Chapter 3: Casey

We have come quite far in the short time we have been here, and I have learned a fair amount from the people we are grouped with. This is week 10 now. As I said, we learn a lot at boot camp. Just last week, we based our skills on teamwork and positivity.

We had a few shows on how to handle an injured soldier in combat and what to expect. We travelled and used our skills on each other, performing medical examinations and building our strength.

We have learned what our weaknesses are and have been tasked with overcoming the fears of those weaknesses. My weakness was a fear of falling from a great height, so our captain had me climb each rope to the top and slide back down again. Then I climbed boulders, and before I knew it, I was doing it without sweating or shaking like a leaf. Okay, it took about 4 weeks to accomplish that, but it was useful.

Many of the people here were afraid of something so I was glad I wasn't alone.

Over the last few weeks, I received another letter from Mom and Dad. I wrote back to Jake and my parents, and I'm yet to receive a letter, but I told them I probably won't write back due to us coming home in a couple of weeks time.

Another useful thing we have done in the last week was develop self-discipline and leadership skills. I passed the self-discipline test quite well, I put myself in a position where I needed to shut off my emotional state and focus on the present tasks and it worked out well, We were forced to lay in a line on the sand, just at the roughest part of the sea, and had to use our strength and endurance to keep our heads from going under the wave.

That was a lot harder than it had to be, and very bloody cold that's for sure but I think the leadership skills will remain a mystery. I'm no coward but I also don't feel ready to lead a group of us into a situation where something could potentially go wrong and I'm responsible.

During week 7, we were taught how to load, unload, and reload our weapons, how to quickly reload when in battle without stopping too long, and how to manhandle people when needed. Self-defence classes are apparently useful in case you are in a situation where your weapon is out of reach or is snatched away.

I was glad to have the opportunity to wrestle and let out some frustrations with some of our teammates. Tyler being the cockiest thought he was clever to grab me and pull me down but my instincts of fighting with Oliver caught up and I caught myself before falling and pulled him over my shoulder and tossed him onto the matts provided.

"Hey, you're deep in thought What's going on?"

"Hey Olly. And not much today; I'm sad we only have a few weeks left. Did you read Leah's letter?"

"Yeah. She sent us some stuff in a care package. Yours and a few letters are in your Barrack on your bunk"

"Oh brilliant! Where were you heading off to?"

"Cap wants everyone in the canteen"

"When?"

"Now. Come on, sissy"

With a grudge, I get up and head to the canteen with Oliver. It's already busy with our team and a few of the Sergeants, officers and then our Captain as well.

As usual, when we are all in the same place with higher ranks, we stand and salute out of respect and honour.

"Relax soldiers. It's a formal meeting to give you your letters and packages for how you have done, if you have made the cut, if you haven't made the cut what to expect and if you have made it through what you will need to do before you go home. Today you'll be asked a series of interview questions based on your time and reflections here. Don't be alarmed; it is mandatory for you all to do this, every station and base does it. Your time is slotted at the top of your papers and please note that you are to arrive on time If you do not arrive on time, we will send you home even if you have been accepted into the Military. On-time in battle is always early"

"Sir, yes, sir," we all say, standing to our full height and saluting each member passing by.

"This is the big moment, Sis"

"Oliver," I say quietly so he would shut up because my nerves won't be able to handle his jokey self.

"It's fine. Whatever happens, I will have your back just like you have mine, okay"

"What if you got in but I didn't?"

"Then...you send me care packages," he says as he winks at me. I don't understand how calm he is about all of this.

"Come on. Let's go and open our things and see what's what okay"

We head to a table that's got some of our new friends there; Jackie's there, and a guy named Tyler and a guy named Flynn are sitting there as well.

The others open there's and cheers erupt around the table. All three of them got in. That means there are only 9 spaces left. There are now 29 people here; seems how Cosgrove got kicked out of the camp early.

Idiot.

I opened my letter and read it all the way through. My smile dropped into a frown, and then I read the bottom.

Casey Hamilton:

Military status: Marine Corps Infantry

Number 71682

Training Status: Completed

Mission start date: 7th July

Location: Germany

Length of time: 6+ months

"Shit! Oh, my God!" I shout at our table.

Oliver hadn't opened his yet; he was waiting for me to say first what was happening, so I showed him the papers.

"YEAAAAH! Go girl! My twins got some skills"

"Wait...your twins?" Jackie asks as she takes a sip of her drink.

"Yeah," we say in unison as we laugh. People find it creepy.

"Oh my god, that is so..."

"Weird?" We say together again. It's a twin thing. When one of us is hurt, the other senses their mood. When one is annoyed so is the other and there is a lot of other weird stuff, like how we sleep. On our front, we have our right arm under the pillow and our left arm draped over our heads.

"Open yours, Olly" I'm eager to see if he's got in. I'm not nervous because he's also worked his ass off but I am also nervous because it means everything to me if he does get in.

"Here. You look for me. I can't do it."

I take his papers and scan what I need to scan.

Oliver Hamilton:

Military status: Marine Corps Infantry

Number 91628

Training status: Completed

Mission start date: 7th July

Location: Germany

Length of time: 6+ Months.

I frown down at his papers and Jackie takes them out of my hands and smiles so widely I can't not smile either.

"Bro! You've done it as well! We are officially going home, knowing what we are all coming back to," I say as I slap Oliver's back. He lets out a breath and laughs along with us.

2 weeks later, we have just gotten back to California. Our normal everyday clothes on, and a pair of sunglasses. Oliver's casual is jeans and a T-shirt with Nike trainers; for me, on the other hand, my dress code is a black pair of leggings, black boots, and a long vest top with an off-the-shoulder cardigan jumper.

"Are you ready to tell Mom and Dad we didn't get in?" I ask as we approach our normal, quiet neighbourhood.

"Yeah. Sad faces...go"

I can't help but chuckle when I approach the house, but I have learned to mask that smile when needed too, and so I do.

We go in the front door, drop our duffel bags, and brace ourselves for hugs and kisses from everyone here. Leah is quick to pounce on us both, hugging and strangling me at the same time, whereas she kisses Oliver.

I'm a third wheel in this case.

"Oh my god, my babies are home!"

"Momma!!" I cry as I run to her and my dad. I didn't think I'd be this emotional, but I am. Thank God today was the day my menstrual cycle started. I can use that as an excuse as to why I'm crying. Code Red is what my dad and brother call it.

After a lot of hugs, tears, and laughs, we manage to pile everyone out back and explain how it all went, the sessions and the times we would get up because our body clock got used to being awake at stupid hours, how we ate so much, and then they made us run it off.

"So, did you both get in?"

Me and Olly look at each other, and then Mom sighs.

"I'm sorry, guys... I'm sure you did your absolute best, and we are so proud of you for trying..."

"Mom," I say over her. I don't usually talk over her, but I can't keep it up in any way. I hand over my letter, and Olly hands his to Dad. They look a little puzzled, but then they see the mission date.

"OH GOSH! Oh my goodness..."

"Well done, champs! We're so proud of you"

I feel pride in myself on achieving 12 weeks of basic training. Next on the list is our first mission and I'm so nervous, to say the least.

Over the next two weeks, we have been with our family, visiting our friends, continuing our training and also finding time to recoup and destress. Before we knew it, we were on our way back to San Diego to join our friends who we also kept in touch with. Jackie FaceTimed me a lot and showed me some beautiful parts of Los Angeles, and she briefly met my mom when she got home from shopping.

"6 months is a long time, guys. I'm going to miss you so much" Mom's voice is laced with emotions I'm not prepared for.

"We will be home before you know it, momma"

"You better write to us. Keep yourself safe and please for goodness sake, put sunscreen on"

Me and Oliver laugh at her mom's protectiveness-about the sunscreen.

"Of all the things we have done in our 18 years, you are bothered about us not wearing sunscreen"

"Yes. I am. Anyway, I believe some people are waiting for you. Send us a list of what you want for your care packages"

After our emotional goodbyes, it was soon time to leave for our first mission. I'd like to think of it as a new beginning but that started nearly 4 months ago and it has gone by very fast.

"Come on, sis. Let's go"

-

"ATTENTION"

Standing with both feet together, my left hand approaches my left side and my right hand salutes our captain for him to continue with his speech.

"My name is Captain Harrison. As you all know from your training, you will see things in this mission that make you never forget it. Some are good, some are bad but you have trained for this. You know what to expect and what is expected of you."

"Sir, yes, sir," we all chorus together. I already feel the nerves kicking in. Oliver rests his arm on my shoulder as we all prepare to leave.

"Are you ready?" He asks me quietly while everyone else around us speaks quite loudly.

"I am. Everything happens for a reason and this is our reason. We got this"

Leading us into the chopper to head for the cargo plane we will be taking, we make leave for our first mission of many. On this one, the captain and sergeant have explained what it is and what is expected once we land.

The plane is a bumpy ride, and me and Jackie sit there listening to some music like everyone else but Tyler and Oliver are talking about something else in the quiet.

"What you two talking so quietly for?" I ask, eyeing them both.

"I was reading the reports and what to expect" Oliver says

"Yeah, like everyone has?"

"It's a mission to free the children from being sent to arranged marriages and to get the girls into schooling like the boys, however, Some specifics don't add up"

"Like what?"

"For starters, they have their own system for this; residents don't usually say anything, but we're here to change it all. They don't trust Americans so why are we being sent to try and change things for?"

"I don't know, okay, but it will be alright. We're a good bunch and I'm sure we can sort it in the timeframe they've set and then be back out again"

My response only seems to make him relax a little bit; I can still feel his tension like it was my own.