"I don't know what the fuck the problem is with you two," Chief Hiller exclaimed.
"Chief..." Alex started
"I'm not done talking Lundz," he shot back, "you two were the only ones who failed the gun qualifications. And guess what the two of you are in my duty section. And I don't care if you have six months or six years left in the Navy I'm not going to let that happen. We're short on qualified people. Do you understand?"
"Yes Chief," Alex replied.
"Yes Chief," Airman Furlong replied.
"Now tomorrow at zero eight hundred you and dingleberry are going with G-4 to re-qualify. And god help you if you fail! Is that understood?"
"Yes chief," they both replied in unison.
"Which one of us is dingleberry," Furlong asked in a snide tone.
"I'll let the two of you figure that out. Now get out!"
They both looked at each other and walked out of the office. They didn't say anything to each other until they left the shop and walked onto the mess decks.
"What an ass," Furlong let out.
"Seems that way," Alex replied.
"I don't like him," Furlong said.
"Neither do I," Alex laughed.
They quickly parted ways and Alex walked down to her berthing. She felt like an idiot not being able to get qualified on the M-16. Chief Hiller even made a reference to her short time left in the Navy. She thought she could skate by the last few months she had left. Yet the Navy made it difficult for her to do that. But then again she had issues getting respirator qualified. It took her three times to do that. She'd been hunting a few times and didn't have a problem handling a rifle in her younger years, but she couldn't figure out why she did as poorly as she did. She made it to her rack and exhaled. She still smelled like the gun range. She quickly stripped off her uniform and wandered to the head and took a shower. She rinsed off quickly and returned to her rack. She changed into a pair of jeans, tennis shoes, and a Ke$ha shirt. She wandered back to the mess decks and ate. She dumped her tray and was about to walk back to her berthing when she saw Jamie sitting with a female third class petty officer.
"Alex," Jamie let out.
"Hey," Alex replied as she sat down next to the other woman.
The woman gave Alex a skeptical look.
"How have you been," Alex asked.
"Good," Jamie replied.
Alex and Jamie hadn't said much since their hotel encounter. Jamie did break up with her fiancΓ©, but she grew distant from Alex. Alex wanted to be with her more but it never materialized. Jamie was no longer in weapons department; she'd been promptly transferred to AIMD shortly after their encounter. Aside from seeing each other in the berthing they didn't see each other that often.
"Oh," Jamie let out, "this is Megan Eady."
Alex smiled at her and looked her over. She had blonde hair in a similar bob cut that she had. But she looked very plain. She wasn't wearing make-up and her top lip was kind of strange looking.
"Nice to meet you," Alex let out.
"Same here," Megan replied in a snide tone.
Alex wanted to punch her.
"I have to get back to work," Megan said as she stood up.
"I'll see you tonight," Jamie let out.
"Yeah," Megan smiled as she walked away.
"The girl can eat pussy," Jamie said quietly with a smile on her face.
"I'm sure," Alex replied, "I can't believe you."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you've barely talked to me," Alex replied, "I thought we you know...."
"I don't know," Jamie replied, "I just don't think we mesh well."
"Mesh," Alex laughed.
"Sorry," Jamie shot back.
Alex reached out for Jamie's hand on the table but she retracted it.
"What's your friend's rate?"
"Aviation Boatswain's Mate," Jamie replied, "she's in air department. We met a few weeks ago, at the base pizza parlor. I was playing an arcade game and she walked up to me. And you know...."
"I better get going," Alex said.
"I need your help," Jamie admitted.
"With what," Alex asked.
Alex was ready to leave; she was tired of Cindy's rambling about how much she was in love with ABH3 Megan Eady. Alex was the one who helped her become a lesbian and realize what she was and for her to discard her and take up with that stupid dyke wasn't very kind.
"I talked to Cindy," Jamie said as Alex began to stand up.
Suddenly Alex leaned forward and her eyes opened wider.
"What did she say," Alex asked excitedly.
"She wants to see you again," Cindy replied.
"Are you serious," Alex replied.
"One hundred percent," Cindy smiled, "she said she felt awful leaving you in that hotel room in San Francisco."
Alex had to risk it. She hadn't told Cindy about that incident. She must be telling the truth.
"Where is she," Alex asked.
"Still on the east coast," Cindy shot back, "we talked last week. I mentioned I met you and she told me about what all you did. If you help me I'll give you her phone number. She said you could call anytime. She's not going out to sea for a while."
Alex pondered the deal quickly. She had to take the risk. She wanted to be with Cindy again, even if only for one night.
"Okay," Alex replied, "you have a deal."
"Thank you so much," Jamie replied.
They both got up from the table and walked back to their berthing. Cindy went over her crazy plan. It involved Alex waiting in Emmitt's hotel room until he got back. He would be drunk and Alex would have sex with him. And at the right time Jamie would barge in and find them together. It was a pretty stupid plan. Even Alex, with her below average intelligence could see that it was a pretty dumb to begin with. But Cindy wanted Alex to dress very provocatively, something that would get his heart racing. Alex agreed and thought up a good idea for what she should wear.
The next day Alex went with G-4 in the duty van and went to the gun range. It was a Thursday. All she could think about was Saturday night and what she was going to do with Cindy's fiancΓ©. For a few brief moments she was able to push it to the back of her mind. She listened to the safety brief. She all ready knew how the gun worked. So it wouldn't be that difficult. She was one of the first people to shoot that day. She was happy to get it over quickly. And as quickly as it began, it was over. She looked over her target and realized she had passed the qualification. She handed it over to one of the people working the range. He was impressed with her shooting. The Chief running the gun shoot was impressed as well. Alex was back at the ship around 1400. She ended up back in the shop. She and Furlong were greeted by Chief Hiller as they made their way into the shop.
"Congratulations dingleberries," he laughed.