Shadows

Chapter 1:

The Assignment

SUMMARY: We all have something in our past that haunts us. Whether it be something we did, or something we didn't do, It's there. Constantly following us, hanging on to are every move. A shadow. This shadow blocks out all the light in our lives. Forces us to let go of the good, and guilt's us to the bad, but there is hope just yet. Every once in a while someone grand stumbles onto your beaten path and makes their way to you, Before you know it, they are lighting up your every move diminishing this shadow and showing you once again what it's like to Live.

"Think you can handle that chief?" The man said mockingly.

"Do i have a choice" I mumbled bluntly, and ran the tips of my shaking fingers through the dark brown mess atop my head.

"You See Buddy Boy." came the gruff voice of the man behind the desk. "You always have a choice... It's her" he said extending a pale yellow folder into the air. "Or you,... Choose wisely Sweetie Pie." he said flashing his teeth in my direction

I tried to keep the lid screwed tight on the fear bottled deep inside me. If i had known it would come to this i never would have traveled down this god awful path in the first place. I was young then, well younger. I'm only 17 but that is just merely a number. I somehow feel much older. Something, whether it be the guilt, or the grief has paid a great toll on my aging process. I grimaced and reached for the folder.

"That's my boy" the man said eagerly pressing the folder to my palm, and flashing his unusually white teeth once again

K--------------------------K

"God Mom he left three month's ago considered moving on yet?" I shouted angrily and the women dabbing her teer ducts with the edge of an overused tissue.

"He's just...just so far away!, and it's jus-just so QUIET!" she wailed dropping her head to the dining room table.

"Ah! mom Thomas is Less then 3 Hours away GO SEE HIM!"

"I-I can't "she mumbled wiping her nose gently against the white fabric

"Whatever Mom" I sighed pushing a loose curl behind my ear spinning on one heel positioning me infront of the stairs. My older Brother Thomas had just left for college, and my mother was having one of her weekly melt downs. I should be use to it by now, She had been doing this for the past three months but she's just so-so...LOUD! I pushed through the door at the end of the hall and sprawled myself across my bed, releasing a deep sigh. My life is so utterly boring i muttered to myself while pulling my backpack onto the bed. I searched impatiently through my binder looking for today's assigned homework. YES! As i read the words at the top of the neon paper stuffed between the pages of my Algebra II book. Want to host a Foreign Exchange student? "Perfect" i whispered grinning to myself..

P--------------------------P

"Oh, No, No, No,No, No" i shouted into the wizard. "I cant do it, She's my age, No way it's not happening, not to mention she lives...oooooh.. i don't know a century away!" i was pacing nervously around my my top floor apartment. glancing at the folder laying open to the girls picture on my table

"You are not refusing my offer are you Phil? No wait of course you aren't that wouldn't be the way to treat the man who took you off the streets, keeping you under his wing, paying for your up to date equipment and living conditions, i must have misheard you ."

Damn He'd gotten me, I've never been one to dismiss a guilt-trip "No i wasn't, honest Boss i was just simply pointing you that there has to be someone better suited for this job."

"No, Actually there isn't we need someone her age to get close to her and get the information we need, then dispose of her, It's not much Phil and I'll be sure to make it worth your while." the man said pressing the tip of his finger against the dark polished wood of his desk before standing up and pacing across his office.

I looked away from the wizard the only thing worse for me than his guilt trips were his eyes, and i couldn't bare to face them at the moment. I quietly weighed my options, this would be my first undercover assignment, but not kill, i grimaced thinking back to his words "Dispose." I'd never enjoyed my job, but usually the men i took out had actually done something wrong, which made the pain ease. I beat my palm gently against the side of my dark blue jeans and stared blankly at my metalic kitchen wall.

"Fine" i barely choked out. "What do i have to do?" i asked brining my attention once again to the man in the wizard, I gulped when i saw his smile.

K----------------------------------------K

"Oh Come on please mom" i said giving her my best puppy dog pout. Mom looked Expressionless as she glanced over the paper once again. I gnawed on my lip waiting for her response. I hadn't thought about what i'd say if she refused.

"Why?" My mother asked bluntly

"Well you really Miss Thomas so... i thought you know...that having another kid in the house you know might raise your spirits a little...Plus it could be a really great learning experience" I threw out hoping this would help convince her,

"Fine" she sighed handing me the sheet of paper and sipping on her coffee. I was glad she was passed her previous mood.

i threw myself at her kissing her cheek "thanks Mom" I said skipping up the stairs humming as i went.

"Oh Keely" she called to me.

"yeah" i froze hoping she hadn't already changed her mind

"your in charge of getting everything ready" she shouted at my frozen figure

"Sure Mom" I hollered back and took off once again fro my room.

P---------------------------------P

"Say What?!?!" I Gasped

"you heard me." Boss grinned obviously satisfied that he had once again disrupted my usually peaceful attitude

"Your Kidding me?" i exhaled

"Hate to burst your bubble sunshine but no"

"I have to Live with her?"

"Yup"

"Pretend Like I'm a foreign Exchange Student from Some place I've never heard of."

"yes" he chukled grinning wildly

"and on top of that I'll be 100 years in the past in Some Gay High School in a town no one knows exists"

"Bingo!" Boss says banging his desk with his fist

"Anything else i should know?" i said dragging my hand down my face.

"Nope that should do it edward"

"Edward?" i questioned

"Well surely you didn't think you'd get to keep your own name?" he asked raising an eyebrow

"Yeah but Edward?" i asked wrinkleing my nose

He smirked

"Grrreeat" i muttered rolling my eyes

A/N: I know i havent Updated I Am The Words Yet i just can't seem to get passed a certain point but i'm working on it. The goodness is in the process of writers block i came up with this if you life it so far i'll continue, and if not well i'll kiss it goodbye and throw it in my pile of could have been's... Anyway tell me what you think