He would even hear jokes being made with Missy’s request to gain body fat being compared to Oliver Twist’s request for a second bowl of porridge. All the rumors continued to make the story become more and more exaggerated and, with Marcus Brown’s complaint about discrimination being included, there was just no way to make the story go away. Since it wasn’t so much a joke at his expense but was really just highlighting the audacity of the members in his squad, he secretly was proud.
For Missy, she was happy to see how well “The Game” was going. She definitely was admired and respected by her squad members, especially Tony and Marcus. Even Tracy seemed a bit less standoffish. She really wanted to get a chance to talk to her alone but there never seemed to be any opportunity for doing that. She sensed that Jamieson was really okay with her, also. And, since he was not about to risk losing control of his squad by correcting Missy for eating too much, she benefited by that as well. She had less and less difficulty after that with sneaking her unauthorized oversize bites and in spite of always serving herself heaping amounts of food, she usually was able to finish each meal with nothing left on her plate.
Chapter Eighteen
Jul 2018
It was their first Sunday at West Point. Missy had learned all about how to be a cadet, what the Honor Code was, how things worked at West Point, how to report to officers and upperclass cadets, how to recognize ranks and insignias, how to properly wear all her various uniforms, how to “ping” everywhere she went (walk at 120 steps per minute, arms moving purposely, eyes straight ahead), how to square all her corners (abruptly change direction using 90 degree turns), and had practiced drill and ceremonies with her squad until they now all moved and marched in near perfect unison.
She no longer thought in terms of one day at a time. Now her focus was one meal at a time. There were more than enough tasks that all needed to be accomplished during each of these time periods to keep her fully occupied. So, she didn’t bother to look beyond the next meal. Prioritizing things, so she could complete what really needed to be done, was very important. Her time management, of course, was always being interfered with by various upperclass cadets who constantly stopped plebes to correct them or assign them some new task.
With her enhanced senses, she could scent or hear the approach of an upperclass cadet and would always manage to present herself in perfect form, with little for them to criticize. That reduced her problems but being dressed down by those upperclass cadets could not always be avoided; often, they’d have her stand at attention anyway and get in her face, yelling about some non-existent infraction. Her response was always, “No excuse, Sir” or, when appropriate, “No excuse, Ma’am”.
Without consciously doing it, she would somehow manage to always react ahead of time, trying to avoid situations and dealings with those upperclass cadets. Soon, she found her squad members paying more and more attention to her reactions. Whenever she’d snap to attention, often stopping in mid sentence to do so, they would follow her lead. When this resulted in avoiding those hated confrontations, making things go just a little bit easier for them as well, that reinforced their paying more and more attention to Missy. In addition, Missy always just seemed so competent and confident. That really influenced all her squad members.
She was genuinely interested in each of them, looking to be helpful whenever possible; she never did anything at their expense. She didn’t seek credit for herself and she never made anyone else look bad. These were small, subtle things, but over the first few days of intense activities that she spent with her squad, these character traits of hers were noticed. She also was quick to stand up to anyone who either bullied or put down any member in her squad, including other squad members. She could be very intimidating at times like that and no one really wanted to mess with her.
Somehow, she and Marcus were always the ones the rest of her squad would look to. They both always seemed to be on the same page and everyone else followed their lead. Missy was also very comfortable being around guys; she had overcome all of her shyness for a couple of years now and instead, she could be very relaxed in their midst, joking and bantering. The three years of sparring with guys at her martial arts club had enabled her to feel at ease and fit in with guys, without any sexual hang-ups. Her attitude in turn made it easy for them to accept her.
Tracy was really the only one she wasn’t able to be relaxed with. Tracy also did have some sexual hang-ups and wasn’t that comfortable with the guys. This only further alienated her from Missy, who was fitting in so well with everyone. While Tracy was clearly a good squad member and was more knowledgeable about military things than anyone else, it was obvious she really wasn’t that comfortable yet at West Point. And, she still kept her distance and was standoffish with Missy, in spite of being her roommate.
Her other roommate, Kelly, seemed to be getting along well enough with her own squad and had really bonded with Angel. Since Angel wasn’t too happy with her two roommates, she was always visiting Kelly back in their room whenever possible. Angel’s roommates were paired together in a different squad so, in addition to Angel being black while they were white, Angel was the odd girl out. She had a really bawdy sense of humor which both Missy and Kelly really liked. Tracy was friendly enough but didn’t seem to enjoy Angel’s humor quite as much.
The four of them were taking advantage of actually being free for the first time since R-Day and had all been relaxing in Missy’s room. Since it was the easiest, most comfortable clothing to be wearing, they all were in their PT uniforms -- shorts and tee shirts. Missy was sitting on her upper bunk while Angel was telling them a story about the bus ride home from an away game at her high school.
She and several cheerleaders had gone with the football team and had celebrated the big win by drinking beer and raising hell in the back of the bus. The coach had turned a blind eye to this and was known to be rather permissive as long as “the kids” didn’t get too out of hand. After an hour of everyone drinking, one of the guys had insisted that all the girls put on a “Girls Gone Wild” show for them, exposing and shaking their breasts. Angel had countered by saying they’d only perform any shows like that after the guys had first dropped their trousers, exposing their rear ends.
Angel had figured that would stop things and also put the guys in their place. Instead, she and her friends were suddenly confronted with half a dozen bare asses shaking back and forth in front of them. “You never saw guys move as fast as they did that night, all racing to drop their pants and bend over for us once I said that,” she explained, laughing.
Kelly asked, “You didn’t really put on a show for them, though, did you? I mean … you know …”
Angel laughed even harder. “Of course we did, girl! What the hell, my tits are my best feature. Why not have some fun with them? No one did anything besides look. There wasn’t any touching or anything. Not that I’d have minded all that much. I mean … don’t you just love it when a guy plays with your nipples?”
Kelly laughed and said, “Now you’re opening up a very interesting topic of conversation, Angel. My nipples are aching right now, just thinking about this.” She looked around at Missy and Tracy. “You girls willing to share stuff like that? You know … sex stuff? I mean, if you’re not comfortable with this, Angel and I can do this another time.”
Missy could sense that Tracy was actually very uncomfortable. Rather than have her be embarrassed, she said, “As much as my nipples love being played with, I’ve explained to each one of them they’ll just have to wait until Mike gets here in seven weeks. They told me that I’d better cool it until then, so they don’t get in the way while I’m trying to get through Beast Training.”
Kelly laughed and said, “Fair enough, Missy. We’ll change the subject. We don’t want your nipples to suddenly go crazy or anything, right? Angel, distract me … what else can we talk about?”
Angel said, “We can ask Missy to tell us about that scar on her thigh. I’m pretty sure that was from a bullet, ri
ght? Or, do ya really have ta kill me if ya tell me?” She laughed and glanced at the other girls, who obviously were not aware Missy had any scars. “What? Haven’t you girls seen all her scars?”
Missy laughed and rolled up her shorts to expose the one scar on her leg, a straight gouge about six inches long. “I suppose I can show you, without having to actually kill you. This really was just an accident that happened five years ago. But, I really don’t want to talk about it.”
Kelly and Tracy both came up and studied her scar, which neither had noticed before. Then Kelly asked, “What did you mean when you said “all her scars”, Angel? Does she have more anywhere else?” Looking at Missy, she said, “Show me, show me!” Then she actually began hopping up and down, making fun like a little kid.
Missy laughed and said, “Okay, okay, but this is not show and tell. This is show and no telling.” She hopped down from her bunk and peeled off her tee shirt. With only her bra on her upper body, all the scars on her shoulder and back were very visible.
Kelly exclaimed, “Holy shit! Those are some seriously scary scars, Missy!”
Tracy was also looking and added her thoughts by saying, “I don’t think those had any stitches, did they?” She stared at Missy with a very intense expression, showing both wonder and concern. “When did that happen? You can’t just say you’re not telling.”
For some reason, Tracy’s reaction was getting to her and Missy was no longer able to lightly pass the whole thing off the way she had intended. Instead, she said, “Look, if I tell you girls, I don’t want you talking about me to anyone else. Okay? I mean, it’s really no big deal but I’m already hearing people talk about me after that body fat incident the other day. Please don’t feed me to the upperclass cadets. I don’t need that.”
After all three girls promised they’d keep her secrets, Missy said, “This also happened five years ago. I was mauled by a black bear. I was up in the mountains when it happened. You’ll probably find all this out about me later on anyway. I mean, it’s on the internet if you Google my name. I disappeared five years ago from soccer camp in New Hampshire.”
Tracy asked, “You disappeared? And, your story was in the papers? And, on the internet?”
“Yes, but I didn’t explain about things when I came back, so you won’t find out much. I mean, I came back. I lived up in the mountains and then came back. End of story.” Missy was already feeling she’d opened up about all this way too much.
“Missy, come on … you can’t just leave it at that. You haven’t even explained about the bear. Why didn’t you get any stitches? How long were you gone, anyway?” Tracy was finally showing some actual interest and was no longer being standoffish.
With a long sigh, Missy said, “Two years. I was gone for just over two years. That much is in those stories about me. Oh, and I may as well explain something else. I heal really, really fast. Hopefully, nothing will happen here but, if it does? You’ll have my back, right? If I need you?”
Kelly and Angel both said, “Two years?” Then Angel added, “Fuuuuuck!”
Tracy asked, “What do you mean have your back? How would you need us to have your back?”
“Well, if I get injured or anything. I won’t be going on any sick call. I’ll just heal myself.” Missy realized she really wasn’t explaining things very well. But, she wanted to move on from her being gone for two years in the mountains. “Last summer, I broke my leg. I fractured my tibia and I broke my fibula, right here.” She pointed to her left leg and showed them the areas. “They had to set my fibula. They wanted to put a cast on but I didn’t let them. And then? I healed it up completely in four days.”
This was met with silence for several moments. Angel finally said, “Fuuuuuck!” which make everyone laugh.
The girls tried to get Missy to talk more but she told them she’d said enough and reminded them not to talk about any of this. A little while later, Angel decided to go back to her own room and Kelly agreed to go with her. They thought Angel’s two roommates would be gone and they’d be able to relax there, just the two of them.
Missy looked at Tracy and decided to push, now that she sensed an opening. “Hey, are we good now?”
Tracy said, “Sure, Missy. What do you mean, anyway?”
“I know you’re bothered about something, Tracy. I just don’t know what.” Missy studied her. “I really want us to be friends but … well …” Missy stopped because she could see that Tracy wanted to say something.
“I know that you’re a supernatural, Missy. I noticed that right away. At first, I thought maybe you were a witch, especially when you said you were from Salem and everything. I guess you’ve just admitted that, right? That you’re a supernatural? Only, I don’t know what kind. You’re quite different from any of the other witches …” Tracy suddenly stopped herself, obviously flustered.
Missy stared at her and then smiled. “I’m different from any of the other witches?” She quickly made the connections. Tracy’s scent was “other” and Tracy had recognized Missy was a supernatural. Didn’t Robert tell her that “P” Branch had used a witch to help identify many of the supernaturals all around the world for their database? “Relax, Tracy. I promise your secret is safe with me. I’ll never tell anyone about you being a witch. I actually have never met a witch before. You’re my first one!”
Tracy looked visibly relieved. Then she asked, “What about you, Missy? If you’re not a witch … what are you?”
Missy laughed. “Are you sure you really want to know? Or, is it enough for you to just know I’m enhanced? And, can heal rapidly?” She now let her cat energy come flooding in, surging everywhere inside her body and making her eyes sparkle, glowing from green to gold to green. Then, she pushed out a small energy pulse, just enough for Tracy to experience some of her energy.
Tracy was really shocked for a moment. Then she laughed and -- mimicking Angel’s voice -- she said, “Fuuuuuuck!”
Missy began to laugh with her, and it felt really good. She and Tracy were going to be good friends now; she felt sure of that. “I’m just your normal, everyday werecat, Tracy. Now, you’ll have to tell me all about you being a witch.”
-----
Tracy McGonagle was a witch because her mother was a witch. Her Mom had fallen in love with her Dad while visiting her college roommate over the summer; while there, she’d found herself next door to this handsome guy from West Point. He was home for a few weeks that summer and then was going back for one more year. The chemistry between them was so strong that by the time he needed to leave, she was completely and totally smitten. She’d then told him how she was a witch, but was willing to leave her coven and follow after him, if he was willing to accept her.
He was equally into her and they made love the night before he went back. It was her first time having sex and after that night, she never looked back. She dropped out of college and followed him, getting a job and living in a small apartment just outside West Point. He managed to see her several times during his last year and right after he graduated, they were married in the chapel at West Point.
For years, she’d gone with him when he’d had assignments that allowed families to come along. Then, when he’d had unaccompanied tours overseas, she’d lived on various Army bases in the States. Tracy was their only child. Tracy’s Mom was very content with the life they’d had. She’d never been concerned about having to leave her coven and no longer participating with other witches. She’d been happy enough just being a “latent witch” who wasn’t practicing any of her spells or using any of her powers.
That all had changed when Tracy hit puberty and it suddenly had become obvious that she indeed was also a witch. Heredity had gifted her with powers and abilities that required some very strong guidance. For whatever reason, Tracy was a strong witch, much stronger than her Mom. It was very clear that being a “latent witch” was not really an option for Tracy. Her Mom then located and joined a coven in the Dallas area and brought Tracy in for the help she needed.
Tracy was actually quite happy to meet other supernaturals and became really close to one witch in particular who became her mentor. Her high school years were normal enough and she enjoyed athletic activities but never went out for any varsity teams. She was busy with her studies in school but was also learning all about her legacy, being a witch, by spending lots of time with her mentor and the other witches in the coven.
The one area of her development that she really was not very experienced in was dating.
She was definitely interested in boys and there were several who had wanted to date her. She went on a few dates and attended both her junior and senior proms. But, she was not comfortable with going beyond mild petting and the guys she’d dated all broke up with her, calling her a prude. One exasperated date had accused her of being frigid. The truth was, she’d had such a beautiful example of what true love might be like, because of her own parents, that she’d just really wanted to someday have that. Plus, she was not about to explain to any of the guys she knew that she was a witch.
Then, there was the whole West Point thing. Her Dad and his Dad had both graduated from there and it was somehow part of that beautiful love story that she was hoping might somehow happen for her as well. Things just seemed to come easy for her and without ever really considering anything else, she was accepted to West Point. After that, she really got excited and focused all her energy towards getting ready and preparing herself for her first year as a plebe.
R-Day had been really exciting for Tracy and, as Missy had experienced, that first day went by in a blur. Then, when Missy came into their room that night, she felt the incredible energy that Missy was bringing in with her and she just knew. Missy was a supernatural. When she heard her mention being from Salem, where one of the strongest covens in the US was located, she figured that had to be it. Her roommate was a powerful witch. What did this mean for all the hopes, dreams and aspirations that Tracy had for her life? What had those fickle Fates done to her, with Missy actually being assigned to the very same squad that she was?
Missy Goes to West Point Page 18
