Commando

The doctor took one look at me and sighed, “You do understand you are our fifteenth initiate today right? What did you get wrong?” I laughed, “Nothing. Reece and I had a fight and he put me in front of a board and had another initiate throw knives at me. But then before I left I shot a gun and threw the knives, all perfect bulls-eyes.” She sighed dramatically again and set to work on my wounds. Half an hour later my skin was patched up and she let me go. I walked down the dusty corridors to my dorm room and walked in. All the girls were in the room either changing or chatting. I walked towards Tasha and sat on my bed with a sigh. She climbed down and sat next to me and touched my face lightly, “Are you OK? I don’t understand why Reece did that. What happened?” I sighed and shook my head and lay down and snuggled into my pillow, “Wake me up for breakfast.” And with that I was asleep.
Tasha shook my arm and helped me get dressed. I was sore all over and clenched my teeth when I put my arm into a sleeveless shirt. My leg was a little worse because material would be squeezing the leg but I pulled through and got my shoes on. The mess hall was loud, we could hear it all the way down the corridor. But when I walked in the room went silent. People stared at me and started whispering and Reece came towards me grabbing my good arm and dragging me out. He pulled me along corridor after corridor and finally we stopped. He turned me around and started yelling at me!
“I can’t believe you walked away Layla! You are in Commando now! Act like it!”
“What?! I went in there had knives thrown at me. Then I shot the gun and threw the knives and got everything perfect and you still think I’m acting like I belong somewhere else?!”
“You do act like you need to be somewhere else Layla!”
“How?! How Reece?!”
“I don’t know! Just stop! Just stop talking Zahra!” He clamped his hand over his mouth.
“How did you know my name was Zahra?” I asked. I was shocked. How did he know?
“I-I mean Layla… Not Zahra.” He laughed nervously. “Who are you Reece?” I asked.
He smiled, “All in good time Zahra. All in good time.” Then he turned around and walked away from me whistling as he went. I watched him go and heard the bell go off signaling the end of breakfast. “Man!” I exclaimed and started hobbling towards the training room. When I got there after getting lost a million times Reece was demonstrating how to punch and kick. He looked up when the door opened and said, “Nice of you to join us Layla. Didn’t know when you were going to get here so I just started the lesson about an hour ago.” Some boys snickered but everyone else looked at me with sympathy. I stood next to Tasha and she whispered, “Food on bed.” I nodded at her grateful that she had taken the time to get me food. Reece put us in front of punching bags and yelled, “Begin!” I started hitting the bag putting all my anger and confusion into it. How did Reece know my name? I didn’t tell anyone here. Then I heard a crack and I looked up quickly to see a girl next to me cradling her wrist. She broke it and Reece came storming over to her and said, “Again.” She looked at him with scared eyes and stepped in front of the bag again and hit it with her broken wrist. “Again.” Reece demanded. After watching him torture the poor girl some more I stepped up and said, “Reece stop. Her wrist is broken. You need to let her get it set so that she can actually fight!” He turned towards me and the girl dropped her arm with a sigh. “What did you say to me?” he asked clenching his teeth.
“I said stop torturing her Reece. Can you not hear me over you arrogant self, torturing poor girls to a point where she won’t ever be able to use that wrist again?” I said. He looked at the girl and said, “Go to the Clinic. And you,” he said pointing a finger at me, “Will take her place.” I nodded and stepped in front of the bag and started punching over and over again. People stared but went back to their own bags. Tasha tried not to look but every punch I made, made her flinch. After two hours of punching the bag nonstop he let us off for lunch. I was hungry from no breakfast. But I was hungrier now because I had been worked like an animal. I walked into the mess hall and stepped into line where they gave me a little extra food because I had not been there for breakfast. I sat down with Tasha and Michael and started to eat when Reece pushed the doors open and stormed in. He scowled at me and walked towards my table. I sat up straight and looked at him with a face saying, “I hate you.” He pushed past people everywhere and stood behind me. Tasha and Michael looked at him with scared eyes and I slowly turned around and smiled at him, “Do you need something Reece?” He frowned at me and bent down to my ear, “Zahra, we both know that you are trying to get my attention. But its not going to work.” His attention?! I stood up, “Is that what you think? I’m trying to get your attention?! I stuck up for a girl with a broken wrist! You were making her hit the bag even when she cried out! Did that not get through your thick skull?! I hate you Reece! But if you are coming around saying I want your attention then there is something you want! Not me! So say it big guy. Come out with it! Why are you always dragging me away, singling my out? Huh? Why?” He pushed me onto of the table and bent in close to my face. He looked into my eyes and whispered, “You hate me huh? Well then. I guess I don’t have anything to say. You say I’m singling you out? Well. Listen up initiates!” Everyone looked at him, “Tomorrow you will being teaming up. Boys with girls. No girls and girls. Starting tomorrow! And Layla,” he said bending into me with a whisper, “I’m not trying to get your attention. I’m giving you attention.”
With that he walked away.