"But listen," he said, "I have a proposition." Really?" I responded. "I learned in the Army to never volunteer. Are we being 'voluntold?'" Not at all,..." he replied. "I've been monitoring your progress. If I understand you at all, this should be right up your alley. As it happens, none of you specified a service branch when you got your CAPs. Our combat arms would drool to get you with your scores and on-the-ground experience. BUT, I want you all in Civil Service assigned to me in the Office of. .. and um... I just didnot want to kick myself later for not coming over and at least sayinghi."Karen smile grew a bit more. He was cute in goofball sort of way. But healso looked a lot like all of the other guys in school. The drawback ofliving in the middle of nowhere, very little diversity. Guys basicallyhad no imagination and had pretty much the same hair style and just thecolour changed."It would have been a shame if we missed a chance to chat and get to knowone another a bit more. Want to. She couldn't get away from school for this trip." School?"I was enjoying this. The guy was only a little bit away from visibly shaking. His brow had beads of perspiration."Yessir. She and I go to Auburn. She's fifteen." Uh ... If you don't mind my asking, how old are you?" Sixteen."The poor guy looked at me like I might be some relief."Don't look at me," I said. "I'm just a music major."He shook visibly. I thought we'd have to get a defibrillator.Nikki dialed her shtick back a little and. . asking you who you are... and what you're in for... that maybeyou missed your schoolbus... and a short yellow bus at that... and theycut right to the chase... even while you're innocently... casually...and nonchalantly... trying to answer their stupid fucking questions...when one of them... comes straight out... as it were... and simply asksyou... quite casually... and matter-of-factly... as though simply askingyou... something else... just as innocuous... if you like sports....