From Love To Captain's Mast

by John
(Woodbridge)

For the protection of those involved, these names are fictional, but the story is real. Here goes:

BACKGROUND: It all started on my first day of 11th grade, August 24th, 2010. I met a girl, Renae Carter, at the bus stop. I knew everyone in my neighborhood, so I knew she stood out. She was beautiful. I approached her and introduced myself.

We boarded the bus and went to school. She was not in any of my classes, being a grade higher than me. Anyway, at the end of the day we boarded the bus.

I had earned a detention the next day for not doing a summer assignment. I told her the morning of the detention that I would not be on the bus home. I serve my detention and am getting ready to walk 5 miles back home. I hear footsteps and turn to see her coming my way. She said she had been waiting for me. I was shocked, given the distance to our neighborhood.

On the way we stopped for a break. We started talking. I'm a very reserved person, having never even told my family to this day everything about me. However, she was able to guess a lot about my personality. That impressed me, considering I'm an expert at secrets. Her brains, combined with her beauty, made me fall in love.

However, I got bullied in school a lot and did not want her to get hurt on my account. On August 28, she asked me out. Our relationship was good, except for one thing…her stepdad did not like me. This made things difficult. Renae told him a little about me getting bullied one night at dinner, and he replied that since I'm a thug I'd probably just fight back anyway.

Needless to say, I proved him right in April 2011. 5 kids surrounded Renae and me. Renae had a medical condition to where she could not run, so running away wasn't an option since these kids were football players. They gave me two choices, fight each of them one on one, or fight all 5 and they would target Renae and me. I chose to fight them one by one.

When I knocked the first one out, the other 4 grabbed Renae. I got mad, blacked out, and when I became aware of my surroundings, the 5 kids were on the ground, very bloody and each with their arms broken. Renae was crying. I ran away, scared of what I'd done.

It was not until May that I saw Renae again, and she was still scared. I promised her I loved her and would not hurt her, and she seemed ok. However, the day after her graduation in June, she left me without a reason.

ACTUAL REVENGE STORY: I found out at the start of my 12th grade year the reason for the break up. Her stepfather, Curtis Borner, had twisted what happened in the fight as a reason for the breakup, and Renae wanted to wait until the school year ended so my finals would not be affected.

When I realized her sacrifice, I was devastated and wanted to make things right. However, when I went to go talk to her (she had invited me over) Borner was there. He acted like he was going to hit me (I had turned 18 the May of 11th grade year). Out of reflex I defended myself by grabbing his arm and throwing him to the ground. Renae started crying and I had to leave.

The next day I ran away from home because he had talked to my mom, causing her to relapse back to alcohol. That is when I wanted revenge, both for his interference in my relationship and for how he hurt my mom. However, I did not want Renae around, so I started using Facebook and anonymous phone calls to try to get her to feel the need to move back with her father.

I succeeded in getting her to move, but before I could attack Borner, I got in trouble on the base and was subsequently expelled from my high school, forcing me to move back with my mom in another state, which made my desire for revenge stronger. Before I could do anything, I shipped to boot camp, having enlisted in the Navy during my senior year.

During bootcamp I learned the core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment, as well as strict discipline. I decided then and there to not seek revenge but instead turn my anger towards America's enemies. However, the war died before I finished training, and I got stationed at a base near my high school. I got in with old friends, and we got bored and decided to pull a prank.

I remembered Borner and decided to prank call a pizza to Borner. Big mistake. I got caught, and I went to Captain's Mast, where I was reduced in rank, lost half pay for 2 months and received 45 days of extra duty, as well as being barred from reenlistment once my contract ended. Also, I was ordered not to contact anyone from my past except my own family.

When I got out of the Navy, I was able to get back with one friend, who had matured after the incident. However, the other one cannot hang out with me because of the nature of his job does not allow him to hang with people of questionable nature. So I effectively lost that friend, and we still do not talk to this day.

Because of my revenge attempts, an innocent woman had to relocate, a business lost $60 of business, the Navy was dishonored by my actions, and I lost a very good friend and had messed up my military career. By the grace of God I still received an Honorable Discharge, having stayed out of trouble since.

Also, I'm trying to apply for a police department, and they can see NJP's (Captain’s Mast is a non-legal, Non-Judicial Punishment), even though they are not technically legal proceedings. This can cause questions about my capability to be a cop, even though I have matured since.

Revenge, even small acts, are not worth the pain and consequences.