Page 36 of Stone

“Ride steady, John,” I shouted over the pop, pop, popping of the Harley’s engine. “Call me when you can.”

Gold met green as his eyes held mine, conveying everything inside his heart. Then, he lifted his hand in a loose salute and slowly pulled away toward the road.

My sob was drowned out by the roar of the motorcycle fading into the distance. I brought a hand up, pressing against my chest, trying to ease the ache gripping my heart.

My eyes followed John until he was just a dot in the distance. Heavy silence suffocated me until my lungs felt like they’d burst. I stood rooted to the spot, clutching the keys to Bessie in my trembling hand with my heart bleeding out on the ground.

John was gone, and I knew I couldn’t breathe easily again until he was back in my arms.

Chapter Eight

Stone

Snapping my spine straight, I kept my shoulders back and my eyes fixed on the Star-Spangled Banner waving off the side of a building twenty feet ahead of me. My jaw clenched with determination as I endeavored not to eyeball the mean-faced officer pacing up and down the line of recruits or the two other officers who stood to attention, glaring at us.

The sergeant stared each man in the face as he passed us. “Look down at the yellow footprints, men,” he shouted.

My forehead creased in confusion. Why the hell was he making us look at the damned ground?

His face turned purple as he bellowed, “I gave you an order! Look down at the yellow footprints!”

I cast a furtive glance at the young guy beside me before lowering my stare to the yellow marks in the shape of boot prints painted on the ground where we stood.

Sergeant narrowed his eyes before looking at each of us in turn. “Enlisting to become a United States Marine is one of the most meaningful decisions you’ll make in your lifetime. Your journey over the next thirteen weeks won’t be easy—some of you won’t make it—but those of you who do will learn skills that you’ll utilize for the rest of your lives.” His head swiveled left and right as he studied us. “While you’re here, you’ll experience the lowest of lows and the highest of highs. You’ll endure disappointments that’ll make you weep and feel so exhausted you’ll wanna give up. But what’ll keep you going is the joy,excitement, and exhilaration you’ll also experience, as well as the bonds and friendships you’ll cultivate along the way.” His mouth hitched by a millimeter. “By the time you leave here, you’ll be stronger, both physically and mentally. You’ll become problem solvers and the types of men people will look to in times of adversity. You’ll never quit anything and never give up on a task until it’s completed.” His lips curled in distaste. “But first, we need to get you through boot camp.” He began to stride down the line of men again. “Over the next thirteen weeks, we’ll push you to your limits and far beyond. It’ll exhaust you, both physically and mentally, to the point where you’ll beg for your mama’s tit. I’ll make you hurt in ways you’ve never imagined. You’ll experience pain and terror. But if you get through, we’ll bring out qualities you never imagined you possessed. I’ll turn you from boys into men. You’ll notice changes in yourself after just a week of being here. Eventually, the pain and exhaustion won’t matter ‘cause you’ll understand they’re a means to achieving your goals. If any of you men eventually get to wear the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, it will be because you’ve earned the privilege to call yourselves U.S. Marines. So, look down at those yellow footprints, boys, and say goodbye to life as you know it.”

My eyes lowered toward the boot prints, my mind going over Sergeant’s words.

He’d evoked a feeling of excitement that I’d never experienced before. His speech—although hard to hear in parts—had somehow instilled a need for me to give bootcamp my all. I knew joining the Marines would be the hardest thing I’d ever done, but Sarge had inspired me because I’d always strived to be the best son, the best boyfriend, hell, the best man I could be.

Since the day I left for San Diego, I’d missed Elise so much that my chest ached. Even our phone calls hadn’t eased it, but standing here, listening to Sarge, I suddenly had a newperspective. I’d made my decision to leave Elise, and by doing so, I’d caused her pain, so I felt pressured to prove I’d made the right choice for both of us.

At least if I became everything my commanding officer said I could be, there’d be justification for me putting my girl through the wringer.

The problem was, here, I wasn’t the guy everybody looked up to. Instead, I was just another grunt, a number on a sheet of paper. All the confidence I usually exuded had disappeared.

My stomach leaped, and I felt out of my depth.

“You’re about to be split into three platoons,” Sarge continued. “You’ll either get your rucks checked for contraband, be allocated your uniform, or visit the barber.” His lips quirked. “Say so long to your mullets, boys.”

Within minutes, we were sorted into platoons and led off toward the sand-colored building that would be my home for the next thirteen weeks. It was gone nine, and darkness was falling, but the huge, pale structure, typical of Southern California, loomed in the night sky.

My drill instructor watched us marching toward the building, and his lips thinned. “Halt!”

We all came to a stop.

“You need a lesson in marching in formation. You look like a joke,” he bellowed. “Shoulders back and atteeeeention!”

We snapped our spines straight.

He glared down the line. “Right leg face!”

Most of us turned right, but a few turned left.

I cringed.

The drill instructor looked to the heavens and heaved a breath before lowering his eyes and yelling, “Forward. March!”

The echo of boots stomping on concrete filled my ears as we marched—badly—toward our fate.

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