Thinking Hurts the Team {A Jason Grace FanFic}

We're All Rebels Here

It was my one small act of rebellion, these shoes. In comparison to my dull green uniform, the cherry red combat boots stuck out like a sore thumb. They did not match the cargo pants, the shirt, and the jacket, and that went along perfectly with my rebellious nature. And it was that nature that made my first sentence a lie. Everything about me was one HUGE rebellious act. After all, it was why I was here at Valley Forge Military Institute.

Gosh dang, what a stupid name. I feel like I was drop kicked into a Seven Dwarves sing along. Except these dwarves were not dwarf-like at all. In fact, Drill Sergeant Davies was well over six foot six. And instead of pick axes, we all carried blanks over our shoulders. And we didn't have Doc. We had General Tom Lafayette, whom by the way, was in the process of killing me slowly and painfully. 

"Those aren't real push ups Sinclair! Your nose should be touching the ground, or you should be buried underneath it! GO! GO!" 

I hate dwarves. 

My biceps begging for relief, I contracted them so my hands were at my shoulders and my nose was brushing the sickeningly clean hardwood floors of General Lafayette's disgustingly spotless office. The office that I just got done scrubbing with my blood, sweat, and tears. Too bad I didn't leave stains.

"...Ninety seven, ninety eight, ninety nine, one-hundred..." I refused to stop counting and acknowledge the General's existence. Often, I allowed my tongue to escape me, and that ALWAYS got me into deeper trouble (not that I really cared). So, between the counting, I let slip a couple "I hate you's" and "I wish you were a piñata."

"Why are you here?!" he screamed, his credentials swinging in the air as he bent over. "Why are you here, Sinclair?! Huh?! Answer me!"

I paused, my arms fully extended and my palms indenting themselves into the gleaming wood. Looking up, I fixated my deadliest glare on General Lafayette's face. "Hmmm," I pretended to ponder while catching my breath. It was safe to say I was a master at push ups by now, considering they were used as punishment. "Maybe because I care about my fellow cadets' follicle care?" 

I tried my best to keep my sniggers in, but it was just too amusing. The latest supply drop reaped many benefits, one of them being hair dye (which I'm pretty sure Senior Cadet Norwell needs considering he has to keep my butt in line). Ah, the joys of hair dye.

General Lafayette didn't seem to get my humor, though. 

"You think this is funny?!" Looking up at my senior officer's purple face and blazing eyes, I could most definitely say that yes, this is very funny. "Visitation hours are tomorrow, and what do you think parents are going to say when they see their brats with PINK hair?!"

Hopefully they'll stop the endless flow of cash into this purgatory. After all, sending their "precious, but misunderstood little ones" here costs a fortune. 

"Stand up, cadet!"

Ever so slowly, as to up his apparent frustration, I stood from my push up position and stood eye to eye with General Lafayette (it's safe to say I was a tall girl, standing at five foot ten). The military officer's bulging vein was prominent of his forehead, and the frown lines around his lips could rival the depth of the Grand Canyon. What a pansy. 

"I am head officer here at this school, and what I say goes. For the past three years, you haven't gotten the message." He paused, sucking in a large breath. 

I plastered my faux confused face on again and replied, "No, I don't think I got any messages. Hmmm, did you send one to my home or work address?"

A strange, strangled growl erupted from the General's throat and he looked as if he was holding himself back from strangling me. It was an expression I received quite often. "But now, you've pulled the last straw," General Lafayette continued. "Instead of full visitation hours with your mother, you'll be with the Drill Team."

His smug face was enough to send me over the edge, and a huge laugh exploded out of my chest. I just couldn't stop, it was so funny. "T-that's m-my punishment?!" I exclaimed through my chuckles. "You think that's gonna make me fall in line with the rest of the robots?!"

Somehow, the General's face got even more purple and more bulging. I knew I hit a sensitive spot. I bet good 'ol Lafayette was spending hours trying to come up with an evil way to punish his most difficult cadet to ever step foot on these grounds. I took major pride in my title. 

I was gasping for breath at this point, and I couldn't even see through my tears. "Oh my gosh, this is wonderful! Don't you realize I pick some major-ha, no pun intended- butt when it comes to Drill Team? I can spin circles around them!"

And it was true. While the whole organized sports thing was never really my thing, Drill Team was something I excelled at. In fact, it went right under my number one skill: showing off. I was great at showing off...

It seemed that when ever weapons were involved, I could do practically everything with pro skill. Cleaning, managing, and using weapons? It was the one thing I could with absolute certainty. Everything else I managed to skate by with no small amount of false confidence because, hey, fake it 'till you make it. 

But while I grew increasingly more amused, the General grew even more angry. The guy was practically an eggplant! Huffing and puffing, he could pass as the Bid Bad Wolf, too. "Sinclair," he gritted out, "return to your bunk and report to Senior Cadet Norwell. Tomorrow, Drill Sergeant Davies will be by your bunk to escort you to the armory where the Drill team will be greeting up at oh-six-hundred hours. Now, leave!"

Following the direction that General Lafayette's gnarled finger was pointing, I made my exit, but not without shooting him two thumbs up. "Thanks for this opportunity man!"

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Hey peeps! This is my first story on Wattpad, so I hope it's good so far. And in case you haven't gathered, I am a major Percy Jackson fan! So, in addition to this story, I'll also be writing a lot more. If you have any ideas or things you want to be featured in any of my stories, please let me know. I also LOVE feedback, so comments and votes are very much appreciated. Have an amazing day!

~JerkAlert