Lauren pov
We aren't supposed to form attachments. That's the hard part. I look out the window at an endless expanse of the desert. No other buildings in sight. It was an ugly place. When you're in a top secret organization there isn't many places you can house your base of operations. For the foreseeable future this place is my home. There is nowhere else for me to go. I severed old ties to a life that didn't matter anymore. That was the easy part. Moving from the window, I make myself comfortable on my bunk then open up my laptop. I have files on all the other trainees here. Right now only one of them have my full attention.
"Codename Skye."
My eyes pass over her at my first glance. She was unassuming which was a good quality for a spy.
"Ordinary people don't get accepted here. What's so special about you, Skye?" The Division had files on her that go back all the way to her childhood.
"You've been on their radar for much longer than you've lead to believe..."
I technically shouldn't have access to these but The Division subtly encourages us to get comfortable breaking rules. My lips twist as I go through her academic history. Stellar marks across the board. This...GIRL is my partner? This goodie two shoes with a sob orphan back story? I acclimate myself to the terrible weather and keep to myself as the days passed. I finished compiling on all my classmates and my two partners. We were a three man team with matching sobriquets. They're not just my partners they were also my competition. Especially Skye. Everything I learned about her just makes me more curious. Layer after layer until I get to the core of her. The truth. After digging deeper I saw the Division had a hand in rearing her almost from birth. Creating a perfect spy? Could that be it? I shut my laptop feeling restless. A tremor rolls up my spine and I couldn't tell if it was nerves or from excitement. I can't wait to finally talk to her. It was a strange realization.
~*~
I exit my dorm and head straight to the firing range. Skye's weakest skill is her marksmanship. That's where she'll be spending the most time, grinding tirelessly until she improves. No one else was in the firing range at the ungodly hour of the morning. Especially since our official training doesn't start for another week. Overachiever. Seeing Skye in the flesh for the first time is interesting for a lot of reasons. One, I feel like I already know her, but I have no idea how to start talking to her. I'm not exactly a people person on the best of days. Two, the girl I've been quietly stalking for days was actually kind of cute. That's probably bad. I can't help watching her for a while in silence. Her shoulders were tense and every time the gun fired she flinched. I couldn't believe Division's golden girl was such a softie. What she needs is someone to give her a little direction.
"Well there's your first mistake, love. Don't pull. Squeeze."
Just to test her I grabbed her by the shoulder and grip tightly on the word squeeze. Skye whirls around staring at me with wide eyes. She looks like a startled doe, soft and vulnerable. Her gaze hardens as a solid icy wall dropped between us.
"Excuse you?" Her gun was pointed at me and I casually move it aside with the flat of my hand.
"Try not to shoot friendlies. Division doesn't like their agents riddled with holes." She eyes me with open suspicion.
"You're not an agent. And you shouldn't sneak up on girls with loaded guns."
Guess she's not so soft after all or maybe she was just good at hiding it.
"You're not an agent either, sweetheart. So check the attitude and let's try this again. Face your target." I direct her until she's in a better stance not waiting for her to obey my command. "Trick shots are for Cowboys. You want to hold your gun with both hands." I adjusted her grip showing her.
"And aim for the chest not the head."
An argument dies on Skye's lips as she noticed I was trying to help her. She focuses intently on my instructions. There was an immediate improvement and I glow with secondhand pride.
"You're a quick learner, Skye." I watched as Skye looks from her target and back at me frowning deeply looking completely confused.
"Do I know you?"
"My codename is Raine. I'm your matching half." I was still standing just behind her. I pull her close with one hand on her waist so I can share a conspiratorial whisper. "But you can call me Lauren when it's just you and I ."
~*~
As I disco through my preliminary research all trainees are spilt into groups of three. Our third was an excited chubby super genius boy named Chase.
"Seems psychologically unsound."
"Hmm?" My partner looks up from her notes twirling a pen between her fingers.
"The groups are ideal. Spotter, backup, and point. In my experience one person will always get left out. And I'm not deluded enough to think you or Chase prefer my company if given a choice." It was fine by me though. For as long as I could remember I've been somewhat of a lone wolf.
"That's my ray of sunshine. Always something positive to say." She cooes pinching my cheek.
"Ugh enough! You're supposed to be focusing for the test." Scowling at her, I tap her notebook.
"Why do you even care? Talking to you is like pulling teeth most days. But if you find out I'm struggling you're immediately glued to my side. I don't even know how you knew I was taking a makeup test because I didn't tell anyone."
Smiling smugly at her I sit back in my seat. I know everything about you golden child. I'm not the only one collecting information, though. Division knows me inside and out and I'm sure they put me with her for a reason. Until I find out why. I want to keep her close.
"You're my partner. If you fail it reflects badly on me. There's something endearing about watching you struggle. You get a cute helpless look on your face." Skye's eyebrows quirk up but expression deadpan.
"Okay. Steering this conversation away from vaguely threatening statements."
Skye has an array of note cards in front of her. She goes through them once again trying her hardest to crack through various ciphers. I watch her since there's not much I can do to help. Maybe if I gave her my notes... No that wouldn't do. Skye learns best through action not words.
"What if I started sending you secret messages?"
"What like just for the hell of it?"
"Well yeah. Like passing notes in class. They'll be in code and you have to crack them or you wouldn't be able to read them."
"That sounds like a setup for a prank."
"Skye, is really that hard to trust me?"
I set my hand over hers tracing a little pattern into her skin with my fingertips. "Maybe I just make you nervous for other reasons?"
I'm not good with people. But I know how to use them if I needed to. It's very satisfying to get the reaction I want from her. She looks at our hands as her cheeks slowly turned red. Fine. So maybe I did have other reasons to keep her close. It's just a stupid crush that's all. I'm toying with her because it's safe, because nothing like this could ever happen between us. Don't form attachments. They'll just be used to hurt you later. Skye clears her throat as she stood suddenly grabbing all of our books.
"Help me put these back?" She sticks out her tongue still bright red. "If you're done playing honey pot that is."
"I'm not playing."
Skye pauses with her hand over a book. I could see a million thoughts flicker across her face in an instant. She suddenly just shakes her head. She slides another pile of books closer to me and I couldn't help but to grin. As we cleaned up I noticed a book on one of the shelves that didn't belong. Skye zeros in on it too pulling it out to examine it.
"You definitely aren't a textbook." She ready the title out loud for my benefit. "Orlando. Wow. I haven't read this in ages." As she flips through it she smiles. It was filled with wistful and nostalgia. I find that I couldn't focus on the book enthralled momentarily with that soft gentle look on her face. She frowns blinking. I wondered if she was going to call me out for staring at her but then I noticed it.
"Speaking of secret messages..." The book is hollowed out on the center in the shape of a heart. Resting in the center was an envelope.
~*~
