Operation High-School

If you had a choice to be normal or save the world, what would you choose? Teen siblings Ash, Al, and Ace want to be normal, but they are forced to protect. Their feels start to get in the way.

Operation High-School

By Madison Hill

Epilogue 

Ash, Ace, and Al come from parents of geniuses. Their mother made weapons for WPS(World Protection Services) and their father was their top agent. They met each other through this (HIGHLY) secret organization. Once they had 3 kids, they raised them from the beginning to be agents. Once their mother died, their father sent them on their first assignment. At ages 10, 9, and 6. Everyone at the WPS was impressed by them. They were younger than everyone else, so they were able to move faster and to get to smaller places. From that moment on, without a choice, they have worked for the WPS. 

There are only  5  rules that must be obeyed at all times.

1. Don’t get distracted. 

2. NEVER fall in love

3. Do what is RIGHT, even if someone says it's wrong

4. Know your PLACE

And whatever you do…

5. NEVER FAIL.

They have followed every rule, and succeed at every mission. Yet, somehow, in the span of 5 weeks. Ash, Ace, and Al collectively broke them all. It all started during summer “vacation”. 

Don’t Get Distracted 

Ash 

I woke up to the piercing scream of our blue alarm. Which means that we have an assignment. My younger brother Al is already up, as well as my younger sister Ace. They both look heavy-eyed, as am I. There was no need to change because everyone wears the same suit 24/7. Unless it’s Saturday. Then we change into a different suit, while that one is being washed. The alarm is still going off. My eyes aren’t quite adjusted to the light yet. I still make my way out of our room. I wanted to get away from the noise as much as possible. We head down the mission control, where they give us our assignment. The leader Mr. Griffin(also our dad, but I never think of him as something like that). 

“Today is the first day that the Jova’s cruise ship is ready to launch. We have reports of someone planning a very bad homicide on it. Killing everyone on the ship. Your job. Is to impose a waiter, a room keeper, and a passenger. Find anything, hear anything, see anything, SHUT IT DOWN. Lydia has all your information.” He stands up and leaves, as Lydia walks in. 

She gives us a file containing all the information about the Jova Cruise. She also hands us 3 bags. Then leads us to a car, without saying a word. We get in the car. I sit behind the driver’s seat while Ace and Al slide in across from me. I handed them a small piece of stale bread and a small bottle of water, which is what we have been eating for years.  Together we evaluated all the information. 

“So we actually have a choice on who we are going to be huh?” Al says while pulling out each file from the bag. 

“What’s the information?” I say trying to speed things along. We don’t know how long this ride will last. We have to be ready. 

“ Waiter.” Al begins. “ The waiter’s name is Jacob Calben. He was looking for a job in between school and thought this was good to make a little money. The housekeeper’s name is Mia Hall. Her parents forced her to do this job while they were away in Cuba. The passenger’s name is Toby Herman. He is on a trip with his family.” He finishes and puts the files in their corresponding bag. 

“So much for having a choice,” Ace softly jokes, already grabbing the bag. She pulls out a white-collar shirt, and brown pants. On the shirt, it says in small red print on the corner. Jova Cruises, Housekeeper, Mia. 

I look at the file for the waiter, this would have to be the best fit for me. Seeing how I’m the oldest and could pass for an 18-year-old. After all, I will be one in 4 months.
“I’ll be the waiter. It suits me the most I think.” They seemed to agree and I took the bag. It had a very nice uniform and a silver watch. 

Al looked too pleased to be the passenger. I should remind him what our job was, but I could be overreacting. Plus I had no time. We needed to change into our appropriate clothes. I went to the far back, Al went to the middle, and Ace stayed up in the front. The uniform was a lot more comfortable than I had imagined. It was a long sleeve white color shirt, with a black vest, and a tie.  Unlike the housemaid, I had a gray name tag that had my name in large print. By the time I finished, we arrived. It was very large, I don’t know how we would cover all the ground. I look around and get out of the van. Ace and Al, no, Mia and Toby are already marveling at the beauty.  Al the most tho. I wish I knew all that was happening in his brain.

Al

It’s so big! I can’t get over the size. It’s incredible. This is the closest to a summer vacation that I will ever get. I’m going to make the most of it. It felt like Ash knew what I was thinking because he gave me his “remember your place”  look. The rule number one look. Don’t get distracted. Yeah, too late. I step towards it when my arm is grabbed. 

I turn and see Ash

“ What are you doing? Passenger, remember? The ship isn’t loaded for 3 hours. The crew is getting on. You’re going to have to wait, but don’t be seen. Don’t get-”

“Distracted. I know. Do you realize that this is the closest to a vacation that we are ever going to get?!?” I say.

Ace seems as happy as I do, but Ash has to shut it down. Fun killer. Or rather, just doing his job.

“We need a plan.” Ace says in a questioning tone. 

“No time. You guys have got to get on the ship.” I respond

“ You're both right.” Ash starts. “ We need a plan, but we don’t have time. So, let’s meet every night on the  Starboard. At a time no one would be around.”

I nod, and wave bye, for now. All that is left for me to do is find a place to wait. I looked around and for a place to kill time. Then reality strikes, I don’t have a ticket. I can’t get on if I don’t have a ticket. I began to look in the black jacket pocket that I was given to “blend in”. I feel something and pull it out. It was a wallet. It had American cash, and thankfully a pass. A VIP pass, even better. That will allow me to search more of the ship. Ace is going to be mainly in the cabins, searching people’s rooms. Ash is going to see everyone, and I will be on the outside looking in. This is good. I’ve been getting distracted already. I’ve got to keep focus. Do the job. Don’t get distracted Al. No, Toby. Don’t get distracted. Any feelings that Als has are gone. I’m Toby now. I have to be Toby.  Who is Toby? I don’t know. He’s just a normal teenage boy, on a trip with a family that he doesn’t have. This is how I’ll by time. I’ll create the character of Toby...

Nothing. I’ve got nothing. It’s been about 3 hours, and I have nothing. I don’t know who a regular teenage boy is.  What do they do? How do they speak? I have to get moving. So for the time being, I’ll just be quiet. I slip behind a family. I will pretend to be their “son”. At least, till I get on the ship. I began to walk up the dock. Reminding myself. Don’t. Get. Distracted. 

Ace

I already knew that this was going to be hard. Not the mission itself, because I’ve been training all my life for these things, but following rule number 1. I was already failing on that. I saw that people were starting to get on, and I just stood there staring out to the window. I had already finished the job I was given by the head housekeeper. So, I wasn’t sure what to do next. The good thing about being a housemaid is the ability to go into other’s rooms and “clean”. The way I think I can get ahead, is to be the best. I’m starting from the ground, but if I show that I have a great work ethic, maybe, just maybe I could get promoted. The ability to search more rooms would be a dream. The one thing that would hold me back is my age. I’m young and when your young people assume you know nothing. Which is not true. Age doesn’t make you, your experience does. Not a lot of people see that tho. Someone catches me looking out to the loading dock. 

“Don’t you have somewhere to be? Or something to do?” Their voice sounded hoarse from yelling a lot. 

I turned around hoping that it wasn’t the head keeper. Just my luck, it was. 

“Ah, I finished what you gave me, and was working my way back to you,” I say softly. 

He raises his eyebrow in shock rather than disbelief. 

“ Huh, that fast?” He crosses his arms. 

“ It wasn’t a lot sir, so yeah.” Once I heard what I said, I wanted to take it back.

“Mia, right?”

“Yes sir.”

He leads over towards my face and says “ I like you.” He walks away, not looking back. I didn’t know what to say, or even what to feel. Without thinking, I called for him. 

“What’s my next job?” 

He smirked and waved for me to follow him. So I obeyed. I looked out the window once again. Come on. What am I doing? Don’t. Get. Distracted. 

Ash

“I’m ready,” I tell the restaurant manager. 

She nods and points me to the tables that I would be waiting for. I was ready. I was ready to be a waiter and finish this mission. My siblings have already been close to breaking rule number one. If they could break this one, what others would they break? I can’t blame them too much. I just know the price of failing, and there was no way I could even think of failing. It would cost everyone’s life, including theirs. I know that they know. I just wish they would be better. My train of thought got busted when I saw people start to sit down. I was a little confused. I didn’t understand wanting to eat this early in the cruise. I began to walk over and someone touched my shoulder. I turn and see the manager. 

“Hold up. Love the energy, but it is not quite time to open the restaurant.”

I was puzzled, and she saw that I was puzzled. 

“The caption called all the passengers here to make an announcement. Kind of like a welcome aboard.” She smiles and pats my shoulder. After she walks away, I make my way to the top corner of the room. A good way to see everyone. The problem is if someone is hiding something. They hide it. Usually very well. A few moments later everyone(I assume) is in the room. I scan my surroundings. Doing so, I spot Al. We make eye contact, but that’s about it. We both know that we can’t interact with each other when people are around like this. My action gets directed at the caption when he starts to speak. 

“WELCOME ONE AND ALL TO THE FIRST LAUNCH OF JOVA CRUISE.” His voice flares in the room, and everyone cheers. I clap as well, to go along with the crowd. 

He goes on and on about safety and all that the Jova cruise offers. I try to tune him out, which is hard to do. I think it’s too early to stop anything unusual, but I will keep my eye out. 

Al

“Report” Ash says while walking towards the spot we promise to meet. It’s been 2 weeks since we have been on the Jova cruise, and I’ve learned nothing. I know if I say that, like I’ve been saying every night since, Ash is just going to get mad at me. Ace doesn’t have any leads but is still doing better than me. At least she has a plan.

“How’s the plan going for you, Mia?” I ask trying not to get the action on me.

“ Pretty well actually. The head keeper has been getting mad at a lot of employees. I’m doing everything I can to move up. So far, I haven’t and have just been cleaning the same rooms. I don’t think any of the passengers are planning anything.”

She stops and we take in the information. 

“ You’re right. I haven’t seen or suspected anything from any of the passengers. Everyone seems to just be on a vacation.” I reply. 

We turn our heads to Ash to see if he has any news. 

“ The cruise ends in 5 days. We have to start thinking of someone, something.” He says in a stressed tone.

“You don’t think we know that! You’re always all upon us, every day since we got on. What do you have?” I looked up and realized that I said that instead of thinking of it. I quickly cover my mouth. 

“What do I have? Let’s see, I’m the one who hasn’t got distracted. Do you think that I haven’t seen you? Every time I look you’re doing something, and if you keep it up everyone here will pay the price. Yes, I haven’t got much, but I’ve gotten farther.” He says, in both quiet hard tones. I wish I could say what was going on with him. I haven’t got a clue. He’s been like this for the past month. It’s like he’s trying too hard. He says something to Ace and walks away. Ace puts her hand on my shoulder. 

“It’s not you. It’s-” She stops.

“What?”

“He turns 18 in about 3-4 months. After that, he leaves.”

“What?” I say very concernedly. 

“ Once you turn 18 you get deported to a destination of their choice. He’s angry and mad and shuts the world out. You know he hasn’t gotten over-.”

I put my hand up so she doesn’t have to say it. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve gotten over Mom’s death too, and it’s been 7 years. 

She continues but I know what she’s going to say. I smile and tap her shoulder. I then walk away towards my room. 

Ace

It was morning, and I wanted to get started on room cleaning so I had the rest of the day to look around and inspect more. Though, I couldn’t. Everyone that I had was still sleeping. I decided to go to the head keepers office and see if I could do anything for him. Once I had gotten there, I overheard him talking to the captions assistant. The door was a third of the way open. Someone heard me coming and quit talking. I knocked on the door and it opened fully. 

“Ah!” The head keeper shouted. “ Let her do it!” 

What? Do what? I didn’t have time to ask. He had already gotten up and laid his wait on my shoulder. 

“When an opportunity comes a-knockin you have them do the job you don’t want to do!”

“Are you sure? This is the captions room we are talking about.” The assistant said. 

Captions room? I don’t know what is needed of me, but I will do it. 

“ Oh yeah. She is a hard worker, dependable, fast.” The head keeper starts.

Finally, all that cleaning and working paid off, and someone notices. 

“And naive.” He puts his hand in on the side of his face expecting I don’t hear it. Naive? Did that dude just say naive? I wanted to say something but thought it was best if I didn’t. Naive it is. 

“Ok.” The assistant says and looks at me, then walks out.

The keeper sits back in his chair and puts his legs up on the desk.  

“Homeboy needs his room cleaned.” He starts and throws me a key. He continues as I catch the key. 

“Take the cart and be gone!” He says spinning in his chair. 

Don’t have to tell me twice. I rushed down the hallways, soon realizing that I didn’t know where the captions room was. I wonder a little bit till I see the assistant again. I go to ask him, but he walks away very fast. He then goes into this room with a wooden door. Before he goes in, he looks around to see if anyone is near. So I quietly hid behind a corner and stayed there. Sometime later he came out of the room. He went up the stairs that were beside him. Once I knew he was gone I raced to the door. Fearing that it would shut before me. I grabbed a sponge and threw it in the door crack. The sponge stopped the door. I pick up the sponge and put it in my pocket. I then go into this darkened room. I feel for a switch. I don’t feel one on the wall, so I take a step and feel around. I then feel a chain and pull it. It turns out to be the light switch. Now that there is light in the room I can loot around. I looked around for a little bit but didn’t find anything. I made my way back to the door but tripped on a box. I bring myself up, and I see a paper under the desk. I pick it up and look into it. It's the blueprints of the layout of the ship. There are 5 red circles each circled around a generator room. I looked on the back of the paper and saw a bunch of temperatures. I soon realize what he is planning on doing. He is going to overheat all the generators and make the ship explode. I shove the paper in my pocket and exit the room. I had to let my brothers know of this, but I have to wait till tonight. I finally find the captions room, and by the time I’m done, it’s very late. I go to our spot. I’m the first there, and I hate that. I tap on the side till I see them coming to opposite ways. I then tell them exactly what I saw and what I was thinking. 

“So we go, we go, we stop him. Tonight.” Ash said, already said, already starting to walk out. 

"Wait. We don't have enough information." Al says 

"Sure we do.  We have the map, and we have the man." Ash says back. 

"What's the plan, you can't just run into everything without a plan."

They started to argue again. I wanted to intervene, but I stayed silent. 

It suddenly went silent when Ash said "You only say that because you want to stay here. You're so distracted!!" 

We stand in a silence that seems like a lifetime.  Then Ash looks at me, and I quickly look down. 

"Tomorrow, at the first strain of light, we go." Ash breaks the ice and walks away.

Al

I lean on the rail and stair into the sea. Ash had just gone out of sight. I feel a hand on my shoulder; I didn’t need to turn around to know that it was Ace. 

“He’s right you know.” I start, “ I’ve gotten so distracted, and I-, I don’t want to leave this amazing place. It’s the most fun I’ve had in EVER. I hate that he’s right. I wish I could do better, be better, be more like. Him.” 

Her hand leaves my shoulder and makes its way to my hand. 

“Never. I hope you’re never like him. He’s him, and you’re you. They can do all they want to you, just don’t let them break your soul. That matters the most.” She pauses. Her voices raised but are still very quiet. “ He’s pretty much gone. The word means nothing to him anymore. He’s shut it out. We’ve only got each other, ok. You and me. Ok?” She sighs and leans her head on my arm. 

“Ok.” Is the only thing I managed out.  The rest of the night didn’t matter. That one moment changed the rest of my life. It was the most loved and safe I’ve ever felt, and probably will ever feel.

Ash

I didn’t sleep. Not a wink. I couldn’t stop thinking about Al. I felt so bad. That’s not even enough. I was really yelling at myself, he just had to hear it. I knew I had to make a plan, I was just in such a rush, and I don’t even know why. So, I planed one now. It was a very bad one, but it was a start. The sun was just peeking behind the endless sea. I ran towards our spot. After a few minutes, my siblings came. I wanted to run over to Al and say my deepest apologies, but I didn’t have time. Well, that is at least what I told myself. I shared my plan. They thought for a second then agreed. We were going to shut off all the generators, the boat will shut off, buying us time for the WPS(who I already contacted) to come and arrest the assistant captain.   

“Are you sure we have enough information? We won’t arrest the wrong person right?” Ace says.

Just then, we heard footsteps of someone coming. We hid under the stairs and I listened as hard as I could. I saw the assistant caption, and someone else. 

“ We do this now, or not at all. We blow the ship up.” He ordered. Oh no. Well, now we know we have the right guy.

I turn to Ace.

“ Fast. Turn as much off as you can. I’ll slow them down as much as I can.” I told Ace this because she is the fastest. She nods and races off. 

“Al,” I didn’t know what to say, so many things. “ Uh-”

“ I’ll go warn the captain.” He says raising off. 

“I’m sorry,” I say too quietly, plus, he’s already gone. 

I wanted to stop them, but not to be seen yet. I look around. I see a small piece of plastic. I go up the stairs and through the plastic and duck and cover towards another corner. He realized someone through it and began to walk up the stairs. He waves to the other man, and that man leaves. He looks around trying to spot me. I hope Ace is moving along. Suddenly I lost him, I went out of the corner and his hand was placed on my shoulder. I then take his legs out and run. I run to a generator that I knew was in the kitchen. The place was packed. I slipped into the kitchen trying to avoid people. I go down and was able to get to it undetected. I turned it all the way down, hoping that that was what I was supposed to do. I realized that I had to go back out. I was able to get back out of the restaurant undetected, I guess everybody thought I was working. I didn’t know where to run, but I was running. Hoping to find answers or a plan at least. Thankfully I ran into Al. 

We ran together knowing that we shouldn’t stop. 

“ What did the caption say?” I ask.

“ Didn’t believe me.” He spoke hyperventilating. 

Figures. Always happens. We kept running till we slammed right into the captain’s assistant. He smiled until he realized what was going on. Then I heard Ace. The captain’s assistant moved and I saw Ace struggling to get out of a grip someone else had on her. We made eye contact and knew what we had to do. I kicked the assistance shin and Ace nailed her elbow into the other man's stomach, freeing herself. It didn’t take long for the assistance to draw a gun. We backed up and put our hands up. Just in time for the rest of the WPS to come. Collectively we took into custody all who was behind the explosion. Once they were bored on one of the WPS boats, it flew away. Then we got on the other boat. Once we were on the Jova ship stopped. 

“Guess we should turn the generations back on?” Ace said.

“They will figure it out. Come on let's get out of here.” I responded. 

So we did. I’m glad they came when they did, not because of fear to get shot. We each had a bulletproof vest on, but I didn’t have a plan what to do next. 

School Days

Al

When we arrived back at the headquarters of WPS, the first thing I wanted to do was sleep, but I  knew that wasn’t an option. Instead, I just sat up in a chair and tried to forget about the trip. Well, most of it anyway. We sat in silence for a little bit, there was nothing really to say. Till someone spoke up

“Dr. Griffin would like to see you.” 

It was Lynda, his assistant. We got up and exchanged puzzled looks at each other. If he wanted us, why didn’t he sound the alarm? We followed her to his office and sat down on the 3 seats he had placed for us. After doing so, we heard Lynda leave and shut the door behind her. 

“Sit.” He instructed us, even though everyone was already sitting. He continues “ This last mission, wasn’t one of your better ones, agree? I don’t know what kinda funk you were in, but figure it out. I need to be on your top game for this next mission. It’s going to be the hardest one, you have ever been assigned.” He pauses for too long to be comfortable. 

“What is it, Sir?” Ask speaks up after a long pause. 

“High school.”

It went dead silent. The fan even stopped. 

“ People have learned from us, as in trusting young people to do work for them. Except they do it the wrong way. At Glenrain Highschool there is a teacher and a student that stole a government database. They have been on the run for quite some time. We have reasons to believe that they are hiding in plain sight. These are thieves wanted in every country, and that database is too important. You have to find it.” He stops and points to Ace. 

“You are going undercover as Aby and 9th grader.” Then he points to me. “ You are Ron, a 10th grader.” Then Ash “ You are John, a 12th grader.” 

“What about 11th grade?” I ask

“ Ah. Mr. Dush will be an 11th-grade teacher, and your father.” 

He dismisses us and we start to get up. 

“Oh and wait.” We stop and turn around.

“Remember the rules.” He looks directly into Ash’s eyes and Ash nods. 

Ace

We arrived at our “house”. I was surprised at first that we had an actual house. Mr. Dush opens the door and the first thing I see is a set of stairs. I looked around and there were 2 doors to my right, and forward there was a hallway. At the end of the hallway, there was another door. This door was open and looked like a place you would eat at, and a bathroom. There was also an entrance to the kitchen, and from the kitchen, there was a door to a living room. Mr.Dush calls us to the eating room, except, we are talking. So maybe it’s the talking room. Anyway, when I get there I take a seat and everyone else does, he starts to talk.

He explains the expectations and gives all the information he has, which isn’t a lot. One key point he makes is that he wants us to be invisible, not to drag action to ourselves. Which won’t be a problem for me. He also mentions that we will be entering the school year halfway through. He hands us our schedule. I have 8 classes in all,  but only for a day. Weird. He also gives each of us 7 pairs of clothes. One of every day of the week.  Finally a book bag. With 1 binder that had 8 dividers, 10 pencils, and a lot of lined paper. 

After he finishes up he tells us that we start tomorrow, and we had the rest of the day to learn about what it meant to be a normal teenager. I got to my designated sleeping space and saw a box that said teenage girl. I opened it up and it had magazines, a bunch of CDs, and a powder-like substance that had the words Cover-Girl on it. I took out the CDs and started to listen to them. I’ve never felt more alive or so full of energy in my life. The melody was amazing. I mean, I know what music is, but I have never been allowed to just sit and enjoy it. It is the best thing ever. 

Ash

Sports, sports, sports. All that is in my box is sports. Also in my room. Sports posters for all different types of teams. There were also taps of what claim to be the greatest games of all time. So, I did my research and watched all of them, while tossing a baseball up in the air. 

Al

As I look into my box, all I have is a bunch of DVDs. I go to the TV that was in my room and slide it into the player, or what I thought was the player. Soon I realized that this is an electronic game. A video game I think it's called. I do what I can and follow the tutorials as best I can. Not realizing that I was about to be sucked in a black hole and get lost in different worlds. It was amazing. 

Know Your Place

Ash

I woke up the next day to a small beeping sound. It was a lot calmer than the blue alarm. Which I was so thankful for. I got up and got dressed in the clothes that were designated for Monday. I went downstairs, with my sibling right on my tail. We didn’t know exactly what to do till our (fake) dad told us to sit at a table. So, we obeyed him. He sat in a glass of water and gave us bread. The same type of meal we have been eating our whole life. After we were done he gave each of us a brown bag and said it was for lunch. We got in his car, and I noticed the sun was barely peeking from the edge of the earth. We arrived at school before any of the other students did. I was about to get out of the car when he stopped me. 

 “There are cameras and microphones in the school. That means no communication about any of our missions inside. We will come before everyone and leave after everyone. Do you understand?”

We nod and exit the car. There were these big sets of stairs, and as we went inside, there were a bunch of tables. My siblings and I followed Mr. Dush to a room. On the side of the door, it said 113 Mr. Eve’s History. By that, I’m guessing his code name is Mr. Eve. He says to wait here till the bell rings. So we do. Once the bell rings, and I start to hear the footsteps and chatter of normal teenagers. So begins our first day. I go to my first class which is Government. There weren't a lot of things I knew. I was raised on being the smart one. That was my sister. I did, however, know the foundations of 89 countries' governments. The US was one of them, so I was able to follow along pretty well. All the other classes were the same. Except gym. Gym was hard. Not because of the physical activity, because in my opinion that was the best part of my day, but the fact that I could be my best. I was supposed to be blending in. Under no circumstances was I supposed to be the fastest, strongest, or anything like that. When our warm up was done, we moved on to a basketball unit. That is when my cover was blown. After gym class was over the teacher asked to stay and talk to me. So, I did.

“I understand that you're new. I have never seen anyone play like you have. Usually I would ask this, but today, I am pleading with you. Please join the basketball team. We need someone like you on it. Please.” He finishes and hands me a paper. 

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I can.” I say and walk out of the gym. Then someone comes up behind me. 

“Hey. You're the new guy. The one with the sick basketball skills.”

I shake my head, but don’t say a word. 

“ You should join the team. He’s right, we need someone with your skills. Come hang with us.”

I didn’t really know what to do, so I just followed him.

Ace

How am I supposed to be a normal teenager, when there is no such thing. I look around at everyone and they are all different. No one is the same. Everyone has different hair styles, clothes on, and shoes. No one acts the same either. I don’t get how I can be normal, when no one else is. All I know is for the most of the day I just keep my head down. It seemed to work, until I noticed it in the hallway. By a teacher. I was looking at a wall covered in posters while he approached me. 

“Do you like theater?”

He asks as I saw a poster for auditions for the spring musical. 

I look down not really knowing what to say.

“ Do you like music?”

I shot my head up. 

“Ah she does! Sign up! We always need people!” He pleaded. 

“ I don’t think I can.” I say.

“ Why not?” I can feel his eyes pairing through my soul. 

I can’t tell him the truth. I didn’t want to lie either; I hate lying. So I tell him the fake truth. The truth, just not the right one.

“I can’t sing.” I quickly get out. 

“ I’ll be the judge of that!” He says trying to give me a pen. 

I shake my head and look down. If I am being honest with myself, I would do anything to be in that musical. I just can’t, and that is that. 

Al

It was the end of the day. I had gone unnoticed so far, that is until she came into my life. Her name was Christine. She first looked at me in my math class. Then at the end of the day she did more than looked at me. 

“What’s your name?” Up close I could see all the waves in her lush brown hair. The star in her eyes, and the sun in her smile. 

“ Ron.” I say sheepishly.

“Hey, Ron. Welcome to school.” She winks then meets her friends and they all laugh and get away. 

Reality slams you into a wall at some points. Or was that just Ash? Nope reality. CRRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAPPPPPP. WHAT AM I THINKINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. I can’t. Rule number 2. Plus rule number 4. I breathe and walk into Mr. Dushs room. I’m the only one there for a little while, then everyone else meets me. Mr. Dush tells us we have 10 minutes then we are leaving. After about ten minutes of insanity, we head to his car. 

“I thought we stayed after everyone else.”  I asked.

“Plans changed, we need to talk at home.” He said, pulling out of the lot. 

The car ride had to be at least 10 years, or the silence made it seem like. We got home and went to the table. He sits at the front and tells us to report. To my suprise, Ace speaks. She never does that.

“What if we joined an after school group.”

I expected Ash to yell, but he agreed. What was happening?

“ Rule number 4. No your place. Your place is to be invisible. Not too attracted attention.” Mr. Dush said with a firm voice.

She went silent, but Ash spoke up. 

“ It will help us cover more ground. I mean. We could meet tons of new suspects and stay later than anyone.” 

More silence. I hate silence. 

“Change of plans. Join as many groups as possible.” 

Wow. That really took a turn. Good job Ash. We head upstairs. I don’t know about them, but I have 16 years of sleep to catch up on. I’m going to bed. 

Ash

3 weeks have already gone by. Since our mission was to find the government database, as well as the thieves, we didn’t really spend too much studying. However, we already knew a lot of the information, well, at least I did. Right now though. I’m at the edge of the stage waiting to be called up. I was the last to get called. I like that. However, everyone sang the same song. I had know idea what it even was. When I get up on stage, the teacher that first came to me clapped. I learned his name was Mr. Cinni. 

“ YES! SHE HAS CAME!!” He yells. 

“Ah, I didn’t know we had to do that song-” I start but he puts his hand up. 

“Nonsense. I just want you to siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!” He over says the i to much.

I didn’t know many songs. So I just sang the chorus of the most prevest song I had listened to last night, and my favorite. 

“ Been the life of the party. Done the worst I could do. Chasing love that was pointless. Till it pointed me to you. All the hearts I ever held just held me back. I’ve been bruised and burned but someone I’m intacted. All the times I thought I might have reached the end. I do it all again. Everything I did to get to you.”

He stops me just in time. 

“Are you dead? Like really are you dead? He asked.

“Ah no sir.” I say quietly. Why would he think I am dead?

“ Because you have the voice of an angel!” He claps, and I then leave. 

I’ve never heard a compliment like that. I normally can barely even get a good job, but I am guessing that was a weird one. Everyone is doing their part, but no one has any leads. In the past 3 weeks, all we have been able to do is cross names of the list. Which is good, but at the rate we are going, it will take us 6 school years. We don’t have that kind of time. Ash joined the basketball team, and Al joined the yearbook. I know why Ash joined the basketball team, but I couldn’t wrap my head around Al joining the yearbook club. 

The next day a cast list was posted, and I was dead. I had gotten the main character. I ran to Mr. Cinni office. 

“No. No, no. No” I say to him.

“My star!”

“ No you don’t understand. I can’t be the center of the musical. Choose someone else.”

“Come on, I need you! We need you! Everyone needs-”

“Me, yeah I know, but pick someone else.”

He leans over “Why?”

I wanted it so bad. I wanted to be this person, in this musical, but I couldn’t. I have to know my place. 

I stare at him and say “ I am not somebody, I am a nobody. I can’t be someone this important.”

 He writes on the sheet and says “Understudy. You will learn everything , but will never go out on show days, unless the Megain can’t. ” 

I breathe and walk out. That is how it was. Until our 4th and final show. The show we put on for the whole school. Megain didn’t come. 

“ Go on!” Mr. Cinni tells me. 

“I- I.” 

“Look, I know, but I see you every day at resuseral. You're loud inside your head, but outside your not. Please!”He pauses and I nod “Places!!” He shouts

My place. What was my place? All I could think was center stage. That was my place, so there I went. Breaking rule number 4. 

Al

My sister is incredible. Is all I thought throughout the show. 

Ash

My sister is dead.  Is all I thought throughout the show. 

“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!!!” I yell at her in the hallway of our rooms at home. 

“ I don’t know.” Ace says, throwing her hands up. 

“ BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T” 

“ It’s not the biggest deal.” 

“ INVISIBLE, you were supposed to be invisible. THAT, THAT WAS NOT INVISIBLE. THAT THAT WAS-”

“ Amazing.” Al cuts in. 

“STAY OUT THIS! NOT LIKE YOUR ANY BETTER!” Once again wishing I took it back. The truth is she was amazing. It just could happen. 

“ You're telling me that not ONCE you wanted to make the show stopping basket in one of your games?” Ace asked.

Yes. Yes I did, but she couldn’t, and won’t know it. 

“ No, because I KNOW MY PLACE.” I yell and slam the door. 

“ Go head, shut the door, just like you shut everything else out. WHAT ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF??”

“Losing you.” I say so quietly that I hope they didn’t hear me.

Al

Ace and I looked at each other. We both heard what he said. 

“What?” Ace says softly while slowly opening the door. 

“ The rules are there to keep us from failing. Or for something worse. Look, I just can’t lose you guys. You are all I have left. Can’t we just do this mission and follow the rules?” He responds, the quietest he's ever been in his life.

“Some things are more important than a mission.” Ace says give him a hug. Then we walk right out. 

“You were amazing.” I whisper. 

She smiled and said “Thanks.”

Don’t fall in love

Al

I hate math class. It’s like Christine is toying with me. I can’t hide my emotions away like my brother can. I can’t feel something, and just pretend that I don’t, but I can’t feel the truth. I just can’t. As Ash said yesterday, the rules are there to keep us alive, and not failing. After the last mission and what happened with Ace, I can’t break another rule. I just can’t, but maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan is it hard with Christine. If I could get rid of the emotion, I might just have to express it. So I went to the only person I trust. 

“Are you crazy?” Ace says after I told her everything. 

I just nod.

“ No one else knows right?” 

I nod again. 

“ No one can ever know.”

I nod once again.

“ I’m going to need you to more than just nod.”

“Sorry.” I say.

She sighs then pats my shoulder. 

“ You know why we can’t, with an outsider, right?”

“Yeah. Gives us a weakness. They capture someone you care about, and everything goes downhill.” 

There was a long silence. We didn’t really know what to say. So I just left. 

The next day is the same. I saw Christine, but this time it was different. I felt better, knowing that she would be safe as long as I didn’t fall in affection for her anymore. Just then the worst thing ever happened. After the bell rings and I make my way to Mr.Dush's room she stops me. 

“ Do you want to go get some pizza later? Just the two of us?” She smiles. 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. 

Yes, yes, yes, yes I would love to. 

“ I can’t.” 

“Ok, tomorrow?” Her voice is like silk

“No, no you don’t understand. You don’t want me.”

“What? What do you mean? You are smart, fun, kind, and sensitive. I love that.” 

No. No. No. No. No. No. No. This is NOT happening. 

“ I’m sorry.” I say losing my breath. “ I can’t be with you.” I ran away, right to our car. Those words just killed me. I have never felt this feeling before, but I hate it. I hate it. I hate her. I hate myself. Most of all, I hate this job. I can feel a single tear roll down my face as I see my siblings heading into the car. Once again I told Ace everything, except, more tears rolled down my face. Soon I was just crying on her shoulder. 

“ Why do we have to live this stupid life? Why did I have to love her? I just want to be normal.” I said to her. 

“ Me too. Me too.” 

Whatever you do. NEVER fail.

Ash

I heard their conversation. All of it. I was outside his door. I wasn’t mad, I mean how could I be. Instead I shared his pain. I felt so bad for him it was crazy. So was what happened next. I would do anything in this life, to prevent what happened next. 

It was the end of the day and I had basketball practice, and Al had a yearbook. Ace was wandering around the hallways. After practice was over, I met up with her and Al. We walked around the halls as we normally did. Then I heard a gunshot.  I turned around and saw a guy, looked like Als age, with a gun. Then Mrs. Kelo appeared. I looked at them, and then at my sibling. 

“ You’re the spys.” The guy said. 

“ And you're the thief.”  I said. 

I saw a flash drive in Mrs. Kelo’s hands. She could tell I was looking at it and traded the drive for the gun with the other guy. Then fired the gun straight at me. 

“No.” Ace screams as she shoves me, getting hit in the chest herself. 

“ ACE,” Al screams trying to catch her. 

Rage. Filled me. In every single one of my veins. I ran so fast and grabbed the gun right from her hands. They both started to have run towards the exit. All the pain, misery, and suffering that both I and my siblings have been going through all our life, came to me. Then without thinking I shot her. The guy yelled and dragged her to the exit, then left. 

What have I done? I threw the gun down and ran to Ace. 

“ I- I killed her. I broke rule number 3.” 

Al gasped. 

“Who, who is the r-rule breaker now?” Ace barely managed to get out. 

“ Rule number 3 and 5,” I said smiling at her. 

“ What? If you hurry, you could still get him.” She says.

“ Some things are more important than a mission,” I say.

She smiles, she always had a way making me feel better when she smiled. I wanted to say everything to her, but I couldn’t. 

“ I love guys.” She said and her eyes shut. Her body went cold. She was done. 

I held her hand so tight and said. “ I love you too.” 

Al

If my heart didn’t break from Christine. It is broken now. It was the end of Ace’s funeral. Mr. Griffin approached us. Before he said one word. Ash said something.

“ No. No. No more. No more missions or more anything. We are not living for you, or anyone else anymore. We are living for ourselves. For Ace. Go head and kill us, it doesn’t make a difference. We are done.” 

I couldn’t but nod like crazy. 

“ Just like your mother. The moment you guys were born she wanted to quit. I couldn’t. The world needs protecting.”

“ Well, we are done precting it.” Ash said, and walked away. 

I followed him, not knowing what else to do.

“ Now what?” 

“ I don’t know, but we're not coming back here.” He smiled.

Author's Note

I am a dyslexic 15-year-old. Please focus on the story, not the grammar errors.
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[JayG]

You did ask. But bear in mind that the problems I’m about to discuss have nothiong to do with being dyslexic, your talent, or how well you write. Indirectly, it does have a lot do do with your age, because while in school we, universally, suffer from what I call, The Great Misunderstanding. I didn't learn that I suffered from it till I was 37 and had written six unsold novels.

For all the time you’ve been in school, you’ve been learning, and perfecting, a set of skills your teachers called writing. So, like everyone else, you made the reasonable assumption that the skill is universal to all writing applications—specifically, that the word “writing” that’s part of the profession we call, Fiction-Writing, points to that skill.

But it doesn't. Nope. Not even close. Over and over, you’re assigned reports and essays to write. Right? And, the goal of an essay? To inform the reader. History books are huge reports. But history books are boring, because they provide an immutable record of events. "This person says/does that. That person says/does this." When was the last time you, or anyone you know, bought a history book to read for fun?

If you use the report-writing skills we're given to write a horror story you'll report that the protagonist feels terror. And on reading that, what can the reader say, but, “Uh-huh?” But...use the skills of fiction-writing—skills your teachers never told you exist—and the READER feels that terror.

Your reader isn’t looking to know what happened. As E. L. Doctorow put it: “Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader. Not the fact that it’s raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.” And did even one teacher even mention that? Nope, because they’re not training you to write fiction. They’re training you in the kind of writing that employers want you to do: Reports, letters, and essays. Fiction-Writing is a profession, and professions are acquired IN ADDITION to your school-day skills. So though they don’t tell you, unless you take steps to change it, you’ll leave school exactly as prepared to write fiction as to pilot a commercial airliner.

So why haven't you seen the problems? Because you begin reading your own work knowing where we are in time and space, what’s going on, and whose skin we wear. You know who the characters are, in great detail. You know their history, plus their goals and hopes. You have both context and intent driving your understanding. The reader has only what the words suggest to them, based on THEIR background.

Look at how a reader views the story, knowing only what the words suggest:

• Epilogue

The epilogue comes at the end, not the beginning. So this is, in reality, the prologue.

• Ash, Ace, and Al come from parents of geniuses.

You just used 9 words to say what can be said in 6, with: “Ash, Ace, and Al are geniuses.” Why does that matter? Because, the fewer words you use the faster the story reads. And the faster the story moves, the more interesting it is to the reader.

That aside, why do I care that three people of unknown age, who live in an unknown place, in an unknown year, are smart? Won’t I decide that based on how they act in-the-story? Why do I care what their history is? As a reader, I’m here to read a story. And story happens in real-time. If you talk about it in summation and overview, it’s a report.

So the entire opening section is something you need to know in order to to write the story, but rip it out and flush it, Always open with story, not history.

• I woke up to the piercing scream of our blue alarm. Which means that we have an assignment.

I give up. What’s “our blue alarm?” Is it painted blue? Is there a blue light bulb? Does a reader care what color it is? And...you first tell the reader the color, then what it does. Why not say, “I woke up to the piercing scream of our assignment alarm?” It’s 11 words instead of 18, and it says the same thing.

• My younger brother Al is already up, as well as my younger sister Ace.

Why does it matter that they’re already awake? Would the story change if they weren’t?

• There was no need to change because everyone wears the same suit 24/7.

Why do I care that these people stink because they never shower or change their clothes? What matters is that something so important came in they they must wake and be on the job instantly. But instead of reacting to the emergency, you stop the action to talk about what slobs they are.

My point is that you’re providing detail, not what matters to the people living the events. Put yourself in his place. The alarm goes off, so there’s something that must be attended to at once. Does he wonder what it is? Nope. Does he talk to the others, or comment. Nope. Does he take a piss on waking? Nope.

He’s not real. Real people react, they plan, they think, they make decisions and analyze. Yours just follow the script.

Yes, you’re using first person personal pronouns, but how is someone who claims to have had the events happen to him in the past, and reporting them as a monologue, different from someone who is just reporting them as a monologue. In neither case are we on the scene, because the viewpoint is that of the narrator. But in fiction, the viewpoint is the one living the scene, and the goal is, as Mr. Doctorow pointed out, to make the reader feel as it it’s happening to them.

But to do that takes an entirely different approach. The writing skills you learned are fact-based and author-centric. They dispassionately inform and report. But fiction has the emotional goal of making the reader feel what the protagonist IS FEELING in the moment they call, “Now.”

Will you learn those skills by reading fiction? As well as you learn the skills of the chef by eating.

So…if you want to write fiction—and I hope you do—there’s a lot more involved than sitting at the keyboard and typing. So, some suggestions:

First, for a better feel for the differences between fiction and nonfiction, you might want to check a few of the articles in my WordPress writing blog. They’re aimed at the hopeful writer, not as a “how to,” but to help them understand why it’s necessary to pick up the tricks the pros take for granted. The address is at the bottom. This site doesn’t support links, so you need to copy/paste it to the URL window at the top of any Internet page, then hit return.

And if they make sense, and make you want to know more, I suggest you check the local library system’s fiction writing section for Debra Dixon’s, GMC: Goal Motivation & Conflict. It’s a great first book on the basics of creating scenes that will sing to the reader.

If they don’t, there is a far better book, but it’s college level, and so, more difficult. But it is great, is the book that got me my first publishing contract, and can be downloaded, free, from the address below:

https://archive.org/details/TechniquesOfTheSellingWriterCUsersvenkatmGoogleDrive4FilmMakingBsc_ChennaiFilmSchoolPractice_Others

So dig in. And as you do, hang in there, and keep on writing.

And if you’ve made it this far, two other things that I have to comment on:

This might not help, and you’ve probably tried it, but a friend, and published writer was being held back by Dyslexia, and she found that closing one eye stopped her eyes from arguing over where on the line to read, and fixed her problem.

Second, and of more importance, you are NOT a nobody, and never think of yourself that way. Better to think of yourself as a genius in training. It's just that some of us just need more training time. 😄 We ALL start out knowing nothing, and feeling like we’ll never get it. But never forget that. We make mistakes because we lack experience. And we gain experience by making, and correcting our mistakes. The winner isn’t always the one who makes no mistakes. More often, it’s the one who recognizes them and fixes the problem. And, taking longer to master something is far from the same as being unable to master it.

Jay Greenstein
https://jaygreenstein.wordpress.com/category/the-craft-of-writing/the-grumpy-old-writing-coach/

[just_a_nobody]

Hey. Can I just say thank you?!?! For every word you wrote. This is very helpful and I will grow as a writer, Thank you. I will also be sure to check out your website. Thank you so much!