Girl in the Front Line

Chapter 3

For being generally cool. And no, I haven't forgotten you!

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New Recruit

Wendy woke up bright and early the next morning, really for anything that life was going to throw at her. Except maybe her dad, but she wasn’t going to let that be a dampener on her day. She bounced down the hall, stopping at her brother’s door and slowly nudging the door open. He was sleeping with some random blonde girl next to him. He had bright pink lipstick smudged on his face. Her brother was probably taking advantage of the last night of being a boy.

Wendy decided to have some fun with her brother, and tiptoed down stairs grabbing a bucket half-filled with water and added ice. She tip-toed back to her brother’s room, flinging the door open and pouring the ice water over both William and the unknown girl.

“Argh!” the blonde screamed, grabbing onto William thus effectively making them both more drenched. “Why is it so cold?”

Wendy stood in the doorway laughing while William charged at her, knocking her down. The blonde still sat in bed looking as confused as ever.

“William! You still haven’t answered my question! Why is it so cold?” The girl demanded.

“You idiot! My sister poured ice water over us, that’s why!”

“Why are you yelling at me?” the blonde whimpered whilst getting out of bed.

“MY EYES! MY POOR INNOCENT EYES!” Wendy yelled covering her eyes, when she realised that the blonde wasn’t wearing anything. “Put some goddamned clothes on, girl!” Wendy ran out of her brother’s room before something else inappropriate happened, and she witnessed it. She’d rather stay out of her brother’s love life.

“Name and age, boy.”

Wendy was at the recruitment office straight after breakfast because she was so excited and nervous.

“William Wildboar, nineteen.”

The man paused for a while.

“Interesting last name. Army?”

“No, Air Force.”

“OK. Paul?”

A young man of about 25 came walking through the hallway. “Yes sir?”

“Take him to do his tests.”

Paul nodded and gestured for Wendy to follow him.

“Hi!” He chirped. “I’m Paul, what’s your name?”

“We-I mean William,” she replied.

“You’re very pretty for a boy.”

“I-ah, thanks?” Wendy replied uncertainly.

“You’re welcome! Now stand against the wall, you need to be tall enough.”

There was a marking on the wall and Wendy was about seven centimetres taller than it. She breathed a sigh of relief; she’d made it, just. Next, Paul pointed to a set of weights.

“They’re twenty kilos. See if you can lift them, should be pretty easy.”

Wendy rubbed her hands together and grabbed onto the middle of the bar. It took a couple of tries, but she finally got the right grip and could lift the weight quite comfortably. She held it for thirty seconds before placing the weight back onto the ground. After a medical examination, Paul put his instruments down.

“Do you know why I work in recruitment? Because there’s less chance of dying.”

“Yes, but then there’s no thrill!”