The First Day

"Get up, ladies!" someone shouted. I opened my eyes weakly. It was morning, but it was still dark. I got up and cracked my back. Others moaned and groaned. Glenn even got up and fell to the floor. "Already?!" one yelled.

A man with an Army hat, bright tan uniform and black shoes. He barely had a double chin and he had no beard.

"Stand in line right here," he said. Everyone stood there.

I slouched and scratched my back. "Unnh," I groaned. The man looked at me. "So I see, you're scratching your back. Hmm?" he said.

I looked around in confusion. I can't tell what he's talking about. "Oh yeah, now you're confused. You think the army can slouch. Slouch in training, and slouch in war?"

"No sir, I don't believe so sir."

"Well, then act like it!" he shouted. "What's your name?"

"Tyrant."

"Hmm, they really picked a name for you. And yet you can't live up to it!" he said.

Is this training or is it 'I'm trying to shame you'?

"I'm gonna call you Slouch. Since you like to slouch all the time. Tired from the woods?" he barked. He walked away. I had about enough of his time.

He went to a Native looking man. "You," he said, ready to pick on him—if I'm right. "Did you join the army instead of the tribe? Or unless, your tribe is being controlled by Japan. I heard where guys used to be enemies—maybe still are.

It was a few seconds—of silence. The man started yelling like an indian war cry. The Native—actually Indian started yelling.

Glenn chuckled a bit. "I'll call you Chief," he said. "You are perfect to run the tribe." Then he turned to Glenn, out of the many others from there.

"Hmm, let me say something here," he said. "You look like a girl." Glenn's expression turned dark. "Sir, I don't know what you're doing but I surely don't like it," Glenn said.

Sarge smiled. "Well, I surely don't like what you're doing. In this army, we accept to show strength and might. Not this," he said, patting Glenn's hair.

It wasn't so long. But it was longer than normal. "Now, I want one hundred push ups here now!" he yelled.

Everyone went down. I'm so glad that it was done with. Thank God. "One, two three, four," people shouted. "Is this how the army is like? Always?" I asked. "Is this worse than the battlefield?"

"The battlefield is way worse," Glenn said. "We are always afraid to die."

"Yeah, them German boys ruthless," a person said. Chief looked at him. He muttered, "I don't even have a tribe."

"What's your name, boy?" that person said. I told them. "You know what that name means?" he said.

It's just my name, I thought. "Those were men who took over countries and ruled with all authority."

"Your point being?" Glenn said. "This guy must be strong," the guy said.

I thought to myself, was my dad and him right. Or was the Sarge right?

Unluckily, the Sarge came over. "Hey Slouch," he said. "Deeper! Unless you're doing pushups while slouching!" I was tired and weak.

"Stop!" he shouted. We all stood up, high and proud. But, you could tell we were weak to the bone. "I've prepared a track for you," he said. "I want you to run ten miles. There will be things to climb and go through. But whoever makes it, gets rest. GO!"

^

We all rushed out to the field. There was something to climb on but it was filled with spikes. "Oh God!" someone shouted.

It wasn't bad, falling every time and getting my ears blown off by Sarge. But, I could deal with it.

It was then a river. Now, Sarge said he wanted us to swim through it. No!

You see, I loved to be clean when I was ten and was back at home. And I still do, but I guess it requires to be "dirty" when it comes to war.

"Move move move!" shouted Sarge. Glenn made it first out. Until a man pulled him back down. "Not on my watch," he said.

When I got out, I helped him up. "Thank you," he said. "Well, why not?" Later through the trail, there were logs to jump on. "Don't fall and make it through. Let's go you wimps!" Sarge shouted, walking.

I made it through being seventeenth place but Glenn made it there before me.

The whole trail next were monkey bars. "Do not drop from the floor or you owe me fifty pushups each!" Sarge shouted.

That one was the worst. The bars were always far away and they burned when you touched them. I think someone got a burn actually. "Go go go!" Sarge shouted.

I made it at least and I was fifth to run first place. A man and Glenn were behind but a man grabbed his arm, pushed him down, and stomped on him.

I don't know if it was me but if it was my finger in that battlefield. That thing would've shot. My blood went so hot. I screamed, "Hey, you got a problem?!"

"Oh, you want some help huh?" he said mockingly to Glenn.

"Bruh, get a life," I said. He looked at me, and I could tell that he was about to kill me. But I'm not letting Glenn be pushed around. He got his hands balled into fists, but Sarge could stop him before he could bring his first blow.

"Stop being a wimp Jack. You owe me a hundred fifty laps. Move it!" We slowly went to the finish line, and I became the last.

Someone named Frine was first. But I mean, he was fast. "Great," Sarge said. "But I want to point out something. "Slouch helped Girl Boy two times. You see, that is called being a fellow soldier.

We are meant to help our fellow beings as much as we are to help America. Now I want y'all to join Jack in laps."

"Yes, sir!" we shouted. We started with our laps.

^

It was the end of training. It was brutal, and Jack really hates me. Him and his guys have been beating us and getting us into fights. But it was something I could deal with.

I mean, Ashley may have been way less harder but I guess strength builds up. It was eleven o' clock, I was half asleep. It wasn't long before I started but I heard punches.

I really believed it was my dream. But then I heard Glenn scream. "What the?" I whispered in my breath. I rushed to his tent. I saw the light shine.

I came in, and Jack and more people were beating Glenn. They threw him to the wall. "Unh," he said. "Hey! Leave him alone!"

Jack looked at me. His rough blond hair, his scar by his cheek and that smirk that scared you to the bone.

"And what are you gonna do about it? Complain to Sarge?" he teased. His friends fell laughing and Glenn was laying there. Weak, pained, beaten; and I should do something about it.

"You come here, you—" I said. Then the whole five minutes were fighting. I found myself throwing someone on the hard end of the bed.

Someone fell to the ground. I was dragged and pinned in walls. Then—unfortunately—the Sarge came in with his shirt untucked.

"What the—" he said. "All of you fifty laps outside now!"

It was really dark at night. The cold air grabbed hold of my face. Glenn looked at me. "It's not your fault. You should've stayed." I looked at him in disbelief. "You wouldn't be, they beat you almost to death."

Glenn smiled. "You were about to beat them to death." He sighed. "Look, I'm not a helpless guy." "I guess, well, after all these years of protecting me. I'm just paying the price."

Glenn sighed. "Well, I don't want you to get in trouble. I don't want you to be kicked out of the army."

"Neither do I." "Well, then help yourself. I don't want you in trouble for my situation."

Jack passed by. "Bottom Feeders," he said to us. I rolled my eyes.