Dangerous DNA

Chapter Two

April was sitting slouched on a sea-blue sofa, that was so soft and comfortable one could probably have a good night’s sleep on it. Next to her was her cousin Ellie, who looked a few years older, and had her long charcoal black hair tied up into a ponytail. Some television show was
playing on a big screen in front of them, with the sound turned low while they were eating some ramen and gossiping. Ellie started clapping and said,
“Well done! Your second week and you got your headline idea on the paper.”
“Yeah!! I’m just SO excited. What an awesome start to the week huh?” April said cheerfully.

Ever since her Editor went with that headline, she had been feeling giddy all day. It was her dream to be an Investigative Reporter. She loved writing so much and had been a part of the school’s editorial staff in high school. She remembered the fun she had attending school events, interviewing other students and then writing articles on them. She reckoned that she had gained such an interest for this, because of her growing up watching those Superman movies. She wanted to be like the Lois Lane type. Writing articles for school events had been a great experience for her, as well as a fun thing to do, but after she graduated, she decided her dream was to go into the more
serious side of reporting. She wanted to be moreso a Criminal Investigative Reporter. Her cousin Ellie was a junior cop, and the two girls sometimes joked on how they would make a good team.

“The guys were so funny,” April continued to say.
“Jason was laughing all morning over the whole masked kid thing. I mean, I guess it is funny if you're a huge comic geek like he is, but his laughing is contagious!!”
Ellie couldn’t hide how proud she was for April.
“Sounds like the atmosphere is pretty awesome there.”
“I’m still shocked with those photos you showed me though,” Ellie remarked, looking startled.
“I hope the guys in the station will be able to find him.”
April shot her a shocked and sad look.
“Aww come on Ellie! You guys are hardly going to arrest him are you? He was just-”
“No NO, definitely not!” Ellie said, putting her hands up like she was backing away.
“I agree with you girl TOTALLY, and so do a lot of the guys in the station. I mean if it wasn't for that kid, we wouldn't have caught like four thugs we've been looking for, for SO long!”
“Good!” April said in a scolding tone.
She then shoved her last bit of ramen into her mouth, then pushed the bowl away from her.

Ellie rolled her eyes and said,
“One of the guys at work was calling the kid, ‘Astro Boy’.”
April laughed a bit.
“So, how's the whole junior cop thing going for you?”
Ellie gave a small laugh.
“Well I'm mostly just answering calls and dealing with queries, no major field work going on, except maybe a few stake outs and all that.”
She put her empty bowl on the table, then added in exasperation,
“I mean, I get little kiddies saying I'm old because I'm like twenty two years old, but the guys at work say I'm so young.”
April laughed and stretched her arms towards the ceiling.
“Oh, I don't ever want to grow up. Take me to Neverland!!”
Ellie smirked at her.
“You don't have to worry about growing up, teenybopper.”
“HEY!” April said pretending to be annoyed, and throwing a cushion at her. The side of Ellie's hair became all tousled after the cushion got her good. April laughed but Ellie grabbed two cushions and advanced towards her.
“Okay okay I'm sorry...no no no!!” April put her hands up in front of her like she was begging to surrender.

Early the following morning, Ellie's phone beeped on her bedside dresser. She groaned and reached her hand towards it, knocking it onto the ground. Groaning again, she reached her hand onto the ground, then picked it up with a yawn. She
sighed loudly when the time on her phone read 4.04 am, as she answered the call.
“Mhm?” she yawned into it.
As she listened to what her co-worker was saying, she covered her mouth so he wouldn’t hear her yawn again.
Then her eyes opened instantly and she sat up quickly in her bed.
“Yeah...sure...on my way...okay, see you then!”