Chapter 1
“Get off me, Bolt!” My stepsister laughed hysterically as I held her down in a tickle battle.
“You’re gonna get it, Zoe,” I said. She definitely deserved whatever I was dishing out. She had removed my rifle bolt. Again. Last time it was an innocent joke. This time it was before inspection with the platoon sergeant. I was reamed a new one right there in front of the whole platoon. And at the same time I was given a new nickname.
“Lance Corporal Dawson. What in the hell do we have here? A rifle with no rifle bolt. Automatic inspection failure! You better shape up and start shitting me Tiffany cuff links, Lance Corporal…Bolt!” The Platoon sergeant could barely contain his anger. The balls and recklessness of me handing him a rifle with no bolt during an inspection. I was in the shit now. And I was in deep.
“You should learn to properly assemble your weapon,” my stepsister countered between laughs. She tried to pull my head down into the pillow she had placed on top of her chest to smother me so she could make a quick escape. No such luck. I was too strong.
“Oh, you think you’re a comedian, huh?” I said.
“Not as much as you. Handing a rifle with no bolt to the platoon sergeant during inspection!” She rolled in laughter. Wiggling to try and escape my grasp. Not a chance.
“You little shit!” I said and continued tickling her sides. The other Marines in the barracks looked on in a combination of astonishment and amusement. It was weird both personally and professionally. Stepsiblings, Marines, tickle wrestling in the barracks in front of everyone to see. For us it was normal. We had grown up together since we were both nine. The first time we met she shook my hand with a shocker concealed in her grip. I wondered who this crazy girl was…and more importantly how in the hell I was going to get her back. We’ve been best friends since. Plotting little schemes and pranks. Always trying to one-up the other. Never a moment of rest. You let down your guard and you were certain to become a source of laughter for the other. The butt of the next joke.
“Alright, alright! I’m sorry, you big lug,” she said as her laughter slowed. I stopped and let her up. “It was just a little innocent fun.”
“I’m gonna hear it from everyone in the platoon. The platoon sergeant might even put it in my record! I might even get in real trouble,” I said. She just laughed.
“Well, at least you’ll learn how to assemble your rifle better when they make you practice about 500 times a day.”
“Fuck you, Zoe,” I said.
“In your dreams,” she said. I stopped to catch my breath. Held serious eye contact with her. Thinking of my next move.
“What’s going on in there?” The NCO on barracks duty asked as he entered the room.
“Nothing, Corporal,” I said. Zoe trying to hold back her laughter.
“Aren’t you Lance Corporal Bolt?” The NCO asked. My whole room erupted in laughter.
“Ooh-rah, Corporal!” Zoe shot out as her prank from earlier that day had taken a life of its own. Using her enthusiastic reply to commend the Corporal on his choice of words.
“No Corporal. I’m squared away. Good-to-go. A hard charging Marine.”
“Not what I’ve heard, shit bird,” he replied and walked out.
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” I said and Zoe used the safety of the NCO’s presence to escape back to her room. My buddies still lounging around ready to continue the humor at my expense.
Zoe and I had entered the Marines on the buddy program. It was unusual to say the least. Usually the buddy program was just that, two buddies from the same neighborhood. Sure, Zoe and I were buddies, but we were a boy and a girl. And even stranger, a brother and sister. Stepbrother and stepsister, but
“Get off me, Bolt!” My stepsister laughed hysterically as I held her down in a tickle battle.
“You’re gonna get it, Zoe,” I said. She definitely deserved whatever I was dishing out. She had removed my rifle bolt. Again. Last time it was an innocent joke. This time it was before inspection with the platoon sergeant. I was reamed a new one right there in front of the whole platoon. And at the same time I was given a new nickname.
“Lance Corporal Dawson. What in the hell do we have here? A rifle with no rifle bolt. Automatic inspection failure! You better shape up and start shitting me Tiffany cuff links, Lance Corporal…Bolt!” The Platoon sergeant could barely contain his anger. The balls and recklessness of me handing him a rifle with no bolt during an inspection. I was in the shit now. And I was in deep.
“You should learn to properly assemble your weapon,” my stepsister countered between laughs. She tried to pull my head down into the pillow she had placed on top of her chest to smother me so she could make a quick escape. No such luck. I was too strong.
“Oh, you think you’re a comedian, huh?” I said.
“Not as much as you. Handing a rifle with no bolt to the platoon sergeant during inspection!” She rolled in laughter. Wiggling to try and escape my grasp. Not a chance.
“You little shit!” I said and continued tickling her sides. The other Marines in the barracks looked on in a combination of astonishment and amusement. It was weird both personally and professionally. Stepsiblings, Marines, tickle wrestling in the barracks in front of everyone to see. For us it was normal. We had grown up together since we were both nine. The first time we met she shook my hand with a shocker concealed in her grip. I wondered who this crazy girl was…and more importantly how in the hell I was going to get her back. We’ve been best friends since. Plotting little schemes and pranks. Always trying to one-up the other. Never a moment of rest. You let down your guard and you were certain to become a source of laughter for the other. The butt of the next joke.
“Alright, alright! I’m sorry, you big lug,” she said as her laughter slowed. I stopped and let her up. “It was just a little innocent fun.”
“I’m gonna hear it from everyone in the platoon. The platoon sergeant might even put it in my record! I might even get in real trouble,” I said. She just laughed.
“Well, at least you’ll learn how to assemble your rifle better when they make you practice about 500 times a day.”
“Fuck you, Zoe,” I said.
“In your dreams,” she said. I stopped to catch my breath. Held serious eye contact with her. Thinking of my next move.
“What’s going on in there?” The NCO on barracks duty asked as he entered the room.
“Nothing, Corporal,” I said. Zoe trying to hold back her laughter.
“Aren’t you Lance Corporal Bolt?” The NCO asked. My whole room erupted in laughter.
“Ooh-rah, Corporal!” Zoe shot out as her prank from earlier that day had taken a life of its own. Using her enthusiastic reply to commend the Corporal on his choice of words.
“No Corporal. I’m squared away. Good-to-go. A hard charging Marine.”
“Not what I’ve heard, shit bird,” he replied and walked out.
“Fan-fucking-tastic,” I said and Zoe used the safety of the NCO’s presence to escape back to her room. My buddies still lounging around ready to continue the humor at my expense.
Zoe and I had entered the Marines on the buddy program. It was unusual to say the least. Usually the buddy program was just that, two buddies from the same neighborhood. Sure, Zoe and I were buddies, but we were a boy and a girl. And even stranger, a brother and sister. Stepbrother and stepsister, but
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