Over the next several months, things flew by quickly.

I talked to the recruiters and enlisted in the Army. I went to basic in July. I got closer to dad and Sherri, than ever before.

Dad and Sherri are married and we all lived in dad's house.

I graduated at the top of my class. I was only seventeen as I gave the valedictorian speech. Mother and her family decided not to be there. I had sent them an invitation.

Dad took us to the best steak house in Oklahoma for my graduation dinner.

I graduated from basic training and AIT. Now I'm in class yet again. This time I am able to concentrate on my computer programs. I am learning a couple different languages and how to decipher codes. It is very interesting to me. My phone rings as Jaden's face pops up on the screen.

"Hey little brother! How's it going?"

"There is the voice that I needed to hear!" He says quietly.

I am instantly on alert. "What's wrong, Jaden? Talk to me." I close my computer.

"I miss my sister."

"I miss you too, little brother. Now tell me what is really going on with you."

He sighed. After a moment of complete silence, he spoke again. "Hayley says that she is pregnant. I think that she is cheating on me. I use a condom every time. No matter how worked up I am, I cover up. Mainly because I don't want a baby when I am in high school. I have plans and don't see them happening with a child."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

"I tried to. She got mad and left me sitting in my truck in her driveway. That speaks of guilt to me."

"Does she do that when she is trying to hide something?"

"Yes. What do I do now, Bethany?"

"Are you in love with her? Or is it lust with a heavy dose of like?"

"I loved her, until she started changing. We've been together for two years. She took my virginity. Although she wasn't one at the time. We used to do a lot together. She would watch me at practice, take pictures of us together and put them on social media. None of that happens anymore. She's always on her phone."

"What is her number?"

"Why do you want her number? Are you going to kick her ass?" He asks me.

"Sure! You are in Oklahoma and I'm in Washington. What is it?" He gave me her number. "Do you want me to be aggressive with her? Or would she put up a silent treatment?"

"Well she's giving me the silent treatment now. I tried calling her twice today. Several times yesterday."

"Alright, I'm hanging up so I can call her. I'll let you know what I find out or think when I get through talking to her."

"Thank you, shorty! You're the greatest sister of all time!"

"Well duhhhh!"

"I love you, Bethany!"

"I love you too, Jaden! I'll call you back."

"Later!" He hung up and I called the number that he gave me.

"Hello?" A male voice answers.

"Hi, this is Dr. Freeman's office. I need to speak with Hayley Douglas, please."

"Why? Is she sick?" He asks.

"I can not tell you that. Doctor patient privacy."

"Alright, hold on." I hear him talk to someone else. I hear a shower running. "Baby, your doctor is on the phone. I'm assuming that it's about our baby."

The shower shuts off and I hear Hayley. "She's supposed to set up an appointment for me. But it is late. Are you sure that its a doctor, Kevin?"

"She said that it was." I heard them kissing. Now I'm pissed!

"Hello? This is Hayley."

"Hayley, this is Bethany Adamson. Why are you cheating on my brother?" I ask immediately.

The line is silent. I can imagine her shock at being caught.

"Bethany! Umm, I'm not cheating on Jaden! Where would you get that idea?"

"Well... you are pregnant, but Jaden said that he always uses protection. He has tried calling you and you don't answer, but I call and the phone is answered by a man. One who calls you baby and says that he is your baby's father. A man who was in the bathroom while you are in the shower. A man who you kissed before you get on the phone. Call me a liar."

The line was silent again. Then she hung up.

I called Jaden and he answers on the first ring. "What did she say?"

"Ja, she is cheating on you. She is pregnant. Do you know anyone with the name Kevin?"

"Yes, Kevin Smith. He's on the track team." He sounds so down.

"He is the baby's father. He answered her phone while she was in the shower. I busted her on it."

"She is trying to call me now."

"What are you going to do?"

"Break up with her. I refuse to allow anyone treat me like that. Thank you, Bethany. I love you!"

"If you need me, holler. Let her know that she should be extremely happy that I'm in another state and can't get to her. I'm here for you. I love you too!"

"I'm getting off of here so I can deal with her. Later!"

"Later!" I hung up and I got back on my computer.

Me being the over achiever that I am, I want to make sure that I know this stuff inside and out.

An hour later I get a call from Hayley's phone. I answered. "Hello?"

"Why did you call Jaden and tell him about my relationship with Hayley?" Kevin asked instantly.

"Why are you having a relationship with Jaden's girlfriend?"

"That is none of your business!"

"Oh, but it is. Jaden is my brother who was dating a slut. If your sister was dating a guy for two years and she thought that he was cheating, would you find out the truth and help her out?" I paused to see if he would answer. He didn't. "Of course you wouldn't! You would probably help the boyfriend cheat on her. Because as long as you are sleeping with someone else's girlfriend, you are cheating too."

"Maybe Jaden should have treated her better."

"How? By not getting her pregnant so she wouldn't be a teen mom? Jaden treated her like a queen. Because that is how he was raised. You and your slut should grow up."

"If you were here, I would make you eat those words."

"Ah hell! Now you are making me wish that I was there! Because I would love for you to try! I'll tell you what. I have a weekend off coming up. I will fly down there and call you up. We can meet in the middle of nowhere and you can teach me how to keep my mouth closed. Deal?"

"You got a deal! You fuckin slut!" He hung up.

I look up flights. Then book one. I call my dad. "Hey, dad!"

"Hi, baby! How are you? We all miss you like crazy!"

"I miss you guys too! I'm doing pretty good. How are y'all doing?"

"We are doing good! Better now that I hear your voice."

"You're sweet, daddy! How do you feel about a weekend visit? I have a flight landing at seven-twenty on Friday."

"That sounds awesome! I have to work until seven-thirty, but I'm sure one of the guys will be there."

"I'll call Jaden...." We talked for another half hour. "I love you too, dad! I'll see you Friday evening. We hung up and I dialed Jaden.

"Hey buddy! I need a ride." I gave him the flight details. Then I told him that I will need a ride to a meeting. But I wouldn't tell him what meeting. He told me that he broke up with Hayley. I hear Braden talking about a car that was coming up the road. Jaden put the phone on speaker and we talked for another hour. "I have to go. There is still some stuff that I have to study tonight. I love you guys!"

"We love you too, shorty! Later!" They say simultaneously. Then hung up.

I get back to work.

I land Friday and call Hayley's phone. Kevin picked up. "Hello?"

"This is Bethany. Meet me at the Old Man Mine, in half an hour."

"Get ready for your ass to be kicked." He hung up.

I see Jaden as soon as I enter the baggage claim. We hugged. As we were walking to the car, I told him where I needed to go. Braden was in the driver's seat. I hugged him too.

"Why are we going to the mines? That is where people go to fight without cops." Braden said.

"Yep!" I didn't elaborate further. It took us about twenty minutes to get there. Braden parked and we got out. "When this bastard gets here. I don't want either of you to do anything. Do you hear me? Do nothing! At all!" I look at both of them.

"You want us to stand there and watch as you fight a guy? Seriously?" Jaden asked incredulously.

"Yes! Either don't get involved, or go home and I'll walk home. Your choice!"

A car enters the lot and slows down. "Times up! What is your decision?"

"We won't do anything unless you are losing. Only then, will we jump in." Braden said.

I look at Jaden. "Fine! We are only back up if needed." He didn't look happy about it.

"Thank you, guys! I have missed you." I kissed both of them on the cheek as the car stops.

A guy in his late teens gets out. "Kevin?! What the hell, Bethany?" Jaden gasped.

Hayley gets out too. "Jaden! Stop them! He won't listen to me."

"What makes you think that he would listen to anyone? You made this mess." Jaden told her.

I notice that she has a black eye. "Why would this idiot listen to you when you have a black eye? This fucker is not going to hurt me. My brothers are going to stay out of this. This is between Kevin the coochy, and myself. He did Jaden a favor by screwing you."

I take my class ring off and hand it to Braden. I tuck my dogtags into my shirt. "Well! Let's get this done! I flew all the way here from Washington for this." I walked a few steps toward the dick.

He put up his fists. I laughed at him. "Seriously? You look like a boxer from the eighteen hundreds." I can tell that he is getting more pissed off. Good! Most people are reckless when they are pissed. "Except real men, even back then, knew how to keep their pants up. You know that trend started in prison. It shows that you are available to a male lover."

I revert back to my training. I stalk my prey. I walk around him in a circle. He follows me by turning his entire body. Just to play with him, I change direction and walk another circle. He opens his mouth to say something and I strike with a throat punch. My hands are back at my side before he even realizes that I had moved.

He stumbles back and he grabs his throat as he coughs and gasps for air. I'm standing still with my arms crossed. My brothers are chuckling.

"I told you that I didn't need any help. He's got more twat than his slut."

The guys laughed harder. That pissed Kevin off enough to charge me. He ran straight at me. I side step and bring my knee up to connect with his gut. He lands hard on his face.

"Have you had enough? Or do I really get started now? You are no match for me. I am a trained soldier. You have zero chance of besting me. I'm not an ordinary girl that you can use as a punching bag. You are the one who set this in motion by challenging me. So either get up and fight me, or get in your car and never talk to me again. Either way, you will leave me and my brothers out of your vocabulary."

He stood and dusted himself off. Then went and got into his car. He sped away. I turned to my brothers and notice that Braden just stopped filming. "Did you get any good shots?" I put my hands on my hips.

"Yep! The entire thing!" He grinned.

"Don't let dad catch that video. He will freak. I don't want him to worry."

They both looked at me. "Does dad have a reason to worry?"

I look around at our surroundings. We were alone. "I'm learning how to decipher codes and speak a couple different languages. A few of the occupations for this is high security and higher risk. Part of the training for that will be me disappearing for weeks or months at a time. If I am chosen for the missions."

"Are you fucking insane?" Jaden gasped.

"You are not going to do that shit! I'm not going to stand back and let you be put into danger!" Braden added.

"I'm not saying that I will go into those fields. I'm saying that it is a possibility. I have people watching me. If they decide that I would benefit a situation. They will train me to help on a mission. It is not a sure thing. I want you guys to have my back if I need it with dad. Just like I have always had your backs."

"We will always have your back, Bethany. That should be common knowledge. But that doesn't mean that we have to like you being put in danger. We're your brothers! We're supposed to protect you. Not the other way around!" Jaden replied.

"That is the beauty of it! I look small and weak. You wouldn't expect me to know anything. Be able to fight. Am I right?" They nodded. "After all, Kevin even called me and wished that I was here so he could kick my ass. The only thing he touched was my fist and knee." I grinned.

Both guys were still laughing and talking about the joke of a fight when we get home.

Dad is just pulling up as we do. I get out and hug him tightly. "I sure have missed you, baby. Welcome home!"

"I've missed you too, dad!" He understands what it means to be in the military. After all, he was in the Marines for ten years. He holds onto me a little longer than the brothers did. I allow it because I understand his feelings. I have them too.

The weekend passed way too quickly. I returned to my barrack and back to studying. I advanced pretty quickly. I go home for Christmas until the new year.

I ran into mother and Angie at the mall. I was shopping for a gift for dad and Sherri with my brothers. We stop in at the food court for some famous corn dogs. "My God! I have missed these!" I say as I finish off my first one. They laugh at me. I don't care. I start on the second corn dog.

I feel like I'm being watched. "Who is watching me?" I ask them.

"Your mother and sister." Braden answers. "They have been there staring for the entire time we've been here."

"They are at mickey-d's." Jaden said then paused to take a drink. "Now headed this way. You ready?"

"Ja! I'm a soldier! I'm always ready!" I replied with a smile.

Both guys groaned. I laugh at them both.

"Bethany! How are you?? We have missed you." Mother said sweetly.

"Mother, Angie. You haven't missed me. You've missed the child support that my dad paid."

"What college are you in?" Angie asked.

"The Army. You? I heard that you and Dustin both quit school. That is totally stupid."

"Yeah, we needed to get jobs."

"Without a diploma, you'll never have a good job. Where are you working, mother?"

"I don't work. Never had to."

"That figures. You will spend your life living off of other people's hard work. My best advice to you, Angie? Find a good man and get back into school. Or join the military after you graduate. Get away from your parents. They are lowlife users. Always have been, always will be."

"You don't know them like you think you do." She replied.

"Oh you think so? Ok! How is your car running? Your car and Dustin's car was bought with money that my dad paid for my child support. Did I get a new car? Yes. I paid for my own car with money that I earned from my job. Not my child support. You enjoyed new clothes and able to go on trips. I had to work my ass off to support myself. You, Dustin, mother, and Darren all enjoyed money that was supposed to be for my support and college. I know exactly how they are. I was good enough to work and go to school. But you aren't? You had to quit school so that you could work to support your lazy ass mother who refuses to get a job. No! I know exactly how things are in that house. Now, my brothers and I have shopping to do." We stood and threw away our food trash.

"You ok, shorty?" Jaden asked as we walk through the mall.

"Yeah. It just sucks that I have to be blood related to those idiots. It makes me wonder how in the fuck did dad stomach having sex with that cold hearted bitch?"

"I don't know, babe." Braden answers.

"Me either!" Jaden added.

"Can you imagine? Did he just stumble into a room, drunk. I mean...... what about her says 'oh yeah! I'm getting some of that!' ?"

"Shorty, please, have mercy on my stomach! We just ate! I don't want to puke!" Jaden replied.

"Alright, alright! I'll stop. So what are we getting them? Are we doing a couple's gift? Or separate gifts? Or both?"

"Both?!" They said together.

"Great! How much do you have available to spend?"

"Three hundred." Jaden told us.

"Four hundred." Braden replied.

"Ok so we will do one hundred on each. Then another hundred together. That will leave Ja, with nothing. I'll pitch in some money for you to live on. I don't want to make you go broke."

Jaden smiled. "Thank you shorty! So what are we getting them?"

A jewelry store caught my eye. "Follow me, boys!"

They saw where I was going. Then groaned. I laughed. We got mom and dad matching watches.

Next thing that I spotted was a travel agent. "How about a weekend getaway? You boys can take care of yourselves for a weekend. Without tearing down the house."

"Sounds great!" We went into the agency.

Two hours later, we leave with a weekend trip to Vegas. "We're going to be late to dinner. We better hurry." I told them.

"You wanna call and tell them we are late, but coming?" Jaden asked me as we get to the car.

"Great idea! They won't be upset if shorty calls." Braden adds.

"Chicken shits!" I call them while I dial the phone.

"Hey, baby! We were just wondering if they were going to get you to call." Dad said as a greeting.

I laughed with him. "They did! I say they are chicken shit! We are on our way home. Should be about five minutes."

"Alright, baby. You guys be careful."

"We will! Love you, dad!"

"I love you too, baby!" We hung up.