Camp Koradel
Chapter Seven
He had to be kidding them, but he really wasn’t. The boys suppressed groans and merely sighed as they entered the empty gym. Chris, their camp trainer, had reserved the entire gym for them. How lovely, Scott grumbled to himself.
They spent the first few hours stretching, sprinting back and forth, running a mile, and doing pull ups and push-ups. It wasn’t fun, but it was the training they expected to get at some point.
Chris didn’t let anyone get away with anything, he didn’t pick favorites, and he didn’t give sympathy. That’s what Scott liked about him.
Tank instruction was always the worst, but only because the learning was boring; when they actually were allowed to drive the tanks, it was thrilling. Scott loved it, could probably do it for hours if he had the chance. The only thing that made it easier now was thinking of people he could save with that thing. Picturing the new girl next to him while he drove had him smiling in his seat.
“Scott.”
“Sir?”
“Pay attention, boy, I asked you a question.”
“Err… could you repeat?” He could feel his face flushing, but as he began to pay attention, he realized he knew all of it already. It was mainly common sense so far, and Scott couldn’t wait to get down to the complexities of it.
They didn’t drive that day, but the boys returned to the cabin sore and restless. The boys’ cabin was set up exactly the same way as the other, except their furniture was darker, for some reason. He was headed for a shower to clean up his sticky skin from the workout when he heard Kyle and Travis conversing in their room.
“Hell, no, you can’t. I’m going after her for sure.”
Travis cackled. “Why? Because the girls here already know how much of a dumbass you are, but she doesn’t?”
They laughed and Kyle said, “Exactly.”
Scott peeked into their room. “Are you two idiots talking about Sophie?”
“Yeah,” they said together, grinning.
“Touch her and I’ll kill you. Just leave her alone. She’s new.”
“That’s exactly why we want to get to her. She won’t even know it’s coming,” Travis said, grinning like the idiot he truly was.
“That’s not right, man.”
“Who gives a damn? We’re all going to die anyway,” said Kyle, and Travis and Scott stared at him.
“What the hell? America is going to kick ass, thank you very much.”
Kyle laughed without humor. “Don’t pretend that you actually believe you’re going to live. We have mostly teenagers fighting—”
“It’s usually mainly eighteen and nineteen year olds anyway, so what’s the difference?”
He laughed again, and it was driving Scott insane. The guy ripped off his shirt and stood to put deodorant on. Good, Scott thought, he needs it. “Kasie and Mary are hardly fifteen, and there’s plenty more of that age as well. And we’re forced into this. They chose to go.”
“Whatever, Kyle,” Scott said, and as he walked away, Kyle called, “You’ll see, man. You’ll see.”
Scott would never understand what went on in that boy’s head. All he could understand was that a hot shower sounded amazing, along with thoughts of Sophie…
——————————
Shit, Galvin thought, stomping away from Sophie, a hot shower sounds amazing. Determined to clear his mind, he started one inside the cabin, but all that followed were thoughts of Sophie and her innocent ways. Ideas began flashing through his mind like lightning. Her beautiful brown hair. The sweet tone in which she spoke to him. Her lips. Her eyes. Her overall beauty that was unique in every way. Galvin, she had whispered, and it had driven him nearly insane. He couldn’t handle it, so he left.
“Galvin Wellman, you are a complete and utter asshole,” he muttered under his breath as he turned the shower knobs. The girl had done nothing wrong, but—
He had to fight against punching the hard bathroom wall. I must forget her for now. As he thought this, he picked his keys up from the bathroom counter, took one look in the mirror, and left the bathroom. Most of the campers were in the living room, and as Galvin passed, Charley yelled his name. He didn’t stop. The poor girl must have felt abandoned, but he just couldn’t take it.
Fortunately, Sophie hadn’t come back yet. One look back into the fields told him she was practicing her archery. She didn’t need to practice, though, not really. He stared for a moment, but she was merely a blur on the tip of the hill, so he couldn’t clearly see her peaceful stance as she struck each target she aimed at. All he could do was hold onto that memory as he watched, but soon he realized how odd he must have seemed, staring at this younger girl. “A creeper,” as Charley would have said.
God, he loved that girl. Not in any normal way, as some of his campers thought. He felt no intimacy towards her, no infatuation in any way at all. She was the daughter he was too young to have, and he was her father figure whenever she needed him.
Her real father was deceased by Galvin’s very hands that turned the big steering wheel of his truck. He shivered, remembering the first man he had killed.
Rain had never felt so icy. His doors wouldn’t unlock, though, and as he sat there wondering how to escape the frigid dampness, he noticed a parked car on the street not too far away from his own truck. The lights were off, and Galvin could see a man standing outside speaking with his daughter. The man was pointing at her, and since his voice was slightly audible, Galvin concluded he must have been shouting.
“Sir?” Galvin yelled, edging closer in the rain. The man stopped shouting and turned to him, though they weren’t close enough for Galvin to see what was in his hand. “Is everything alright?”
Realizing he hadn’t actually been pointing at her, but pointing something at her, Galvin shouted, but was too late. The gun released a loud bullet and the girl fell to the ground. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He yelled, and the man, seeing him for the first time, pointed the gun then into the car as he stared at Galvin. There was another girl. “No!” He collided with the man just as he pulled the trigger, and it luckily missed the car. Unhesitant, Galvin shoved the gun into the man’s temple. Bang.
“Hey,” he whispered into the old car, “are you alright?”
He remembered how torn up Charley had been that night, but she’d made it through just fine. It was one of the few things he was proud to have accomplished.
What was he doing, thinking about Sophie like that? Getting all worked up like he didn’t have better things in his life already. Realizing this, he turned the truck into a convenient store and bought a bottle of Jack Daniels. It could come in handy.
They spent the first few hours stretching, sprinting back and forth, running a mile, and doing pull ups and push-ups. It wasn’t fun, but it was the training they expected to get at some point.
Chris didn’t let anyone get away with anything, he didn’t pick favorites, and he didn’t give sympathy. That’s what Scott liked about him.
Tank instruction was always the worst, but only because the learning was boring; when they actually were allowed to drive the tanks, it was thrilling. Scott loved it, could probably do it for hours if he had the chance. The only thing that made it easier now was thinking of people he could save with that thing. Picturing the new girl next to him while he drove had him smiling in his seat.
“Scott.”
“Sir?”
“Pay attention, boy, I asked you a question.”
“Err… could you repeat?” He could feel his face flushing, but as he began to pay attention, he realized he knew all of it already. It was mainly common sense so far, and Scott couldn’t wait to get down to the complexities of it.
They didn’t drive that day, but the boys returned to the cabin sore and restless. The boys’ cabin was set up exactly the same way as the other, except their furniture was darker, for some reason. He was headed for a shower to clean up his sticky skin from the workout when he heard Kyle and Travis conversing in their room.
“Hell, no, you can’t. I’m going after her for sure.”
Travis cackled. “Why? Because the girls here already know how much of a dumbass you are, but she doesn’t?”
They laughed and Kyle said, “Exactly.”
Scott peeked into their room. “Are you two idiots talking about Sophie?”
“Yeah,” they said together, grinning.
“Touch her and I’ll kill you. Just leave her alone. She’s new.”
“That’s exactly why we want to get to her. She won’t even know it’s coming,” Travis said, grinning like the idiot he truly was.
“That’s not right, man.”
“Who gives a damn? We’re all going to die anyway,” said Kyle, and Travis and Scott stared at him.
“What the hell? America is going to kick ass, thank you very much.”
Kyle laughed without humor. “Don’t pretend that you actually believe you’re going to live. We have mostly teenagers fighting—”
“It’s usually mainly eighteen and nineteen year olds anyway, so what’s the difference?”
He laughed again, and it was driving Scott insane. The guy ripped off his shirt and stood to put deodorant on. Good, Scott thought, he needs it. “Kasie and Mary are hardly fifteen, and there’s plenty more of that age as well. And we’re forced into this. They chose to go.”
“Whatever, Kyle,” Scott said, and as he walked away, Kyle called, “You’ll see, man. You’ll see.”
Scott would never understand what went on in that boy’s head. All he could understand was that a hot shower sounded amazing, along with thoughts of Sophie…
——————————
Shit, Galvin thought, stomping away from Sophie, a hot shower sounds amazing. Determined to clear his mind, he started one inside the cabin, but all that followed were thoughts of Sophie and her innocent ways. Ideas began flashing through his mind like lightning. Her beautiful brown hair. The sweet tone in which she spoke to him. Her lips. Her eyes. Her overall beauty that was unique in every way. Galvin, she had whispered, and it had driven him nearly insane. He couldn’t handle it, so he left.
“Galvin Wellman, you are a complete and utter asshole,” he muttered under his breath as he turned the shower knobs. The girl had done nothing wrong, but—
He had to fight against punching the hard bathroom wall. I must forget her for now. As he thought this, he picked his keys up from the bathroom counter, took one look in the mirror, and left the bathroom. Most of the campers were in the living room, and as Galvin passed, Charley yelled his name. He didn’t stop. The poor girl must have felt abandoned, but he just couldn’t take it.
Fortunately, Sophie hadn’t come back yet. One look back into the fields told him she was practicing her archery. She didn’t need to practice, though, not really. He stared for a moment, but she was merely a blur on the tip of the hill, so he couldn’t clearly see her peaceful stance as she struck each target she aimed at. All he could do was hold onto that memory as he watched, but soon he realized how odd he must have seemed, staring at this younger girl. “A creeper,” as Charley would have said.
God, he loved that girl. Not in any normal way, as some of his campers thought. He felt no intimacy towards her, no infatuation in any way at all. She was the daughter he was too young to have, and he was her father figure whenever she needed him.
Her real father was deceased by Galvin’s very hands that turned the big steering wheel of his truck. He shivered, remembering the first man he had killed.
Rain had never felt so icy. His doors wouldn’t unlock, though, and as he sat there wondering how to escape the frigid dampness, he noticed a parked car on the street not too far away from his own truck. The lights were off, and Galvin could see a man standing outside speaking with his daughter. The man was pointing at her, and since his voice was slightly audible, Galvin concluded he must have been shouting.
“Sir?” Galvin yelled, edging closer in the rain. The man stopped shouting and turned to him, though they weren’t close enough for Galvin to see what was in his hand. “Is everything alright?”
Realizing he hadn’t actually been pointing at her, but pointing something at her, Galvin shouted, but was too late. The gun released a loud bullet and the girl fell to the ground. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He yelled, and the man, seeing him for the first time, pointed the gun then into the car as he stared at Galvin. There was another girl. “No!” He collided with the man just as he pulled the trigger, and it luckily missed the car. Unhesitant, Galvin shoved the gun into the man’s temple. Bang.
“Hey,” he whispered into the old car, “are you alright?”
He remembered how torn up Charley had been that night, but she’d made it through just fine. It was one of the few things he was proud to have accomplished.
What was he doing, thinking about Sophie like that? Getting all worked up like he didn’t have better things in his life already. Realizing this, he turned the truck into a convenient store and bought a bottle of Jack Daniels. It could come in handy.