LEAH
This morning, one of my option courses was held in another building than where the faculty of psychology was located - and since it was a biology course with labs and experiments, we were told to bring protection glasses and blouse, as well as advanced notions in biology, physics and chemistry. That class was in the Forensics Sciences department, and only ten people or so were attending - needless to say I didn't know anyone.
Since I was late, I entered the class while the professor - and old piece of a man, very British by the way - was giving his speech: he sassily waited for me to occupy the only vacant seat in the whole class before continuing with his explanations.
I find myself sitting next to a gorgeous brunette with caramel eyes, who was seemingly smaller than I am. Biting my lips, I sigh: she is exactly my style, but I said I'd never crush on anyone else before since, well... her. When she turns her face toward me after a few seconds, though, and gives me a smile that could melt ice, I just freeze and smile back shyly, on the verge of having an heart attack.
Calm your gayness down, Williamson, I think to myself, trying to listen to what the teacher was saying instead. The girl was smelling like jasmin and strawberries, and if her hair were tied in a ponytail, I could tell they were rather long and very natural.
When the teacher finally finished his speech about how to synthesize genomes and cells, and that we were supposed to start with our assignment in pairs, the girl slowly turns toward me, smiling again.
"Hi" she says, and I immediately hear that she is foreign.
"Hey" I only say, before trying to get it together - c'mon Williamson, you said you wouldn't do those kind of stupid things such as falling for a stranger ever again, especially after what happened in Saint Ives... Realizing that the girl was staring at me weirdly, probably because my face is weird, I add: "So, I guess we'll have to work all semester together, uh... (I take a look at the name written on her badge) Lia Wälti."
She nods, smirking.
"No need to make this alarmed face" she jokingly responds, raising her eyebrows. Her eyes were soft and naturally nice, as she adds: "uh...?"
I snap out of my trance - stop being weird, for God's sake.
"Leah... Williamson!"
"Nice to meet you, Leah" the brunette says in a low voice, before blushing slightly and concentrating on the task ahead. As she starts manipulating the tools we had at our disposal, she just stares at me again and says: "I bet you're not in forensics since I've never seen you before: Mr Green is kind of a dick, but if you follow my lead everything will be okay - I'm his fave student since he and my grandfather worked together."
This is when it hits me.
"Hans Wälti is your grandfather? As in the biology genius that was on the verge of discovering a treatment for cancer?" I ask, my eyes going wide.
She nods, visibly embarrassed to have this kind of attention on her.
"Yeah, he was amazing" she confirms, thoughtful.
The two hours go on by very quickly, as our working group was working rather well - if not perfectly. While synthesizing the elements we had, Lia and I were able to exchange anecdotes and little stories about our lives, and since we hit it off pretty naturally, we just agreed on meeting once a week outside of class to grab coffee and advance on our project.
As she is about to leave, greeting me with a cute wave, I say without thinking:
"How about we don't wait for next week and go grab a coffee now?"
I immediately blush: this it not subtle at all, Leah - you only just met the girl, who might as well not be interested in you, and you're already throwing yourself under the bus...
In the meantime, Lia smirks and only answers:
"Sure, why not?"
And just like that, I've made my first 'friend' on campus outside of my faculty, and something told me we would not leave each other's sides before a long, long time...
Those are just impressions, I think to myself, frowning.
***
Lia Wälti
***
INGRID
The storm has come earlier than expected, and the storm was a blonde woman with bright blue eyes: Frida Roflö, aka my absolute nemesis.
The sound of her heels resonate in the whole office, where most of my Times colleagues were just staring at me, as if they all knew I was the one pissing her off that much. The article my section wrote actually was a banger, and The Times was sold at a record number in a single day, a record that was set two years ago, already by me. The director, a tight and serious British guy that was almost never here, really was a fan of my way of putting my ovaries on the table and literally breaking protocols and diplomatics compliances, so I was lucky on that side. As for my two younger colleagues and apprentices, they workshop me - and for cause.
Frida Roflö walks by my desk, only ordering:
"Engen, a word."
Smirking, and making sure I'd take my time to piss her off even more, I slowly walk inside the empty conference room under the mocking eyes of Sakina and Jordyn, who were working at their own desks.
As soon as I close the door behind me, the angry blonde in an elegant suit crosses her arms against her chest and declares:
"We have a problem, and you're at the heart of it: by breaking protocols between our two employers, you've drawn a lot of public attention on them both - and not good publicity. Do you even consider the consequences of your actions?"
"Oh, please: you're only mad because I was faster than you and stole the show" I only respond, still as arrogant as I like to be.
I can see from her face changing that she was simultaneously coldly angry and emotionless, as her blue irises are trying to break my walls down - oh, honey, you're not the first one to try, but you won't be the first to succeed, I think to myself, amused.
She can see my compliant and mocking smile, so she says:
"I wouldn't laugh much longer is I were you: you shouldn't have put yourself in my way, 'cause I will destroy you, and reveal all of your secrets, because I am sure there is something evil inside of you, Engen."
"Yes, I am Satan personalized, you got me - so insightful of you" I say, cracking a cruel smile.
She sets her jaw, and choses her words carefully, before lowering her voice and declaring coldly:
"I know there is something sketchy about you, Engen, and I will have no problem digging that out and use it against you."
"Says the woman who cheats on her husband every two weekends" I let out, raising my eyebrows.
As she shakes her head but doesn't seem as unfazed as before, I take my phone out and find the photograph that was taken by a private investigator a few weeks ago, where she is seen making out with another man in the VIP section of a private bar downtown. As soon as she sees this picture, she tries to take my phone out of my hands, but I pull it away just in time, my eyebrows raising ironically.
She immediately hisses:
"This is privacy violation"
"Sure: I'm not sure your two little boys will see it that way, though" I continue, trying to remain as impassible as I could, especially not showing my excitement. As her mouth finally closes, I add: "If I were you, I'd chose my next actions very carefully, because while I have absolutely nothing to hide, neither to lose, you've got lots of both."
Setting her jaw, she tries to remain calm but I can see how much she's boiling from the inside. Sighing quickly, she just throws me a murderous look, before saying:
"Fine, you win this round: but I promise you I won't stop digging until I find something that can ruin your life - you better believe I am a woman of my word."
"Quite ironic given that you've sworn fidelity to that poor guy before God and all of your families when you married him, but okay" I let out, raising my eyebrow. I know that makes her even more angry, so I only say: "Oh, and while you're at it, close the door behind you will you?"
Turning around, absolutely out of her mind, the Swede leaves the room without closing the door, and as soon as she's gone, I burst into laughter: Sakina and Jordyn are obviously waiting for me, clapping their hands together because that obviously was a win.
Taking on my role of leader back, I just say:
"Alright, let's get to work girls."
***
ALEXIA
It has been one whole week since I've joined Section 17, and although I usually am an in insensitive bitch that doesn't like people, I had to admit that the four of us working together had quite a nice energy to it.
If Viv was the shyest and most calm of us four, she is counterbalanced by Dani herself, who is a real bowl of energy, but the nicest person I've ever met (after Viv). Ana, on the other hand, is a tougher shell to crack, but she also holds the deepest conversations and is quite unleashing her sarcasm onto the world. Then, you add the asocial and mean bitch (me), and you've got the Fantastic Four: three sensitive cases resolved in one week - and all the London P.D. talking about us.
This morning, however, as we were having breakfast in our common room with Viv and Ana, Dani suddenly bursts into the room, visibly alarmed.
"The MI6 chick is here" she only says.
But those words were enough: immediately, my colleagues, who were chilling and vibing, suddenly get on their feet, aligning themselves in a line, urging me to do the same. Then, as we hear many footsteps entering the office and directing themselves toward us, Ana just whispers:
"Behave, Putellas."
Frowning, I just nod.
Then, about six men with the same body than The Rock, black suits and black sunglasses burst into the room, highly armed. As the other girls don't move, I do the same, and soon the special agents - visibly MI6, from what Danielle just said, make way for a woman with long, blonde hair and impeccable bone structure, dressed in the same black suit (women version) with high heels, pretty tall and imposing.
Her eyes are as clear as water from any natural source, even waterfalls, as her long hair were straight and cleaner than me when I get out of the shower. Her jaw is set, and when she stops in front of us, looking at us very closely, my colleagues all hold their breaths, but me - I wouldn't let myself get impressed by a stranger.
The woman has a smirk on her face, before raising her eyebrow and declaring:
"Section 17, rest."
Immediately the rest of the girl breathe again, as if they'd passed some kind of test. But I, on the other hand, meant to look at her in the eye so that she knows she wouldn't be the boss of me, whoever the fuck she is - yes, I am quite the bitch, my mother used to say that I held it from my late father, who died in the army.
The blue-eyes throws a look my way, before staring at Ana with insistence. Quite immediately, the Swiss agent says:
"Current situation of Section 17 is: 56 cases solved this month, welcoming of our new agent, Putellas, certified and verified by the Spanish and British governments, as well as imminent engagement on a joint case with MI6 concerning a sensitive case concerning Britain as a whole."
The MI6 agent nods, visibly satisfied.
"Very well" she then says, before turning toward me. Her eyes are highly defiant and impressive, but I immediately try and hold her gaze nonetheless, which she remarks when she says: "Just so you know, Putellas, no matter if you're a hero or a random agent, there will be no preferential treatment regarding what you've achieved: I hate people who think they're stars. Understood?"
I nod, knowing how to respect the hierarchy - even when the higher person is kind of a bitch.
"Understood."
"Good, (and, turning toward Ana, she says:) I will get back to your team when the mission plan is finalized."
"Yes, m'mam."
With that said, the blonde just walks out of the room, followed by her army of men in black. As soon as we hear her footsteps face away at least, my colleagues all relax.
I exchange a confused look with Viv, who just settles:
"You've just met Special Agent Shelina Zadorsky, MI6 royalty"
"To me she's just a mythic bitch."
My colleagues laugh, but I don't: if this Zadorsky really is secret services royalty, then it is only a matter of time before she starts to do some background digging... I had to protect my secret at all costs.
***
Shelina Zadorsky