice of conversation.” I laughed without thinking.
“Mason, your d**k and what you do with it take up at least 90% of our conversations. They think you’re hot.”
I licked more sticky marshmallow. He looked at me for a split second before going back to what he was doing.
“And you?” I asked, my brows furrowing in confusion.
I asked quietly, “What?”
“Do you?” he asked again.
I sucked my lips in to stop my smile from getting bigger.
“No, don’t answer that. That was… uh… too much.”
I could have answered him right away, but now that I knew he wanted to know, I wanted to keep it from him and let him stew.
“Stop bothering me, Rivers, or I’ll put out this bonfire and call for lights out.” He was back to his normal loud, bossy voice.
“Keeping your reputation, I see,” I said under my breath before walking away and joining my friends.
I stood in line with the other recruits while Mason and the other privates paired up the troops based on their size and/or skill level.
I was getting impatient and couldn’t help but let out a few sighs here and there. People around me disappeared in pairs until I was the only one left.
“Ahh, Rivers,” Mason said, looking over his charts. God only knows why, since it was clear that I was the only one left without a partner. “We seem to have an odd number of people. That’s a puzzle.”
One of the privates said, “I could partner with her Lieutenant Sir.” Mason looked at him.
“There’s no need, Private. I guess this is a good chance for me to help her improve her skills. She has a lot of work to do.”
I put my lips together.
Don’t say anything back.
Don’t say anything back.
Don’t say anything back.
I didn’t miss the smile that made Mason’s lips twitch.
“Left, right left, left, right left!” Mason yelled, telling me to march. I stepped in queue next to him and marched straight to the lake. As soon as the privates couldn’t see us anymore, I stopped marching and walked next to him. He asked in his normal voice, “Did I tell you to stop marching?”
I said, “No, but I guess I need a lot of work.”
He laughed out loud, but it was a splutter. “Get in the raft, dummy.” He pointed to a small orange boat for two people that was floating on the river. I wasn’t very sure about it, but I stepped in and carefully sat down on one of the seats. He got in on the other side of me.
“I can’t believe I’m stuck with you. Everyone else is probably just lying on the bank and getting some sun. You’re making me get into this death trap and float up the river.”
“You will be rewarded with better health and skill.” He said this with a shy smile, and his neck turned red with embarrassment until it reached the tips of his ears.
“I’d rather get a golden tan.” He picked up the ore and gave me one as we rowed up the river. It hurt my arm a little at first, but thanks to his strength, we were able to move at a decent speed.
“Uh, Mason?” He turned to me, looking calm and relaxed. His dark blonde hair blew in the wind, and in the sun, his eyes looked almost golden.
“Shouldn’t the water be outside the boat?” I asked as I splashed in the puddle that was getting bigger around my feet. He looked down at the floor, and all of a sudden he wasn’t so carefree anymore.
“Shit,” he said quietly, looking around for the source of the hole.