Macie Friday, September 8th, 2023, Dorm 7, Trinity Grove Girl's Boarding School, Maryland, USA
"I can't live in a room where half of the surfaces are covered in paint or art supplies! Or both!!" Harper exclaims.
"And how am I supposed to get ready in a tiny bathroom where all of the surfaces in there are covered in makeup products? Heck, there's not even space for my toothbrush, Harper!" Emily fires back.
Before I can even try to speak up and stop them, there's two sharp knocks on the door. Emily and Harper's chaotic debate comes to a screeching halt. I relish in the silence as I stand up to open the door.
At the door stands an averaged height man, with dark skin and curly crew cut. He wears a fitted greyish-navy suit jacket, jeans, and a white dress shirt. A black leather messenger bag hangs around his shoulder. His belt is wide—thick enough for a holster, radio, and badge, for sure.
Maybe it's because I've grown up in this world, but I can tell from a mile away.
He's FBI.
You can tell not only by his haircut and attire, but in the way he carries himself. The poise. The posture. The pride. The presence .
The four P's, my father always says.
"Are you Macie, Harper, and Emily?" The man asks.
I nod.
"We are."
"I'm Special Agent Mason Brown, of the FBI. I'll be your advisors for the entirety of your Trinity Grove career. May I come in?" Special Agent Brown adjusts his bag on his shoulder
I swing the door open wider, and step aside.
There's a way you're supposed to treat law enforcement. It doesn't matter what their relationship to you is, you always give 100% respect.
That, among other things, was drilled into me growing up.
"Law enforcement is arguably the most important job in the country," I can hear my father saying to me, a slightly arrogant lilt to his voice.
Maybe arrogant is unfair. Proud, at the very least.
Special Agent Brown steps into the room.
He gestures to Harper's vacant desk chair."May I?" She and I both nod in unintentional unison.
He pulls it out, and sinks into it.
"As I said," he starts. "I'm an agent with the FBI, and I work in both the Cyber Investigations Division and Crimes Against Minors Unit." My ear prick up at the words Cyber Investigations. Computers. Computers are one of the few things I can do somewhat well.
I hold back the endless technological questions in my mind.
"And I'll be your advisor until you graduate."
"What do you mean, advisor?" Emily asks, speaking one of the many questions on my mind. "Part guidance counsellor and part mentor. And eventually, you'll be given an FBI cold case to solve as a group, and I'll act as the Bureau liaison for that. I'd also like to think I could give somewhat decent advice."
My father never mentioned cold cases.
Well, he barely said anything about the school at all.
"Menetyksityiseenkouluun, Makedonia. Se on salaa FBI:n koulutuskoulu. AloitatSyyskuussa." You are going to a private school, Macedonia. It is secretly an FBI training school. You start September.
12 words. Or, I suppose, 18 English words. That's about 10 more than he usually says to me.
Progress.
But, Harper is asking Special Agent Brown a question. I mentally kick myself for zoning out.
"...mean about Crimes Involving Minors?"
"The FBI's C.I.M. Unit investigates federal crimes committed by or against minors. Child trafficking, kidnapping, et cetera. If another unit suspects their perpetrator is an under-18, then they'll often call one of us in. Juvenile law is a lot different than most other laws in this country, so it has to be handled differently."
Great, I didn't miss anything.
Growing up in a law enforcement family, you learn quite a lot about the law.
Which is why the answer Harper's next question comes so easily to me, I have to question if it isn't common knowledge.
"I think I missed what a cold case is. I mean, how can an FBI case be cold?"
Special Agent Brown chuckles.
"Cold in the metaphorical sense. A cold case was either deemed too unimportant to continue to investigate, or all the leads dried up and the agent in charge of it couldn't do anything until something else happens or more evidence was found. Having them sitting around waiting for something to pop up wastes time, so the case is classified as cold. can also be hotcases. Ones of great importance to the safety of the country. Mostly in Intelligence, though."
My family doesn't do cold cases.
My father is the definition of a hot case. Cases of great importance to the safety of the country. Or, in layman's terms, saving the world.
Special Agent Brown, or Mason, I guess, pulls three thin laptops out of his messenger bag, handing one out to each of us.
He also pulls out a slightly larger laptop of his own, and flips it open and begins to type on it, talking as he does.
"These are your school issued laptops. I'm supposed to tell you that–" He pointedly looks at his computer screen– "laptops, and all technology, are delicate, and must be treated carefully. Please remember that these devices do not belong to you, but to the school administration. Always use caution when handling or transporting your school issued laptop." He says, in a very monotone voice.
Mason looks back at us. "Got that?"
We all nod our confirmation.
"Great. Now, the interesting part. You get to pick your courses for the year. Since it's only your first year, you've got very little control over what courses you want to take. You do get to pick two extracurricular classes though."
He walks us through creating our school account, and how to work the student portal.
It's all basic computer operations, and I've completed most of his directions before he said them. My browser remains open on the select courses tab. He catches a glimpse of my screen, and turns to look at me.
"You're fast." He acknowledges.
"Wait," Emily looks up. "You're already done, Macie?"
I nod shyly, embarrassed. "It's not an easy system to figure out due to the classified nature of the, uh, content inside. You know, English, Math, Self defence, Marksmanship. The usual 7th grade subjects." Sarcasm.
It took me a while to figure out sarcasm. Maybe it's the growing up on only Finnish and Macedonian in my house.
"You like computers?" He asks, but I can tell it's more of an observation than a question.
"I do." I reply so quietly I'm not sure he heard me.
He nods thoughtfully, before flashing me a smile.
"So do I."
A/N:
Awwww it's cute they have a ✨ connection ✨. Also I love mason. So proud of his character tbh. This is a much better chapter because now we have CONFLICT. No I did not build up to this conflict, so just imagine it. Mmkay? Mmkay.
Uh bye.
Also if the Finnish is incorrect pls tell me and correct me bc I just use google translate :)
Proofread by my queens J + M
First draft, lightly edited