On the Grinder
By Nicholasshoes
Chapter 1
Goodbyes and New Arrivals

	The car radio droned as they pulled off the pavement and onto an dirt side road, a cloud of dust forming behind the hatchback as it rolled through the dry packed earth. There were only three passengers in the car, three cheetahs, the two adults in the front and a boy of about twelve in the back .The boy wore an olive drab uniform, plain except with the name “Thresher” sewn on a strip over his left breast pocket. Though beyond his uniform, he wouldn't consider himself very remarkable, maybe a bit shorter than a lot of other guys his age, but maybe that was species too. Otherwise though he was certainly pretty average for a cheetah with a body thinner and more wirey than the few other boys of his species he had met. Maybe a bit on the younger side too with his preadolescence fuzz only now starting to mature into the smooth coat of an adult.

	“ Charlie, are you alright? You've been pretty quiet for the ride.” his mom asked, she was riding in the passengers seat, a good deal shorter than his father with only her ears showing over the seats headrest. However despite that she was, at least as far as he knew, not bad to look at. A bit wider perhaps but that only accentuated her body, adding to a bit more curves to her hips and breasts. Though often she would hide that with her plain attire, leaving only a pretty face for anyone for others to see.

	“No...” Charlie murmured as he leaned up against the window,watching as they passed by a  scene of rolling fields that stretched back towards a pine forest.

	“Charlie, we've talked about this.” Dad began, stern but not angry yet. “I have an opportunity to make some real headway in the company, to actually be able to stay in one spot and not have to move year after year, but in order to do that I have to take this overseas position for the next year at least, and we couldn't afford to send you to one of the international schools over there.”

	“So you dump me in junior boot camp for the next year I gotcha,” Charlie spat. His dad went silent as they stopped at an intersection. He could see his father twisting at the steering wheel, that was always a bad sign. Unlike mom, Dad was near the upper limits of a male Cheetahs physique, Charlie had inherited his wiry frame from his father, but thus far not the lean muscles tied to that frame.“Look Charlie, I'm going to lay this out here, we  cant afford to have you go to an international school and have you slack off another year. You haven't exactly been a stellar student here and-”

	Charlie's cheeks got hot as his father continued, his face turning to a scowl, then a snarl as he shouted back “Maybe if I wasn't moving from school to school every year I would actually care about grades, did you think about that?” Charlie shouted.

	“Watch your words now,” Mom said nervously, glancing over at Dad as he accelerated. 

	“I'm out there busting my ass for you, everyday and all I've asked you to do is to try a bit on your school work, to get B and C's not A's. I haven't asked you to join the football team and bring home the state championship, I haven't tried to drive you into the national honors society, or any of these sort of things Charlie, all I asked was that you work at your schoolwork so your not failing classes and you didn't and that's why were sending you to the military school, so that way you can learn some self discipline, because you certainly haven't learned any at home.” Dad went silent as he exchanged glances with mom, mom wearing a sour look on her face.

Dad sighed, “And maybe that's our fault but, like I said I cant send you to one of the international schools only to have you fail out. I think you'll walk away from this a bit better than you are now.”
Charlie scowled, but didn't say anything else to dad.

	They drove on silently the road running back to pavement as they drove through the main street of a small burg known as Thrumswell, the town that the school was named after, Thrumswell Military Academy. Charlie knew they were almost there as he turned back to the window hiding his tears. It wasn't fair, Dad only knew what came home on the report cards, not what actually happened at school. That students at the other schools had bullied him and made his life nearly unbearable, how the teachers didn't even bother teaching the lessons, they just told the class what chapters to read for the day, what work needed to be done, and turned them loose, as they sat up front with their cell phones. They were letting the same bullies who ran the hallways run the classrooms too. Or when James left for college then disappeared after failing out with mom and Dad. There were so many reasons, and good reasons too but Mom and Dad wanted to hear none of it, to them they were just excuses. Charlie's scowl grew deeper as more hot tears dripped from his ducts, though this time he didn't bother to wipe them off.

	“Alright honey, we're almost there.” Mom stated, a waiver in her voice as they passed the school sign and down a drive with neatly planted trees on either side, forming a canopy with their branches. In the distance he could see the schools main building, an old stately brick structure with a flag pole and concrete pad out in front of that with a few people in the same olive drab green uniform he was wearing mulling around out front talking in little circles around the concrete slabs.  There was one man, a trim gray fox who stood out front with a tablet, his uniform was a bit different, instead of the simple olive green fatigues and cap the other students were wearing, he wore one of those odd little hats they wore in world war two, a garrison cap he thought it was called, with gold trim and emblem hanging off one side. He also had some red trim along his cuffs and shoulders. 

	The Fox flagged down the car as it pulled up onto the concrete pad, Dad rolling down the window as the fox walked up and leaned over the window.

	“New check in?” The fox asked, giving Charlie a once over before turning back to Dad.

	“Yes, um I guess we're not sot sure-” The fox ran a claw down a clipboard and flipped through a few pages.

	“Name?” The fox looked up from the tablet yes fixed on Dad waiting for an answer.

	“Thresher, Charlie Thresher.” Dad answered as the Fox again ran a claw along the paper on his clipboard tapping once he found what Charlie presumed to be his name.

	“Alright Mr. Thresher, your son is in Echo Barracks,” The fox held a map with one of the blocks circled. “That's going to be this one here, parking is around the back of the building.” The fox checked the tablet again, “And you Cadet Director is going to be Mr. Jerrings., he'll be waiting for you at the barracks office.” The fox glanced back to Charlie and gave him a small nod. “And welcome to Thrumsfield Military Academy,” He stepped backed waving them along as Dad pulled the car forward and onto one of the narrow roadways winding through the rows of “barracks” buildings that made up one side of the campus. “Echo Barracks” was near the end of the first row and even though the barracks buildings all essentially the same design, Echo looked to be much older than the rest with sun touched bricks and a rough that looked in need of repair. Though it certainly didn't look dilapidated, it was enough for Charlie to feel a bit uneasy about living in this building.

	The driveway looped around Echo and opened up into what looked to be a large parking lot, cracked and tarred with makeshift repairs but maintained.  Oddly though the parking lot was mostly empty, save for the portion nearest Echo's back doorway were a steady stream of “Cadets” and their families were busy carrying luggage in through the pair of old wooden double doors, propped opened with a sign reading “New check ins this way” posted prominently on a stand out front. 

	Charlie's mood lightened a bit when he saw some of the other check ins, while there were some who talked and even laughed with each other, those were few and far between. The bulk of them were wide eyed and fearful. A few even looked a little dazed as though they had just been hit by something heavy. 

	“Alright Charlie, grab your bags and we'll get you checked in.” Dad shut off the ignition, letting the dash beep for a few cycles before removing the key and opening his door, Mom followed suit while Charlie lingered, alone in the back seat of the car. Looking up at the Echo Barracks building with foreboding. Then he heard the car trunk open and the sound of things sifting around before the thud of lid slamming down and a rapping at the car window.

	“Don't forget your hat,” mom said, pointing at the olive drab fatigue cap laying on the seat next to him. Charlie scowled again as he grabbed the hat and yanked it down onto his head, he didn't care if it was on correctly or whatever it was suppose to be and pulled himself out of the car, slamming the door behind him as he caught up with Mom and Dad, paws balled into fists. All three walked through the door into the Echo Barracks entryway. The brick exterior giving way to a simple but clean entrance hall with a folding table sitting between to ascending staircases. Behind the table were two more of whom Charlie assumed to be the school teachers. One was helping another family, handing them a packet of papers and indicating where they needed to sign and such. The other one sat with paws clasped neatly together, watching tentatively as Charlie and his mom and dad  walked up. 

	“Name Please,” He asked reaching into something behind the table.

	“Thresher,” Dad stated, “Charlie Thresher,” 

	“Thresher, Charlie hmm,” papers ruffled with the instructors shifting fingers, “Ah, your in room fifteen, that will be the second floor third door down on the left, now Mr Thresher, I'm going to need you to sign some of the paperwork here and here initial here....” Charlie tuned out the  instructor as he looked over at the other family. They were gray wolves, with two boys one probably no older than six while the other one was about twelve, and almost half a head taller than Charlie. They locked eyes for maybe a moment before Charlie looked away down at his boots pretending to try and scratch an itch on his leg  before turning his attention back to mom and dad as they they finished signing the various forms, legally turning him over to the school for the next two semesters. 

	“Alright then Mr. Thresher your son is all set on your end. If you would like to run his things up to the room, we'll have another instructor waiting down here by the time you get back to give the walking tour of the campus.” 

	Dad nodded to the instructor then turned to Charlie, “Grab your stuff then, we'll head on up and get you unpacked.” Dad grabbed Charlie's backpack and started heading towards the set of stairs leading upward followed closely by mom, leaving Charlie with the two duffle bags sitting on the floor. Charlie scowled again as he bent down to pick them up, lugging both up by the straps and slinging them over his shoulders before following mom and dad up the stairs over the landing and finally to the second floor of the building were a set of four doors, two on each side of the otherwise featureless hallway sat propped open. The sound of opening and slamming lids and drawers echoed from each one. Mom stood outside the farthest one on the left, watching with a small smile as hauled the pair of duffle bags down and past her into what would be home for the next nine months.

	Charlie's heart sank further at what he saw. There were sixteen “beds” stacked inside. They were not bunk beds or cots, but rather raised beds with desks set underneath arranged into cubicles where two would share a common aisle with a pair of dressers. Between the beds butting up next to each other were about eight inches of space with a  curtain suspended from the beds railing served to provide a bit of privacy between the cubicles. The foot of each bed had a slice of paper taped to it with the names of their respective owners handwritten in big black letters. Dad stood inside the cubical with name “Thresher” on one of the bed frames. He stood talking with the father of the wolf family they had seen earlier. Their pup had climbed up in the bed that shared a cubical with Charlie's while the mom and older boy were busy unpacking. Dad turned and gave Charlie a half smile. 

	“Well, this is it, actually its nicer than I thought it would be. “ Dad said as looked around the cubical. “Actually I think your getting more square feet than most colleges would give you.” Dad opened up one of the drawers on the dresser and looked inside.

	“Actually this really is pretty nice all things considered, I don't imagine you boys will be too rowdy during the week. I think you'll be just fine here.” Charlie frowned. That was easy for him to say he wasn't the one who had to live here. 

	“Here honey I'll unpack you if you want to have a look around the-” Charlie grabbed the strap of his bag stopping mom from taking it off his shoulder. “No-,” Charlie said incredulously, then thinking better of it answered more softly, “No- I'll, I'll help unpack just, I can set them down.” 

	Charlie walked over to the cubical and, despite how crowded it was now with six people packed into the small space, managed to find enough floor space to set his bags down begin unpacking as mom looked on.

	“Well, I guess that I can do your backpack...” Mom trailed off as she sat the backpack down on the desktop and began opening drawers. “I'll put all your notebooks and pencils in this middle drawer, then I can-” Charlie's cheeks got hot as his mom continued. “That's fine mom,” his words came out cold, “I'm sure that I an find everything without you telling me were every pencil and slice of paper is.”

	Charlie could feel his fathers eyes on the back of his head as he continued unpacking, but the tongue lashing that he was sure was coming never did. Even once he was finished unpacking and ready to go one this “walking tour” of the campus. Maybe dad didn't want to get in a fight with him for the last few hours they would be together. That wouldn't surprise him, though still he wished that they would do something to him because he as starting to feel guilty about snapping at mom.

	After unpacking Charlie, Mom and Dad went back down to the foyer were another instructor stood among a small group of four other families, One of them was the wolf family while another was a family of horses and, foxes, seemed the carnivores outnumbered the herbivores today. The instructor himself was a Lynx with a smug grin.

	“Was there anyone else up there?” the Instructor asked looking at Dad. Dad shook his head, “Not in our room, but I don't know about the rest.” The instructor nodded perked his ears towards the stairs and, satisfied, addressed everyone standing around.

	“First and foremost, welcome to Thrumswell Military Academy.” They Lynx gave a wide grin and continued. “Were for the past Sixty years we have had a proud tradition of  turning boys into upstanding young men not only Academically, but Physically and Morally as well and imprinting on each graduate a sense of duty both to oneself and to the group as a whole.” He lingered on each one of the boys as he spoke, his eyes flashing up and down as he gave each a quick look over, though he said nothing about this as he spoke, sticking to a well rehearsed script as he went. “I think it is safe to say that, the next time you see your son, you will see a positive difference in him in all of these aspects. Now, if you will follow me, we can begin our tour of the campus. 

	The tour lasted about two hours as they roamed over campus, or at least the part they still used. Originally, as the Lynx instructor explained, the campus had been located about forty acres away in a depression that, during a particularly bad thunderstorm, had completely flooded out most of the buildings while two of them caught fire due to electrical problems. The “New” campus, built about fifty years ago, was on a high point and, as of yet, hadn't experienced any of the flooding that the old campus had. Since the original construction of the new campus though, the school had added on many new features. There was of course the usual things for a school, The main campus building where classes were held an athletics center, including an Olympic size pool, weight room indoor track and cardio equipment as well as two full sized basketball courts. There was also the science and technology center were many of the computer and science oriented courses were held. The school Media center which was really just a library with video lounges, and computers and such, then there was the rec hall. That was what appealed to Charlie a bit more than the other buildings. That was where , as the instructor explained, the students would be able to go during their free hours to unwind. It was a sort of giant lounge with lots of Flat Screens, computer, game consoles, a few pool tables and air hockey as well as a small “movie theater”, complete with recliners and a popcorn machine. Of course, the instructor said that you had to maintain a certain GPA to be able to use these facilities, as he said it was a privilege not a right, something Dad seemed happy about as well as a few other parents.

	The last building that they went too was the mess hall were the kitchen staff had already cooked up dinner and was standing by to serve both the students and families as they came through. This was also where their last goodbyes would be made before the families left their sons behind. 
	
	Understandably everyone was somber during this last family meal. None more so than Charlie who, staring at his tray of lasagna and garlic bread, fought back tears. Mom lost her fight and sobbed while Dad's eyes grew red and puffy his voice gaining a slight waiver but it never went beyond that. 

	For the most part, the mess hall was quiet, a few low conversations took place here and there, but otherwise conversation seemed inappropriate, mom and dad sure didn't try to force anything, and neither did Charlie. They only thing they wanted to do right now was be together, the only thing any of the other families in the mess hall seemed to want to do. So they sat, milking each moment until one of the instructors cleared his throat.

	“I understand that this is hard for everyone here, but It would be best to start saying your goodbyes, tomorrow is going to be a busy first day, and I think everyone here wants our new cadets to be well rested.”

	Then, the moment finally came with an awkward moment of silence before Charlie Mom and Dad all got up and for the last time for what might be nine months, embraced. Mom and Dad both leaving tears on his shoulder. Charlie fought hard to keep his in check, very hard, but failed as a silent few fell for the third time that day. Then they parted and with a feeble wave and a final look back, they were out the door and out of sight, and Charlie felt alone.

	“Gentlemen, welcome to Thrumswell military academy.” Charlie turned back around to face the instructors. Among them stood an old gray fox his fur speckled with white and a set of thick glasses perched on his nose. He was dressed differently than the other instructors, he wore the same olive drab uniform with red embroidered on the cuffs but also on one shoulder wore a white cord, braided and coiled with a pair of brass pieces encapsulating the cords ends.

“I am the schools Administrator, Colonel Francis Willicks retired, however you may address me as Mr. Willicks, Colonel, or Sir, in fact I wold prefer any of those to my full title.”

	The were a few brief chuckles from the instructors before Mr. Willicks continued.

	“Now for some of you, this may be the first time that you've not lived with your parents more than a few weeks or so, and for all of you I can surmise that this will be the longest you gone without living with them. Believe me when I say that all of us know how it feels to be like that, Each person here has experience with the Military and have experienced first hand how hard this sort of long separation is.” Again he paused as his eyes swept across the group of about a hundred, twelve to thirteen year old males of varying species. 

	“With that being said, we are here to help you transition into life here, we are not here to coddle you, yet neither are we here to hurt you. None of you are delinquents or criminals else wise you would not have been admitted. As such you will not be treated as such so long as you follow the rules.”

	The old wolf paused again and licked his lips.

	“For the next two weeks, all of your room will be assigned an instructor who will be in charge of helping you assimilate with the Thrumswell lifestyle. This is not a boot camp, No one will have their heads shaved or be forced to endure any sort of physical punishments like long distance runs or push ups until you drop or anything of that sort.”

	There were a lot of sighs at those words, and a few relived looks on the faces on some of the other boys, especially a few of the pudgy ones. 

	“However you will still be expected to comply with all orders, yes orders, given by your instructor. Even though they cannot use physical punishments, they do have many tools at their disposal to correct any sort of problems that may arise. If your instructors are unable to correct you with the tools at their disposal you will be sent to me. I am allowed to administer physical and corporal punishments as I see fit.”

	Soft whispers filled the air behind Charlie at these words. He was a little shocked too, had Mom and Dad known about this when they signed him away to this school? They must have but they hadn't him, he'd been spanked a few times when he was little but only when he did something really bad.

	The Administrator smiled warmly, “However I don't feel there will be a need for that with this group. Now I'm sure that for many of you this has been a long and emotionally draining day. So I'm going to turn you over to your instructors who will get you all back to your barracks and settled in for the night. Instructors, I leave these gentlemen in your capable paws.” One of the instructors yelled out “At Attention,” at which every one of the instructors snapped smartly to attention as Mr. Willicks left dinning hall. Some of the boys tried to do the same after an awkward delay and clumsy motion, but many were still to shocked to do much of anything. As soon as it happened though, Mr. Willicks was gone and the instructors relaxed.

	“Alright I want everyone to listen carefully,” Another instructor spoke, a Tall German Shepherd who looked like he spent a lot of his free time in the gym's weight room, “One of the instructors here will call off your room number, when he does I want you to line up behind him and follow him out, back to your barracks, do not wander off  around campus, we do not want to go out trying to find you tonight, everyone is going to have an early day tomorrow. You can expect your instructors to wake you up at zero five thirty tomorrow morning. Then orientation begins. Alright then Room one form up by me!”

	There was a moments pause, then the boys from room one forced their way out of the crowd, the last two almost running, desperate not to be the last one. Forming them into a line, the Shepard did a quick head count, then, moving to the front of the line, motioned the boys to follow him out and into the dwindling twilight. As soon as the last of room one left, room two's instructor stepped forward and the same routine happened again, then again and again as the number of students and faculty dwindled and the kitchen staff began wiping down the tables and sweeping the floors. Soon however there were only three faculty members left. Charlie watched as a small light furred coyote stepped forward and called out. “Room 15 form up behind me,”

	They jumped, almost sprinting to their instructor as their number was called, each boy fighting not to be the last. Thankfully for Charlie, he was not the last. Though neither was he the first, despite the stereotype of a cheetah being a good sprinter. Rather the colt won, though after the fact Charlie wondered whether or not standing out in anyway was really a good idea. 

	“Room fifteen, follow me,” the Coyote ordered as the gaggle of anxious boys followed him out into the cool moonlit air. “I need everyone to listen to me as we walk back, first and foremost, I will be your Cadet Director or the next two weeks. What that means is that I will be the one who controls nearly every aspect of your life for the duration. I will mold you into respectable cadets, you can mark my word with that. Secondly, this will be the last time, that you will be allowed to simply move as a gagglefuck wherever you want to go. In groups of five or more, you will be in formation. Thirdly...” 

	Charlie stopped listening as he began to glance around at the other cadets in his room, the boys who would be his roommates for the next eight months or so. There were no other Cheetahs in his group, the closest he had was a lion with a  mane  just starting to come in but he hadn't given anyone so much as a sideways glance since they grouped up. Then there was the colt, a painted mustang with brown and white splotches, the gray wolf who was his “cubical” mate, a red fox, two rabbits, one black the other gray, a black bear, and a young bull. He didn't look behind him, he didn't dare look back at the other eight behind him. Something about that coyote told him he would regret being the one that stood out, especially for doing something stupid.

	Soon enough though, they reached their room were, as per their instructions they stood at the “Toe line” at the foot of each of their beds. 

	“Your all going to have an early morning tomorrow. I'll be hear at five thirty to wake you up at which time each one of you will get up and be at attention at the foot of your beds,  from there we will begin indoctrination. Now are their any questions?” None of the boys said a word as they stood “at attention”, none dared. The only thing that Charlie could think of right now were some of the boot camp scenes from the old war movies he and Dad sometimes watched. He wondered for a moment if any of the other boys were thinking of the same thing he was. “Alright then,” The instructor said satisfied, “ if any of you need anything you can use the room phone. It wont make any calls other than to the duty desk or Administrators room, but if you do call just ask for Mr. Drake and ill come sort it out, or make your life miserable if its something stupid. Emergencies only got it? Good then everyone go to sleep.” With those final words, Mr. Drake turned and left the room, closing the door behind him as e walked through. Then there was an audible sigh of relief as the boys relaxed, the fox whistled.

	“Well Boy's we'd better do as he says he sounded pretty serious. “The fox boy grinned as he began kicking off his boots. “Else you might get spanked by the big man.” Some of the boys laughed, nervously at the cocky Fox's words. Charlie wasn't one of them. Maybe, had circumstances been different he would have laughed, maybe. Right now though, he was so overwhelmed that he felt numb. 
	
	Some of the other boys started to follow the example of the fox boy, kicking of their boots and sliding back into their respective cubicles with their cube mate as they began undressing for the night. Charlie kicked of his boots then hesitated as he began undoing the buttons on his blouse, eyeing the Wolf boy undue his shirt and then pants and kicking them into a heap underneath his desk. The wolf boy didn't so much as glance in Charlies direction before he ambled up the ladder and into his bunk, and it was only then that Charlie dared undue his pants.
	
	He really didn't have anything to be ashamed off, especially being in a room full of other guys, but he didn't like being scantly clothed as his mother would say, around other people, and never would he be caught dead naked in front of someone else, that was the worst. Whenever he had gone to the pool with Dad he'd never once showered without his swimsuit on in the communal showers, despite Dad insisting he wouldn't actually get clean by doing that. He'd always been afraid of that, preferring to be the one singled out because he was wearing a swimsuit or whatever, and public restrooms, they were almost on the same level, especially ones that weren't very private. He would “hold it” until he could find another bathroom instead of using one of those. One time, when he was nine, he had almost peed himself during a professional baseball game rather than use the bathrooms there, they were awful. It was nothing but a room with big metal troughs strapped to the wall, no dividers or even urinal edges to hide behind. And all the stalls were backed up with other people. He hadn't even tried to go. Regardless, Charlie had his pants off and some pajamas in less time than it took the fox boy to walk across the dorm room and switch off the lights, then he was up in bed in the dark dorm room.

	The room was quiet when Charlie finally fell asleep. Although he could still hear the tossing and turning and occasional muffled whimpers of some of the other boys. In a way though, it was reassuring to Charlie, reminding him that he was not the only one who was having a rough night.

	Charlie buried his face in his pillow. He felt like he wanted to cry again, after everything that had happened today, with the realization that he really was going to spend the next seven or eight or however many months he would be here, and that mom and dad really had left him here alone. He didn't though, he had used up all the tears he had left, at least for today and whatever sorrow or anger he had left he was just going to have to sleep with.
	For the first of many nights, Charlie closed his eyes and eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep, dreading whatever tomorrow would bring.