The ACADEMY Adventures

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"Truth or Dare"

at Galaxy Alliance Academy-Advance division

It's 4:15 pm. The bell sounds as the day of academics closes for the night.
Cadet Lance Braddock slams his binder shut and bolts for the door. Cadets Jeff Thompson and Keith Dewar simply stare at each other, shrugging their shoulders.

"We've been in this place for three years and now Seniors and he STILL bolts out the door like it's the end of the first day of Freshman Hell Week!" Jeff mutters.

"Lance knows a good thing when he sees it. Let us leave this vile room for the day as well!" Keith poetically responds as he closes his notebook and heroically (or theatrically), strides to the door.
Captain and Instructor Joshua McKinely laughed to himself. This was the finest and most colorful class of cadets he had ever seen in his 30 years of teaching third year Astrophysics. He also knew that some of these students were headed toward very promising futures and bound to make Galaxy Alliance history. As the lagging members of his class filed out, namely a trio of young ladies: Ginger, Lisa, and Cinda, McKinely sat himself behind his desk and thumbed through the pile of reports the class had just turned in. Two, as expected, caught his eye. He pulled them from the stack, curious about the topics of the two reports in question. "Flight vectors in an atmospheric re-entry" was the first.
"How predictable, young Dewar. Always fascinated with flight, a chip off the ol' block for sure. So much like his father. If only you were here to see him now, my old friend, how much he's grown, and with very little help." he thought to himself.
He then glanced at the second report, "Velocity ratios of flight in a canyon environment."
"Ah yes, Jeff-following close behind, not giving Dewar the opportunity to run away with the whole bone. I wonder if one and two of this class will be decided soon. The two know each other too well. I wonder if they'll pull each other's leg?" he thought as he snickered. "Truly an interesting class indeed."
There was one more report to glance at. A cadet who completed this trio of best friends. "The Physics of falling down." McKinely laughed. "This one will be most amusing! Braddock, unlike Dewar, you're nothing like your father. Somehow I wonder if you're destined to be a comedian rather than a space explorer?" he smiled as he glanced out the window and saw the cadet he was just thinking about, flick Ginger's skirt up while Keith and Jeff rushed to comfort her.

"Lance! You're such a pervert!" Ginger screamed while trying to straighten her skirt back into place. Jeff tried to help her. "You too! HANDS OFF you vulture!" she exclaimed while slapping Jeff across the face.
Meanwhile, Keith had "avenged" her by lunging at Lance and shoving him into some nearby shrubbery.

"Geesh, Keith! As if you didn't peek too!"

"Why would I?" then a split second later, "YEEOWWWCH!" Keith screeched while Ginger, hearing his remark, slapped him in the back of the head.

"Are you saying I'm not worth looking at Keith?"

"Ginger, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, it's rude to take cheap looks at girls while they're in distress."

"Didn't stop you when we went a lookin' at the girls in the shower flyboy!" Lance blurted from deep in the shrubbery. Keith simply let his books drop from his hands and into the shrub. "OOOOOWWWWWCCHHHH! Keith, I'd not go to sleep ever again if I were you!" was the reply from the shrub.

"Yeah, yeah. I love you too Lance!"

Silence.

"Knew that'd quiet him down." Keith then turned back to Ginger. "What were we talking about? Oh yeah, I don't take cheap shots at girls in distress."

"And what if I intentionally wanted my skirt to be lifted within your sights?"

"I'd think you to be easy."

Another thwap to the back of the head followed by another yeouch..."Keith, sometimes you're as bad as Lance or Jeff!"

"I don't mean to be Ginger. I was just basing my opinion on what the other guys would think. It is a rational observance."

"You're almost 16 Keith! Stop being rational! You're supposed to be like them too! Or are you abnormal?"

"No way! I'm just as interested as the rest of the guys! I just prefer not to make a fool of myself by gawking and drooling over every female that happens to pass by."

Ginger's look became sympathetic. "How sweet. Y'know Keith, with that kind of thinking (not to mention your looks, she added mentally) some female's gonna snatch you up and make a husband out of you before you even become legal to drink alcohol."

A shiver coursed down Keith's body. "Eeech! Nuh uh, I WON'T let it happen!"

"Time will tell, Keithy." Ginger softly replied while tapping him on the nose with her finger and winking.

Shortly after, this small group of cadets reached a low hanging tree which sprawled before the main dormatories. This was their rendevous point for them and their other friends (more future Voltron Force members).
A soft, distant rumble of thunder indicated that tonight, they'd be relaxing "indoors."
Once all had assembled, it was time to plan the night's activities.

"Let's see...how bout horror movies? I mean it IS gonna be all stormy and all." Ginger mentioned.

"How bout the broadcast football game of the local university?"

"Typical guy request, Rocky!" Lisa exclaimed. "And what would us ladies do?"

"Could hen talk in the hallway or go on a chips n dip run for us." Lance sputtered.

THWAP! THWAP! THWAP! "CHAUVINISTIC PERVERT!" the trio of young ladies yelled in obvious anger. Lance ended up slumped against the tree. The other boys quickly put on their "we'll behave, mom" looks.

"How bout that one movie, comedy + horror-ah yes, I remember it's name now..THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW?" Jeff suggested.

"We did that last Friday, Jeff. Besides, they're carefully guarding all the toilet paper after we stole it all just for that show." Keith mentioned.

"I got it, since we can't decide...how bout an a la carte night. Whoever wants to watch the game can go to the rec. room and those who wanna figure something else out, can join us girls in our dorm room." Lisa suggested.

"YOUR room?! Yahoo! I'm already there!" Lance exclaimed from the tree as he flew into the dorm entranceway.

Everyone, recovering from shock, just poured out in laughter.

"He'd make a career of it if he could." Keith calmly said.

"But Keith, isn't that already his major?" Crik asked.

Keith laughed. "It almost seems that way doesn't it. I think he should've been born a racehorse instead of a human. That way he could spend three years of his life in the spotlight then retire while still young, and do THAT all day for the rest of his functional life."

More laughter.

"Ok, an a la carte night it is. Guys let's go smuggle us a keg from the custidian's quarters and watch us a game!" Cliff exclaimed.

"A keg?"

"Of what?" Keith asked. Thwap. "Ouch! What was that for?! All I asked was what would be in the keg?"

"You're soooo naive sometimes, Keith." Lisa answered.

"Huh?"

"Just drop it prettyboy." Lisa muttered.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good boy." Lisa replied as she petted him on the head.

So, Jeff and Keith followed Lisa, Ginger, and Cinda up to the girls' dorm room. They fould Lance sitting by the door, drooling like a puppy.

"So, what're we gonna do, huh?" he asked while rubbing his hands together.

"Nothing along the lines you're thinking you walking hormone!" Lisa exclaimed. "And stop slobbering all over me!"

"Down boy or else she might have ya neutered." Keith said to his friend while moving to stand between him and Lisa, just in case Lance chose to disobey.

As they entered, the boys noted that aside from the feminine furnishings, the room was exactly like their own.

"Are Sven or any of the others gonna follow us up?" Ginger inquired.

"I think some held down the fort while Hutch and Cliff went on the keg run. Sven's locked up in his room, studying and trying to figure out how he failed that english exam."

"Well, more for us then." Lance commented.

THWAP!

"Dammit Lance, maybe you should go take a cold shower!" Cinda suggested.

"He'll calm down, just give him a chance. He's spazboy for only a short duration." Keith explained.

"He'd better!" was the answer from all the girls.

Suddenly a bright flash and loud clap of thunder resounded through the building.
"See, a perfect setting for a scary movie." Jeff suggested.

"Or..." Ginger trailed as she turned to Cinda and Lisa and they huddled away from the boys.

The trio of boys, dumbfounded, simply stared and waited quietly while giggles and mumbled whispers dissipated from the huddled group of girls.

The girls didn't stay huddled for long. They soon broke and approached the boys.

"Let's not use the lights. Let's use candles." Ginger added as Lisa opened a drawer to get them.

"Uh, what EXACTLY are we gonna do?" asked a nervous Jeff while Lance grinned mischieviously and Keith wished he'd joined the others on the keg run.

"A game. I'm sure you boys are familiar with 'Truth or Dare?'" Ginger seductively responded. The boys gulped, wondering if that keg run really would've been the lesser of two evils.

"And besides, I've never played such a game and would find it... rather...amusing." You terrans have the most fascinating ways of entertainment." Cinda added.

"Well, I'M GAME!" Lance exclaimed.

Jeff and Keith looked at each other, then figuring there was no escape, opted to play along.
"Sounds like something different to do." Keith said while feeling his way to a beanbag chair and slumping into it. "Aaaahhh! I love these things!" he commented.

As Lisa lit the candles, the group formed a circle on the ground.

"How will we choose who asks the question and who will answer?" Cinda inquired.

"I have an answer to that. It's a traditional spinner." Ginger said while getting back up and reaching for an old,glass long-neck Coca-cola bottle. "They used to call this game 'spin the bottle.' We'll lay it on its side and spin it. The narrow end is the one who has to answer, the wide end is the question asker. After that, whoever answered gets to spin."

"Sounds good." Lisa commented and all nodded in reply.

"Okay,we're all set. Cinda, since it's your first T & D game, you may have the honors of the first spin." Lisa suggested.

Cinda simply nodded then gave the bottle a good twirl. The bottle slowed to a stop with the short end facing Jeff and the broad end facing Lisa. Lance and Keith shared a silent giggle as Keith mouthed, "fate" since it seemed that their best friend was developing a crush on Lisa anyhow.

Lisa blushed lightly while Jeff felt his whole body tense up.
"Hmmm...okay, Jeff-truth or dare?"

"Uhhhh, truth." Jeff shakily replied.

"Are you a virgin?"

Jeff began to feel like the melting wax on the candles. "She would ask something like that" he thought to himself while wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Fess up, mister." Ginger egged on.

"Well, uhhh...uh, it depends on your definition."

"It does not. Either you are or aren't. Stop stalling." Cinda replied and the others agreed.

"Actually I meant to say dare."

"Too late. No take-backs." Lisa stated.

Lance and Keith stared at their friend who seemed to be in desperate need of help, but neither could lend a hand. They were as curious as the girls were.

"C'mon Jeff, you're not a coward are you?" Keith whispered.

Jeff cringed. He hated the constant challenges Keith always threw at him. He softly replied. "Yes, I am, but geesh, I'm only 16 anyway." He then glared back at Keith and Lance who were snickering quietly. "You two...well, just wait...yours is coming!" he yelled.

"A virgin in our midst. That's actually romantically sweet, Jeff. It shows you're a young man high in morals and intelligence." Lisa lovingly replied getting "hmphs" from Keith and Lance.

"Well, Jeff, since you answered, you get to spin." Lisa added.

Jeff glared at Lance and Keith while grinning mischieviously and giving the bottle a whirl.
It stopped facing Ginger and this time Keith was the question asker. He glanced at his dearest friend and competitor, Jeff and winked, a hint that meant he wasn't going to play any nicer than the girls were.

"Well, well, Ginger m'lady-truth or dare?"

She looked across the circle into his big, brown eyes which seemed to sparkle and shimmer in the dim lighting. For her, it didn't matter which, it was Keith afterall. "Truth."

"Let's see now...I got it...have you ever French-kissed a guy?"

Ginger was slightly stunned at the question. She expected such from Lance or Jeff, but sweet, angellic Keith?! She wondered if he really knew what it meant or if Lance somehow was beginning to corrupt the boy's mind.

"Yes, I have." she confidently said. Keith cringed. Jeff 'eeeewwwed.' and Lance gave her a 'maybe we can try it sometime' look. Now it was her turn to cringe. She said nothing more and quickly spun the bottle.

It became Cinda's turn to be on the burner once again as the wider end of the bottle stopped nearest Keith.
"Hey, I think I LIKE this game! " Keith exclaimed. He always had things go his way.

"Just wait flyboy, it's just a matter of time." Lisa counterd.

"Cinda, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"You people are all chickens! When I get MY turn, I'll show you all that I have enough guts to choose 'dare'!" Lance blurted out.

"Yeah, whatever, Lance." Keith sarcastically replied. "Ok, now Cinda, are you and Crik and item?"

"You observant smartass, you WOULD pick that subject." she thought to herself. "In what way?" she asked back.

"Y'know, like in a lovey dovey kind of way?"

"I suppose, but it's not like we're EXCLUSIVE though."

"Oooohhh, aaahhhh..." Lance and Jeff remarked. The made a mental note to pick and pry Crik whenever the next opportunity presented itself. Cinda simply put her nose in the air and replied, "At least I got a life, unlike some here. Right virgin-boy?"

Jeff blushed, but did nothing.

"I got a life!" Lance defensively blurted.

" I was referring to the virg and Mr.#1 over there Mr. Pervert."

"I'm NOT a perv!"

"Are so. Too bad you couldn't major in that subject."

"Hmmm...good suggestion. Maybe I should request it become one. I would be a savior and bringer of happiness to all male-kind! I'd be legend!"

"Chauvinist!" Lisa and Ginger spat.

"And I have a life too. I just am a bit more discreet about it." Keith replied.

"Heheh...but Jeff don't he's a virg. What kind of life, honestly, could a virgin have?" Lance mentioned, shifting the topic back to Jeff since he squirmed so much better than calm, cool, collective, Keith.

"There's more to life than doing THAT." Keith pointed out saving his other friend from Lance's interrogation.

Lisa choked. "Did a GUY just say that?!"

"He must be a virgin too then." Cinda suggested.

"I am NOT a virgin!"

"Since when?" Lance asked. He and Keith usually shared anything and everything. Then agian, maybe he was bluffing just to save face.

"Since Bethany Graham." Okay, he wasn't bluffing.

"YOU slept with Space Marshall Graham's daughter?!" the girls chimed.

"I didn't know that until after."

"Does he know that you did that?"

"Gosh, I hope not. It was an accident actually."

"Yeah, right." all chorused.

"Really it was! We were studying for the Emergency Medical treatment exam-you know the one where we had to perform the procedures in order to pass. Well, we, uh, got a bit carried away with it."

"So curiousity does kill the cat. And we thought of all the males in our class you were the strongest in heart and mind. What weakness!"

"So sue me. I'm 15 and feel the same uh, urges any other male does."

"Well, Keith, I think you need to reread the chapters on interrogations. We just got a whole confession outta ya and the bottle wasn't even pointed at you." Ginger noted.

"You girls are just plain sneaky in EVERYway!" Keith exclaimed. "What's a guy to do?!"

"Nah, we just know how the male mind works. It's not very complicated at all." Lisa giggled.

"A teenage mind perhaps, but someday..." Keith trailed.

"Ok, enough about THAT subject. Let's get on with the game." Lance suggested.

Cinda spun the bottle and everyone was hoping it'd land on Lance. Sure enough, they got their wish and it was Cinda, who was already ticked at Lance, who could make or break the wise-ass himself.

"Okay show-off, truth or dare?"

"As promised ol' Lance'll take a dare!"

"He'd have to. His life's an open book anyhow." Lisa stated.

"Yeah, yeah, ha ha, funny Lisa."

"Hmmmm...Lance for your dare, I want you to run one lap outside around this building."

"That's all! Just a workout, no problem!"

"Wait Lance, you didn't allow me to finish."

"Well, what?"

"In your birthday suit."

"Ohhh, I see. You want to get a GOOD view of my lovely, studly body, eh? No prob-if ya got it flaunt it!" Lance said as he started taking his uniform off.

"Uhhh, Cinda, we don't really WANT to see him in the buff." Keith mentioned.

"Wait, patience, and watch a masterplan unfold."

"Well, eat your heart out ladies." Lance confidently said as he strode out of the room and began to run through the building en route to the great outdoors while the others gagged.

"Lisa, hand me the phone."

"Huh?" Lisa said as she gave the phone to Cinda.

Cinda quickly punched a number in.
"Hello? This campus security? Great. Uhh, there's a naked guy running around our building. Yes, dormatory 12-block. Yes, thanks."

The others stared in disbelief then roared with laughter.

"Priceless, Cinda, priceless!" Lisa said as she patted her on the back.

They crowded at the dorm room window to see the events unfold. Sure enough a campus patrol car, lights flashing, pulled up alongside Lance and took him away.

"Well, guess he gets to spend another night in detention and two weeks in the kitchen peelin' potatoes." Jeff said.

"Kinda feel bad for the guy." Ginger replied.

"NOT!" they all chimed.

"Besides I think he likes it there. I heard there's a nice looking babe drill instructor who is responsible for disciplinary action. He'll probably think it's a vacation." Jeff added.

"There is? Maybe I should get myself in trouble." Keith said behind them.

"You?! Huh?!" everyone said in shock.

"Just teasin' you all. I'm NOT that stupid. I use my brain."

Lisa and Ginger gave him a perplexed look.

"My brain in my head!" he corrected. "Geesh, girls are as bad as guys sometimes. Mind in the gutter again girls?"

They all laughed.

"Well, we'd better head to our barracks and get some z's. It was fun. Again sometime, eh?"

"Definitely Jeff and next time it'll be more than one round!" Ginger added.

"Good evening ladies. Thanks for the hospitality." Keith mentioned as he followed Jeff out the door, but not before Ginger could give him a light tap on the butt. He turned, gazed into her eyes and gave her a slight smile. She coyly winked. He winked back then ran after Jeff.

"What was that all about?" Lisa asked Ginger.

"Oh, nothing." as she let out a long sigh.

"Keith? You? Hmmm..."

That night Ginger dreamt of long, black hair and big, brown eyes, but was that flyboy already too high and out of reach? She wished she knew.