Basic training passes slowly.
Everyday is a monotonous repetition of the day before.
The five am wake up is usually accompanied by either a blast with a fire house, a promise of no lunch or sentence of repetitions of the assault course, which Charley and I still came second in with a best time of 51.27 minutes.
Gradually, drill became easier and the runs less hard, but at the same time, the instructors increased the load.
Lessons are better than drill, we quickly realise. Charley, Max and I where given Russian as our language. Brooke suffers through Arabic with Lucas and Max whilst Evie takes Japanese with Sofia and Joe.
In espionage we learn how to shoot, how to dismantle, sabotage and disable a gun as well as self defence tactics with knives and other weapons.
Most people's favourite lesson is survival skills, though. It's held in the woods and occasionally off campus. We learn how to make shelters, light fires, find water and read maps.
Karate is horrible, drilling for hours in mud. He'll show us a move, expect us to perfect it and then spar with our partner for the rest of the lesson. I like the idea that I'm learning karate, though- by the end of the course we'll be black belts.
However, Joe quit on the fifteenth day.
It was when we where all aroused in the middle of the night to do the assault course- a frequent occurrence, but this was the first time.
"Faster!" Screamed Drew, driving along in a quad bike. We're splashing through the waist deep water at the start of the course, shivering in our pyjamas. At night, as if by silent agreement, we all keep pace with each other. It's mainly kindness why we do it- otherwise we'd be leaving Joe, the last, behind in the dark, subject to Drew's punishments.
Drew leaps down as we pass, single file, through a rope bridge.
He pushed us into the mud below one by one, accompanied with screaming insults.
We're all used to it by day fifteen, but this is further than he normally goes.
"Useless!" He yells at Max, who splashes into the mud.
"Worthless!" He screeches at Sofia, as she falls into the creek.
Lastly Joe passes and Drew pushes him in with the shout of "You'll never make it!"
"You know what?" Joe yells. "I'm done!" And then he storms out of the basic training compound, banging the door shut behind him.
We finish the course in silence and Drew lets us back to bed.
Max, Joe's partner, was placed with Lucas and Sofia, Lucas' partner, was placed in a three with Evie and Brooke.
Day 63- August 29th. Our birthday. As a special treat, me and Charley are awoken at 0400 hours for a soaking with the fire hose. We have to run the assault course three times, get no breakfast and then get dragged out of bed again at night.
"Useless kids!" He screams at us as Charley and I shiver in front of him.
"I want your whole kit bags packed and out here now!"Drew yells.
We scurry inside, trying not to wake the other trainees.
"Assault course!" Drew barks. "A dozen times!" We set off at a grim jog.
It take us till morning.
On the 95th day, there were seven of us left-Charley, Evie, Brooke, Max, Lucas, Sofia and me.
Our trip was to Malaysia, a four day trip filled with everything we've learnt in the last 95 days. We're given clean clothes for the flight and indulge in cokes, biscuits and crisps all the way there.
