Fire & Ice

ch. 2

DANIEL

"Mom, we're back!"

As I threw my coat on the rack when we got back home, I caught a whiff of dinner, and it smelled delicious. My younger sister Jamie pushed past me toward the kitchen to potentially score first choice on the food.

Joke's on her. I asked Mom earlier, and she told me we were having spaghetti and meatballs tonight, and Jamie hated spaghetti.  

Sure enough, she was groaning by the time I reached the kitchen. I walked over to Mom, who stood by the stove. She swatted my hand as I tried to steal a meatball. "You can wait five minutes," she scolded, but she kissed my cheek in greeting. 

"Why couldn't we have had steak tonight?" Jamie complained, pouting at the table with her arms crossed.

"Maybe because Mom wanted to cook spaghetti?" I muttered.

"I wasn't talking to you," she snapped, rolling her eyes at me. "Mom, can we please have steak tomorrow?"

"I'll see what I can do, Jame," Mom answered, turning to hand me the plates to set the table. Though she and Dad held the same position at ELITE HQ, she had always been the more gentle and patient one in the Weapons Department--and at home. "How was your test today, Danny?" she asked me.

"It went fine," I said. "Everyone was too excited about new Rookies next week to really care one way or another."

"Speaking of Rookies, Jamie, did you break the record today?" she asked as she finished up the food.

The frown on Jamie's face told it all before she even answered. "Almost. I keep coming really close."

"How close?" I asked, genuinely curious. I had come close to the 3-bullet record once or twice, but I had never really wanted to break it as bad as Jamie did. She believed it would guarantee her a spot among the 100 new Level One recruits, and it could...only if no one else broke the record. There would be at least 300 others taking the exam, so less than half of those would get a spot. 

"Three bullets," she grumbled. 

"Don't worry about it, honey. You'll do great." Mom finally walked over with food right as Dad came into the kitchen, rubbing his hands together. "Dinner ready yet? I'm starving," he said, like he did nearly every night. 

"Dinner is served," called Mom. Everyone sat, and the conversation continued.

"I believe someone has a birthday coming up on her exam day," Mom hinted, chewing on a meatball.

"Sure doesn't feel like it," Jamie mumbled, twisting her fork in her noodles. "When did you say that we'll know if we got in after the exam?" she asked Dad.

"Takes about a week or so to narrow everyone down," he answered. "But remember, the first cut happens on the day of the exam, after the written portion."

Jamie gulped. "Right."

"It's really not as bad as you think," I offered, sipping my water.

"Says the person who isn't taking the exam this year."

"I've obviously been in your shoes though--"

"Well you're not in my shoes now."

"I'm just trying to help you, Miss 'Three Bullets'."

"Oh, shut up, Mister 'I Think I Know Everything And I Always Have To Share My Unnecessary Comments'--"

"Hey! Cool it, you two," Dad warned. Jamie continued to glare at me while I dove back into my spaghetti, rolling my eyes.