The Agency

by Ann Knightingale

books beside him and going through them one at a time upside down. Right now he's 'reading' The Little Engine that Could.

  "Hey, Benjamin do mind if I read to you?" I ask.

 

  "Would you please?" He asks me back.

  "Sure Bud." I lay next to him on his bed and he hands me the book.

  "Chug, chug, chug," I started. It takes several minutes to get through half of his stack. Benjamin refuses to let me go until I finish the stack of his favorite books. But in the middle of the stack he falls asleep. I lay there wondering what I'm going to do. Should I let him sleep?

  Wake him and continue reading? Or just keep reading to him through his sub consciousness? I eventually choose the first and slowly rise up off the bed. I grab a blanket that is laid in a chair and toss it over him; I tuck it around him and make sure that even his toes are covered. I move the books on to the floor so he won't roll on to them and wake up with the noise of them hitting the floor. I turn to leave and see Maria standing in the doorway.

  "Better not be sharing any of your Cocaine with my brother," She says snidely

  "I wouldn't but am willing to give you a sniff," I shoot back.

  "No. Don't want to use up your supply. Plus I'm trying to NOT end up like you."

  "It takes away my worries. Besides we should get out of Benjamin's room so we don't wake him."

  Maria turns on her heel and walks to her room. I follow already having a storm brewing.

  "Don't come in here personal space and don't want drugs found in here," She says in the same sweet annoying voice. One of those voices that are nice but still has an edge to it.

  "Why? I'm high so I can go where ever I feel like," I say sarcastically.

  "Don't Macey I've literally had it with you."

  "Come on we're sisters now. So come give me a hug." I say advancing in to her room and closer to her.

  "STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Maria screeches. I don't listen and keep advancing. She backs away clearly pissed. Soon her back is against the wall and can't back up but I can still get closer.

  Before I realize what happened she strikes her foot up and out hitting me in the nose. My head snaps back and my eyes start to water but I don't make a sound. She looks smugly as I stop abruptly stunned. I touch my nose and when I bring my hand down my fingers are covered in blood. It hurt but I'd had it happen before. Maria smiles and pushes me from the room.

  "Don't get that mess on my carpet," She says innocently. Once I'm out of the doorjamb she closes and locks her door. I can hear her laughing on the other side. I go in to the bathroom (forgetting to close the door) and sit on the toilet seat with a wad of toilet paper to my nose. Amy walks by and sees me but doesn’t seem to notice until she was almost by the door.

  She stops mid step and takes an extra look. Once she sees what she thought she saw, she drops the basket she was carrying to the laundry room and rushes in. Amy pulls my hand down gently to look at the mess.

  "Hold still Macey. This might sting but I need to see if it's broken," She says. She reaches up and prods around my nose a little and I wince in pain slightly," Nothing seems to be broken. How did this happen?"

  “It’s my fault. I tormented. Maria a little too hard and she kicked me." I say through the nose bleed," Don't get her in trouble it's my fault entirely."

  "Fine. But why did you do it?"

  "She was picking on me about the drug again. So I laid it on her pretty thick."

  “I see. So you went a little too far and she kicked you," Amy finishes the story so I don't have to; I nod to show she got it right. She pats my knee in understanding and gets up. As she walks out of the room I watch as she picks up the clothes that fell out of the basket when she dropped it and heads to the laundry room. I get up off the toilet seat and dig under the sink to get washcloth.

  When I find a torn piece of cloth I stand up and get it wet to wash the blood off of my skin. When I finish cleaning up most of the blood besides under my nose the bleeding has stopped so I can finish cleaning there without it being a waste of time. I just finish when I hear the front door open. My guess is that Chest and Tim are home. Time to try another less wordy approach. I walk solemnly out of the bathroom and down the hall.

  Chest sees me and comes to join me and asks," What did you do this afternoon?"

  "Not much," I reply. Perfect not to explanatory.

 

  Chest leans back against the wall beside me and tells me how well the scouting trip around the grounds went. As it turns out Sunder hasn't made a new lab here. I flip my hair over my shoulder and wait. He stops talking and looks at me quizzically.

  "Shoot sorry Macy I forgot again! I promised Amy I'd help her with laundry tonight," He explains. He stands straight and walks down the hall to the bedrooms. Annoyed I walk the opposite way towards the living room. Amy turns to me and walks my way.

  "Chest tells me you asked him to help with laundry. I was just curious to ask why when I thought we discussed this yesterday." I say curiously.

  "No I didn't," She answers.

  "Oh, really," I say to myself, the to her," Thanks Amy I think I understand what's going on."

  I walk back in to the hallway and stand in front of Chest.

  "I just talked to Amy. I know she didn't ask you to help her. Something tells me you didn't really promise any one anything," I say relaxed.

  “You’re right," He says.

  “I just want to know why."

  "I don't think you could handle it right now. With your injuries and everything"

  "That's a lie. You know that I'm fine. I want the truth."

  "I just don't think that you're ready yet."

 

  “You’re still lying. Is it the fact that I'm not strong like Maria?" I ask almost yelling.

 

  "No. You can be strong like Maria if you want." He continues, I can tell he might be getting a little agitated with me but I don't care right now.

  "Is it the fact that you don't think I could handle it?" I'm yelling now.

  I back to the wall and he follows me soon my back is to it with his hands flat against the wall beside me so I can't really get away from him.

  "Then what? And I don't want you to lie to me this time either Chest." I say staring him in the eye, not backing down. He stares at me back.

  “I don't think you need to learn anything! You will never use it!" He tells me.

  “Why will I never use it!?" I ask still yelling.

  “You won't be able to get in to much more trouble."

  "Are you calling me danger prone?" I ask bewildered still yelling and feeling a little insulted.

  "Maybe I am, you really haven't shown to us you can stay out of danger."

  "You still haven't answered my question Chest. Stop avoiding it."

  "What question?"

  "Why will I never use the lessons I'm wanting you to teach me?"

  "Because I will protect you!" Chest yells back," You don't need training if I'm here because-".

  "Because it's your job I know! But what if one of the times I need help, you’re not there!"

  "I'll always be there for you Macey! Don't you get it?"

  “Get what?" I say getting angrier.

  "Look back! I always talk to you first! I'm the one who saved you from the tank; I stayed with you when you fell off the back of my skis! Don't you see?"

  "See what?" I demand.

  "Can't you see that I care about you?" He is still holding me against the wall. Only now he has his hands on my shoulders. Before I know what's happening he has his lips on mine. He gives me a heartfelt kiss then leans his head on mine and whispers again," Can't you see how much I love you?"

  I stand there stunned but happy at the same time. I hold his hands on my shoulders with my own hands and whisper," I do now. I'm sorry I should have seen from the start." I tilt my head back and kiss him gently. I stay that way as he grins at my statement. He backs up and takes my hand in his.


  Then as if he can't help it he bends over a little and kisses me again but a little bit more passionately than the last. I grin at him as he pulls away. We walk in to the living room and sit on the couch while everyone else finishes getting ready for dinner. I lean against him fitting perfectly in the crook of his arm.

  “What about Maria?" I ask.

  "What about her?" He asks.

  "Well I know that she had or has a thing for you. What are we going to do about her? Don't you think she will be a little jealous and try something?"

  "No. Don't worry. I'll take care of it." He says. I open my mouth to argue but he just puts his finger to my lips and reassures me again that I have nothing to worry about. Amy walks by and smiles.

  She gives a slight nod of approval as she passes. Soon the living room is full of activity. So Chest and I sneak out of the house and sit on the steps. We talk about where we come from and what happened to us to cause us to come here. His story is a lot less tragic then mine.

  Even then mine isn't as bad as Maria and Benjamin's. All too quickly Amy comes out to tell us that dinner is ready. So we head in to the house. She pulls me aside and giggles. All I can do is grin.

  I catch up to Chest and we sit at the table as if nothing is different between us. As if we hadn't just kissed a couple