Spy School: Big City

Casualties

"14 students dead, 14 agents lost, 37 agents injured, 19 in critical condition," said Cyrus Hale as he paced back and fourth across the room. "A lapse of espionage, in the academy of espionage," he continued. "We lost 14 good students  today, and we don't know any details, ANY!" he banged a table as he said this last words. "You need to go find out what happened, how it happened, who was behind it, and why they did it, got that?" 

       We left Cyrus's office, Zoey with tears streaming down her face. She and Mike had made up, in other words she apologized to him. He put his arm around her and she cried into his shoulder. When we left the building we were slapped by the cold winter air. Candles flickered by the photos of the deceased students, there were tears, so many tears. I couldn't help but feel that it was my fault. That me and mike should be dead to, we had decided to ditch cleaning duty to study. I feel my eyes welling with tears as I saw the 5th and 6th pictures, Jawaharlal O'Shea, and Chip Schacter! I fell to my knees and wept, not cried, wept. I felt a soothing hand on my shoulder     it was Erica Hale, I saw a rare tear flicker down her face. Her sister Trixie had also been vaporized by the blast. She wasn't as sad as I expected, she was probably holding it in. Then she kissed me.

         We both pulled away, feeling awkward, "Sorry," she said, "It's fine," I answered, realizing she hadn't been apologizing for the kiss, but for the fact that we did it in public by a memorial of our fallen friends. We walked for a while, it was -12 degrees but I felt warmer than ever. Then I slipped my hand into hers and she flipped me! "Sorry! Instincts," she said. I rubbed my sore behind and replied, "it's fine," it's funny how I can be beat up on missions and keep going but me landing on my butt in grass makes me super sore. We kept walking and she slipped her hand into mine, this time she didn't flip me. We walked through the school and everything was great, and then we saw Alexander Hale, Erica's incompetent father.

   "Hello Benjamin," he said giving me a sly smile, Erica kept her hand in mine. If this would have happened two months ago she would have pulled away, amazing how things change. I found that I wasn't blushing, that this felt normal. "Erica, what haven't you told me?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows, "or should I say 'Berica'" as he said this Erica went off on him, she threw him across the courtyard. "Sorry about that," she said for the 3rd time that night. "Don't be, I like 'berica' maybe that should be our couple name," I said. "Is that what we are Ben? A couple?" She asked. "Not yet," i said, she looked disappointed, "Erica Hale, will you be my girlfriend," she nodded, "yes," she answered. "Now we are," I said excitedly. It's crazy how tragedy brings us together.