Chapter Six
It started out innocently enough. One momentthey were right on point, then the next thing Patrick was cussingand Ryan was stumbling over a tree limb. If they weren't in theforest Ryan could have found their way out. At least, that was whathe was currently telling himself. He did know one thing though -Night Navigation freaking sucked.
“Dude, face it. We're lost,” Patrickmuttered.
“We are not lost! I never get lost,” Ryanmuttered. Well, except for this one time.
“We're lost and going to be eaten by somefucking bear.”
“You sound like Brendon.”
“Fuck you, Gracin,” Patrick snarled and thensighed. “Any clues whatsoever, oh fearless navigator?”
“Um, sure; it's somewhere in this generaldirection,” Ryan said.
“I hope you die,” Patrick muttered.
They continued their walk. “Hey, that looksfamiliar!” Ryan said, pointing at a tree.
Patrick looked. “You're right! It does! Wherehave I seenthatbefore?” He paused and thought aboutit.
“Oh that's right we're standing in the middle ofa fucking FOREST where all the fucking TREES look like the sameFUCKING tree as that ONE!” Patrick hissed.
Ryan reddened. Yeah, he knew he had gotten themlost. He looked down at his compass and sighed for the millionthtime.
“Dude, I doubt the Drills will even bother tolook for us,” Patrick said glumly.
“Sure they will. They have to,” Ryan replied.They got paid for making sure all their soldiers actually survivedthe basic training part.
“Okay, we sit. That way we're not moving and wedon't get fucking lost any more than we are. Maybe one of TheDrills or possibly other guys will find our asses,” Patrick said,finally taking charge of the exercise.
“Fine.” Ryan didn't argue. He would just do whatPatrick wanted because he was the one that had got them so fuckinglost.
They stood around quietly for a moment and thenRyan looked at Patrick. “Do you seriously think Connelly is betterlooking than Grabowski? And more importantly, when did you becomegay?”
Patrick blinked and then laughed, his moodchanging as rapidly as he changed his socks. “I didn't say that andRyan, not everyone has to be either straight or gay. I'm sorta inbetween. I can appreciate attractiveness in either sex.”
It figured Patrick would answer the questiononly to leave more questions open. It wouldn't do Ryan any good toask again. Patrick would just say something like ‘frogs canspontaneously turn into the opposite sex,’ or something equally ascreepy.
“But I didn't say that I would turn downConnelly if he should ever come onto me either.”
Ryan gritted his teeth. “I hate you.”
“You both know now is not the time to be outfinding cool new places to fuck, right?” A deep voice came fromtheir left. They turned and both nearly let out a squeal of delightto see Connelly.
“Yes, Drill Sergeant Connelly!” Ryan shotPatrick an ‘I-told-you-so look.’
“Dumbass,” Patrick mumbled under his breath.
“I didn't hear that, Gandhi. What did yousay?”
“I called Private Gracin a dumbass, DrillSergeant,” Patrick repeated.
The look Ryan shot him this time would havemelted steel.
Connelly chuckled. “Come on, Fuck-ups. You twoare the last team to make it back.”
***
