G.I. Hailee

~4~

It's five in the morning, and I'm just now getting up.

Jessie walks in, and I pretend that I'm still asleep.

She starts playing Revielle, really loudly.

The noise makes me jump at least a foot in the air, and roll off of the bed and onto the floor.

Luke lands beside me, and Zuri pands on top of us, one of her feet in our faces.

I shove her foot out of my face, along with Luke, and glare at my sister.

"Do you have a snooze button?" Luke asks.

"Cause we'd slap it silly!" I yell.

"It's five A.M. If there's not presents under a tree, things are going to get ugly." Zuri says.

"Welcome to our world. On an Army base, we do morning calisthenics. Because when in Rome-." Jessie picks up a blanket off of Zuri.

"When in Rome, I go shopping, not exercising! The only thing that sweats is my credit card." Emma says.

"Listen, we want to show our dad that even though Jessie didn't join the Army, and soon me, that we'll still be good leaders as we get older." I say.

"So your plan to look good in front of your father is for me to show off my athletic prowess?" Ravi asks.

Wow, he does NOT talk much.

"Last week, he dislocated his shoulder lifting a glass of milk." Zuri says.

Ravi pulls a face and pops his shoulder.

I facepalm. "Seriously, man?" I shake my head.

"Good point. Ravi, stay in the back." Jessie says.

I change into black leggings, a white graphix muscle tee, knee-high black high tops, and I tie my brown hair ip into a ponytail. I line my rubber band bracelets to go all the way up to my shoulders.

We walk outside and I see some of the soldiers running laps and doing military push-ups.

I drop down and start to do military push-ups, and my friends follow my example.

"Ew, ew, ew! The grass is all wet!" Emma exclaims.

"That's called dew, Emma." I say.

Ravi plops down, and starts to cough.

I give him a sorry look.

"And, worse, I think this is where Patton 'dropped off the troops.'" Ravi says.

"Guys, it's not that hard!" Jessie says.

Zuri who was laying face down, states in a muffled voice, "I think I just swallowed a slug."

"Jessie, is your squad asleep?" Our father asks.

"No! No. Nl. They're just, uh, taking cover. You know, in case of enemy attack. " Jessie says nervously, and I look beside me to see Luke snoring.

I roll my eyes.

"Good work, soldiers!" Jessie ends with kicking Luke, but he groans and pushes her foot away.

"I heard you both were bickering with Darla yesterday. Can't you both try to get along with my commanding officer's daughter?" Dad asks us.

"Seriously? You want me to kiss the butt of my bully?! Dad, she wanted me to commit suicide!" I yell

"Yeah, and Darla threw me down a well! What do you want me to do, kiss her butt too?!" Jessie yells.

"Just try to get along with Darla, please? You both owe me. Especially after your kids destroyed that expensive statue, and you trying to kill yourself  two days before your sister was coming." Dad says.

I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest.

"Can't they just write you a check? They're loaded." Jessie says. "And as for Hailee, she tried to commit suicide, and nkw you want her to work harder?!"

"Yeah, they're loaded and weak! And you are just weak!" My dad shouts at me, getting into my face.

Jessie gets in front of me, glaring at dad, only an inch between their faces.

"They are not weak, and neither is Hailee. She may be emotionally and mentally, but physically, she is the strongest young lady I know!" Jessie shouts in dad's face.

"Until you apologize, dad, I am not your daughter, and I never will be. Not until you apologize. I'm moving to New York with Jessie and the Ross familh, and I will never come back." I state.

My dad glares daggers at me, but Ravi breaks our moment.

"Jessie, I think I aggravated my old milk-lifting injury." He whines.

"Huh. What part of stay in the back, do you not understand?!" Jessie hisses.

Ravi peans away and backs up.