“Alright then. How did you first come in contact with Private Allen?”

I cleared my throat, readying myself to dig through the filth that he had been shoveling my way from the very beginning.

“It turns out he is in my class, but I learned who he was after our first day of class. Another Pfc. in the barracks had some people over for a video game match and pizza, and I met Private Allen there.”

“Was it a friendly meeting?”

“No. He had apparently been drinking, and he was intoxicated. I went against him in Mortal Kombat, and he wagered me. He said if he won, I could blow him, and if I won, I could still blow him.”

His eyebrows shot up.

“And then what happened?”

“I told him I wasn’t interested. I went on to play him, and I beat him. He became irate, yelling obscenities until some of the guys had to restrain him.”

“Who are the names of these guys? I will need to speak to them.”

I gave him the names of Dalton, Pete, and a few others who were there that night. They would definitely be able to verify my story and hopefully get Allen away from me for good.

“Anymore instances that you can think of?”

“Yes. He’s told me that I must be a lesbian if I didn’t want him. He’s told me I needed to be taught how to be a lady, and that he’d put me in my place. Then recently, he told me he’d shove his--“ I stopped, feeling embarrassed to say the word in front of First Sergeant O’Hara. He nodded, signaling that he understood. “His private down my throat to shut my mouth.”

He face softened a bit, and his eyes briefly closed as he scratched the back of his neck and sat back in his seat. I watched him take a pen and notepad from his desk and start writing down names of people I had given him. He seemed to believe me, which made me feel so much better than when I had first stepped into his office.

“Are there any more people I should be speaking to?” he asked, his head still down, writing.

“Yes, a few of his friends that are always around when he says these things.”

“I’ll need their names as well.”

I gave him the names of a couple of guys who I knew ran in Allen’s circle. I couldn’t remember them all, but the ones I did give him, I was sure they would talk. They didn’t seem loyal. Just seemed like a couple of followers who found humor in the antics of a supreme asshole. When First Sergeant O’Hara was finished writing, he placed his pen down on his notepad and looked up to me.

“We will be digging further into these claims. In the meantime, you are to have no contact, whatsoever, with Private Allen. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, First Sergeant.”

“Good to go.”

He stood, and I followed. I walked to the door, blowing out a heavy and deep breath that had filled me the entire time I sat in the chair. My conscience felt lighter, knowing that I was finally able to get all of my irritation for Allen out in the open. I went walking down the hallway when my phone buzzed. I pulled it out to find a text from Alex.

Alex: How did it go? Damn this, I hate being away from you. I want to see you.

Me: It went okay. I want to see you, too. But we do need to lay low. They are digging through everything.

Alex: I want to dig through something… My tongue is more than willing.

Me: Perv. I will call you later.

It was hard being so close to Alex, but unable to be with him, especially after everything that we had been through together. I felt like time was slipping away from us. In a very short amount of time, I’d be packed, orders in hand, and on an airplane, taking me three thousand miles away from him.

It was gut wrenching to even think about it.

My heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces every time I thought about being without him. And although the prospect had been discussed, it didn’t take the sting out of it. Even if I had been given orders to Camp Pendleton, weekend trips would have erased the distance that separated us. But with me being on the opposite coast, I’d have to settle for once a month flights, and pray that time would even allow for that to happen.

I went to bed that night with it on my mind, and even when I talked to Alex later that evening, sitting on the cement barricade framing the parking lot, it didn’t make things any easier. Alex, for as strong as he was trying to be, was anything but. It was bothering him just as much as it was bothering me. We’d had—or at least I’d had—no intention of ever falling this far when I took the bait and jumped in head first for him. I thought this was hot, casual sex at its finest. I’d never thought that we’d get to where we stood, and be faced with such a depressing situation. The more we talked about it, the more I wished time would just stand still, and I could stay in this hot, barren, good for nothing desert. It didn’t have much going for it, but it had Alex, and that was enough for me.

When I woke up the next morning, I found a text from Alex stating that the investigation into Allen was moving along quickly. First Sergeant O’Hara decided to give Allen an NJP—non-judicial punishment—and was pushing for an expedited administrative discharge. I couldn’t recall ever experiencing such early morning jubilation that didn’t involve Alex and his body mingling with mine.  The news was quick and unexpected. My initial reaction to First Sergeant O’Hara was that he wasn’t taking any of this too seriously, but to get confirmation that it was handled swiftly and forcefully made me happy.

I walked down to the schoolhouse with Dalton, gleefully explaining to him what went down and that Allen would no longer be a threat to me. He commented, letting me know that First Sergeant grilled him, wanting to know everything, and was trying to see if any of the encounters were made up on my behalf.

Newsome, Alex, and Jensen stood before us in the classroom, going through their spiel about how proud of us they were, and how we’d make fine fleet Marines once we made it to our destinations. Alex gave subliminal messages, saying he’d miss seeing some of us around the schoolhouse, but that he knew our new units were gaining great, new additions. His words tugged at my heart at another reminder that we would be split apart. A part of me wanted to cry because the thought and the reality of it was just too much. Another part of me wanted to see as it yet another challenge in my life that I would have to work extra hard to overcome.

 No matter which way it was sliced, the fact that I would be in North Carolina by this time next week was a hard pill to swallow, and I didn’t want to spend another second thinking about it.

Newsome took over the speech, standing with a clipboard in his hands.

“So without further ado, the winner of the seventy-two challenge—and it came down to the wire—is Pfc. Bennett.”

The class broke out in applause, with even a few “oorahs” thrown in for good measure. I nervously smiled, looking around the room. Even Angelica was clapping for me. When my eyes landed on Alex’s, salacious smirks were thrown back at me, making me blush and sweat under the intensity of his stare. I found myself tingling in between my legs because I knew the hidden message in his golden flecked eyes. If I didn’t turn away from it, I would need to make a swift exit for the nearest restroom.

“Pfc. Bennett, enjoy having Monday off,” Newsome said, nodding his head and then giving the floor to Alex.

“Your last order of business before you graduate is to pass the final exam. Today, we will cover the last bit of material, and then you will work in study groups, quizzing one another on everything you can think of. If you fail it, you will be recycled. You will have to take the course again, and you’ll be stuck here in Twentynine. For those of you leaving, I’m not so sure if you want to do that.”