Safer This Way

Chapter 23

Hey all, update time! This is a bit later than I had hoped but oh well :) This is Sean's POV from before he found Sang/Shaw at the hospital and of the boys' conversation the night before...Happy reading!!

*Sean*

"Breaking news: Ashley Waters High School money laundering scandal, how the principal and his associates had us all fooled while they stole thousands of dollars in taxpayer money from right under our noses. The full story at 9..."

Mrs. Normandy turns the volume down on the TV before looking at me from her hospital bed, blue eyes sharp for someone on such heavy medication.

"That your doing?" She nods to the screen where the news anchor stands in front of Ashley Waters.

"My team, yes. We've been there for nearly four months already undercover." Four months of high school hell and teenage BO, but worth every sweaty pit after meeting Shaw, Sang, whoever he, she, really is. How could I not have known?

"Mighty fine thing you boys did. Can't believe men like him are in charge of children."

I hum a response, but thoughts of last night's revelation take my mind away from the conversation.

How could we have failed so badly?

"...now?" Her calm voice pulls me back enough to realize that she's asked me a question.

Mustering up a sorry excuse for a smile, I respond. "Sorry, could you repeat the question?"

She gives me a long, calculating look before answering. "I asked what you boys will be up to now." A pause. "You're not here today, Sean. In fact, you look downright depressed if you don't mind my saying so."

Is it that obvious? "Oh, well, after this mission officially wraps, the boys will all be graduating and then I think we'll be taking some time off to focus on...family matters."

I'm not fooling her at all. "Sean."

"You know you really should be sleeping, all this conversation can't be good for your stitches." Ooh a frown for that one.

"Oh you're not fooling anyone, my boy. And I'm sure my stitches won't be jostled by speaking, now tell me what has your eyes so lost. I've never seen a smile so fake as the one you've been giving me today."

A deep sigh leaves my lips as I look at one of my earliest teachers, the woman who took Owen and me by the ear and threw us in a room until we worked our shit out. I blame her for him becoming my best friend.

"We met a potential adoptee at our current mission, and we're worried something has happened to them and we–I–don't know what to do."

"Ah. Well you lot are pretty persistent and intelligent to boot, I'm sure if it's meant to be, you'll find them." But what if it's not, what if he, she, doesn't want to be found?

"I'm sure you're right," I tell her, although I don't believe what I'm saying. It's amazing Shaw, Sang, whoever they want to be, stuck around us as long as she did considering how stupid we've all been.

Not one of us figured it out until it might've been too late. Sure, there were moments we questioned certain behaviors, reactions Shaw had that should've been blaring red flags that something seriously wrong was going on at home. We had thought uncomfortable situation, mean, jealous sister, neglectful parents who hit him in anger. It's quite obvious now that we were too optimistic.

This morning we had watched from Kota's house as Mrs. Sorenson was dragged away in handcuffs by several Academy officers. After a night of revelations and planning, not one of us had been prepared for what to do next.