On the walk home after training to dive snipers, (and ANW assassins,) a memory flashed in my mind. The walk wasn’t long, since the woods were just behind my house.

This was first memory I can remember. I was four or five years old. My babysitter had put me to sleep. My parents were out at a conference with Clara’s dad. I wasn’t sleepy at all. I climbed out of my window to Clara’s house. Clara’s mom wouldn’t mind if I was there. She was the fun and quiet one, so I liked talking with her.

Yes, major ego change from when she’s Poppy.

When I get there, Clara’s mom is outside, wearing a black leather dress. Her mask made of deadly poppies sprayed around me, making me dizzy. I suddenly fell over and landed on the soft grass. She picks me up, scared that someone will see her and runs over to a crowd of men nearby in the woods. This was where the level 3’s trained and hung out. Of course I didn’t know that then.

I saw them training and I wanted to join too.

“Me, me!” I squeaked.

Clara’s mother laughed and said to the man next to her, “This young boy is a feisty one.” “When he is ready, we will train him.”

As sure as her word, Clara’s mom brought me to ANW the next night and gave me the black pants and shirt I had to wear then, along with a wooden bow and arrow.

As soon as I held my first weapon, I fell in love with the art of combat. You might think I was weird, but that was what everybody thought in school, without the combat part.

I was a freak, an anti-social, whatever you called it, I was lonely. My parents were also well-off people like Clara’s. They started a business together. The only thing that made me antisocial was that I never spoke. I get tongue tied. People just overwhelm me. Clara was the only one who came up to me in kindergarten, held out her hand and said, “Hi, I’m Clara, what’s your name?”

Since I didn’t want to freak out my parents or my best friend, I didn’t tell them about my secret. It’s hard sneaking out at night, with me walking alone.

I get home around 4 in the morning, and according to ANW, you must exercise. And if you don’t, Poppy knows. Somehow. I tiptoed past my parents’ bedroom and headed into a hidden door in my closet. When I was 7, my parents made this place so I can read comics and invite friends over.

Instead, this is where I keep everything related to ANW, from my first bow and arrow to my small knife.

I showered and put on some gym clothes and threw my ANW clothes in the sink. Besides, I could clean it up before my mom saw it.

She wouldn’t stir out of bed until at least 10.

I then crept down to the basement, where my dad exercised, which meant running for 5 minutes, getting a cramp, and watching Netflix until an hour passed. Then, he would spray water on himself and tell my mom he exercised.

Adults

As I put on my ear buds and turned on my favorite song, I started the treadmill and had just started to run when my phone buzzed. I stopped running and nearly went flying before I turned off the treadmill and checked my phone.

It was from Clara. What the heck was she doing, texting me 5 in the morning? The text said, “Don’t forget to meet me outside the front door today so we can talk about the World History project. Sorry I decided to text you this early if you’re awake. I couldn’t sleep.”

Oh no! The history project! I forgot all about it! If I remember, this thing is due in two days! I stopped working out and changed into some jeans and a shirt and tiptoed back into my room.

Then, I literally ran over to my backpack, and pulled out a paper with the project instructions.

Next, I take out my computer and opened a word document, but I first I did my special ritual.

I went over to a little closet near the front door of my room and I opened it. Inside, I had a secret stash of Twizzlers, M&Ms, and the big honcho, Kit Kats. Whenever I’m feeling stressed or I start a big project, I eat something sweet to help me relax.

To get a sweet though, you need a very special playing card, and this is no ordinary.

Every assassin gets a playing card when they reach level 2, which scans their clothes and transports them.

Mine has the seven of spades, and my name engraved on one side, and on the other, a red backing, just like the regular cards.

I also made a lock so nobody can access my candy with my playing card.

After that, I sat down on my desk and tried to get something done as the sun slowly rose. Once I finished, I sat on my bed and watched the sunrise. As an alarm for 7:00 beeped, I grabbed my cluttered backpack, a bagel in the kitchen, and went to my parents’ room.

My mom was still knocked out, so I gave her a kiss and tucked her in on the way out. My dad was outside, so he took me to school in his car.

“Have a great day at school!” My dad spoke.

I waved back.

Clara had sent me a text saying that she would be late for school as usual. Most people think that with a driver that your parents hired to drive to school on time, you wouldn’t ever be late. That doesn’t apply with Clara. She always gets late, and with no reason! One time, while she was running late to homeroom, she told our teacher that she had to complain to the lunch lady that she didn’t like the meatballs they served on lunch yesterday.

Clara was given 3 detentions that week while the rest of the class sat howling their heads off. That was the first day I actually saw her cry after serving her first detention.

When I asked her why, she said, “Damien, no matter how perfect you think my life is, it isn’t. I try to be early and to keep out of trouble because of one reason; When I stepped into Kindergarten, my dad said only one thing: keep out of trouble. That’s the only thing he expects from me. I just had to go and put my big mouth in,” Clara sobbed.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I’ll just tell that I got in trouble even though you took the blame for it.”

“Really?” She asked, wiping her eyes.

“Always,” I replied.

Clara gave me a big hug that day, that I will never forget.

Remembering that, I stepped into the main hallway to slide down the stairs, earning a glare from our principal, Mrs. Lafayette. I gave her what I called a blinding smile and went right past her.

Most of the kids nearby frowned at me and whispered in close groups. I slumped. The only thing I wanted to do was not feel like an outcast, and that was the only I was doing right now.

The second bell rang, and I ran a little quicker to my locker. Since my last name started with an R, my locker was in the way back.

Inside, I found a joke that Clara left: “Why didn’t the chicken cross the road? She had Nationwide on her side….”

I chuckled. I could picture her singing the answer.

I looked around. There was no kids left since everybody left for class before the third bell rang which meant I had to hurry.

Suddenly, I heard a rustling.

Turning around, I pulled out my knife to face two men dressed in black, wearing a very familiar badge. The brown eagle with a black and white background explained everything.

“ ‘ello Monsieur Richards,” The man on the left said. His gold tooth in his mouth smiled brightly.

There was no point in calling out, the men had covered themselves in the dark purple powder that didn’t let anybody see what they were doing.

“This is all we have to do? I should have got ice cream before,” the tall man on the right side whined.

“Shut up, you moron! We’ll get ice cream after we finish the job,” Gold Tooth screamed.

The tall man nodded.

“Okay little prince, come here: we’re got going to hurt you.” Gold tooth crooned.

“You think I’m that stupid? By the way, you two remind me of the two burglars in Home Alone who were complete knuckleheads. Yep, you’re like twins! I really wish I had a better match to deal with,” I teased the two.

Gold Tooth scowled and then smiled.

I frowned and groaned. “There’s another one behind me, right?”

“Be careful of what you wish for,” a raspy voice croaked, as he was put a sleeping vital on my neck.

The last I heard was Clara saying, “Damien, where are you?"

Next Chapter: Chapter 4: Meet the Most Boring Teacher of the Year