Chapter 1

     While Frank and Daniel were on the plane from Virginia to California, Kara was having the usual six hour, boring day at school. She had no idea of the two men or how her life was about to change dramatically. Occasionally, school was fun but she couldn’t remember the last time it was. She was very smart and clever but sometimes her anger got the best of her. Kara had an older sister, a mom, and a dad so that made a family of four. When her sister seemed to get bossy or rude, out of nowhere she would blow up at her and still her anger would just keep building up more and more. Now, she was sitting at her desk in the very front of the classroom while her friends sat in the back, they didn’t have a choice or say in where they sat. They were learning Algebra, not her favorite subject. She leaned back in her chair and heard her teacher talking about something she had learned the year before but now she was learning it again.

            School was a breeze to her but every time the bell rang to go home, Kara was relieved to go. She walked the twenty minute walk to her house to see two tall men talking to her mom. One looked her up and down which made her nervous. As she walked up the stairs to do her homework she could feel the men’s eyes burning on her back. X equals negative b plus or minus the square root of 4ac all over 2a, she repeated the math formula in her head as she wrote it down. It had been an hour and she could still hear them talking to her mom. She started to think that it was one of her mom’s clients because her mom worked as a real estate agent.

            “Kara! Please, come down here!” her mom yelled up the stairs and broke her from her previous thoughts. Could it be someone who works for my school? Am I in trouble? Kara thought.

            “Coming!” Kara put her homework in her backpack and slowly walked down the stairs. She began to feel herself shaking as she neared the last step.

            “Oh, here she is. Kara, these men want you to go over to their private school over in Virginia with a full scholarship. Their names are Frank and Daniel. I want you to listen to what they say and see if you would like to go to the school or not,” there was a smile in her mom’s eyes and the phone rang. Kara watched as her mom ran to catch the phone as she shook hands with the strangers that stood in her living room. She looked them up and down just as they did to her. Kara had a feeling that they were lying. The sound of a full scholarship to a private school was too good to be true. She waited until her mom was completely out of earshot before speaking to the men.

            “You aren’t going to give me a full scholarship to go to your school. Do you expect me to believe that? You probably don’t even own a school.” Kara could tell if someone was lying even if her mom could not.

            “Of course we are. If we weren’t why would we be here?” Daniel said. His words were too cheerful and his smile, she could tell, was forced. I don’t know why are you? Kara glared up at him and his partner. She paced back and forth between them on the couch and her mom’s arm chair. They talked about their ‘school’ that they were possibly going to take her to. She paid no attention to what they said, instead, she looked at them from every possible angle she could without making herself seem suspicious. Something caught her eye. Suddenly, as she was pacing she tripped and fell onto Frank.

            “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry, sometimes I can be very clumsy.” Kara blushed and quickly got off of him.

            “That’s OK,” Frank said, suddenly startled at what had happened. He brushed his pants off as if she had gotten cookie crumbs on him and exchanged a worried glance with Daniel. What he didn’t know was that she had done it on purpose. Kara could tell that Frank was going to say something but her mom entered the room. She was relieved because it would avoid any questions.

            “So, what do you think of the school?” her mom asked with a hopeful smile.

            “Let’s just say that I think that it’s too good to be true,” Kara glared over at the two men who’s smile was too big for their faces. How badly she wanted to smack it off of their faces!

            “Ma’am, the school has already begun and we would appreciate it if we could take her tomorrow.” Daniel said. Kara’s mom studied her.

            “Aww, my baby would have to leave so soon. Can it wait, maybe a week?”

            “I am sorry but your daughter is already far behind as it is.”

            “But she is smart so I am sure that she would be able to catch up. Also, I need to talk to my husband about this.”

            “Ma’am our plane leaves tomorrow and we can’t wait. So, either the plane leaves with your daughter or it doesn’t.”

            “Well, that’s kind of �"�"�",” Kara cut off her mom.

            “Please, mom, I would really love to go,” Kara wanted to know why the men were at her house and whether or not this ‘school’ was real. One part of her scolded her for speaking up but the other part was thirsty for an adventure. The men smiled again and she no longer wanted to go.

            “Aw, well, if my baby wants to go then I guess she can go. What time will you be picking her up?”

            “Around noon, so I don’t recommend that she goes to school tomorrow,” Daniel replied. Kara’s mom seemed to be thinking over everything. Kara, seeing that they probably weren’t going to talk to her anymore, started up the stairs.

            “Honey, don’t forget to pack.” Kara nodded to show her mom that she had heard. Her thoughts were occupied, though. Why did I say that I wanted to go? I don’t want to go. When she reached the top of the stairs she peeked around the corner. The men were gone and it was as if they had never been there.

 

             “Daniel, have you seen my earpiece?” Frank asked as he scratched his ear and felt nothing in it. He looked around on the ground to see if it fell in the grass.

            “No. Maybe it dropped in the house or you forgot it. Make up an excuse to get inside and look around.” Daniel looked worried.

            “Can’t go in now. That girl is watching us through the window.” Frank nodded in the direction of the window and she disappeared before Daniel could see her. Daniel didn’t know what to think as he stared at the wide open, empty window that had it’s curtains flying out.

            “Fine, then let’s hope that you forgot it at the hotel. Come on, let’s go,” the two men left in a Toyota Corolla XRS with curious glances at the window before leaving.

Author's Note

Ok, we are starting to get past the boring parts. :) What do you think?

Reviews

[Jack Isaac]

[first impression] you are a skilled writer and your devotion to this really shows. This chapter invites the reader and keeps attention. Like your other writing, it it wonderfully consitent. Think about the "passive voice" though --especially in your most important line, which is the first line. The structure so far makes me think the story is about the CIA and Kara is secondary. Is that correct? If not:

Who is the more important character? --Kara, or Frank and Daniel? Who do you want to introduce first? And whose circumstance is resolved by the end of the chapter?--so is it more important for Kara to be an agent, or for the CIA to just have a kid agent?

[TheElfPrincess]

Still interesting and good to read. Well done. Can't wait for the next chapter.