A/N: Greetings my fair readers! I have no excuse for not updating. Except for the fact that I've been going out with my friends a lot. Heheh. Sorry, I'm lazy. This chapter is booooooooooooring. The action starts from the next chapter. SCHOOLS OUT NEXT WEEK! Expect more frequent updates then. Oh, and um, this to me seems like a really cliche story right now, but eh I don't care. Read!
Disclaimer: Do you think I own the 39 clues? But um, just in case, I don't.
"Checkmate." Arthur said in an incredibly bored tone. He had been playing chess with his father, and after winning for the twelfth time in a row, he was getting bored. Not to mention the fact that his father was horrible at chess.
Trent Vesper, otherwise known as Arthur's father, leaned back in his armchair and folded his hands over his stomach. He grinned at his son."You've beat the most skilled chess player of all time twelve times in a row!" he said, a lazy smile creeping its way upon his face, as he closed his eyes.
"Dad," Arthur said awkwardly, running a hand through his dark brown locks. "You are the, and I love you when I say this, worst chess player in the history of chess players."
Trent's eyes flew open. "Let's just say I'm good at chess. It makes me feel smarter." He said, winking at his son.
Arthur rolled his eyes. In truth, Trent was very intelligent, with a brain like a calculator, and a tongue that could speak in at least fourteen different languages.
Arthur wasn't quite sure how many languages his father could speak, now did he want to find out. It would involve him staying awake half the night listening to his father brag about how much he knew. If you don't understand yet, Trent Vesper's ego is a teensy bit bigger than it should have been.
"So dad," Arthur started, folding up the portable chessboard he and his father had been using."I thought you were leading the break-in of the Lucian stronghold tonight, not being a lazy pig and staying home with your son to hear how much you suck at chess."
Arthur grinned at his dad, who opened his eyes and grinned right folded his hands behind his head. "Naw, they don't need me. Those agents could break into the stronghold in their sleep!" he exclaimed. He then took a passport sized photo out of his breast pocket with his right hand, and eyed it lazily.
"She's pretty hot." he said throwing the photo to his son, who barely caught it. The photo was of a pretty girl, who looked like she was in her teens. Her waist-length hair was a unique shade of copper, and her green eyes sparkled with mirth and mischief. She looked really happy in the picture, and also very familiar to Arthur.
Arthur squinted at the photo for a moment, searching through his mind for the familiar red-headed girl. He knew her, but he couldn't place his finger on who she a few moments, his eyes widened. Oh god. How, in the name of Damien Vesper, did his father have a photo of Hope Cahill?
Arthur scowled at his father. "What is this? What is this?" he said, shaking the photo violently.
Trent looked at his son, with an expression on his face that should've been meant for a five-year-old caught stealing sweets. Basically, his face was a mixture of shame, and innocence."I don't know. I think it's your mission." he said, blinking innocently at Arthur.
Arthur was totally puzzled as he frowned at Hope's picture. "She's my mission? Hope Cahill is my mission?" he questioned his father.
"Ah, no." Trent said seriously, frowning. "Oh great, thanks for saying that. You've just put a bunch of disturbing images in my mind." Arthur blushed, red staining his cheeks.
"Dad! Seriously! What are you talking about! What do you mean? Not about the disgusting image thing, I mean the thing about Hope- stop looking at me like that!" he yelled indignantly at his dirty minded father.
Trent grinned. "Calm down, son. Chill. Relax." he pulled out a diet coke from where, Arthur didn't see, and popped it open. He glugged it down, crushed the can, and tossed it to goodness-knows-where.
Arthur slumped in his chair, with his head in his hands. He thought about last year, when he'd snuck into a Cahill reunion, pretending to be a shy Ekat boy, and tried to mingle with the younger generation of Cahills. He smiled as he remembered Hope and her adorable blush, and how cute she was when she was shy. She had changed a lot within a year, in a good way, judging by that photo.
"Watcha doin'?"
Arthur looked up to see his father's grinning face inches away from his own.
"ARRGGGGH!" he screamed, jumping up and automatically punching his father in the stomach with all his might.
Trent fell to the floor with a thump. "Ow," he said, sounding wounded as he rubbed his belly. "That hurt!"
"Oh, I'm soo sorry!" Arthur said sarcastically through gritted teeth.
Trent got up, and dusted himself off. "Your mission. Get the Cahill girl to fall in love with you. Get her clues. Then-" Trent's lip curled "-crush her."
Arthur looked at his father, his eyes wide. Oh no. This is not good.
I like the part where Trent surprises Arthur. Guys, I have a request. Please review. Last chapter I got, like, barely any! I love you Sam! And I think it was Ballet who reviewed. I don t know. I love anyone who reviewed. Okay, I m gonna be mean. If I don t get, ummm, four reviews, I ain;t gonna update! Oh and um, I m going to be changing my profile soon, cause I ve changed a lot. My personality. And my looks have changed a tiny bit. REVIEW OR ELSE I WILL KILL JOOOO! Who s Joooo? Whatever. Love ya!
