Mad World

Chapter 3

As we neared the camp we would be staying at for a few days I stared outside the window. It was scorching hot outside, but from a nice air conditioned vehicle it didn't seem too bad. I looked back at my friends who were still talking and laughing. I knew they were all still nervous though...

We got to the camp and got all our stuff off the trucks. We walked into the building. It smelled like sweat, and God it was awful. There was an instructor at the front. Must've been the general. His face was chiseled and he was muscular.

He was pretty scarred up too. He began to speak showing no emotion, "Welcome to the camp new recruits. You look nervous..." He yelled, "Don't be! Nervousness can get you injured on the battlefield! Do I make myself clear?!" We all responded, "Sir yes sir!" He nodded and began to speak normally again, "Good. Now we begin training tomorrow. I assume you all have already trained back at home... Am I right?"

"Sir yes sir!" We responded. "Well training here will be different. It isn't just pushups and pull ups here. You will all be pushed to your breaking point physically and mentally. Am I clear?" We shout again, "Sir yes sir!"

He nods, "Training begins tomorrow at oh five hundred." We stared at him confused, and he continued, "That means 5:00." A boy from a different school groans and the general glares at him. He pushes through the crowd and comes up to him. The boy stares up at the general. The general yells, "Oh I'm sorry! I'll it make oh four hundred princess! My apologies ma'am! Now shut the Hell up before I'll make you clean the bathroom with your toothbrush!"

The room was silent. The boy kept staring at the general and managed to say, "Oh-okay sir... It... It won't ha-happen again." The general nodded and scowled, "It better not." He walked away from the crowd and had his hands behind his back. "The sleeping quarters are to the right. Boys and girls in the same place. Problem? I don't care. Now go."

We went to the room without asking questions. I shared a bunk with my friend Julianna and set my stuff on the top bunk. I sighed and began to get a little homesick. I thought to myself, "No. Stop. Stop it now. Stop living in the past. You're here now... Deal with it."

"Ash?" Abby said curiously. I snapped out of it, "Huh? What?" All my friends were staring at me. "Oh sorry... Must've spaced out," I glanced around at them. "Naw, really?" Kelly said in a sarcastic tone. I rolled my eyes and Brenda chirped, "I need help with my stuff!" I went to go help her, but I accidentally bumped into a guy making him drop his supplies.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed and felt my face burn in embarrassment. I helped him pick his stuff up and his crystal blue eyes met my boring grayish ones. He smiled slightly, "Oh it's okay. No harm done." I didn't smile... I was still embarrassed. I nodded slightly, "Oh okay." He held out his hand, "My name's Carson by the way." I took his hand and lightly shook it, "I'm Ashlynn, but people just call me Ash."

"Cool name," he smiled a little more taking his hand away. This time I was just blushing instead of being embarrassed. I was always awkward when it came to guys. "Thanks, yours is pretty nice too," At this point I was smiling. "Well I guess I'll see you around," he still smiled and began to walk away. I kept smiling and laughed a little, "Yeah... See you later."

Ashlynn came over to me, "Ooh girl who was that?" My face became red of embarrassment again, "His name's Carson..." "Do you think he's cute?" She asked and kept watching him. I shrugged, "Kinda, but we just met so I'm thinking I'm gonna stick to just being friends for now." She nodded, "Well okay then."

I looked over at Brenda and saw that she had gotten the help she needed and was getting ready for bed. I went over to my bunk and climbed up. I rested my head on the mattress and thought, "Tomorrow we start training... Let's just hope we get this over with fast." I sigh and slowly drift to sleep.