A Secret Service [NOW PUBLISHED]

Chapter 1 - "So enters wonder boy."

The mahogany grandfather clock in the corner ticked impatiently. The dark wood echoed that of the imposing desk that took up half the room. Carter sat slightly curved in her chair, legs crossed, hands folded over her stomach. Her expression that of mild amusement.

"Mr. Owens, I appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to be here today," Principal Withers said.

Carter glanced at her father, his posture was one of military rigidity, his black suit immaculate, his face unreadable. Hints of gray peeked out through his hair, despite his age.

"I don't wish to keep the president waiting so I will come to the point. Mr. Owens, your daughter," Principle Withers shot a look at Carter, who had busied herself by picking a piece of imaginary lint off her crumpled uniform, "dislocated the shoulder of a fellow student."

Carter raised a finger.

"Technically, he dislocated his own shoulder," she interrupted.

In the blink of an eye she read annoyance in her father's face. The slight narrowing of his eyes, tightness in his lips and the twitch in his eyebrows.

"Lucky for Ms. Owens, no charges were pressed by the young man. Carter has already served her punishment for her actions, but I wanted to be sure to bring this to your attention. Since this was her first offense detention was assigned. But," Principal Withers's eyes narrowed at Carter. "should this happen again, Carter would be facing suspension, possibly expulsion."

Carter met the Principal's gaze, her face impassive.

"Thank you Principal Withers for bringing this to my attention." Her father shot Carter a stern look, his jaw flexing. "I assure you this will not happen again. Was there anything else?"

The grandfather clock ticked louder and the Principal rose, buttoning his gray suit jacket, the color almost matching his hair.

"No, that was all. If you will excuse me, we are receiving a large group of students this morning and I must get back to work."

Carter's father stood, shaking Principal Withers' hand.

"Good day," her father said.

Carter slung her messenger bag over her shoulder and followed her father out the door. Students trickled into the halls, their voices bouncing off the polished floors. Carter tucked her hands into her pockets, giving her father a sideways glance. His features revealed nothing, though his tense shoulders and quick pace spoke volumes.

"So..." she said.

She could read the tension in the corner of his mouth and smiled.

"Carter what were you thinking?" her father said, his voice hard.

"I thought we needed some father daughter bonding time so, I picked the most annoying kid I could find. Believe me, half the school was thanking me."

Her father spun on her.

"Carter, I taught you self defense to defend yourself, not so you could use it on some politician's son."

Carter raised her hands.

"Come on Captain, do you honestly think I did it for fun?"

"Then why?"

"The guy was beating up on some girl. Mind you, she was putting up a fight, not a great one but a fight none the less."

"So you dislocated his shoulder to stop him?"

"No, I tried to talk him down. But when that didn't work, I put him in a lock. I clearly told him if he tried to move what the consequences would be. He didn't listen," Carter said, with a shrug.