-- Computer Friends 8 -- By: Branch -- Chapter 1-Epilogue UP. --

“Why do you hate the number 166?” I asked Jay, cocking my head at him curiously. I had put him in Cell 166 for just that reason, he disliked the number with a great passion, and I didn’t know why, nor had the urge to find out. But, now that we were.. Friends? Yes. Now, now that we were friends, I wanted to know.
He shook his head, his pale blue eyes watching me thoughtfully, “Remember, in the third grade, where we got those numbers taped to our desks and if you kept the paper with the number on it in good condition for the whole year, you’d get a treat?” He asked, waiting for a few heartbeats.
I nodded, recalling, “I remember that!” I exclaimed, laughing, “I found that completely overrated, I ended up losing my number by the third week! I don’t even remember what number I got..”
“You had 166,” Jay said sheepishly, “I guess that’s why I don’t like the number much. Though, I don’t really hate it that much now,”
“We’re nearly seventeen..” I trailed off, “You remembered that number for, like, eight years now?” I asked, shaking my head, unbelieving, as I glanced down at my watch. “Oh, gosh, I’m late!” I said, getting up quickly and gathering my jacket and the key that locked the cell, “I’ll be back later, Jay. See you!” I waved goodbye, locking up the cell door, and watching his light up when I mentioned that I’d be back.
I jogged down the hallway, putting on my coat and attempting to untangle my messy hair on the way. I was supposed to meet my friends down at the front door of the agency, so we could all go to lunch at a restaurant near Lauren and I’s house.. Exactly ten minutes ago.
“Anna! Where have you been?” Lauren demanded, tapping her watch impatiently. “I really hope they didn’t give our table away,” Lauren sighed, rushing to her car.
I followed, along with Rebecca, Jacob, and Danny, who all cast me very annoyed looks.
“She’s been complaining like that for the past ten minutes,” Danny whispered in my ear as we climbed in the car.
--
“What do you mean, they gave our table away?” Lauren snapped, glaring at the man at the front desk.
“I’m sorry, ma’am, you all arrived a little to far past your set time, we had no choice,” He apologized, then pointed to some uncomfortable looking benches. “You can all wait over there, estimated time wait is around half an hour, to forty minutes.”
Lauren groaned, giving me a slight look, then stalking over to the benches and sitting down with a huff.
“Why were you late?” Rebecca inquired, as I sat down last. “You’ve been late to almost every get-together we’ve had,” Rebecca added, looking at me suspiciously.
“It’s a long story,” I mumbled sheepishly. I knew that Jay and I weren’t supposed to even be in contact with each other, and none of them knew about how I went down and visited Jay everyday, and in fact, every night. I’d much rather prefer to keep it that way. They’d accuse me of plotting with him, I had given them quite the scare when I had pretended to be on his side.
“We have time,” Lauren said, her voice tense, “You heard him, a half an hour to forty minutes!” Lauren looked irritated, rubbing her temples in a way I’d seen her do before, when she’d had a massive headache, “So, please, Anna, entertain us.”
“I had to work down in the cells, where the prisoners are kept, you know? It wasn’t my day, but they needed the extra help, and I completely lost track of time,” I shook my head, sighing warily, “It was really busy down there today,” I explained.
Danny frowned, “But-”
I was saved by my phone, which starting ringing the only ring tone I currently had saved on there. I had meant to get better ones, special ones for certain friends, but had gotten caught up in so much stuff lately that I hadn’t had the time.
I looked at the name, and was instantly confused. “I.. Uh.. I kind of have to take this,” I muttered, walking away from the table and off to the side.
“How’d you get your cellphone into the cell, Jay?” I asked, shaking my head in disbelief.
“Eh, it wasn’t that hard,” He muttered, I could tell he was smiling just by the tone of his voice.
I rolled my eyes, “I mean, it’s not allowed, you could get in trouble!” I said, shaking my head again.
“You’re not going to tell on me, are you?” He inquired playfully, and I huffed and grinned at the same time.
“Well, of course not, but.. If you got caught, I mean, you’d be in trouble,” I informed him, pausing, “Why’d you call me, by the way? In the middle of lunch, kind of looking suspicious,” I muttered.
“Pft. I just wanted to tell you that you left your little charm, the one with the letter ‘A’ on it that you got from Lauren here. You can come get it after lunch, I just thought you want to know in case you found out beforehand and freaked out,” He explained rather sheepishly.
“Oh,” I blinked, “Well, thank you. I’ll be back, later, I promise,” I lowered my voice slightly, “See you,” With that, I ended the call. I felt lightheaded, an odd feeling stirring in my chest.
“Who was it?” Lauren inquired, cocking her head at my expression as I collapsed onto the bench again.
I shrugged. If they knew, they‘d stop me from seeing Jay. And for some reason, I don‘t think I could deal with having that happen, I felt like I was going to hyperventilate just thinking about it. I hated lying, but..
“Just my parents, wondering how school was going, nothing important.”

“I’ve got to go,” I called to my group of friends, already hurrying toward the elevator.
“What! Why?” Lauren demanded, frowning and calling back to me in an exasperated tone, “We were going to hang out at the arcade, before class! Remember?”
“I know.. I forgot, and volunteered to show some newbie’s around,” I forced a half-hearted laugh, “I’d come if I could, I swear,” I waved with not much enthusiasm, smiling at my skeptical-looking friends until the elevator doors shut.
I slumped against the wall of the elevator, leaning my head back and sighing heavily. I honestly couldn’t imagine not visiting Jay everyday, we’d grown closer over the course of five months. He was practically like my best friend, and I really hated lying to my other friends, but I couldn’t seem to stop. We’d promised each other that we’d never mess with Jay again, seeing as it was easy for him to manipulate and lie his way in and out of anything.
I quickly made my way down the narrow hallway, on my way to cell number one hundred sixty-six, to where Jay was waiting. I unlocked the cell easily, it was part of my daily routine, now, and sat down next to him.
“Hey!” His face brightened, and he handed me the small, shiny silver keychain. “I believe this belongs to you?” He smiled his familiar goofy grin, much different from Danny’s.
“Hi,” I greeted, smiling out of habit, “And yes, thank you,” I put the keychain carefully in my pocket, then looked around his very sullen looking cell. “Hey, want to go do something fun?” I asked suddenly, looking around anxiously.
Jay caught onto my mischievous but nervous look quickly, and grinned, “Of course!”
---
I led him down to the back of the agency, where there was a small patch of land that we rarely used. I used to come here with Lauren a lot, before I started to hang out with Jay frequently. I admired the small garden, which was complete with my favorite flower, roses, and smiled.
“Isn’t it pretty?” I asked, sitting down on one of the two swings.
“Very,” Jay agreed, sitting down on the swing next to me, gaining height quickly. He laughed, “I haven’t swung since Seattle,” He chuckled, running his fingers through his hair.
“I haven’t swung in a while either,” I admitted, laughing along with him, then frowning when he met my gaze, “I really hate when you do that!” I sighed, shaking my head.
“I don’t understand what I’m doing, all I did was look at you!” Jay exclaimed, holding his hands up in mock surrender.
“Yeah, it’s just, when you look at me, you make me nervous,” I struggled to explain, “Your eyes are.. Are.. really pretty,” I ended up mumbling, slapping my hand over my mouth and regretting that I’d said anything in the first place.
Jay grinned brilliantly, revealing his perfectly white teeth, “I’m pretty sure you didn’t mean to say that,” He grinned wider, “But if it makes you feel any better, I think your eyes are pretty to,”
I honestly didn’t know what I was doing anymore, I knew, very well, that this was wrong. I knew that he shouldn’t be out here, with me, that I should be with my friends. He was a criminal, in the agency’s eyes, and if I was caught with him I’d probably be kicked out of the agency, my memory completely wiped.
But on the other hand.. I could almost care less. I felt completely weightless, completely carefree with him, and I hadn’t felt like that in a very long time. With all the pressures of the agency, being one of the Director’s, for one, and then balancing that with class, it was hard to keep up. I hadn’t had a friend that wasn’t a fellow agent for a very long time, and what made it better was that he already knew I was an agency, and I didn’t have to hide anything. But I still knew, in the back of my head, that this was oh-so wrong.
“C’mon, we’ve got to get you back inside,” I sighed, frowning with distaste as I realized I didn’t want him to go. “I’ve got to get to class in ten minutes,” I explained, to him .. and myself, perhaps.
---
“I’ll see you after school,” I murmured, turned away from the metal bars as I said this. I leaned against a bar, placing a hand on it to support myself. I shivered when I felt his hand on the same bar, not but inches from mine.
“See you, Annabelle,” He murmured in reply, sitting down in front of the bars, as he did everyday. He’d sit there all day long, and when I came back to visit him, he’d basically be in the same spot.
“I thought, since you don’t really get to do anything while I’m gone, that I’d bring you something to do..” I trailed off, as I pulled out a small leather bound journal and handed it to him, “You can draw in it, write in it, I figured it would give you something to do,” I murmured, pulling out a blue-ink filled pen with the name ‘Jay’ imprinted on it, handing that to him as well.
He looked shocked, nearly speechless. “A-Anna, that’s the nicest thing anybody’s ever done for me,” He whispered, gazing down at the leather bound book and pen in wonder.
“Your welcome,” I mumbled, waving goodbye one last time before making an exit. I didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into, at the moment, all I knew is that I was getting myself in pretty deep.

Lauren’s POV..

“That’s it,” I snapped, “I’m fed up with this, we’re going to find out what Anna’s really doing, because I know it’s not helping the agency,” I huffed, looking around the small group, we were all watching Anna retreat anxiously.
“I’m coming to, I want to know what’s up,” Rebecca agreed softly, “If Anna has a secret that’s to big to tell us about, then I want in on it and now,”
“I don’t think we should get involved..” Jacob muttered, shaking his head, “It’s Anna’s life, we have no right to interfere,”
“PSH,” Danny muttered, “I’m with Lauren and Rebecca on this one, in order to run this agency together, we need to trust each other,” He said, nodding.
“I think that’s the deepest thing that I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth,” Jacob muttered, surprised, “I suppose your right.. I’ll come, but I’m not getting involved,”
“Let’s go, then!” I snapped, stalking toward the elevator that opened automatically in front of me. It knew to watch out, because I was angry, and I wanted to know what was going on with my best friend. I trusted her with my life, and if she couldn’t trust me with one little secret.. I mean, how bad could it really be?
I was surprised to see that Anna had gone to The Cells, as most of us here in the agency called it. It was where the prisoners were kept, like that little snitch, Jay. He got on my nerves, he thought he was oh-so perfect, thought he was smarter than us, probably even thought he’d win when he tried to overthrow the agency. But look at who won.. us. And look at who was in prison.. him.
We got out of the elevator, right when Anna’s long, messy hair whipped around the corner. We followed, and I was getting more suspicious by the minute.
.. Where was she going?
---
Normal POV..

“How long do you think I’ll be in here for?” Jay asked, as soon as I was sitting next to him.
“I.. I’m not sure,” I admitted, “I’m sure it’s at least two years, though, I’ll have to look it up..”
“I figured,” Jay sighed, starting to scribble in his journal.
Suddenly, there was a small scuffling sound, and I looked up towards the door. There stood all four of my friends, Lauren, Rebecca, Jacob, and Danny, all looking horrified.
“What are you doing?” Lauren demanded, glaring from Jay to me, and back again, “You.. You.. What side are you on, Anna? Jay, he’s on the bad side. We’re all on the good side. You can’t do both!” Lauren’s voice was shrill with anger.
“I’m not.. I wasn’t.. I just..” I couldn’t think of what to say. I was caught, it was all over. They were going to drag me out of here, and I’d be punished. How, I honestly didn’t want to know.
“Well?” Rebecca demanded, frowning and furrowing her eyebrows.
“I was just talking to him,” I muttered, “I’m not plotting anybody’s death or overthrow, I promise, I’m just talking to a friend…” I trailed off at that, putting my head in my hands, not wanting to see their glares anymore.
“Excuse me?” Lauren snapped, throwing the door open and stalking towards me, grabbing my good arm and ripping me from the ground, “I’m a friend. He’s a liar! We’re all friends. He’s a criminal!” Lauren’s voice was shaking with anger, she had spun me around so that I was looking her straight in the eyes, “Anna, you’ve got to understand. We’re doing this for your own good!”
Jay had stood up by now, glaring at Lauren. “Knock it off, you guys have to no right to-”
“It’s fine,” I interrupted, pulling away from Lauren and looking at Jay, “It’s fine,” I repeated, picking up his journal and the pen and starting to scribble in it.
“I’ll stop coming down here,” I said, dropping the journal and pen at Jay’s feet. “I get it,” I said, not meeting anybody’s gaze, and following them out, shutting and locking the door behind me without a look back at Jay.
I went straight to my room, slamming the door with great force behind me, leaving my friends standing there in awe. I stalked across the room, hitting the wall with my fist, before collapsing and leaning my back against it while I hugged my knees to my chest.
.. I really hate lying.

Lauren’s POV…

“Don’t worry,” Rebecca was saying, “Anna just needs some time, she’s probably been seeing Jay for months, now,”
I was sitting in my room, on my bed, while Rebecca had dragged a chair over and was sitting in the most uncomfortable looking position on the planet.
“He’s done something to her, I’m sure of it,” I said, my voice shaky, “Anna.. Anna hates him, and wouldn’t see him of her own accord!” I said, nodding in agreement to myself, “That’s got to be it; he’s done something to her,”
Rebecca looked doubtful, “I think Anna just wants somebody to talk to that’s not an agent,” Her eyebrows furrowed, “And Jay.. He’s probably lonely in there, with nothing to do, Anna can’t help but feel bad.. And perhaps it’s worse for her, Jay and Anna have known each other for ages,”
I shook my head furiously, “That’s not it! Anna has us, are we not enough?”
“We’re agents,” Rebecca muttered, “And you’ve been with Anna longer, you guys have probably been through some traumatic experiences, as agents, perhaps it’s caught up to her?”
I frowned sourly, because she had a point. I remember when I wanted to quit, heck, I think I did quit for a week or more.. But I couldn’t stay away from the beloved agency. It had always been my life, and Anna just needed to get used to it.
“She’s never going back to see that idiot, if I can help it,”

Normal POV…

I’m not going to be gone long, I thought, as I started to pack a backpack, It’s just for tonight, then I’ll be back.. I’m not even going that far. I promised myself, standing up and looking in the mirror.
I looked messy, disorganized, and the purple circles under my eyes betrayed the fact that I had been staying up much to late. I looked a lot of things at the moment, but one thing I knew I didn’t look like was an agent. I had thought about this, in my head many times before. Was I really meant to be an agent? I didn’t have apparent agent blood, like Lauren or Rebecca. I hadn’t been in the agency all my life, like Danny and Jacob. No, I wasn’t related to anyone special, and I hadn’t been here since birth, I had been dragged into this by mistake.
I opened the door slowly, cringing internally when it creaked slightly. I sprinted silently down the hallway, not bothering to even look at my friend’s bedroom doors. I couldn’t think of them now, I had to stay focused or I’d start having doubts, which would cause me to make a klutzy mistake.
Jay was already waiting for me, smiling briefly as I unlocked the cell, shaking. As soon as the door clicked open, Jay stepped out and handed me the journal in which I had scribbled my note,
“Be awake at midnight. We’re getting outta here.
- Anna”
Jay grinned at me, and we literally fled. I raced down the hallways, not bothering to take the elevator, because I had a better idea. I raced to the stairs, where I proceeded to slide down the banister. Jay followed suit, grinning wildly as we both sprinted out the front door.
It was raining slightly, a light drizzle fell upon the city. I looked up at the sky, which twinkled brightly, dotted with stars. Luckily for us, the agency was far out, on the outskirts of the city of Seattle, so we were able to see the stars without interference of artificial lights.
I slowed my pace, panting, after I nearly slipped in a muddy puddle. I thought I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and looked toward the front of the agency.
Lauren stood there rigidly, glaring.
“So.. What’s up, Anna?”

Lauren’s POV…

I gritted my teeth, waiting for an answer. I watched them both, frozen in shock- I would’ve been to, I guess, if I’d been caught with a traitor.
“Well?” I snapped, ignoring Rebecca, who was beside me, trembling with anger.
“I.. I..” Anna was stuttering, “I want you to go away,” Anna finally choked out, her wide, fearful eyes turning into a defiant glare, “You have no right to-”
I lost it. I sprinted toward Jay, who stood near Anna’s left side, and tackled him to the ground.
“YOU IDIOT!” I shouted, struggling to pin him as he fought back fiercely. “I WANT MY BEST FRIEND BACK!” I then had him pinned, and I glared at him, straight in the eye. I was compelled to spit on his face, and it took all of my self-control not to.
“Anna! I’m sure she’s doing this for your own good!” Rebecca was trying to tell the struggling Anna, “Now.. Stop struggling, please, or I’ll be forced to take a MACHINE GUN AND-”
“Lauren! Get off me,” Jay growled, trying to get a decent punch in. He couldn’t. I caught his fist, twisting his arm around until I heard a snap, and he cringed, jerking back.
“That’s what you get for brainwashing my best friend, you idiot!” Lauren snapped, punching him in the stomach, then getting up and kicking the side of his stomach, near his ribs.
“Lauren!” Anna cried, struggling against Rebecca’s grip on her arms. Her elbow flew back into Rebecca’s nose, suddenly Rebecca let go in surprise as her nose started to bleed. Anna dashed forward, falling to her knees next to Jay, her face full of concern.
I scoffed, “Go ahead, side with your stupid boyfriend or whatever!” I looked at Jay’s most likely broken arm with pride.
“He’s a friend! He’s a better friend than you two are being, apparently!“ Anna snapped, glaring at me, with an emotion that I couldn’t quite remember seeing before.
I frowned, glaring back at her, “We’re doing this for your own good, Anna! He’s a liar, a manipulator, you said so yourself!” I paused, lowering my voice, “I don’t want you to get caught up into anything that you’re going to regret, you’re my best friend,”
“Y-you.. You were my friend, but I.. I don’t know..” Anna trailed off, blinking, “I don’t think I’m cut out to do this anymore, to be an agent.. It’s all.. I thought I’d get used to it over time, it seemed you had.. But you’re related to generations upon generations of amazing spies! A-and Rebecca to! You’re both insanely smart, insanely athletic, and me? I’m.. I’m normal, I’m not an agent,”
I got up, blinking, and walked over to her. I knelt down by her, shaking her back and forth fiercely.
“Do you hear yourself? Of course you’re an agent, I wouldn’t have made you one if I didn’t know you were cut out to be one!” I wrinkled my nose.
“You’re lying,” Anna instantly said, her gaze burning, “Y-you crinkle your nose w-when you lie,” Anna was stuttering again, her gaze flashing between Jay’s twisted arm, and my gaze.
“Fine,” I said, staring at her evenly, my whole body feeling numb, “I didn’t know if you were really cut out, at the time, but.. You wouldn’t have survived this far if you hadn’t been,” I insisted, watching her turn more, and more doubtful.
“I.. I need time to think,” Anna muttered, “J-just.. Go. Please. I’ll be back in a bit,”
“You’re going to say with your beloved Jaybird!” Rebecca couldn’t help but taunt, growling.
“You don’t have any right to say who I can and cannot be friends with- it doesn’t matter if you have good intentions, people are getting hurt,” Anna’s gaze flashed to Jay again, “I swear on his life I’ll be back later,”
I got up, and started to walk away, whispering under my breath, “Thanks for stealing my best friend.”
---
Normal POV…

I watched them go, frowning and staring at the ground as I started to have a small flashback..

"You know, I played games like a spy when I was younger," I said randomly, watching as Lauren raised an eyebrow.
".. Have you ever wanted to be a real one?" Lauren asked, grinning mischievously, that’s what I spotted something gold in her hands. Holding it up for me to see, I found that it was a golden badge that said: AGENT V - TOP AGENT, I honestly wasn‘t surprised.
".. I have, yes." I admitted sheepishly, my eyes sparkling in wonder as Lauren handed me a badge identical to her’s, but that read: AGENT B - AGENT IN TRAINING.

I instantly touched my pocket, which held that gold badge, but with a different engraving. I, like Lauren, was now an agent of the highest rank. In fact, we all were, Danny, Jacob, Rebecca, Lauren and I, we were the Director’s of the whole entire agency. At this moment, that thought seemed almost overwhelming.
I inspected Jay’s arm, which was most definitely broken. It would heal, but it would take a while.. I knew. I pressed my now healed arm against my side, thinking back to when.. and who, had broken it in the first place, not long ago.
“I-I’m sorry,” I managed to choke out, looking at Jay as he managed to sit up, “I.. I didn’t think she’d..”
“It’s fine,” Jay said, laughing as he held it close to his side, “It probably looks worse than it is, to be honest,” Jay admitted, grinning the now familiar, toothy grin at me.
“I didn’t.. I shouldn’t have dragged you into this,” I said, slumping my shoulders slightly, “It’s not fair that you have to get hurt over this,”
“It’s fine, Anna, stop apologizing,” Jay shook his head as I helped him up, and we walked into the agency, I snuck him quietly back into his cell, not before bandaging up his arm, then I sprinted back to my room quickly.
I have a feeling this was going to get out of hand, and fast.
---
Jay’s POV…

I watched Anna leave, cringing slightly as I tried to move my arm. Lauren had done a good job, the bone was definitely broken, and would take nearly forever to heal. I had to give her props, she was strong. Stronger than I was, most definitely.
“Hey-” I suddenly looked up when I heard the cut off cry, and the large thud as something hit the ground. I got up, walking up to the bars of the cell as two or three figures approached.
As it did, it spoke, “Hi there, Jay, right? My name’s Mitchell.. I believe you may be of some help to me.”

Jay’s POV…

I backed up instantly, until I had my back against the wall. Mitchell.. Mitchell.. Why did that sound familiar? I couldn’t quite remember, all that I knew at this point was that he was a villain, like the Director, and.. Me? I didn’t even know anymore.
“I-I think you’ve got the w-wrong person!” I stuttered, taking in his dramatic appearance. He was your typical boy- messy dark brown hair, dark eyes, fairly tan skin- but what stood out the most was his misshapen nose.
“No, I’m certain. You know Annabelle Marie, don’t you?” Mitchell asked, peering into the shadows that I had sunken back into.
“.. Annabelle? Er.. I-I’ve heard of her, d-don’t know of her personally..” I stuttered, trying to lie. So, Mitchell knew Anna? Well, that was probably bad.
“You’re a terrible liar,” Mitchell muttered mockingly, “I thought you’d have broken out by now.. I honestly thought you’d be a better villain, what with trying to take over the agency and all, but apparently I was wrong!”
“What do you want?” I snapped, coming closer, my arm pressed at my side as I peered at him through narrowed eyes.
“I need you’re help in kidnapping Anna and Lauren-” Mitchell started to explain, but I interrupted him immediately. I remembered him now- He was the one who had kidnapped Lauren and Anna last year, the snotty little prince..
“I.. I can’t. I won’t! I-” This time, it was I who was interrupted.
“And if you don’t help, I’ll break every other limb in your body!” Mitchell growled, staring at me with a deathly glare.
I paused, swallowing, then continued, “What do I have to do?”

Lauren’s POV…

I plopped down on my bed, rubbing my fist. Why did Jay’s face have to be so hard? Ow.
I looked to Rebecca, who was sitting next to me, her shirt stained on the front with blood. I didn’t even cringe at the sight of blood anymore, I knew for a fact that Anna did. Anna. Anna was the reason that everything was so messed up, the reason that Rebecca was hurt, first of all.
“Are you okay?” I asked quietly, blowing a strand of light brown, almost golden, hair out of my face.
“Fine,” Rebecca said lightly, “I think the blood’s starting to stop,” Rebecca commented, rubbing her face with her sleeve.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, “I didn’t think she’d get hit anybody, that’s kind of my job,” I grinned half-heartedly in spite of myself.
“We were messin’ with her stupid boyfriend,” Rebecca growled, frustrated, “I don’t get how she doesn’t realize he’s going to betray her, he’s got to sometime,”
“She’s being stupid, she knows him better than all of us, and she doesn’t realize it,” I snapped, “It’s like I can deal with the idiot princes of England, but I can’t deal with that stupid idiot,”
“Princes of England?” Rebecca inquired curiously, trying to change the subject at the same time.
“Mitchell, Jacob, Cory, and their cousin Mythus,” I grinned as I thought of how many times I’d broken Mitchell’s nose, then continued, “They kidnapped us, they even turned me into like, a twenty-year old so that I could marry one of ‘em,” I paused again, remembering it very clearly, “In fact, Jay drove a car through the Buckingham Palace, Anna and I were both being held and thoroughly freaked out,”
Rebecca raised her eyebrows, “.. I for one hope I never, ever meet them,”
I shrugged, “We haven’t heard from them, or seem them in over a year.. Why would they show up now?”

Normal POV…

I jumped when my cellphone rang, causing me to fall off my bed. I scrambled to my knees, and grabbed it off the nightstand, holding it to my ear.
“Hello?” I asked curiously. I hadn’t bothered to check the caller ID, and honestly, at this point, I didn’t care.
“Hey, Anna,” Jay’s voice sounded on the other end, but it wasn’t it’s usual cheery tone. He sounded serious, but about what?
“Can you meet me down in front of the agency?” He asked, his voice quiet.
“Can you meet me down in front of the agency..” I echoed, nodding even though he couldn’t see me, “Uh, sure, what for?”
“It’s a surprise!” Jay said, before clicking off.
I sat there for a long moment, listening to the silence on the other end.

Jay’s POV…

I looked at Mitchell with disgust. His crooked nose didn’t match he gleeful smile, holding a recorder in his hand.
“Now, call Lauren,” Mitchell commanded, handing me her phone number.
I glared at him, taking the number, and starting to dial. I watched as he relaxed, then tackled him. I pinned him to the ground roughly, before he hit the side of my face with his fist. It hurt. I fell back slightly as he attempted to get up, I cringed slightly as my broken arm was jostled, that hurt to.
He kicked me aside, kicking near my rib cage, where Lauren had done not but a few hours previous.
“I’ll do it myself, then, you idiot!” Mitchell grabbed the phone, and dialed Lauren’s number.
As soon as Lauren picked up and said “Hello?”, he played the recording.
“Can you meet me down in front of the agency?” Anna’s voice crackled slightly out of the recorder, into the phone.
“Uh.. Sure.. I’ll see you in a few, then?” Lauren said, unsure.
Mitchell snapped the phone shut, and smiled at me, “Get up, you’re heading down to meet them, now.”

Normal POV…

I sat in the front of the agency, waiting, wondering. What kind of surprise did Jay have for me?
I looked up as I heard the doors of the agency open. I was about say greet Jay, but I found quickly that.. It wasn’t him. It was.. Lauren?
“What are you doing here?” I asked defensively, frowning at her.
Lauren looked bewildered, “You called me and asked me to come down here, you idiot!”
I looked at her, confused, “What? No, I didn’t!”
“Then why are you down here, then?” Lauren retorted, her hands on her hips.
“Because Jay called me and asked me to come down her-” I was cut off as we both looked up, startled, when the doors opened again.
This time, it was actually Jay. He was quiet as he came to stand by us, looking apologetic.
“Look, I’m really, really sorry,” Jay murmured quietly, his eyes looking sorrowful.
“For what?” Lauren and I asked, confused, in unison.
“You didn’t do anything, Jay!” I said, scoffing.
“I.. I’m sorry for..” He trailed off, as something, a figure, appeared in front of us.
“That.”

Lauren’s POV…

“I TOLD-YOU-SO!” I shouted at Anna, angrily. “I told you, I told you he was going to betray you! Only thing is, I didn’t count on me getting dragged into your stupid, ridiculous mess!”
“B.. But..” Anna stuttered, looking at Jay. “Y.. You..”
Mitchell stepped out of the shadows, smiling at us brightly. “Hello, Lauren. Hello, Anna,” He greeted.
“YOU STUPID LITTLE IDIOT! I’M GOING TO BREAK EVERY SINGLE BONE IN YOUR BODY!” I shouted, punching him square in the face.
Mitchell was momentarily shocked, I took advantage of that by hooking my foot around his ankle and yanking, watching as he fell backwards, growling.
Jacob and Mythus appeared then, and I groaned internally, going for Jacob, watching as Anna went for Mythus stiffly.
I attempted to kick Jacob, but he caught my foot in his hand, and twisted it, causing me to fall flat on my back. “Hello, Mr. Liar!” I snapped, referring to the fact that he’d promised to stop bugging us.
He didn’t answer, but held me down with his foot on my stomach. I grabbed his leg, and flung him over me, slamming his face into the mud.
I felt something hit the back of my head, cursed my older sister, Lauria, for having that habit of fainting and passing it on to me, and then it was all black.

Normal POV…

I tackled Mythus, but then he flipped over, leaving me pinned.
“GET OFF OF ME, YOU STUPID LITTLE IDIOT!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, kicking him in the stomach. He loosened his grip for a moment, and I managed to get my arm free, and punch him in the face.
I scrambled out from under him, kicking him aside, but tripped as he grabbed my ankle. I got a faceful of mud, and groaned, feeling light-headed as he kicked the side of my head.
I struggled to get up, but everything slowly went black before I could fight back.

Jay’s POV…

I watched, horrified, as Anna and Lauren were beaten up and unconscious. They had absolutely no chance.
“Thank you,” Mitchell smiled as him, Jacob, and Mythus picked up the two unconscious girls and started to drag them away.
“You’ve just helped ruin the agency."

I blinked awake, noticing only a few things, the first thing was what I was wearing. I was wearing a poofy, bright pink ball gown, and it.. It glittered. GLITTERED. Secondly, I noticed where I was. I was in a bedroom in the Buckingham Palace, I knew for sure. And finally, I noticed that I was tied to a chair. I wriggled, trying to free myself, snarling when Cory appeared, his face triumphant.
“You little-” I was cut off abruptly, he had stated to untie me. I sat completely still, and once I was completely untied, I kicked him in the stomach. He flew backwards a few feet, and I got up, gasping as he tripped me as I tried to run past to the door.
I fell, nearly ripping the ruffily end part of my dress off. I huffed, flipping over onto my back and staring up at Cory, “Hello, sir, how are you doing today?” I quoted one of my favorite children’s book characters, Junie B. Jones, sheepishly.
Cory scoffed, ignoring me, “You need to keep clean, we’ve got lots of plans today,” He informed me, smiling.
I swallowed, pursing my lips, for I knew that this couldn’t be good.

Lauren’s POV…

I blinked awake, thoroughly confused. I looked out at the opposite wall, opposite from the wall that the chair that I was tied up to was set against, and saw that something was reflecting light. That’s when a horrifying thought struck me, and I slowly looked down.
I screamed, my eyes widening in horror at the poofy, ruffle-filled, sequined dress. I started thrashing around wildly, it just got worse when Mitchell and Jacob appeared.
“YOU!” I shouted accusingly, “Get me out of this dress, or somebody’s going to DIE!” I threatened, my voice high-pitched and shrill.
“Uh.. I don’t think it’d be safe to untie her,” Jacob said half-heartedly, raising his eyebrows as Mitchell started to untie me anyways.
I screamed and thrashed around in protest, the whole entire time. As soon as I was free, I flexed my fingers, and socked Mitchell straight in the nose. I smiled in admiration at the blood that poured steadily from it.
“That’s for kidnapping me,” I informed him lightly, before kicking him in the stomach, and sending him flying across the bedroom and into the opposite wall. “And that was for putting me in a dress,” I added, standing up and putting my hands on my hips defiantly. “Now, somebody better find me something else to wear, because five more seconds of this dress and I think I’ll explode.. And don’t you worry your pretty little head’s off, I’ll take you all with me,” I threatened, frowning.
“You’ll do no such thing!” Mitchell snapped, rolling his eyes.
“You’ve got to stay clean, we’ve got lots of events to attend to, today,” Jacob added, smirking at her.
I frowned, crossing my arms, “Good luck keeping me quiet and clean.. You’re gonna need it,”

Normal POV…

“Where are we going?” I inquired, yanking away slightly as Mythus dragged me along by my arm.
“Nowhere that you need to worry about, for right now,” He said, stopping in front of another bedroom door.
Mitchell stepped out, dragging Lauren in the same exact manner that I was being dragged in.
“Let go of me! I’ll scream!” Lauren threatened loudly, ripping herself away from Mitchell completely and standing next to me.
“I have a feeling we’ve done this before,” I said, shivering as Lauren nodded in grim agreement.
We were led into a room, with a large machine. I felt light-headed, for I knew we’d done this before.
“You don’t think…” I started, horrified.
Mitchell spun around, smiling, “Welcome back,”

“N-no,” I calmly protested, yanking away from Mythus completely and backing up slowly, “I’m not.. I am not going through that again,” I shuddered, recalling the last time.

Lauren stepped out.. But it wasn’t Lauren. It looked like Lauren, but older. Lauren looked in her twenties, longer hair, taller, a definite difference.
“W-what’s wrong with me?” Lauren asked, walking over slowly, her small, white wedding- looking dress noticeably slowly her.
“I-I think y-your older..” I trailed off, thoroughly confused. That’s when I realized it. We had both been put in wedding dresses, and were both wearing pretty little wedding rings.
I gasped, struggling against Cory as I was shoved into the machine, like Lauren. I cringed as the door was shut, and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping something was wrong with me, and the machine wouldn’t do the same as it had to Lauren…

“Yes!” Mythus replied, pausing, “Yes, yes you are,” He grabbed my arm roughly, towing me toward the machine.
I kicked him in the chin, to focused to watch him fall, and sprinted towards the door. Jacob jumped in the way, and I karate-kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying. I felt something wrap around my ankle, and I was down.
Mythus ripped me off the floor by my arm, slipping a ring on my finger in the process. I couldn’t think of anything to say as I was dragged toward the open door of the machine. I cringed as I hit the opposite wall of the machine when I was thrown in.
I cringed as the door was slammed and locked shut, shuddering. I squeezed my eyes shut, still able to see the flash of blinding colors, even behind my eyelids.
I felt like I was being stretched upward and outward and all-over-ward. It was the most funny sensation, I couldn’t help but giggle.
Then it all went black.

Lauren’s POV…

I watched Anna and Mythus, he shoved her into the large machine roughly, shutting and locking the door shut in the same violent manner. Mythus pressed a button, and the machine started clicking rapidly.
I looked at Mitchell first, he was hanging on my left arm, holding me loosely in place. I then looked at Jacob, hanging on my right arm, his grip also slackened. They were both mesmerized by the flashing, bright lights of the machine, and I took advantage of this distraction.
I swung both of my arms, making a half-circle, and slamming Mitchell and Jacob to the ground. Jacob was the first to recover from the shock, I jumped up, kicking him in the chest and slamming him into the other wall. Mitchell had scrambled up by then, Mythus had sped over as well. They were standing on either side of me, ready to jump at me, I jumped up again and kicked them both in the face at the same time. As soon as I saw that they were down, I sprinted for the machine.
I looked it over, searching for the button to stop it. I spotted the huge red button easily- they really should figure out a more conspicuous button color. I was about to hit it, before I was tackled from the side by Mythus. I hit the floor, sliding slightly, and let myself be pinned by Mythus. I looked up at him, managing to free an arm and poking him in the eyes with my two fingers. He hissed, letting me up while he covered his eyes. I threw my hand up, still sitting on the ground, and felt around for the button. I finally found it, and slammed down on it.
There was a serious of beeping noises, and then the machine fell completely silent. I scrambled up, kicking Mythus aside, and unlocked the door. Anna stumbled out, coughing. It was Anna, except.. It wasn’t. It looked like Anna, it was her.. Around four years ago.

I looked at Lauren, no, looked up at Lauren. I had to look up at her, just to see her horrified face. I slowly looked down at myself, and took it all in. I was now, at the very least, five inches shorter than I had been.
“W-what’s wrong with me?” I asked, cringing at the sound of my own voice. It was high-pitched, a squeal at the very best.
Lauren stared at me, blinking her wide, dark green eyes, “Uh.. Anna?”
“W-what? What is it?” I demanded, putting my hands on my hips.
“I think you’re.. Uh.. Thirteen,” Lauren paused, shaking her head, “Like, physically, not mentally. You.. You’re shorter, your voice..”
I nodded slowly for a moment, my gaze searching around the room until I found Mythus. I smiled politely at him, and walked over, stumbling as I wasn’t used to having this short of legs. I stood in front of him, looking up at him innocently, smiling. He smiled a nervous little smile back at me, and I jumped up, karate-kicking him in the stomach. I laughed, a high-pitched tinkling bell, as he flew backwards and hit the wall, making a dent in it.
“You’re going to turn me back, and now,” I commanded, folding my hands behind my back and standing up on my tippy-toes.
“We’re not going to-” Mitchell scoffed, stopping in mid-sentence as I reached into Lauren’s pocket, pulling out her pocket-knife.
Lauren scowled, snatching it back from me. “I think you might actually kill him if I let you use this,” Lauren muttered, shoving it back into her pocket.
“Then you tell me what we’re supposed to do.”

Jay’s POV…

“Explain to Danny and Jacob how you know they were kidnapped,” Rebecca commanded, pacing back and forth across her bedroom. I shrank back, turning to Danny and Jacob, who looked utterly confused. Danny was sprawled out on the bean-bag chair that Rebecca had moved into her room recently. Jacob, however, was sitting upright on the end of Rebecca’s stiff bed, quite alert.
I ran my fingers through my hair nervously, as I began to speak. “I know they were kidnapped by Mitchell, Cory, and Mythus because I, well, I, uhm.. I kinda, sorta, helped them do it, but-”
Rebecca stopped in her pacing, and slammed her fist against the wall, “He helped them, helped them kidnap our friends.” Rebecca snarled through gritted teeth, her jaw was locked tightly.
Danny jerked up in surprise, “YOU DID WHAT, NOW?” He yelled, balling his hands into fists angrily. He jumped up, curling his lip as he grabbed me by the front of my shirt and lifted me a few inches off the ground. “NOT COOL, JAY, NOT COOL!”
Jacob had jumped up, his eyebrows furrowing into an angry and distraught line above his eyes. He shoved Danny aside roughly, and I fell to the ground, landing wobbly on my feet. Jacob glared, making complete eye-contact.
“Where did they take Anna and Lauren?” Jacob asked, breathing in and out slowly, his whole face red.
I paused for a long moment, “Uhm.. England?”
---
“What do you mean, we can’t fly to England?” Rebecca shouted, banging her fist on the table.
“Lower your voice, and calm yourself at once, agent!” Ms. Smith replied calmly, pursing her lips and putting her hands on her hips.
Even though this agency was completely run by mostly kids, this branch was connected to the CIA, and the CIA was pretty much run by adults. We had to be cleared by the CIA to do anything involving anything that wasn’t completely within our capability.
“We have to go to England! We need that plane, Ms. Smith! Lauren and Anna are out there, and we have to get them!” Rebecca’s whole face was completely flushed from yelling.
“Agent, I do believe that your emotions are clouding your judgment,” Ms. Smith snapped, “Lauren and Anna are our agents, we’ll deal with it. We’re not going to send a couple of kids-”
Rebecca completely snapped. “Kids? KIDS? We’re nearly seventeen, first of all! We’re highly capable of achieving anything you adults could! I swear that if it weren’t for the law, I wouldn’t be asking you for permission! And if anything, we’re all extremely talented kids,” Rebecca paused, “Lauren Afton. She’s been in the agency longer than any of us. Lauria Afton, her older sister by only a few years, helped create this branch of the CIA! Lauren is related to some of the CIA’s most memorable agents, she’s extremely skilled in every type of martial art, she is faster than any of us, including you!” Rebecca jabbed her finger accusingly at Ms. Smith. “Annabelle Marie Smith. She’s been in the agency shorter than all of us, but has certainly earned her high-rank! Anna is practically a genius, her IQ level is far higher than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. She’s extremely quick-thinker, coming up with better plans than any agent I’ve ever heard of, she’s amazing at karate and is a very formidable opponent. She’s supposed to be attending college, but instead, she’s wasting away here with us kids!” Rebecca paused again, jerking her finger at Danny.
“Daniel Sacher. He’s been in the agency for as long as I can remember, he’s highly skilled in fighting, and is incredibly strong. He’s very smart, much smarter than any kid I know!” Rebecca barely paused this time, “Jacob Night. He can disguise himself incredibly well, adapting to any kind of situation thrown at him. He is one of the smartest kids in the agency! He’s as smart as Anna, possibly smarter! He’s very fast, able to think on his feet, and very good at improvising!” Rebecca’s voice was barely a whisper.
“Rebecca Lillian. She’s stronger than you can even imagine, in fact, she’d kill anyone that got in her way if it wasn’t illegal. Rebecca’s pretty handy with a gun, and graduated every school a year or so earlier than everybody else,” Rebecca caught her breath again, panting. “We, Ms. Smith, are most certainly not kids.” Rebecca spat.
Ms. Smith glared at Rebecca, “We will not allow children, however gifted they may be, to fly an airplane to England, Ms. Lillian,” Ms. Smith paused, “You can go now.”
Rebecca started to nod, very slowly, “Ms. Smith, I promise you that you will be sorry,” Rebecca lowered her voice, “If anything, anything at all, happens to those agents, I assure you that your life will become a living nightmare.” With that, Rebecca stalked out of the tiny office, her friends flanking her.
Rebecca turned around on her heel, facing Danny, Jacob, and I. Rebecca paced in front of us, then pointed.
“Jacob, you go to the floor where they keep the planes. Check it out, see if there is anyone there,” Rebecca said, “If there is, cause any kind of diversion to get them out of there,” Rebecca said solemnly.
“.. Anything?” Jacob asked, his eyes lighting up.
“Absolutely.” Rebecca said, watching as he jogged casually down the hallway and out of sight.
Jacob’s POV…

I jogged down the hallways, glancing at the sign on the wall that clearly read, in stenciled red letters; AIRCRAFT DEVOLPMENT AND TAKE-OFF, NO NON-WORKER PERMITTED PAST THIS POINT.
I shrugged, grinning at the sign mockingly. “Well, rules were invented to be broken,”
I slowed my pace, putting on a sly smile as the workers all looked up in surprise.
“Hey! You, kid, what are you doing back here?” One of the workers asked gruffly, setting down whatever he was working on to walk over to me.
I shrank back innocently, “I apologize, sir, Ms. Smith sent me! She says that it’s extremely important that you talk to her down in her office,” I explained, my lie obviously working as the four or five workers there looked surprised and smiled at me.
“Of course! Thank you, my lad!” One of them called as they started down the hallways.
“Thank you, stupid idiot!” I mocked quietly as they left.
I flipped open my phone, “Rebecca? I sent them down to Ms. Smith, we’ve a ten minute opening before somebody realizes something is wrong,” I informed her.
“Brilliant!” Rebecca said on the other end, “Thank you, we’re on our way.”
And then the phone clicked off.
---
Jay’s POV…

Rebecca was sitting in the pilots seat, Jacob in the co-pilots, while Danny and I seat behind them in the extra seats. I could feel the palms of my hands shaking, and sweating slightly. I wasn’t even supposed to be out of the cell. If we were caught, there would be some horrible consequences.
Rebecca was hitting buttons like she had known how to do this all her life, and soon the engine rumbled. I gripped the sides of my chair as the plane lifted slowly into the air, suddenly there was a voice on the intercom.
“YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSON TO FLY THAT PLANE, AGENT!” Ms. Smith’s angry voice sounded over the intercom.
Rebecca cringed, and grabbed the intercom, sighing into it, “I told you, Ms. Smith, you would be sorry! And aren’t you now, that we had to resort to stealing?” Rebecca grinned, easing the plane upward and out of the agency. Ms. Smith became a tiny dot as we quickly gained speed and height.
Rebecca hit buttons again, entering the coordinates for the Buckingham Palace, in England. Rebecca leaned back, as she had set it on auto-pilot, and began to relax for our wonderful flight on a stolen plane headed to England to get back some kidnapped agents..
This ought to be good.

I climbed up onto a chair to level myself with everybody else, and glared at the three boys, Cory, Mitchell, and Mythus, who were giggling at me.
“Stop that!” I complained, putting my hands on my hips defiantly. “I know you’re laughing at me, I’m not stupid!”
Mitchell grinned, “But you’re tiny! I can’t believe we were scared of you when you were-” Mitchell gasped for air as I jumped off the chair, wrapping my hands tightly around his neck and clawing at it.
“KEEP TALKING, I DARE YOU!” I shouted, grinning as I left marks from my fingernails. Lauren stopped me only when he started to turn purple, yanking me away easily and setting me on the ground.
“Geez, Anna! You were, like, really murderous at thirteen!” Lauren exclaimed, snickering as Mitchell fell to the floor in an overdramatic fit, breathing in deeply.
“CHANGE ME BACK, NOW!” I shouted, “I. KNOW. WHERE. YOU. SLEEP. AT. NIGHT.” I said each word separately, seething.
“Er.. I would, but-” Mitchell started awkwardly.
I cut him off, “BUT WHAT! WHAT WOULD POSSIBLY BE WRONG NOW? I’M THIRTEEN, FOR CRYING OUTLOUD!”
“I, uhm, think that when you, uh, threw Mythus into the machine, you, uh, kinda, uh, broke it..” Mitchell admitted sheepishly.
I stood there calmly for a moment, my face slowly turning from my normal skin color to an interesting shade of red.
“Breathe, Anna,” Lauren warned.
I walked up to Mitchell again, he shrank back. I looked up at him, prepared my voice, then screamed at the top of my lungs, “FIX IT, AND FIX IT NOW!”

Jay’s POV…

I nearly fell out of my seat as the plane lurched. I looked around, confused. Danny was sprawled out in his seat, he hadn’t bothered to buckle himself in, sleeping quietly. Jacob was still upright, leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. It was only Rebecca and I that were awake. Rebecca sat upright, watching the controls intently.
I unbuckled myself, climbing forward and standing next to Rebecca, who looked a little worried.
“What’s up?” I asked. Rebecca jumped, spinning around to face me.
“Don’t do that!” Rebecca snapped, glancing back at the planes controls. “Oh, it’s nothing. We’re nearly there, a few more minutes..” Rebecca trailed off as the plane lurched again.
I leaned over the controls, and blinked. “Uh.. Rebecca?”
“What is it?” Rebecca snapped, not willing to admit she didn’t know what the red flashing light was about.
“Uhm, well, you see, the plane it’s, uh, kinda running out of fuel,” I explained in a quiet voice.
“.. Your point?” Rebecca asked, rolling his eyes.
“THE PLANE IS GOING TO CRASH.” I snapped, crossing my arms.
Rebecca was silent for a long moment, “I assume that’s bad, then?”

Jay’s POV…

“WE’RE GOING TO DIE,” Danny groaned, eyeing the flashing light with casual horror.
“We’re not going to die, Danny,” Jacob was trying to calm him, though he was shaking slightly as well, “Jay and Rebecca will fix it, they’re, well, them.”
Rebecca still looked fine, leaning back in the pilot’s seat casually. I looked at her, bewildered.
“REBECCA! THE. PLANE. IS. GOING. TO. CRASH.” I shouted, speaking each word separately to get it through her head.
We all stumbled as the plane lurched. I leaned onto the co-pilot’s chair to steady myself, mumbling incoherent, panicky words under my breath. I didn’t really know what I was saying, just that I freaking out. I didn’t want to die, but that seemed like the most likely outcome.
Rebecca peered out the window of the plane, as it lurched one finally time before descending through the clouds.
Danny groaned again, “We’re dead, we’re dead, we’re dead, we’re dead, we’re dead, we’re dead.” He muttered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut.
“Oh, lord,” Jacob said, looking at Rebecca, “Rebecca, if we die, I will kill you. Up in Heaven, I promise.”
Rebecca looked down again, and saw they were quickly approaching the ground. In fact, it looked as if they were going to crash into a large, very beautiful building.
I squeezed my eyes shut as the plane touched down.