No Brotherhood
"Women don't belong in the military."
I sighed and made a show of rolling my eyes. My leg cramped so I sat down slowly and waited for the others. Sure, I was slow. I ran 3 miles in 27 minutes but I was far from failing. But Yung, on the other hand, ran the same distance in only 23 minutes.
"How are they supposed to be our equals when they can't even hold our standards?"
I heard him huff but it wasn't him who I watched. Every other male looked at everything but me. Some were even toying with the grass. Cowards. Do they think the same as he does or are they afraid to stand up for me? I hear the word simp going around to those few that do. Somehow defending a woman is still seen as a weakness. It's been over one hundred years since women could join the Marines, yet there are those that wish "for a better time." A time when women weren't in the Marines. A time when these children were not even sperm floating around.
With the test concluded, we go home to shower and eat before showing up to work an hour later.
"Hey guys wanna hear a joke?"
I don't even turn around.
"Who was the first woman to fail a hike?"
Silence.
"Opha Mae Johnson."
A few laughs echo in the shop. Opha Mae Johnson was the first woman to enlist in the Marines when her country called for it back in 1918 when World War I was ravaging Europe. Obviously the "joke" hasn't been lost on me but I've heard it before. It's Yung's favorite and he seems to say it whenever I pass by. I used to argue and debate because I thought he was reasonable but once I heard his thoughts on gay men and our one Marine that was born in Africa, I realized it was a lost cause.
"Did you really sleep with Mason?"
I turned to see Gregson had snuck up on me with a barely audible whisper. I internally rolled my eyes and externally furrowed my brow.
"It's just . . . that's what's been going around."
Of course it was. I even know who said it. I knew from bootcamp that most of these children out of high school couldn't be trusted. I was 25, but many of them weren't even the legal drinking age. I had told Shock this in private to see if it would stay with her.
It didn't.
Just then, Shock walked out of the office and gave me a small wave and I reciprocated.
Bitch.
I once really thought women would have each other's backs. But they spoke their lies in the shadows. The men ruled the roost and some women saught to gain favor by casting down one of their own.
When our work was finished and we marched home as a platoon. Part of me seethed as always. I looked around as we marched and I saw Marines - but no brotherhood.