"Ugh," I groaned as Reveille blasted through the camp's megaphones.
"Hazel, wake up! It's time to shower!" Myra urged as she nudged me. Reluctantly, I rolled off the cot, my body aching.
"What time is it?" I muttered as I glanced at the digital clock that hung above the bathroom door frame.
"04:30 in the morning!?" I whined as Myra handed me my towel, uniform and a bar of soap.
"We have to shower now!? But it's still dark outside!" I protested. Myra placed a sympathetic hand on my shoulder.
"Come on, I'll show you where the showers are."
The air outside was fresh despite it being early May. I couldn't possibly imagine the same walk to those showers on a cold January morning. Goosebumps prickled my skin as we trudged through the dew-soaked grass.
"This is it." Myra gestured with her head as we walked into the brick building. The cieling was low and the flopr made of polished concrete. A line of female juveniles had already started forming. After a few minutes of waiting, it was our turn.
"Good luck." Myra whispered before stepping into one of the painted, brick stalls and closing the curtain. I went into the one beside her. After hanging my clothes and towel on the side, I turned the knob.
A gasp escaped my throat when the icy water hit my body. A shiver caused some more goose skin. After an excruciating five-minute shower, I dressed and made my way outside.
"Ready?" Myra asked as she ran her fingers through her damp hair.
"I guess..." I muttered as I stroked through my own locks. "I need a hair tie."
"I'm sure Allison's got an extra, let's go ask her!" Myra chimed, leading the way towards the center of the field. Cadets were already lining up.
"Ally!" Myra waved as we approached the line.
"Do you have any extra hair ties? Hazel needs one." After glancing in my direction, she slingshoted me the one she'd worn on her wrist. It had left a subtle red indent on her skin. Allison already had her waist-length tresses tied in a low pony.
"Thank you." I called out gratefully as she returned to her place in line.
"Attention!" An earsplitting shout caused everyone to tense up. I copied their posture and stood up straighter than I ever had before. A skinny guy, no older than seventeen, walked up holding a clipboard. He wore a dark green hoodie and tan cargo pants. His disheveled hair and acne made him look unhinged. He also had a serrated scar that cut through his left brow.
"Before we start with today's drills, I have an assignment to take care of. Cadet 9980, front and center!" I stood there in a daze.
"Front and center!" He shouted again looking around as if trying to decipher which one of us he hadn't seen before.
"Hazel, Go! You don't want to get on his bad side, trust me!" Myra whispered before placing her hand on the small of my back, and shoving me forward.
"Are you deaf!?" He asked when I finally stepped out of the line. I shook my head.
"You will address me as Sargent!" he screamed in my face.
"I'm not deaf Sargent." I replied monotonously.
"You're 9980?" He asked before glancing back at his chart. I nodded.
"Hm...not bad." He muttered to himself before taking a loose strand of my hair and sniffing it.
"Hey, knock it off!" I shouted as I slapped his hand away.
"Oh, so you've got an attitude problem?" He chuckled with an amused grin, circling around me like a vulture. My stomach churned as he leaned in and sniffed my neck while he spoke.
"A pretty girl like you can get away with a lot of things, you know. All you have to do is be friendly." He whispered before leaning in and trying to kiss my neck.
"Back the hell off!" I shouted, reflexively balling my fist and punching him square in the face.
Silence settled over the line as he dropped his clipboard. "Looks like I need to teach you some manners." He hissed before raising his fist. "Don't you fucking dare Scaggot!" A voice rang out from the line. The Sargent growled as a boy, around seventeen as well, stepped out of formation. Shaggy golden locks covered his forehead and a cobalt stare rested above his upturned nose. A few freckles dusted his light skin and a lopsided frown framed his lips. He wore a black shirt and camo-cargos.
"Ramos!?" Scaggot hissed when he laid eyes on him.
"If you lay a hand on her, I'll end you." The boy stated firmly. The cadets in line oohed as he folded his arms against his chest.
"Silence! Or you'll all be running double drills today!" Scaggot's threat shut everyone up. "Since when do you give a damn about anybody but yourself?" He asked before getting in his face.
"Since you decided you were cowardly enough to hit girls." He retorted.
"Fine!" Scaggot hissed before picking up his clipboard and wiping the blood that now dripped from his lip. "From now on, you'll be her drill partner."
His eyes widened. "What!? Why me?!" He asked, indignation clear in his tone.
"Because I fucking said so." The sargent replied as he scribbled the new pairing on his clipboard.
"Screw you Scaggot! I'm not babysitting this little girl!" The boy protested. I frowned.
"I'm not a little girl!" Blondie shot me an exasperated glare.
"Okay then. Since you're disobeying orders, then you won't mind if your friend spends some time in the pit!" Myra squirmed as Scaggot turned and took her arm.
"Leave her alone!" A satisfied smile spread across Scaggot's uneven lips as he got the reaction he wanted.
"Fine, I'll do it." Ramos agreed reluctantly.
"That's the way to play. As for you, this isn't over yet." He warned me before dismissing the line and walking away. I stood next to blondie awkwardly, waiting for him to tell me what to do.
"What the hell are you staring at!?" He snapped.
"Not much." I muttered sarcastically. He rolled his eyes at my comment.
"Come on, it's time to start our drills." He muttered bitterly before leading me towards the equipment. After morning drills were over, a loud bell rang signaling it was lunch time.
"How's your first day going so far?" Myra asked as she approached me. I shrugged. "That bad huh?" She asked as Allison joined us. Myra led the way into the Main Hall where they served lunch and dinner. After taking a tray from the line, I followed my roommates to their usual spot. They sat down and began chatting amicably. I ate my food in silence. After lunch, we had another set of drills. After those ended, the bell for free period rang.
I trudged back to our cabin after they dismissed us. Free period was the two hours a day we could do whatever we wanted. Myra was sitting on the top bunk with a patchy piece of cloth in her hands. I must've startled her because as soon as I greeted her, she shoved it under her mattress.
"What's that?" I asked before collapsing on my cot. Allison glanced up at Myra warily.
"It's actually not finished yet, but I hope it will be soon..." She trailed off before taking out the piece of cloth and showing it to me.
"Wow, you're talented." I mused. It looked like the hemline of a dress, made completely out of camouflage scraps.
"I've been working on this for months. Ally got her sister to sneak in a needle and some thread. I hide them because they're considered weapons." Allison then shoved her hand in a pillow case and pulled out a couple of pencils and tubes.
"Make-up is illegal too, but the warden doesn't give a crap about anything we do. They don't search our beds or anything either. She's just interested in collecting that check at the end of the month. This camp is owned by a corporation, they just need to know how many beds are full at the end of the quarter..." She trailed off before handing me a tube of mascara and a black eyeliner. "Here, I've got extras, they'll look good on you. They'll make your eyes pop."
"Thank you." I replied gratefully before stuffing them in my pillow, then falling backwards on my cot.
"So how was your first day of drills?" Myra changed the subject.
"My body hurts. Even the basketball team I used to be in didn't work us this hard!" Myra nodded sympathetically.
"Yeah, our first day here was hell too, but you're lucky cuz they partnered you up with Croy."
"Croy?" I asked, arching a brow.
"Yeah, the blond guy they paired you up with. He's as sweet as they come." I tried to think back to the guy I had to shadow all morning. He hadn't breathed a word to me other than the occasional "Next drill," or "Take five."
"Hm, I don't know, he seems a little odd to me." I confessed before sitting back up.
"Well of course he's weird!" Allison chimed in. "You would be too if you'd been here for nine years!"
"Allison!" Myra scolded.
"Sorry, it slipped!" She covered her mouth sheepishly. "Forget I said that. Croy will lose it if he finds out we told a stranger anything about his past."
"Noted. I won't say a thing."
"Good." Allison sighed before going back to her own sewing. "Just don't judge him too harshly, he's been through a lot and he's hot.".
"Here we go again." Myra muttered as she rolled her eyes.
"What!? It's true!"
When they started bickering, I took the chance to go for some water. It was a hot May afternoon. The sun was high in the sky and the air was stale and warm. Sweat dripped down the side of my face as I glanced around the field. It was mostly empty. A few cadets were walking around, while others crowded into their friend's cabins.
After a few minutes of wandering around, I found the water fountain. The water tasted like dirt. When I turned to head back, a flicker of light caught my eye. Croy was leaning against the side wall of the boy's restroom, his features concentrated on the magazine he read. My mind raced as I studied him from afar.
"Nine years huh?"
(A/n: Thank you for reading my second chapter! If you liked it, don't forget to click the vote button at the bottom! :P)