The Agent's Daughter

by Ron Corriveau

  “I know, dear. That shouldn’t be a problem,” the President said as she winked at Melina. “Let’s just say that I have some influence with the new head of the agency.”

  This time Evan looked at the President confused. “Madam President, Arthur just resigned this morning. You already have his successor in place?”

  “Why, Evan,” the President said as she turned around. “I rather hoped you would take the job.”

  “But Arthur said that the agency oversight committee didn’t want to appoint a field agent into the position.”

  The President laughed. “Phooey. The members of the agency oversight committee serve at my discretion. If they don’t want you for the job, then they will be ex-members of the agency oversight committee.”

  Evan turned to Laura. “What do you think? Should I give up being a field agent and take over the agency?”

  “Let me see now,” Laura said. “You can either continue being a field agent where you are frequently away from me and the kids, and are in danger of being killed, or you can have a nice, safe job where the family is never without you.”

  Evan turned back to the President. “I’ll take the job.”

  ………………………….

  Melina stood at her locker going through the notebook for her first period physics class. She had been a little busy over the weekend, so she was fortunate that there was no homework. That was not the case in math or language arts, but she would deal with that later.

  As she closed her locker, she heard a voice behind her.

  “Hey.”

  She turned around and saw Alex standing before her, a few feet away.

  “Hey,” she said back.

  Melina had not seen Alex since Saturday night when she abruptly waved goodbye as Angela led her toward the car. And she had been rather busy since then. She spent Saturday night at the safe house and then the next day she got her mother back. She had wanted to call Alex, but she was not sure where they stood. Were they boyfriend and girlfriend? They had held hands and hung out together between classes the past week, but they had not gone out as a couple.

  Then there was that kiss.

  “I heard about your mom,” Alex said. He seemed tentative and unsure.

  “It’s quite the shock,” Melina said. “I still can’t believe that she is awake. I am so happy.”

  “Is she home yet?” Alex asked.

  “No. They are keeping her there for a few more days for observation, but I am going to visit her every day. I spent the whole day there yesterday. I got home at midnight. We had so much to catch up on. I never left her side. It was incredible. We had long conversations like when she was still asleep, only this time she answered back.”

  Alex smiled but did not say anything. He looked as if he were thinking about something.

  Melina stepped closer to him. “Alex, is there something wrong?”

  He looked away from her down the hall, and then looked back into her eyes. “Kinda. It’s just that I was wondering if ...”

  And then he tailed off. Melina looked confused as she waited for him to finish.

  “Alex, what is it?” Melina asked, unsure what was on his mind.

  He took a deep breath and continued. “It’s just that… well, we kissed the other night and uh… I like you… and I don’t know if you feel the same… and well, I, uh we didn’t get a chance to talk, so I… uh… don’t know how you felt about the kiss. And… uh… I was wondering if you wanted to be boyfriend and girlfriend?”

  That sounded way smoother when he rehearsed it at home.

  Melina paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. “Alex, I-”

  “Hey, Alex!” a voice behind him said.

  He turned around and saw Ellen Barrow standing in front of him.

  “Not now, Ellen,” Melina said stiffly.

  “What?” she sniffed. “Did I interrupt a serious conversation? What could this geek possibly have to talk to you about?”

  “We were kinda talking about something important,” Alex said as he turned to Melina. “I had a question for her.”

  Melina smiled and looked him in the eyes. “And I have an answer.”

  She walked up to Alex, put her arms around his neck, and pressed her lips to his. He closed his eyes, put his arms around her waist and kissed her back. This kiss was even better than the last one. And longer too. They would not have stopped, but the five-minute bell rang.

  When Melina opened her eyes, she saw dozens of her fellow students frozen at their lockers, their eyes wide open. She also spied the back of Ellen’s head as she stormed down the hall toward her locker.

  “You certainly have a way with words,” Alex said as he stepped back and gathered himself.

  “Nothin’ to see here. Move along,” Melina said laughing as she waved her arm in the direction of the gawkers.

  “Nothing to see where?” Jean said as she walked up to Melina. She greeted Alex with a soft punch to the arm.

  Melina shrugged.

  Jean gave Melina a giant hug. “Oooh. I got your text. I’m so happy about your mom.”

  “Thanks Jean,” Melina said as she reached over to shut her locker. “Come with us, I’ll tell you about it on the way.”

  Melina held out her hand to Alex. He smiled and took it, their fingers gently interlocked.

  “Let’s go,” Melina said as they started down the hall.

  Halfway down the hall, Melina noticed Ellen Barrow standing in front of her locker. Then she remembered something Jean had said to her the previous week.

  “Hold on a sec,” Melina said as she broke away from Alex and Jean and walked toward Ellen.

  Ellen was talking with a few of her followers when Melina approached.

  “What do you want?” Ellen said coldly as she took a sip out of the bottled water in her hand.

  Melina stood in front of Ellen and held out her arm. Then she slowly raised it. As she did, water from the water bottle began to rise out of it. As it did, it formed a perfect column in mid-air as if it were being poured out, only straight up.

  Then Melina flicked her fingers and the water column sprayed into Ellen’s face, soaking her.

  “I’ll tell you what I want,” Melina said. “Stay away from my boyfriend, or I will break both your arms.”

  Melina turned and walked back toward Alex and Jean.

  “I see you still have that ugly watch,” Alex said as he gave Melina a knowing glance.

  “How did you do that?” Jean asked, still looking back at Ellen trying to dry herself.

  Melina smiled. “Oh, it’s just a little trick my dad taught me.”

  ###