18 February 2002:



Valentines Day arrives with out much expectation for Jackie, Emma, and Karli. The high point of the day occurs when all three of them receive unexpected packages from home. They also learn the joyous news that dinner will be ‘Dress to impress.’ While getting their clothes from the trunk room they find that Kristen is back from the hospital. Although the three roommates are happy that she is back, they wonder how long it will last, and if she will be separated from the Academy as their TAC, MAJ Beakman, has threatened.



Karli barely manages to make it through classes on Friday while she tried to contain her excitement about going home. Her last class happens to be English and Brian, another cadet from Michigan, happens to be in her class. He tells her that he’ll meet her in her room 10 minutes after class so that they can ride to the airport together. At the airport they pass the time talking of home and what they like about Michigan. Karli is pleasantly surprised to find that Brian is a rather respectable chap.



Friday night finds Jackie performing with the Glee Club at a concert. Saturday she takes pass and travels home for the remainder of the long weekend.



Emma has the unfortunate job of interior guard on both Saturday and Sunday night. She unpleasantly discovers that as if that isn’t bad enough already, she has two shifts on Saturday night. Since both Karli and Jackie are gone for the weekend, Kristen and Debby troop over uninvited Saturday and Sunday night for a sleepover in Emma’s room so that she will not be left alone. During one of the nights Debby reviles some scandalous news about her and Douglass.



Karli arrives home Friday night and surprises her friend Stacy. After spending most of Saturday with Stacy, Karli calls Jason. He comes and picks her up at 9:30 and they go and see John Q. After the movie is over they drive back to Karli’s neighborhood and spend the next 2 hours driving around. The majority of the time is spent driving in circles around a cul-de-sac and pretending to not know how to get out of it. The night ends with a hug and Karli once again realizes that Jason sadly is not the right person. She is left wondering if the right man will ever appear.

The highlight of her weekend is spending time with her sisters and hanging out with Mike on Sunday. She once again is reminded of how glad she is that she is friends with Mike and what an awesome person he is.



With Monday comes a dose of reality as Jackie and Karli return to the Academy and meet up with Emma. Together the three of them discuss their weekends and get ready to face the week ahead of them.



Such is the life of a Cadet.