understand.”
“No,” I said, knowing what she meant. “I’m accepting the mission. I’m ready. Besides, I can’t stand the thought of anyone else protecting Sophie.”
“Are you sure? You can’t screw this one up. Her life hangs in the balance.”
“That’s exactly why I can’t lay it down. After spending the summer watching her, I feel like I know her so well. Someone new to the case would botch the whole mission on the first day and get her killed.” Mom looked concerned. “No mistakes, I promise.” I managed a smile, my eyes not wavering from hers.
“You can do this,” she said, returning my smile. “Having a mission will be good for you. I missed you this summer, but I see how much being away allowed you to heal. You came back different somehow.”
She’d realized a truth that I had only recently discovered: I needed this mission. I needed Sophie just as much as she unknowingly needed me.
Mom stretched and yawned. “I’m going to bed. Get some sleep. It’s been a long day.” Standing to her feet, she took my face in her hands and barely bent to kiss my forehead. “Where did my little boy go? It seems only yesterday… ” Her eyes clouded over, leaving me wondering what painful memory she was reliving now. She came to. “Sweet dreams. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
She left, turning the lights off and submerging me in darkness. Waiting for my eyes to adjust, I listened to the creaking floors as Mom made her way through the huge, old house.
Our conversation had left me depleted. I spread out on the couch listless, feeling numb and devoid of emotion or energy. I had tried so hard not to feel, yet had failed tonight. But it felt good to admit my feelings about Benson.
It was weird to accept a mission without him. We’d always discussed and accepted missions together. With my intelligence and his brawn, we’d made the perfect agent, unmatched in skill or strength, so I wasn’t surprised going it alone felt strange.
All summer, I fought the feeling I was going behind Benson’s back — wronging him somehow. But Mom was right. It was time to move on, and I knew Benson would do the same if our roles were reversed, especially when it came to the importance of the mission at hand.
I had met the girl I was to protect today, but it wasn’t the first time. It was just the first time I’d met her in person. I was still warring over whether I should continue protecting Sophie or not when I got the call from Dr. Smitherson, headmaster at Brightman Academy and an ally to the agency. There had been a security breach and someone had hacked into Brightman’s registration database. Dr. Smitherson was needed and requested I greet Sophie in his stead as he knew I’d been assigned to protect her.
A few hours later, I found myself waiting for her outside Brightman’s headquarters, a nervous mess. What was wrong with me? After all, it was like I already knew her. Why the sick feeling in my stomach? I’d never felt like that before, and I hadn’t liked it.
I’d spent the past three months of summer break in Portland following her, learning about her, and figuring her out. Upon receiving the mission, I’d gone to Portland to research the enemy’s target simply thinking, All I have to do is watch a teenage girl. How hard can it be? I’ll follow her around and whip out a few reports. It will be like a three-month paid vacation — easy money before the school year commences.
Mom and Dad agreed the time away would do me good. Watching me spend a month holed up in my room made it apparent to them that being home only reminded me of Benson, so I accepted the mission with their blessing, relieved to escape the sad prison our house had become.
Once in Portland, I got settled in the apartment the agency provided and set out to begin my research, soon finding Sophie at a bookstore. I later found that when she was alone, which occurred almost daily, if she wasn’t at home or running errands,
“No,” I said, knowing what she meant. “I’m accepting the mission. I’m ready. Besides, I can’t stand the thought of anyone else protecting Sophie.”
“Are you sure? You can’t screw this one up. Her life hangs in the balance.”
“That’s exactly why I can’t lay it down. After spending the summer watching her, I feel like I know her so well. Someone new to the case would botch the whole mission on the first day and get her killed.” Mom looked concerned. “No mistakes, I promise.” I managed a smile, my eyes not wavering from hers.
“You can do this,” she said, returning my smile. “Having a mission will be good for you. I missed you this summer, but I see how much being away allowed you to heal. You came back different somehow.”
She’d realized a truth that I had only recently discovered: I needed this mission. I needed Sophie just as much as she unknowingly needed me.
Mom stretched and yawned. “I’m going to bed. Get some sleep. It’s been a long day.” Standing to her feet, she took my face in her hands and barely bent to kiss my forehead. “Where did my little boy go? It seems only yesterday… ” Her eyes clouded over, leaving me wondering what painful memory she was reliving now. She came to. “Sweet dreams. I love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
She left, turning the lights off and submerging me in darkness. Waiting for my eyes to adjust, I listened to the creaking floors as Mom made her way through the huge, old house.
Our conversation had left me depleted. I spread out on the couch listless, feeling numb and devoid of emotion or energy. I had tried so hard not to feel, yet had failed tonight. But it felt good to admit my feelings about Benson.
It was weird to accept a mission without him. We’d always discussed and accepted missions together. With my intelligence and his brawn, we’d made the perfect agent, unmatched in skill or strength, so I wasn’t surprised going it alone felt strange.
All summer, I fought the feeling I was going behind Benson’s back — wronging him somehow. But Mom was right. It was time to move on, and I knew Benson would do the same if our roles were reversed, especially when it came to the importance of the mission at hand.
I had met the girl I was to protect today, but it wasn’t the first time. It was just the first time I’d met her in person. I was still warring over whether I should continue protecting Sophie or not when I got the call from Dr. Smitherson, headmaster at Brightman Academy and an ally to the agency. There had been a security breach and someone had hacked into Brightman’s registration database. Dr. Smitherson was needed and requested I greet Sophie in his stead as he knew I’d been assigned to protect her.
A few hours later, I found myself waiting for her outside Brightman’s headquarters, a nervous mess. What was wrong with me? After all, it was like I already knew her. Why the sick feeling in my stomach? I’d never felt like that before, and I hadn’t liked it.
I’d spent the past three months of summer break in Portland following her, learning about her, and figuring her out. Upon receiving the mission, I’d gone to Portland to research the enemy’s target simply thinking, All I have to do is watch a teenage girl. How hard can it be? I’ll follow her around and whip out a few reports. It will be like a three-month paid vacation — easy money before the school year commences.
Mom and Dad agreed the time away would do me good. Watching me spend a month holed up in my room made it apparent to them that being home only reminded me of Benson, so I accepted the mission with their blessing, relieved to escape the sad prison our house had become.
Once in Portland, I got settled in the apartment the agency provided and set out to begin my research, soon finding Sophie at a bookstore. I later found that when she was alone, which occurred almost daily, if she wasn’t at home or running errands,
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