Her Gun, His Rules

"Don't Shoot Dad"

I walked up to the instructor. My heart pounding in my chest. This was our final test, the assignment that decided if you joined the mafia or not. I couple hear the people behind me chuckling and mocking me.

"She's a woman. She's probably can't even shoot a shotgun."

The instructor handed me the gun. I took my bullets out of my pocket. Every trainee is assigned a color and all bullets given to that trainee is painted in that color. It allows the trainer to figure out who did what in situations like this. Of course, I was assigned pink, I hate the color pink. But, I think having pink bullets has just motivated me more. Because I like it when the instructor pulls the bullets out of targets and I get to watch in satisfaction as pink bullets appear in his hand.

I loaded the gun before positioning it. Newton was standing behind me, watching me intently. Newton got assigned the color red. He's honestly my biggest competitor. The other guys here aren't even touching me as far as our points go. However they don't know that.

Benefits of being the boss's daughter. Me and Newton get to see the scores that no one else can see, right now Newton and I are tied. This assignment will decide which one of us with graduate top of our class.

This test was one of skill. On the grounds there were four cardboard cutouts. One was of dad. Since he's the boss. And the other three and supposed to be police, rivals, whatever you wanted to imagine them as. You were supposed to shoot them, and not the cardboard cutout of dad. But dad had been carefully position to make it difficult.

Our scoring goes as follows.

If you don't touch the cutout of dad, you automatically get three points. Then from there, if you hit the other cutouts square in the chest or forehead, you get two points for every cutout hit in the chest, 9 points is a perfect score. If you his the cut out somewhere critical or somewhere that would stop them, you get one point. If you hit dad, you only get points for the other cutouts. But if you hit dad somewhere critical, you immediately fail.

I took a breath to calm my nerves. I need to focus on the other things. Then sun is shining. The birds are chirping. The wind is blowing.

Wait. The wind is blowing.

I licked my finger before determining the wind was blowing. West to East. And it was blowing strong enough to curve a bullet. I surveyed the grounds. Then I smirked. The instructors planned for this. There were metal sheets screwed to wooden beams, for us to ricochet the bullets off of.

Suddenly one of the guys shouted, "Are gonna go?!"

I took a breath. If I turn the gun on him and I get shot.

Then Newton chuckled seeing me so tense before he says, "hey genius, you suppose to not shoot dad."

So, now full of frustration, I went. I turned and shot the gun at the first metal sheet, I heard the tink and watched it hit the first cutout in the chest. No one else but the instructor noticed it though. They all laughed at me saying, "she completely missed!"

The instructor smiled at me though and said, "again."

So I turned and pointed at the next metal sheet. More laughter before I heard the pop of it hitting the cardboard.

Then the instructor nods at me and says, "last time Roza."

I nodded and shot. Laughter, pop.

I hit every cut out in the chest.

I clicked the safety before handing the gun back to the instructor and saying, "I'd like to see you all do that."

Then I walked away into the safe zone. The guys were puzzled. Having believed I missed. So Newton was next, he walked up, loaded the gun, and pointed. I just watched him though. I didn't have it say anything to make him nervous.

He shot.

I watched him tense. His bullet clipped the cut out of dad. But, it hit the rival cut out in the forehead. Then instructor immediately told him it hit the safety and he walked out to check the cut out of dad. Then he says, "you're lucky Newton. You hit the white edge on the cut out. Not the boss."

Newton let out a sigh of relief and his cheeks flushed. He was now feeling the pressure of being under the survey of our peers.

Then he went again this time he noticed the wind so he used it to his advantage. Using the wind to curve his bullet to hit the chest of the other two cut outs.they didn;t hit exacted center like mine did, but it did hit. So he walks over to me with a smirk saying, "you're going down sis."

I shook my head and turned his face to the cut outs, now saying, "that;s crazy, because I'm pretty sure that's neon pink bullets hanging out of the center of the cutouts."

His jaw dropped as he says, "no."

I grinned and say, "but that;a okay big brother. you tried. You only shot dad in the shoulder."

He just glared at me. Thirteen more trainees. About three hours of waiting. And finally dad walks outside to check in but he got a surprise look and says, "everyone's done?"

The instructor nods and says, "yes, and it's good thing you're out here boss. We just finished tally."

He hands dad the clipboard and dad scanned it over, amusement in his eyes. Then he says, "alright, as I call you name, line up."

Then he says. 'Newton."

Newton's face lit up and he sent me a flashy smile.  Then he went down the list. Naming everyone except me, my heart dropped to my stomach. Of course it was a lie. All a trick. What expectations should I have that I would ever join the mafia. The instructor eyes darted between dad and me, knowing how hard I've worked for this.

Then dad says, "congrats gentlemen. Your naming ceremony is tomorrow. You'll get your assignments. Those of you that did not make the cut, come see me before you leave.''

Then he turned to walk away. The guys in line looked at me. Even Newton got a pitying look. My heart was racing. My next plan was dangerous. It could get me killed.

I squealed, "NO!"

Everyone froze. Dad just turned around and said, "No?"

I stormed over to him. Standing in front of him with my hands clenched at my sides in fists like a child as I say, "NO! It's not fair! I worked just as hard as they rest of them!"

Then dad says calmly, "Rosalind. I'm sorry that you were under the presumption you would make it into the naming ceremony, but this was just a hobby for you. You were never going to be a part of the mafia. Leave that to your brothers."

Newton clears his throat before saying, "dad."

But dad sent him a look that quickly made him shut his mouth before I say, "why?! I'm just as capable as the rest of them."

Then I grabbed the clipboard out of his hands and looked at it. I got a perfect nine. I was the only person to get a perfect nine. I showed them the clipboard and said, "I did better then all of you!"

Then dad yells, "ROSALIND!"

I didn't flinched like everyone else though, instead I threw the clipboard down. Grabbed dad's gun out of it's holster.  Turned and shot the cardboard cut out of dad between the eyes before I shoved it back in the holster and snap, "this is bull! I am better then every single one of them."

Then I stormed into the house. I went up to my room and slammed the door, locking it.

I laid on my bed and screamed into my pillow. That was supposed to be my moment.