I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update on anything, but I went home on leave and spent most of the time with family and friends and my star trek tapes. I am a trekkie and proud of it! Anyway, this chapter is a little shorter than I wanted but I figured that you had waited long enough and I promise that at least one of my other stories will be up this week as well.
888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
Late March
888
My brother never did make it home for Christmas, and I even asked Santa for him. I'm serious. The owner of the book store that I work in sits in the back dressed as Santa for us older kids who want to see Santa but don't want to go to the department store Santa. It's great, and lots of fun. I haven't received any e-mails from him recently, or any gifts. I'm starting to get a little worried, but the family liaison at the local Preventer office told me not to worry, that it's good that I haven't heard from him. The liaison, not my brother. I guess that's true, but it still doesn't keep me from worrying.
But anyways, I'm at work now, and doing some of my homework while sitting behind the register. It's Wednesday, one of our slower days, and I had a paper that I needed to finish that was due on Friday before Spring Break started. My boss, Jack, doesn't really care if I do homework, he actually prefers it since school is really important to him. I'm not the only school kid here, (though the other guy, Chris, is in college) and Jack says that he doesn't want us to turn out like him. I can't figure out why, since he's a great big lovable teddy bear with a heart of gold and a love for little kids. Most of the younger kids will come here to hangout after school because he's so much fun to be around. I love it when they come around as well, cause I love kids just as much. We've been talking about different careers in English class, and while I'm still not too sure what exactly it is I want to do, I know that I want to work with kids. And definitely something to do with music.
Jack isn't here today; he had to take his younger brother to the hospital. Most of the kids left when they discovered this, but a few of them stayed behind to hang out with me, which I was surprised at. They somehow have it in their heads that I'm 'really cool' because I'm in high school and have a job. And they love to hear about when I stand up to the cheerleaders and jocks, though I always tell them that I'm scared shitless when I do so. It can be fun at times, and I help them with their homework when there aren't too many customers in the store.
The bell above the door dinged, and in walked Katie Cartwright with her little brother and sister, both in the second grade. She was in eighth grade herself.
"Hey you three, what's up?" I asked. We all live on the same street, and Katie was the first friend that I made when I moved here, despite the fact that she's younger than me.
"Hey Kristen. Mind if we hang here for awhile? Mom and dad are fighting again." She said. I mentally sighed. As I've said before, my neighborhood isn't all that nice. But I put on a smile for her; I hate to see her down.
"You know it's all right; I'd rather have you here than walking the streets. You've got homework to do, right?"
"Yeah, thanks. And I brought coloring books for them. You have the crayons, right?" I pulled out the box that Jack kept for occasions like this and handed it to her.
"You know we do. And how are you two today?" I asked her siblings. They stayed quiet, just giving me a small smile and finger waves. Neither of them ever talked much, but I could usually get them to say 'hi' to me. I guess this fight between their parents was bigger than I had thought. Katie sighed tiredly and settled herself and her siblings at the table that we have in the corner. She and I went to our work quietly, and since it was far too silent in the shop Chris turned on the TV to a news station, and though we started out half listening, one particular news report caught our attention.
"Earlier today there was some excitement in the warehouse district as Preventer Agents, who will remain unnamed due to their undercover status, attempted to arrest members from the terrorist group R.A.D., who have claimed responsibility for a number of minor bomb threats over the last two years. Unfortunately, while apprehending several lesser members of the group, the Agents were unable to get one of the high ranking members, who had been in town planning the destruction of the city's Performing Arts Center. We go now to the warehouse where Preventer Agent Sally Po will make a statement." The scene shifted to the warehouse, where Agent Sally Po was waiting with a reporter. I had to admire her for looking so calm and professional when she must have a million things running through her mind.
"So, Agent Po, what can you tell us about what happened today?" The reporter asked. Sally wiped a hand across her brow.
"Through intelligence gathered by various agents we had determined that this was a base of operations for the terrorist group R.A.D. We had originally planned to wait until we could gather more information, but last night we received a report from an undercover agent that they had finalized their plans to bomb the Performing Arts Center, so we knew that we had to act quickly. By quickly gathering a small team of specially trained agents we were able to plan and execute the attack this morning with a minimum of casualties."
"What about the reports of an Agent being shot and killed?"
"One Agent was shot, but is not dead. The wound was superficial and last I checked he was begging to be released from the hospital."
"You said that there was a minimum of casualties; can you be more specific?"
"There were several people wounded on both sides, but nothing life threatening. That's all the time I can spare now, I have to get back to work." Sally walked off, and the camera shifted to the reporter.
"There you go, another example of how the Preventers are being effective and keeping us safe. If any politician wants to try and say that they're a waste of money, they can kiss this reporters butt." Everyone in the shop giggled at the reporters flippancy, then stopped when Duo walked in, looking around nervously.
"Hey Duo, is anything wrong?" I asked, being a little unnerved by his silence and the apparent ease with which he checked for followers.
"I'm hiding from Quatre."
"Uh, why?"
"I injured myself making a sandwich earlier and now he wants me to stay in the hospital over night."
"And that's a bad thing because…?"
"Because I hate hospitals. They always have that sterilized, hospital smell and mean old nurses who won't let me watch TV." Katie and I giggled, and so did Katie's little brother and sister, though I'm not sure they knew exactly why.
"So why is it Quatre you're running from? I would think that Heero or Wufei would be the ones to force you to stay in the hospital."
"Then you don't know Quatre very well. He's a devil under all that innocence, and he's impossible to say no to. You won't tell him I'm here, will you?" He pleaded.
"Too late, he's walking down the street now, and I think he's spotted you." Duo eeped! and hid behind the chairs, which made the twins giggle even more. Quatre walked in and immediately zeroed in on me.
"He's here, I know he is. Where is he?" He asked, turning puppy dog eyes on me. I smiled sweetly and batted my eyes, using my own innocent act to combat his.
"I don't know what you're talking about Quatre." I said sweetly. His eyes narrowed and he gave me a funny look.
"Oh you're good." He said. I laughed.
"Thanks. He's behind the reading tables."
"Traitor!" Duo called out as he tried to slip out the door. Quatre grabbed his shirt and held firm.
"You are going back to the hospital." He said.
"It's a flesh wound! Nothing more! What do I need to stay in the hospital for?" Duo whined as Quatre dragged him out to the car. The door closed behind them, so I never got to hear Quatre's answer. Katie, Chris and I all looked at each other before starting to giggle.
"Kristen?"
"Yeah Katie?"
"You are so lucky to go to school with them." We all giggled some more, and were still giggling when the UPS delivery guy walked in.
"I have a package here for a Kristen Dasher." He said. I nodded.
"That's me." He handed me the package, I signed for it, and then Katie, Chris and I all looked at it.
"Who's it from?" Chris asked. I looked all over the box for a return address but couldn't find any.
"Don't know, it doesn't say. Why would they send it here, and not to my house?" I asked and gave it a gentle shake, and didn't hear anything rattle. I then put my ear against it and listened closely. "It sounds safe." I put it on the counter and used a pair of scissors to slice through the tape.
"Who sends you dolls?" Chris asked after we had pulled out the packaging peanuts and revealed two German dolls.
"My brother does, but he already sent me these last year. Why would he send them again?"
"And why didn't he put his name on the package?" Katie asked.
"You should tell the family liaison, he might be trying to send something for the Preventers through you." Chris said as he moved to continue stacking books.
"I'll have to wait until tomorrow to do that, by the time I get off work the office will be closed. But if that's the case, why didn't he put in a note or something?" Katie and Chris shrugged, and we all put it out of our minds and went back to what we had previously been doing.
88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888
So do you people still like it? My life is very dull at the moment and reviews help to brighten my day! I love help to, so if you have a question or an idea that might be good let me know! And I didn't do this earlier, but I want to thank the two people who helped me with the spelling of 'shined'. As you can see, I changed it to the correct spelling. Thanks much!