Alex Strike

7. "Reformed Jerk"

I woke up the next morning to the sound of banging on the door.

"Alex! Luke! Chase! Breakfast is ready!" I had heard this voice before. I opened the door to see Spirit.

"Dude! After all these years!" He pushed me slightly and laughed.

Luke grumbled out of the bathroom that was attached to the closet. "Alex, you know Spirit?"

"Yeah, we're cousins. Hey, give us a few ok?" He nodded and walked off.

Chase perked up from out of the bed. "Makes sense. Y'all both are kinda tame. Ya know?"

"What's that suppose to mean?" I tried hard to be bad, and I was tame?

Luke put his hand on my shoulder. "Alex, your no Mike Barnes. Damn that guy could ugh." He shivered and walked off.

Chase put on a new set of jeans and his boots then pulled out three pictures. Each one had three of the boys on it.

"We don't have shit of you, sorry dude. I got a pic of Diego a month in advance, he was supposed to show up a year ago." Chase chuckled. "Look over them."

On the back was a note for each boy.

Chase- Don't insult the country side, America, or the U.S. military. Otherwise your good.

Luke- How do you piss him off?

Cole- Act anything less of perfect. The bastard is always mad.

Mike- Insult anyone. That's it.

Robin- Don't brag. I think it's a pet peeve.

Beau- Don't say he's wrong. He is almost always right.

Deigo- the list goes on and on.

William- Hit or rape a girl. He'll say that's his job.

Spirit- Why the hell is he even here?

I laughed. "Spirit is in here because he gambled, drank, and went to strip clubs."

Chase came out of the bathroom with toothpaste down his chest. "Wat."

I was practically rolling in the floor. His hair was sticking up, his jeans were falling down, and he looked like me had rabies.

"Chase, go clean up." I grabbed my baseball hat and left.

I made my way into the dining hall. There was one large table, and it was like a restaurant. Each person requested what they wanted and they got it. At each spot there was a name. I was stuck between Cole Boardman and Robin Fite.

Robin- Don't brag.

"Hi. I'm Robin Fite." We shook hands.

Mike threw a baseball at me. "Hey, Im sorry but you need some muscle on those bones. Ugh, skinny people give me nightmares." He shivered and almost the whole table filled with laugher.

I threw the ball at Diego. He smiled and laughed. "Come on dude we Latinos gotta stick together!"

With that Cole stood up. "How can you act like this? Look at yourselves! You have scared your skin with ink. Ruined your ears! Your all either rapists, drunks, gamblers, drug users, or gang leaders! I hate being around you all."

I stood up and punched him. He flew back, and stood up. Cole looked at the blood on his white shirt.

"From what I've heard, your all those and even more. So why don't you shut up? You have no room to speak." I looked down at him. He stood up and walked off.

The whole room was silent. Nothing was said until everyone was sure he was gone.

"Alex, that we'd awesome." Beau laughed and high fived Spirt who was next to him.

William started laughing so hard his coke came out his nose. Mike and Chase started to arm wrestle.
Robin and Beau were playing bloody knuckles. Luke, Spirit, and Diego were playing tag. I was keeping score on Mike and Chase. Chase had seven points, and Mike had nine.

Just then Cole walked into the dinning Hall. On his left was Mr.Pretty, and on his right was angel.

"Where is Alexander Huegla?" Mr. Pretty asked, and Cole smiled.

I walked up in front of them. "Right here, Sir."

"Due to your act of violence, I must order the physical punishment. You have seemed to have a problem with violence so it is time you get a taste of your own medicine." Cole's jaw dropped.

"What! No!" The whole room went silent. "No one should have to deal with that. I asked for him to write an essay! Not get hurt!"

"Fine, Mr. Boardman, but listen everyone. There will be no more simple punishments. With each act of wrong the punishment increases. So watch your moves. Especially you two, Mr. Huegla and Mr. Boardman." He turned around and walked away.

"Boys! All of you to bed! Now!" Pretty yelled and everyone filled down the Hall.

I found out that the pictures we're arranged by who shared rooms. Cole had his own room since he was going to be discharged within a month.

Luke sat down on the couch. "I feel sorry for Cole. He's really close to leaving this hell hole, too."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Chase threw his hat onto his bed. "Cole use to rebel at every turn. I remember when he first came here. Young and filled with fire. He didn't give a shit. The same thing happened to him as it just did to you. He started getting physical punishments."

"He was whipped, shocked, almost drowned, and experimented on. When special forces came it was decided Cole was crazy. Chase knew he wasn't crazy." Luke pointed out.

"Before that fire died that he had, they threatened that the next time he acted up he would die. That's what happened to the twins."

"So has anyone left?" I asked and Chase shook his head.

"This is our final place where we live, Alex. There is no escape. Your in it until they're done with you."

With that we went silent but we all heard it. A gun shot. It echoed through the hallways. But it didn't come alone. The sound of a dead body hitting the ground followed.