Don't ask, Don't tell; Chapter Four

That evening, I had dinner with my platoon… I did not stray over to the soldier, even though he was there. I looked, he looked… but this time we smiled.

“What the fuck?!?” Chilly screeched “What the fuck is up with you and that dick on legs over there…”
“Relax Chilly, jesus fucking Christ... share it with the whole fucking mess hall would ya?”
“You were with him at breakfast, I came to breakfast late and you weren’t even fucking here.” She folded her arms and frowned angrily, she was acting overly jealous… understatement alert.

“Relax Chilly,” she was irritating and bitchy… like a girlfriend.

“No Robinson, I wanna know if you’re gonna fuck him?”

“Jesus Christ Chilly” drawled Stokes, “She was just talking to the fucking guy, what the fuck..”
“I just pisses me off, is all.”
“So, you’re afraid of losing your pussy, eh?” Snorted Binder, “Afraid she might remember how much she really enjoyed dick?”

Fuck you Binder, This isn’t your fucking issue alright?” Chilly’s voice was becoming eve more shrill now, almost bursting my fucking ear drums; that shit hurt. But, overall it was just irritating… I chose to keep my mouth shut and fumble for my earplugs still in my pocket from this afternoon’s activities.

“No, fuck you. You little bitch… you think just because you’ve stuck your tongue in someone, their fucking yours…” Bender was hitting a soft spot now, Chilly began to fume, she stood quickly as if to leave. I reached up and pulled her back to the bench by way of her pant leg.

“Relax, please…” I tried to be as soothing as I could, not sure if I could tame her. “Sit and eat your dinner. I am here, now, we can talk about this.”

“You dirty little twat” Bender kept on. “First you gotta fuck with me, now you gotta fuck with her.”

I stopped cold, what did she say? I had never made the connection. Bender and Chilly…? No fucking way. Her eyes darted toward me, a look of horror on her face; it was true.

“God damn it! You fucking bitch, I told you we were going to leave that alone!” She stood again, beginning to make a scene.

“Well, Stokes smiled, “The cat’s out of the bag now.”
Bender then looked at me and said “She tastes sweet, doesn’t she? Yes she does…” Chilly began to shake with anger, her earlobes were turning red, this was not a good sign.

Bender continued on “yeah, she’s a little tramp you know.. just about had everyone in the platoon.” She pointed down the table… “I can name at least, what Chilly… six?”

“You bitch!” Chilly lept across the table, fingernails outstretched and ready for attack onto Bender, a fist fight ensued. Amidst the flying fists and fingernails, I and the others were able to make way for the thrashings.
Before military police could get there, Bender was able to pound the shit out of her… slamming her face into the table like putty. Chilly sustained something that appeared to be a broken nose. It bled like fucking crazy. Bender on the other hand, was getting her own wounds from Chilly’s fingernails, which by the way are really sharp.

We were quarantined back in our bunks for the rest of the evening, and on the verge of losing our first liberty, only two days away. As we awaited our fate from the drill sergeant, I asked upon Matthews, another girl in my division who was in good with one of the other male platoons aboard ship if she wanted to play some cribbage. She was cool to play cards with, always the best conversations about the people and places on the ship… Okay, actually she was screwing the drill sergeants; everybody knew.. but she had no clue it was public.

“So, what’s the lottery?” I asked, trying to work it in like normal conversation.
“Where did you hear about the lottery?” She appeared startled by my question, shockingly, she fumbled her deck of cards.

“From another marine, why?”

“I was just wondering, doesn’t seem something you’re in to.”

“Well, I don’t even know what it is, so… maybe I’m not.” I hesitated, but was still curious. “He told me not to enter.”

“Really?” she appeared shocked, again. “He told you not to?”

“Yes, he told me no… So, what is it?”

“It’s a game the soldiers like to play when the can is stocked co-ed. You see, you sign up on this big ass sheet of paper, they assign you a number. There is a guy paper and numbers, and a girl paper and numbers… they draw numbers per week.”

“Uh-huh,” I was truly captivated by what she was telling me.

She continued “So they draw the numbers, pair them…”

“Uh-huh.”
“..and once you’re told you go fuck in the old ship-mates quarters…”

My mouth was agape “The old ship-mates quarters next to that big ass boiler?”

“yes, the one that’s so fucking loud your ears want to explode.”

Ah hah, curiousity satisfied, now time for questions. “I guess that would make sense since nobody could hear you back there.”

“That’s right” she added “And the sailors that work down there always wear earplugs and
never go into those quarters because they’re locked.”

“Really?” I was captivated once again “How do you get in if it’s locked.”

“Well, usually the guy marine is given the key…” She smiled as if she knew exactly how it worked “When they tell you it’s time… it’s time.”

“And as a number in the lottery, you have no say in who you fuck?”

She smiled even wider “That’s right.”

“So, I inquired, you never know who you’re gonna get?”

“Right.” She then leaned in, and said softly “I have gotten lucky a few times, with sergeants and all… that’s a privilege.”

She began to shuffle and deal the next game.. I pondered out loud while waiting for my hand, “No wonder he doesn’t want me to do it.”

“Who told you not to anyway?” She set the deck on her bunk, I grabbed my hand.

“Howie told me not to…” I fanned my cards. Again, her face was startled… and she appeared just as shocked as my original question…. Very curious.

Sweet, I thought to myself… 5’s and Aces; good hand.