Save The Girl

Secrets And Lies

~ Demi ~

My head had been rushing ever since we hopped off the plane less than half an hour ago. As of right now, we were all sitting at the large dining table in Selena's parents house. No one was speaking, at least not between the Agents and the civilians. I tried to disconnect myself from the world I was sure I left behind and yet, I could still feel this barrier between the people before me. Charlie was at my side, her plate filled with food and yet she hadn't touched a bit. Neither of us have.

"It's safe to eat." Selena nodded, but still, we sat as stone.

"Are neither of you hungry?" Her mother questioned before digging into her own meal. We haven't eaten in an unknown amount of hours and yet I still held myself firm. Joe and Nick sat opposite of us, still looking around the home, their eyes shifting from one item to the next.

"I know you're all Agents." Selena's father spoke up. As if he said some magic word, all four of us, excluding Selena and her mother, faced the man simultaneously. "If we are to trust one another I suppose I should welcome you into my home properly. I'm Ricardo, Rick for short, and this is my lovely wife Mandy." Her father studied each of us, but neither of us budged. "Introduce yourselves so we won't remain strangers."

Silence.

"Guys, it's okay." Selena nodded, but there was always an issue that the group of us had when growing up against soldiers, and knowing her father use to be one, already built a foundation of his character in our heads. "Demi." My name hummed in the air as I faced the source of the sound. Selena was studying me, her eyes searching mine as I finally sighed.

"I'm Demi... Lovato, I suppose. But I go by Demi." My words only caused the man to study me more intensely. "These are my friends. Nick, Joe...." I faced the woman at my side, but she hadn't announced her own name as usual. "She's Charlie."

"I got that." Her father nodded. "What else is there to know about you?"

"We should stay on a need to know basis. You know our names, we know yours." My voice seemed to bring out a sort of annoyance in Selena, because she groaned before tilting her head, her eyes never leaving mine.

"If you four are in some type of trouble, the only way I can help is if I know the entirety of the situation." Rick began to sip on his drink before both Joe and I studied one another. We had been in similar situations like this before, trainings none the less, but similar situations. He gave me a gentle nod as I faced Nick. "Please don't do secret chats at the table, it's not nice to speak about your hosts in such a bad manner."

"You seem to know a lot about us." The pitch in my voice caused the man to smirk.

"We're all friends here. I just know of these actions." He assured me as I scoffed.

"Demi, stop it." Selena called out from her end of the table. "Please."

"So Rick. What's your situation, how close are you to the government you've retired from?" My question caused the man to sit upright.

"I'm pretty close with them because I've committed no treasons or harm to myself or others."

"Great choice of words." I found myself gripping the seat I was in with my right hand, my fingers stinging from the tight grip.

"Demi, I mean it." Selena was getting upset, her eyes working across all of us.

"We only came here because your daughter suggested you could help. I figure, we could get help elsewhere." My words only caused a chuckle to escape the man, his head shaking just before I felt fingers land against my own. Charlie tapped my skin a few times, sending morse code through her fingertips as I sat both of my hands onto the top of the table.