Beside You

9//training

I'd been out of hospital a week, taking my medication as prescribed - it really did just seem that I'd had a very quick settling UTI, unluckily. I took the pills every morning to settle it down, making sure to finish my course to prevent relapse as I wasn't having that again. I was sat on my bed, knocking back my birth control and antibiotic in one go, when Luke barged in.

"Could have knocked," I commented simply, swigging my hot chocolate to wash down the pills.

"Why?"

"What if I'd been naked?"

"A sight to see," he grinned, pushing his hair off his face as he sat down next to me. "Are you free?"

"I have training today," I said. "You know, training for the job I've wanted all my life? We're doing basic army drill and stuff so I should be okay."

"I wanted to take you out," he pouted.

"Just because you don't have a normal job doesn't mean the rest of us are the same, I can't pick and choose when I'm in!"

"Babe," he complained. "I'm proud of you for getting here, I just wanted to take my girlfriend on a date."

"Sorry if I'm being pissy, I didn't sleep well. I finish at 5, can we go then?"

"Of course, darling." He pulled me into a lopsided hug and kissed my forehead gently. "I'll pick you up from the barracks?"

"I'll take a bag with me to get changed. Dressy?"

"Nah," he smiled as he got up to leave. "See you later." He pulled my bedroom door shut behind him and I bounced off my bed and flung open my wardrobe doors. I pulled out my freshly-issued uniform and boots, hanging them up to change into in a moment, and rummaged at the bottom of my closet. I pulled out a shoebox, which contained thousands of dollars pure cash. It wasn't illegally earned or anything - I was the least likely person to get tangled up in that sort of thing - but I didn't trust it in a bank and being in a kid's shoebox it didn't look like much from the outside, so I considered it safe. It was mostly inheritance - some rich auntie I'd never met but of whom I was the only relative, but a fair portion came from my parents' allowance. They didn't see me, so they had no idea what kind of thing I enjoyed to spend money on, thus no clue how much I actually needed. I tried not to be bratty about it, the fact that I had all this cash lying around, but it was a comfort blanket. And I was getting ready to use it.

As I changed into my uniform, I scrolled through a few tabs on my laptop, closing and highlighting various ones depending on their content. I shut the laptop and pulled my hair into a bun before hastily throwing together a bag for after training, including the three makeup products I was going to use (eyebrow powder, concealer, mascara) and some skinny jeans and a jumper. I took myself downstairs, swung out the door and made my way to the bus stop to get into work and finally kick start the dream.

The bus pulled away as I looked up at the barracks. I gave in my name at the guard shelter, proceeding to be directed to my 'classroom' for the day. I managed to get myself there without getting lost or making a fool of myself, and I realised I was first to arrive. I flung my bag onto a chair, taking first dibs on a table second from the front, before double checking I'd packed everything I needed. Pen, paper, water, first aid kit - everything checked out. I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding as I collapsed into the plastic chair, reminiscing about my times in high school with Maria and the boys. I used to tell them at least once a week about my plan for the future, and although it must have annoyed the hell out of them they always sat through and listened, occasionally adding in little details. They'd supported me for so long through unemployment, trying desperately to be accepted onto any form of training scheme.

I took a deep breath and pulled my kit out of my bergen ready for the lesson to begin as other new recruits began to traipse in through the door. I eyed them up as they walked in, trying to judge their character really quickly - not in a bad way, just trying to decide how seriously they would take a tiny ginger girl trying to become a soldier. No one seemed particularly bolshy, until, just my luck, Sergeant Springer walked in, the same guy who had asked me out when I had my interview. He locked his eyes on me and glared, rolling his eyes ever so slightly. I scoffed in disdain, ever so slightly amused at his reaction to being rejected. He sauntered to the back of the room and put his feet up onto the desk in front of him, his boots blackening the tabletop. I rolled my eyes as I turned back to face the front, just as someone who was clearly going to be our instructor walked in. His beret was shaped perfectly to fit his head, he held a clipboard and a pile of papers, and he carried himself with immense amounts of confidence. I was immediately assured that he would have control of any situation and I relaxed slightly.

"Lesson number one, always stand when a superior walks into a room," he called, and I looked around frantically, checking I wasn't the only one who had remained seated. Thankfully it was only Springer at the back who had stood, and he flashed a cocky grin to all of us, as if trying to tell us how much better he was - despite the fact that it was all of our first training sessions. "At ease." Springer sat and placed his feet back up on the desk. "I am Lieutenant Moore, I will be responsible for all of your classroom based training, the physical stuff is not for me at my age. I expect respect and discipline and anyone who doesn't think they can at least provide that can leave now." No one moved.

The class began and I managed to find a rhythm, getting a balance between answering questions and not seeming overwhelmingly nerdy, whilst also taking all the notes I felt I needed. We covered very basic stuff, uniform care, general disciple and fundamental army values. The class flew by and before I knew it we had been dismissed; I headed over towards the changing room to prepare for my date with Luke when Springer came up behind me and, grabbing my wrist, pinned me to the wall.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I hissed, trying to wriggle out of his grip.

"You are not going to tell anyone about this," he instructed. "You're going to come back to my house and you're going to do exactly as I say."

"Am I hell," I scoffed, trying to work out a decent self defence technique as I realised struggling against his strength was futile. "Look, I told you last time, I have a boyfriend, I'm not interested."

"Did it sound like I was giving you a choice?" He re-established his stance as I formulated a plan. "I looked you up on social media, there's no mention of a boyfriend at all."

"Because my private life is private," I said, driving my knee between his legs and twisting away from him as soon as he loosened his grip the slightest bit. I fled down the corridor as he buckled over and in mere moments I was locked inside a toilet cubicle, breathing deeply as I appreciated what had just happened.

I shook my head and put it out of my mind, instead opting to change, brush my hair, and apply the tiniest bit of makeup. I slung my bag over my shoulder and tentatively left the changing room, first making sure Springer wasn't anywhere in site. I made my way to the car park, spotting Luke's car and slipping into the passenger seat, my bag at my feet.

"Good day?" He asked instantly, and I looked up into his eyes.

"Better for seeing you," I whispered, leaning over the central console to kiss him softly. As I did so, I watched Springer walk right past the front windscreen and I took great pleasure in seeing his face as he noticed me and Luke. "Let's go," I whispered, and my boyfriend put his foot down.