School ends tomorrow. And afterwards, it's grad. Again. I graduated from high school forever ago. But at least Mia is coming with me today. As a friend who was visiting. Or at least that's what we've told the principal. Plus a few choice threats from Alan.
Mia was excited, but that might just be because she's never been to a real school with other, regular civilians for students. We've had tutors, but the whole experience is different.
At HQ, we are a veritable horde of people. The Lewis' are used to personal chefs and nutritionists, which is something we cannot give them here at Witness Protection. Right now, Mia is bravery explaining to the Lewis' what they can and cannot have. I'm terrified for her, and I've had multiple guns to my head.
Rich people are there own kind of terror. They feel as if the can do anything and everything they want, which is just not true. But, they will threaten you if something is not exactly, word for word, to their liking.
When the Lewis' finally sit down to eat the food we have provided for them, the rest of us are finished eating. The girls, Cara and Chloe that is, are talking about whatever comes to mind. Fun, light conversation. Exactly what we need right now.
At that moment Xavier walks in. He's wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses.
He walks right over to us.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis. I'm agent Xavier Steel. I've been assigned to keep an eye on you for the time being."
The Lewis' were shocked. I don't think it ever occurred to them that the person assigned to guard them would be a teenager, the same as the rest of us.
The recovered quickly with Christopher Lewis saying "A pleasure to meet you too agent Steel. Although if you wish not to blow your cover, please change into something more appropriate."
"Of course. I arrived from Spain a few hours ago. I hadn't had the opportunity to change yet. I'll meet you back here momentarily." Blake took what Chloe's father said and responded politely. After he finished saying his part, he just walked away, back to his own room.
Mia's phone beeped, and she laughed as she showed it to me.
"You look like a normal, innocent person." Said the text from Xavier. We looked at each other, and both started laughing.
The others looked at us, but we couldn't care less.
Xavier came back down approximately 5 minutes later, wearing a custom suit and tie. He looked hot. And I definitely wasn't the only one who thought that, everyone's mouths were hanging open.
"Well, I believe we're late for our second last day of school. It's time to go." Mia said.
All of the highschool aged people got up, left the building, and got into my car.
My car was nice and had space for 5 people, but it was still very cramped.
When we arrived, I went to first period as usual, except this time Mia was there. And not before I was able to bug both of the twins.
The class still ignored me and Cara, but they all seemed very interested in Mia. She was being friendly with them, but she mostly stuck with Cara and me.
During second period, we met up with Chloe. It's also when the rumours of Ryan riding with us in the morning. But anyway, the 4 of us talked about what I heard on the planted bugs this morning and had some more fun listening to Ryan's conversation with Sasha.
"And they were so lovey-dovey. I wanted to throw up in my mouth." I said.
"Then you'll definitely want to hear how they talk to each other at home when they think no-one is there. My room is next door!"
"Ugh!" Mia says, laughing.
When the bell rang for lunch all of us are excited.
We take Mia to our usual table, Chloe joining us. She's madly grinning because now she knows her brother can't say anything to make her leave us. Or at least that's what Cara explained to me when she noticed me not understanding all the girlish giggles.
Girls! The oddest species in the world. I just don't get them.
We introduce Mia to Talia and Nava, and they immediately hit it off. The girls obviously love fashion and talking about it, and Mia knows just as much as they do. Probably even more. Within minutes they are already exchanging phone numbers, Mia giving them her personal phone, not the work one. Obviously.
I spend an hour listening to girls talking about shoes and the hottest new style trends. I genuinely wanted to bash my head against the table. I didn't do that, I don't want people thinking I'm a psychopath. Well, more so than they already think that.
When the bell rings signalling the end of lunch, I couldn't be happier to get back to class.
"Didn't enjoy our conversation? I know you have a lot to add on the 'hot guys' topic. Love you 😘" Came the text from Mia, as we were walking to class. I turned to glare at her, but when I looked, she was already smirking at me. This girl!
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Things get a little complicated after school. I need to go home with the twins, while Mia and Cara need to go back to HQ. All of us came in one car.
"Don't worry, dork. I've got you." Mia tells me. She's the only person who can call me 'dork.' Mostly because I know she can kick my ass at will.
She quickly calls someone while the rest of us just stand around. We're away from the rest of the school because Ryan insisted on never being seen around us "losers." I'm seriously considering asking his parents to use their gym, just to show off to him.
Not 10 minutes later, a sleek black Ferrari drives into the school parking lot. The window rolls down, and we see the gorgeous Noah's gorgeous face.
"Babe, get in. Cara, you too. I've been ordered to serve as your private chauffeur."
Everyone was in awe.
"Why can't you have a nice car like that?" Ryan whined to me.
"I do. Back at HQ. But, unlike Noah here, I was ordered to stay inconspicuous. You know, not show off. Normal 18-year-olds do not have Ferraris."
"Wait, you have a Ferrari?" Cara asks me.
"Yeah, and so does Mia and Xavier. The company gets it for you for your 18th birthday." I respond. If you want other cars, luxury or not, you have to pay for them yourself. But, all of us make a more than decent living.
Once the initial shock wears off, we each get into our separate vehicles and drive to our separate destinations.
The car ride is quiet. Chloe got into the front seat with me, but she listens to her music the entire way. Ryan just sits quietly in the back. I decide that since no one was going to talk to me, I would listen to some police radio feeds. This car is automatically connected to the police radios. And, they're kind of entertaining.
The Lewis mansion is extravagant. There's no other way to put it. When we get there, I park my car and the twins get out. Both of them drop their bags in the foyer and head to the kitchen.
Xavier finds me, 2 minutes after we get there. No one has come to show me where my room is, and I find myself just standing around, doing absolutely nothing.
He takes me upstairs, and shows me to a bedroom he claims Victoria and Christoper Lewis said was mine for the time being. He is still dressed formally, but he loosened his tie a bit.
"Wanna grab lunch?" He asks me.
"Sure, although it's very early dinner for me."
"As you may or may not know, rich business people are too rich and too professional to need sustenance. These people don't eat!"
I laughed. "But they also only sit at a desk all day, they don't need much energy for that. We'll grab something to eat and then let's work out."
"Sure. But you mean show off, right?"
How could he possibly know that?
"I have an informant on the inside," Xavier tells me.
"Mia?" I ask.
"Mia." He confirms. "She tells me you have a small rivalry with Ryal Lewis."
That girl! Why must she tell the guy I like all of my secrets. Now he probably thinks I'm a shallow ass.
"I get it. And I can't help but think that working out, and maybe a spar, will be quite beneficial. Especially at 5:30 when a certain Ryan Lewis goes for his daily workout." Xavier tells me, grinning.
I was howling, at his point. "How do you even know that? And why?"
"I told his parents that I needed everyone's schedules so that it would be easier for me and you to guard them all. They couldn't say no."
We grab a quick lunch/dinner and head to the gym. Ryan is already there, running on one of the treadmills.
The gym is actually very well equipped for a private gym, there are 3 treadmills, bikes, ellipticals and a couple of weights machines.
Xavier and I drop our stuff in a corner and get on the two remaining treadmills. Both of us start in a dead sprint. Within 2 minutes, Ryan has stopped what he was doing and is now looking at us. We continue sprinting for 30 minutes.
We're ignoring Ryan.
When we get off the treadmills, both of us take off our shirts, we're sweaty and it's gross.
We go to the weights. Both of us are able to lift objects twice our body weight, easily. We take turns, letting Ryan check out our muscles. He's still in the gym, observing us. He's not actually exercising.
After about an hour and a half, we're done and just about ready to go. That's when Ryan comes up to us.
"I didn't know you guys could do that. Can you, maybe, give me some pointers?" He asks, kind of shyly.
"Sure. Although the trick is to train with Mia, she's better than both of us combined. She's teaching Chloe and Cara sometimes." Xavier tells him.
We give him some pointers and help him out with the weights.
"Hey, so I've been thinking, Sasha. She needs to know. She's innocent. She would hurt me or Chloe. And she doesn't even know Cara."
"No way," I say, flat out.
"But why? I love her."
"Because we can't say for certain she isn't involved. Also, the fewer people who know, the better."
I knew at that moment that I had to be very careful about anything revealed to Ryan. I knew that I had to keep a very close eye and ear to everything he writes and says.
He's unpredictable and could destroy the case.
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Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
I'm very sorry this chapter is late, it was written or yesterday, but by the time I remembered I needed to post it I was already falling asleep.... oopsie. I'm going to do my best to stick to the schedule I set for myself, but I start school in September so I don't know what my life will be like then. However, I am committed to at least posting once a week during the school year, hopefully even twice. 😃
If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider leaving it a vote and a comment.
Happy reading!
Dani💙