The Fighter

Chapter 2

"They won't kill a girl. That's why we are putting you into this war. We picked you because you were the only girl that has signed a draft card and you have outstanding credentials." The recruiters tell me when they are speaking to soldiers one on one.

"We will be at your house by 8:30 a.m. so be ready." They then kick me out of the room.

I go back home to find Papa and Jessie sitting in the living room in our small house.
"Tell us everything." Jessie says once he sees me. I go over ever detail they told me and then wait for them to say something. They don't say anything. They just sit there sulking until bedtime.

I pull on Jessie's sleeve before he walks out of the kitchen.

"Y'all shouldn't be the ones sulking yall didn't get drafted."

"Scarlett you don't understand."

"Then tell me what I don't understand!" I say frustrated.

"Nobody comes back from war!" He yells in my face. I leave it at that and run to my room.

At 8:25 I sit on the front steps of my my house waiting for the bus to come. When I board the bus everybody is already on. I sit in the very front seat with my small bag. Most of the boys have a ton of luggage, but coming from a poor family I only have a little bit.

The boys laugh when I get on, but I don't pay attention. The bus starts out on its destination as the boys hoot and holler. I don't join into the conversations they are all having because it's no use. After their mumbles, it's quite clear that I won't be respected. I see one boy that isn't talking to anybody.

Before I can go back and talk to him, the bus stops at a training facility. I sling my bag over my shoulder and walk off the bus first.

Most boys have luggage stuffed under their arms and then more luggage in their hands. Very few boys have just one bag. Two men are standing in front of the gate surrounding the facility. The facility was a big building that looked like an old factory. It's surrounded by a metal barb wired fence.

One of the men looks like a nice guy while the other looked like a tough one.

"Hello, I've heard a lot about you and your records." The nice one says as he gives me a friendly handshake.

"All good things, I hope." I say which causes him to laugh.

"I'm General Hugh and that's General Logan." General Logan comes over to us and gives me a firm handshake.

"How old are you?" He asks in a husky voice.

"I'm 15, Sir."

"Jesus." he says in an annoyed voice.

"They couldn't send us an older girl so we could have more to work with, could they? Look how thin her arms are, and her stomach is flab, and that's only a few things. The only thing useful on her is her legs," he points out.

"Sir, I came out top in my class and got drafted as a lieutenant," I defend myself.

"I don't care. That stuff doesn't matter when your in war."

I back down and fall into the crowd of boys. General Hugh starts to talk leading us through the facility. He tells us about everything and how training camp will be. Then General Logan takes over. He leads us down a hall that has what must be a hundred doors.

"Everybody step into one room and wait to be inspected." He says with a sly grin.