Recruits (New Haven Book 1), page 4
If I made it to the bottom of the river alive, I’d be lucky.
The two of us were squished in the canoe, her muscular body taking up most of the room.
“Don’t slow me down!” Thunder Thighs yelled over her shoulder at me.
“If you waited for me instead of dashing off on your own, I could actually help.”
She grunted, which I realized was one of her way of communicating. What it meant, I had no idea.
A shrill scream made us both whip around, losing our balance. The canoe shifted, going sideways down the river. Tina and Skinny’s canoe barreled toward us, the cry coming from Skinny, who appeared to have already lost her oar.
“Rotate!” Thunder Thighs yelled, jamming her oar into the river.
“I’m trying!” I pushed my oar against the tide, trying to slow us down, but it did nothing.
Only a blur of the other canoe came into my vision before it smashed into us, sending both of our canoes capsizing, and the four of us plunging into the raging river.
C old water filled my lungs as I fought my way back to the surface. As soon as my head cleared, I coughed up the water, trying to gasp for air. My fist clenched onto my oar, not wanting to lose it.
The current dragged me downriver at a fast pace. I noticed a huge boulder sticking up from the water at the last second and used my oar to push away from it, barely getting by.
White water surrounded me as I tried to take in my bearings. To my left, Thunder Thighs was working her way to our canoe. To my right, Tina was close to the other one, but struggling to move. Skinny floated down the middle of the river, crying.
If I stayed in the water the entire way down, I risked slamming into rocks, either crippling me or killing me. Neither option was appealing.
I needed to get to one of the canoes. Logically, I should’ve headed to the canoe Thunder Thighs was currently working her way into with an abundant lack of grace. She was my partner, and one of the rules stated we were supposed to stay together.
But that meant being with her all through Recruitment, which would basically be me fighting against the current every day.
I glanced over at Tina, who was trying to get to the other canoe. I wanted her as my partner. I could survive Recruitment with her. Excel, even.
I normally wasn’t one for breaking the rules. I broke many rules in my head where no one would ever find out, but when I was out in public and when it really mattered, I was on my best behavior. The Woodard family was well known in the community. People kept an eye on my family and everything we did. I had a family name to uphold.
But I also wanted to make it through Recruitment with a decent score and some of my sanity intact at the end. Thunder Thighs or Skinny wouldn't have provided me with either of those.
I needed to act fast.
Shoving logic aside, I pushed toward Tina’s canoe, but by my life vest made it difficult to move. I quickly unbuckled it, letting the river take it away.
With the current helping me, I swam to the canoe, my fingers sliding across the surface a couple of times before I could latch on.
Trying to get it back upright would be tricky with the water carrying us downstream, but I had to try.
Someone bumped into me from behind, sending my legs swinging forward, my toes lightly banging into the bottom of the canoe. Tina appeared next to me, clinging to the canoe and panting for air. She’d taken off her life vest as well.
“Together,” Tina shouted.
With a nod, we pushed at the side of the canoe, tipping it back into place. I quickly threw myself inside, set my oar down, and grabbed Tina by the shirt, hauling her in with me.
Neither of us wasted a second getting into place, me in front and her in back.
I spared a glance behind us to see an angry Thunder Thighs in the other canoe, trying to wrangle a freaked-out Skinny in with her, all the while shooting me daggers.
“Is it bad that I’m glad it worked out this way?” Tina asked, watching them as well.
I grinned. “Not at all. I was praying for this from the beginning.”
She glanced down at her wet clothes. “Why did they make us wear white today?”
I followed her gaze, only to see that she had opted for a blue bra. Thank goodness I’d worn a white one.
“Stop checking yourself out, Tina,” I said. “We got work to do.”
She shoved me playfully on the arm, and I knew at that moment I made the right choice.
Together, we worked our way down the river, communicating well and with ease. The two of us were a natural fit.
As the river flattened out, a sense of calm washed over me as we floated downstream. With the beautiful fall colors, tranquil water, and birds chirping, it completely washed out the craziness that had just happened.
We steered the canoe toward the shore where Recruits were starting to gather.
Luke and Eric were arguing with one another, but stopped when they saw me and Tina, both drenched, but grinning.
Eric disappeared as Luke rushed over, helping pull the canoe onto the shore.
“Are you ladies okay?” Luke’s gaze slid down to Tina’s chest, his eyes widening.
She quickly got out of the canoe and folded her arms across her chest. “We’re fine.”
I got out as well, wringing the water out from my shirt.
Eric jogged out from around the bus, carrying a couple of blankets with him. He tossed one to me and Tina when he approached.
“I could have sworn you two had different partners when you got in your canoe,” Eric said with a sly grin.
I grinned back. “Fate intervened.”
“Oh, fate,” Tina said, wrapping the blanket around her, “how I love it.” She scrunched her nose. “Wait, didn’t you two leave after us? How did you beat us?”
Luke’s face reddened as he stared at the grassy shore.
Eric narrowed his eyes at him. “I tried to get Luke to stop when we saw you in the water, but he wouldn’t.”
I’d been so engrossed in trying to get back in my canoe, I didn’t notice any others pass us by.
Luke’s gaze snapped to his. “I was following the rules!” He turned to Tina, his voice petering out. “I was following the rules.”
Tina rubbed Luke’s arm. “We’re fine. Emmie and I can handle ourselves.”
RL Steven approached us, staring at a clipboard. “I must have written this down wrong. I didn’t have the two of you as partners.”
Tina and I exchanged a look. Should we tell the truth and risk getting put back with our previous partners? Or take the opportunity to change our outcome in Recruitment?
I knew my answer. “Must have. Tina and I are partners.”
Tina nodded in agreement.
Thankfully, both Eric and Luke kept their mouths shut. I was putting a lot of faith in people I’d just met.
Suddenly, someone jerked my collar, turning me around. Thunder Thighs. Both she and Skinny stood there, dripping like wet dogs.
“You want to tell me what happened?” Thunder Thighs folded her arms and glared at me.
“What do you mean?” I asked, handing a shivering Skinny my blanket. She needed it more than I did.
Skinny used the blanket to wipe the water off her glasses, then wrapped the blanket around herself, covering her head so only her face was exposed.
“Is there a problem?” RL Steven asked.
“Nope,” I quickly said. “Both our canoes tipped over in the water, but we’re all fine. We got back to our partners and finished the trip.”
RL Steven glanced at everyone, waiting for someone to say otherwise, and for those few moments, I held my breath. I had no idea what would happen to me if someone told him the truth.
Skinny’s chin chattered away, her wide eyes telling me she was too scared to say something. Thunder Thighs, on the other hand, was shivering in anger. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head, weighing her options. She probably didn’t want me as a partner anymore.
RL Steven mumbled something under his breath and erased the names on the paper as he walked away.
“You got back in the wrong canoe,” Thunder Thighs hissed, just inches away from my face.
“I was trying to survive,” I said, backing away from her. Her breath smelled like pickles. “Her canoe was closer.”
“You still broke a rule,” Thunder Thighs said. “Do you realize what position you put us all in?” She unfolded her arms and shoved her finger into my chest. “If you want to break rules and get yourself in trouble, that’s fine. Just don’t bring us down with you.”
“Listen, it’s over and done,” I said. “Our partnerships have been changed.”
Thunder Thighs let out a few huffs and then backed away.
Day one and I’d already broken a rule. I just hoped it didn’t come back to bite me in the butt.
T he bus dropped us off outside of the Recruitment dorms, which were right next door to the Center. Side by side, they didn’t look that different. They had the same white, up kept stucco, and the same number of spotless windows. The Center just had one less floor. River Springs, for the most part, looked exactly the same. The leaders liked uniformity.
Once we were all off the bus, RL Steven addressed us. “I hope you all like your Recruitment partners because that's who your dorm mate will be. When we go inside, the girls will go to the left where you'll be met by your dorm leader Jen. She’ll show you to your rooms. Guys, I'll be your dorm leader, so follow me to the end of the hall and up the stairs. When you get to your dorms, you'll find everything you'll need for the rest of Recruitment, including clothes and a bathroom kit. Lunch is in twenty, so make sure you're out of your dorms five minutes before so you can walk with your leader. The dining hall is on the first floor. Any questions?”
When no one answered, he ushered us inside.
DL Jen was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs that led to the girl’s dorms. She was a petite girl in her early twenties, with blonde hair cut to just below her ears. Her hazel eyes were warm and inviting, yet her tight mouth let you know she could be tough when she needed to be.
“Hello, ladies,” DL Jen said, her tight mouth turning into a smile. “We'll be on the second floor, so you don’t have to walk up far. The dining hall is halfway down that hall on the left-hand side.” She pointed to the door for us to see. “The stairs at the end of that hall go to the boy’s dorms, which is off-limits to you, so don’t try going there. Follow me upstairs.”
When we got to the second floor, DL Jen assigned rooms for each set of partners. They were tiny, basic rooms with two beds, a nightstand in the middle with a lamp, and a tall dresser near the door for our clothes.
I went to the dresser and checked the drawers. They were neatly piled with shirts, pants, underwear, and socks. The first three drawers were labeled, Recruit 1, while the bottom three were labeled, Recruit 2. A paper was taped to the top of the dresser letting us know what color scheme to wear during the week.
“I’m starving,” Tina said, looking over my shoulder at the list. “Should we change into fresh clothes and then go downstairs?”
I patted my stomach. “Yes. I’m starving, too.”
The dining hall was packed with Recruits when we got down there. The excitement buzzed in the air as everyone chatted about their day. After what seemed like forever in line, Tina and I found an empty table in the back and sat across from each other. We had barely started eating when Eric came and sat next to me, his arm brushing up against mine. Luke sat across from us, right next to Tina.
“So, have the two of you kissed and made up yet?” I asked the guys, taking a bite of my bologna sandwich. It tasted as gross as I expected it to be.
“Not likely,” Luke said. He just stared at the food on his plate.
“Are you going to eat?” Tina asked Luke.
“I’m not hungry,” Luke said, pushing his food around on his plate.
Eric, on the other hand, shoveled food into his mouth like an animal.
“Well, Eric is.” I tried not to let my mouth hang open as I watched him pack away his food.
“What, does this bother you?” Eric asked me with a full mouth, a few pieces falling out.
I pushed his arm with my hand. “That’s so gross!” A small smile formed on Luke’s face, surprising me.
“Emmie!” The shout came from behind us. I turned around to see Dee walking toward our table, her big brown eyes shining.
“Dee!” I jumped up and went to her, pulling her tiny body into a hug. Everything about her was small, from her nose to her feet, but her big personality more than made up for it.
I didn’t realize how much I'd missed her, and it hadn’t even been a full day yet. Seeing her in a plain white outfit with no makeup on took away some of her spunk. I guess that's why they had us all dress the same way. No one stood out. It made us all equals.
“What happened this morning?” Dee asked, pulling away from our embrace. She tucked one of her brown curls behind her ear. I had always been jealous of her perfect curls. But she had always been jealous of my straight blonde hair. “You didn't show up at the bus stop.”
“I barely missed it,” I said. “I even ran to the other bus stop near us and that one was gone, too.”
Dee frowned. “How did you get here?”
I nodded toward Eric. “He gave me a ride.”
Dee looked past me with a scandalous smile on her lips. She'd teased me about him the whole ride home from the Recruitment office when we turned in our papers. “Are you going to introduce me?”
“Be on your best behavior,” I said quietly to her as we went to the table. The wink she gave me wasn't very comforting. “Everyone, this is my best friend, Dee. Dee, this is Eric, Luke, and my partner in crime for the rest of Recruitment, Tina.”
Dee smiled. “It’s nice to meet all of you.”
“You, too,” Tina said.
Luke just grunted in response.
“So, you do have friends.” Eric’s plate was already empty, not a crumb in sight. He ate faster than my brother. Although, like everyone else in Recruitment, he didn't have much food to begin with.
“Very funny,” I said to him. “Oh, Dee, you didn’t tell me who your partner is.”
Dee’s face went a little pale. “Amber.”
My eyes widened. Dean Johnson’s daughter. She had everyone wrapped around her tiny little finger. Amber put on quite the show out in public, but I'd had a few run-ins with her growing up.
Once, when we were seven, she had gone ballistic on me when I didn't tell her I liked the painting she'd drawn. All the other kids in our class were raving about it, but I just shrugged and kept my mouth shut. She cornered me in the hallway after school once everyone had left and told me off. She even scratched me and pulled at my hair. I swore she had a multiple personality disorder, but unfortunately, no one else had seen that side of her except me.
“Oh, Dee. I’m so sorry. I guess you two are about the same height. Is that how they paired you up?”
“Yes.” Dee had never seen Amber's other side, but she believed me when I told her of our encounters. Everyone else thought I had made it up for attention.
Tina set down her fork. “Who’s Amber?” She took a drink of water and then picked her fork back up.
“The Devil incarnate.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I didn't need other people to think I had some weird complex about Amber. That list was already pretty long. Even Dad didn't believe me.
“Amber and Emmie are, well, they don’t get along very well,” Dee said as politely as she could.
I, on the other hand, was not so polite. “Dee, we loathe each other. She’s awful. She just exemplifies everything evil.” I had a terrible habit of letting my words run away from me. I needed to bite my tongue.
“Wow,” Eric said, eyeing me. “She sounds nice.”
“Sorry. I've just had some bad experiences with her,” I said to him. Wanting to change the subject, I turned to Dee. “How did your first task go?”
“Oh, Emmie, it was awful,” Dee said, taking a seat at our table. I sat down between her and Eric. He didn’t scoot over to give me more room. I was practically sitting on his lap. “She has to be the worst partner, ever. They took us to the preschool and locked each set of partners in with ten kids.” Dee rubbed her temples. “At first she was so nice with the kids. Played with them, laughed at their jokes. Then a switch flipped when one of the boys threw a ball at her head. Luckily, she didn't take it out on the kid, but she was so ornery the rest of the time. She whined and complained and would never work with me. She got so frustrated one time, she shoved me out of her way, and I fell, landing on a huge box of toys.” She held up her left arm and pulled up her sleeve to show us some scrapes and bruises.
I took hold of her arm, looking closely at the cuts. “That looks terrible. I can’t believe you're going to be stuck with her the whole time.”
Dee pulled her sleeve back down. “And share a room. She made us late for lunch because she wanted to take a shower when we got back. Apparently, she takes two showers a day. Sometimes three.”
“Someone needs to tell her that no matter how many showers she takes, the evil will never come off,” I said, putting my arm around Dee. When I realized what I'd said, I cringed, but Tina and Eric had laughed.
Dee rested her head on my shoulder and sighed. “I wish there were some way to switch groups. I’d much rather be with you.”
“Even if we did switch groups, I’d have to shrink five inches.” I patted her on the head.
Dee sat up as tall she could. “Or I could grow.”
“Dee!” I knew that high pitched, snappy voice. Amber. “Dee! What are you doing?”
Dee closed her eyes and sighed again. When she didn’t respond, Amber approached the table.
“Dee, we should get back to our dorm as soon as possible.” Amber's voice had switched to kind, almost motherly. She smiled at everyone, her lips parting enough to see a gap in the middle of her front two teeth and then looked back at Dee. “We can't be late for the orientation meeting.”
“Oh, shut up Amber,” I said, turning to her. “You aren’t the boss of her. She can do what she wants.” How did she always bring out the anger in me? I needed to learn to control myself.
