Side By Side

11

Warnings:
-Short bullying (in the end)

Clay's POV

I was medically checked out, but luckily they didn't find anything too bad. I was slightly dehydrated and my blood sugar was low so I got something to eat and a lot of water. I was allowed to go back to the group again and was excited for what was about to come since I was feeling way stronger again after eating something with sugar.

The sergeant let us go inside of a truck to take us somewhere. I hoped it was some parkour stuff or anything because I had been looking forward to that.

I used to be scared of heights but I went to multiple places where I could climb towers. I went higher and higher and realised this wasn't as scary as I made it up to be. I beat my fear of heights and didn't care about them anymore.

We drove for a long time and then got demanded to step out. The sergeant kept screaming at us until we all stood in line in front of a tower that I knew had the name "The Victory Tower".

'Alright, it's easy! You're climbing up this tower which is fifty feet high, this won't be the last time you're going to do this but I want you to give everything you have in you. After climbing this tower, you're going through multiple obstacles at fifty feet height. You'll need to climb more and cross ropes, then you need to rappel down the towel!'

'Yes, sergeant!' everyone screamed.

'Anyone who wants to go first?'

I lifted my hand as the sergeant nodded. 'Come here!'

I walked closer to him and he went to the tower with me. Someone else attached me to a rope harness and he pointed up. 'You're going to climb all the way to the top, go through all the obstacles and then there's someone waiting for you to detach you from the harness!'

'Yes, sergeant!' I shouted as I stood in front of the tower, taking a deep breath as I started to climb the tower. My legs felt a bit sore from the long walk, but I didn't care about the pain. I needed to pass this.

When I was halfway, my whole body was burning from the effort. I didn't want to give up, I could do this which made me repeat all the insults in my head again.

You can't do it, you will never reach any of your dreams because you're gross and weak.

Gay people aren't allowed in the army for a reason, you're not going to make it so don't even try.

I hope they find out you're a faggot because then they will understand why are such a pussy who can't do anything right.

I screamed from the burning pain and made myself so mad that I pushed myself up higher and higher while shouting every time I managed to lift myself up higher.

'I CAN DO THIS,' I screamed, giving myself such a confidence boost that I climbed up faster than in the beginning. I reached the top of the tower and continued the next obstacles.

I passed the obstacles pretty quickly and went through all of them to reach the end of the tower. I turned myself around so I could push my feet on the wall while going down again.

I just closed my eyes as I turned myself around and started going down slowly. It was way less scary than I thought it would be and I suddenly reached the floor as someone detached the ropes from me.

My body was filled with adrenaline. I had so much in me right now that I didn't feel the pain anymore as I ran back to the sergeant. He turned around and nodded slowly.

'Good job, Clay. You were as fast as one of our other sergeants used to be,' he smiled as he let me sit down on the ground to drink. 'Take a break and drink for a little.'

'Yes, sergeant!'

I sat down and drank some water as five of the others were also busy climbing the tower now. I drank water while I looked at one of them who gave up climbing because he was too tired. The sergeant started screaming at him to continue, but he ignored it and went down again.

He got grabbed by his arm as soon as he was down again and taken with the sergeant for a "talk". I ignored it since it was the same man who messed up a lot of times now. I was surprised he wasn't sent away yet, but I figured that was going to happen really soon.

I leaned back in the sun and I closed my eyes shortly with a smile on my face. I was so far already. I wasn't halfway yet, but I was so excited for anything that was still coming. I couldn't wait to practice with real weapons and do the real parkour.

'CLAY, STAND UP!'

I immediately lifted myself up and stood up straight. 'Yes, sergeant! Excuse me, sir!'

He didn't say anything more than that and turned back to the people who were climbing the tower. I stood next to the people who already finished and who still had to go and smiled shortly as one of them scoffed.

'You're bragging so much,' he sighed as he looked in front of him. 'It's annoying.'

I didn't answer and looked in front of me to see that a sergeant heard what the man said to me. He immediately walked up to him and stood in front of him.

'WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?'

'I told him that he was bragging and that it was annoying to me, sergeant,' he answered quietly, looking at his feet.

'LIFT YOUR HEAD UP NOW! DO NOT SAY THAT AGAIN WHILE YOU MAKE CONSTANT MISTAKES. JEALOUSY ISN'T ALLOWED IN THE ARMY AND CLAY HAS ALL RIGHT TO BRAG BECAUSE HE'S PERFORMING WAY BETTER THAN YOU!'

'I'm sorry, sergeant.'

'SAY SORRY TO HIM! ONE MORE WORD AND YOU'RE GONE HERE. RESPECT IS RULE ONE, DID YOU FORGET? AS LONG AS CLAY HAS TO DO EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU'RE TOO LAZY TO PICK UP A PIECE OF CLOTHING, HE IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN YOU!'

'Yes, sergeant. I understand, sergeant. I'm sorry, Clay. I shouldn't have said that when I'm not even close to being that good.'

'It's okay,' I mumbled, looking away. I wanted to tell him that bullying was hurtful, but I didn't say anything anymore as the sergeant shook his head.

'Words hurt, okay? Clay went through a lot already and because of your jealousy, he won't be the one to feel bad here!' the sergeant yelled, walking off.

1123 words