A few days passed and Price and Gaz left for a mission leaving Soap, Ghost, Alejandro, Charlie, and Me. I Spent most of my time listening to Soap and Alejandro talk about their previous assignments and the stuff that happened in them.
"What about you two? Any fun story." Soap asked looking up from his food.
"Oh yes!" Charlie pops up.
"In our enlistment regiment, Gisele was the most targeted person by the Drill Sergeant for being "weird". So, she was so many dumb stories. For example, she was far better than everyone at shooting and decided to help a few people, a drill Sergeant didn't like that so told her to comb grass."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah, we were caught together— she was having a breakdown, so we were told to sweep water when it was raining. So, we both end up having a breakdown and laughing at the stupidity."
"That seems like bullying." Soap states, setting his fork down.
"I know so did I, but Gisele was like "Bitch try me" so she took on every dumb challenge to the max. By the end we had photos of her posing while doing the dumb shit they asked her to do. Anyways I got the drill sergeant demoted." Charlie explains.
"You two are thick as thieves." Ghost mutters.
"Without Flaca I probably be dead or in jail."
"Really?" Alejandro asked a little surprised.
"Yeah, I was down the track to be a gangbanger. In high school I was bad I was sent to the disabled teaching program just to get rid of me. That's where I met her again."
"You two knew each other before high school?"
"Yeah, we went to the same elementary school and saw her then. we went to different middle schools and the same high school. So, I thought she was gonna recognize me and my image would fall, turns out this bitch didn't remember me at all!" The table erupted in chuckles.
"The point we became friends was when I walked in on her beating the ever-living shit out of a bully. Hottest thing I ever saw."
'He tried to date me' I write down and show the table.
"So, what happened?" Soap smiles leaning in.
"She looked me dead in the eyes— I'm not shitting! — This haunts me to this very day— she said, "Do you whimper?" When I tell you my brain stops working. It stopped. She said, "I like my men on their knees and whimpering." And you know what, I'm so glad I didn't date you." Charlie turns to me with a wide smile. I rolled my eyes. I did ask him that and I was serious, but he doesn't have to expose me like that.
Soap turns to me his mouth falls slightly open, "She said that?" I nod. "What confidence." He looked bewildered and shocked. Alejandro laughed and patted Charlie on the back.
"So, she's feisty."
"She's mean!" Charlie slams his hand on the table. "She bullied me into using shampoo and conditioner, not the 2in1 stuff." All the men turn to her.
'2in1 is gross and if you use it shame on you, that's why you're bitchless.' I write it down. They read it and smiled.
"You got an attitude."
I roll my eyes and slightly smile. "Trust me her attitude does get annoying if it's directed at you, but if you can watch it from the sideline, it's funny as hell!" Charlie said.
"What's the funniest thing she said?" Soap asked his smile growing bigger.
"She was sparing with a guy who said she's going to eat ass. Anyways When she won, she called him an "ass eater." They all turn to me with the same expression.
"Does she not have a filter?"
"No, she does not."
I smirk and look down at my food. I didn't intend it to be sexual, I was simply replying back to his first challenge. The men around me chuckle, Charlie is one of the best storytellers out there. I nudge him with my elbow and sign.
'Tell them about your dumb stunts.' He smiles and turns back to them.
"You wanna hear my stunts?"
"Sure." Alejandro smiles, leaning back. He has done a few missions with Charlie and Charlie isn't one to talk about himself.
"So, I'm an explosive specialist, and I was tasked to explode an old Helicopter for a celebration. How," He puts his hands up, "They never told me a limit so I just did as much as I thought would create a mushroom."
"I see where this is going." Soap smiles cheekily.
"Anyways it did form a small mushroom. I did cause some mild hearing damage. I scared the drill sergeants and I got yelled at for 3 minutes straight. I was then forced to ladle out water from this large fountain into the drain. And you know what? I empty that bitch!" Charlie slams his hands against the table.
"What about you guys?"
"We trusted someone who betrayed us." Soap hums.
"Who?"
"His name was, Graves he's dead."
'Did you see the body?' I write them down for them to read. Soap shakes his head no. 'Then he might not be dead.' Soap looked around; a chill ran down their spine.
"Nonsense we killed him." Ghost firmly states his tone as cold and harsh.
"If you say so, Gisele over here likes to be a Debby downer."
'Piss off.' I sign.
"You know you love me."
'I love you when you're not being a mega cunt.' Charlie grips his heart dramatically and gasps as if my comment truly hurt him.
"Rude!"
ᔕᔕᔕ≼∴≽ᔕᔕᔕ
"How long will it take her to speak?" Ghost asked Charlie. The young man looks over his shoulder at her. She was on her phone texting someone.
"She can speak now, but I don't think she will."
"Why not?" Soap jumps in.
"I once told her if she has nothing nice to say don't say anything. That's why she is so quiet. She doesn't see the need to speak to you." Both men frown and look back at her.
"That a little..."
"Problematic? Childish? She knows. In her autistic mind, I speak for her therefore she has no need to speak. She also has her Echolalia which frustrates her severely."
"So, half the reason is you and the other is her autism?"
"Both are her autism. She is a destination person, not a journey. She's going to need a reason to speak to you, besides it being easier for you. She needs a personal reason." Soap nods while Ghost just sighs.
"She sounds like a headache."
"She can be, but if you win her respect, she's very fun." Charlie cocks a brow before smirking.
"Really?" Both men asked a little shocked by that comment. Gisele wasn't the type to seem to enjoy anything.
"So, she can act less stuck up?"
"She acts the way she does because she's expecting retaliation for being on the spectrum."
"I see."
"We're not going to judge her."
"You will everyone does."
"You too?"
"Yup, but my judgment is something she's used to. I'm a person who can say things and she understands it's not me to blame her autism, but the situation we are in." Charlie explains to the two.
"I'm only here to make the transition smoother because without me she still is like this, but she probably never explains why." Soap nods.
"She's a very good shot, I'm impressed."
"Yeah, the first time Alejandro saw her in action he couldn't stop pestering her about how she does her thing."
"Look you be surprised too when out of nowhere the girl next to you screams like she's being murdered." Alejandro retorts protecting his dignity.
"The tattoos on your hands what does it mean?"
"The skull represents the dead comrades we lost, and the numbers are the dates we lost them." He explains.
"So, you two were on the same squad?"
"Yeah, we were asked to help a special opt, group..."
"Oh..." Soap mutters.
"They were taken out one by one. I survived out of dumb luck but she, they knew she wasn't one of them and left her alive on purpose. It was supposed to be an easy thing, training, but it turned into a nightmare." Soap patted Charlie on the back.
"She carries a grudge." Ghost states and Charlie nods.
"The marine overlooked it. Since she didn't appear traumatized. From the way she talks about it, it was surreal, and I don't think she processed that."
"Why are you telling us this?"
"Because I think that's the main thing that's eating her alive, and something small inconsequential to us will be the final straw that'll break her back."