Page 74 of My All American Girl

Kylee nodded in agreement. “We’re all proud of you, Sarah.”

“I don’t know if pride is going to get me very far,” I muttered. “I’ll make sure your names are cleared. Rolley, you were only trying to protect me. Kylee, you left before it really popped off, right?”

She grimaced. “I didn’t fight. I saw the way things were going and knew we needed help. Hoffman was knocked out and you two were outnumbered. Those guys were assholes.”

I sighed. “I know, but let’s not refer to them as assholes, okay? We have to stay professional and focused on the facts. I’ll tell them that you were trying to help and left when it got too intense. I appreciate your help, Kylee.”

“Of course,” she said. “Just promise me you won’t get yourself into any more trouble.”

I smiled weakly. “I’ll try, but I can’t guarantee anything.” I turned my attention back to Rolley. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look better but last night you scared the hell out of me.”

“I’ll be fine,” he assured me. “Thanks to you, we’ve got a lot more information now. Just make sure to stick to the facts when you talk to the higher-ups, okay?”

I nodded solemnly. “I’ll do my best. Thank you both for standing by me. I’m really grateful. I am so sorry I got you guys into this at all.”

Kylee squeezed my hand. “We’ve got your back, Sarah. Always.”

“Have you guys seen Hoffman?”

Kylee pointed down the row to a curtained area. “He was meeting with a couple of officers earlier,” she whispered.

“Is he okay?” I asked.

Rolley nodded. “He’s good. I talked to him this morning at the crack of dawn. He’s roughed up but he’s okay. He wanted me to tell you thank you. He knows it could have been a lot worse.”

“And the others?” I asked.

Rolley grinned. “You broke one dude’s nose.”

“The guy with the crewcut.” I nodded. “He tried to hit me with that stupid water pitcher. I didn’t have a choice.”

“I know,” Rolley said. “He deserved worse.”

“I’ll talk to him later,” I said, determined to make things right.

“I wouldn’t do that,” he said. “I don’t think he is interested in an apology. Not yet. Thankfully, we won’t have to be around him again unless we somehow end up at another base with him.”

“I don’t see how he can remain in the program,” I said. “How many times has he done this? He’s a bully. His little merry band of misfits are all criminals. I hope they get thrown in the fucking brig.”

Just then, the door opened, and two officers walked in. They approached us with stern looks on their faces. My stomach knotted with nerves. I wasn’t sure if they were here for me or Rolley. I got to my feet, prepared to take my punishment.

“Sarah Thomas,” one of them addressed me.

“Yes, sir.”

“You’ll need to come with us,” he said. “We need to speak with you about last night’s incident.”

I took a deep breath, reminding myself of Dean’s advice. “Of course, sir.”

As I followed the officers, dread gripped me. I had to stay calm and focused during this conversation. I also had to make sure my friends were still okay and that they knew I was doing everything in my power to protect them. In the back of my mind, I wondered what my father was going to do when he found out about the situation. If I did get kicked out, he was going to be furious. I was probably going to be disowned. I didn’t know how to do life without the Air Force.

In a small office, they closed the door behind us and took their seats. I stood there, waiting for them to speak.

Finally, one of the officers began. “We understand that you were involved in an altercation last night. Have a seat.”

I sat down, feeling a little nervous. I wished I would have been dressed in my uniform. Wearing the evidence of the fight was not the way I wanted this meeting to start.

“Yes, sir,” I started, taking a deep breath. “That is correct. I was involved in an altercation last night. I’d like to clarify that it was not my intention to instigate the fight but to defend myself and my friends against three individuals who were harassing another airman.”

“We are aware of the situation,” the officer replied, leaning forward in his chair. “However, we need to know the details of what happened. Can you provide us with a full account of the incident?”

I recounted the events of the night, from the first indicator there was something wrong to being dragged out of the room.

All I could hope was that they believed me.