somebody to die for;

Jaxon smirked, thinking about what to enumerate for a moment before glancing back at the girl who he grew fond of, “For one, you’re not into drugs which is a good thing, and then you’re good at what we’re doing,” He continued, he was going to say that she was good on being a spy but considering how many might people overhear him when he says that, he decided against it. The last thing he wanted to do was to compromise their mission, he glanced at her before smiling, “All I know is that in my eyes, you’re good………” And beautiful and so much more but Jaxon held his tongue, this wasn’t the right place nor he was the right guy for her, when he got into this business, he knew what was in store for him, he saw his dad sacrifice a lot (his mother, their relationship as father and son, and many more). When he first stepped into the academy, he was so unsure that he should do this but after the training he went through to get there, there was no turning back and he never did since them. Of course, there were thoughts about how he would have a normal life if he chose to not to get himself tied up to the organization but it always fade away.

“Ah, yes, I don’t do drugs. That makes me automatically good! Because there’s nothing else in the world that makes someone good other than if you don’t do drugs,” Brooke shot back, her usual playful grin etched on her face as she nudged Jaxon gently. Her face softened at his next compliment, her head tilting a fraction as she peered up at him. She knew what he meant, despite how vague it was. She knew he was saying that to protect themselves from any potential eavesdroppers. Nevertheless, the compliment still made her feel warmer inside; at least someone believed in her. Even if she could list a number of reasons why he shouldn’t. After all, if Jaxon didn’t believe in her then who else would? There were her parents who always pressured her to be ‘perfect’ from a young age - but they never truly believed in her. Not really. Besides, with the amount of guilt she still lived with on a daily basis, she never quite had the capacity to believe in herself. She couldn’t bear with the thought of Jaxon’s opinion on her being tainted by a mistake she so wrongly made so long ago -- or at least, it felt like a lifetime ago. It never stopped her from wondering whether he already knew, and if he did, then she admired him so much for being able to work with her. Realising that she may have been looking at him for longer than she should have, she laughed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear again, momentarily glancing away from him as she thought of something to say. “Well, you’re not so bad yourself,” Brooke responded cheekily, the bright smile crossing her lips as she looked back at him again.

Casey would never forgive herself if she would do something that would hurt Max but sometimes, she couldn’t help but think that their their relationship makes things more complicated especially in Max’s life. If they weren’t together, at least, Max wouldn’t have to worry about her, at least, he’d concentrate on the threat on his life and not think about hers as well. He might not say it, but she knew that even if he acts like he was not scared of the people who’s trying to hurt, deep down, he is, and he was scared that they might hurt her as well. Casey got to admit, even if she would be headstrong, she was scared of the threat that was surrounding her boyfriend, like in the blink of an eye, someone can take him away from her and she cannot imagine that. So, even if she hated the bodyguard, she actually were thankful that they risk their lives to keep Max safe. All she wanted is to have Max safe and those who threaten to hurt him eliminated. Max didn’t choose this life and she cannot imagine being in his position, being his girlfriend was hard enough, being him, that unimaginable. Although Max seems to coping quite well, or maybe he’s just making her think that he is so she wouldn’t worry about him. Truthfully though, she worries about him, every time, he is the love of her life and she cannot imagine how her life would be without him by her side. Sure, it’s hard to be his girlfriend but it’s harder if she doesn’t have him around.

Max was reckless and careless. Fact. Anybody could see that he had the ability to make the most impulsive decisions at the most random of moments, typically the most inappropriate ones. And he knew that he was doing nothing but imploring on the people he cared about by worrying them. His dad, Casey, etc. He knew that his bodyguards were only bothered because they were being paid to watch out for him by his father, The President, an influential figure on the country. And the same went for both of the spies hired too. Sure, he felt as though Brooke somewhat cared but she was a spy, for Christ’s sake. Spies have the ability to pretend to be a completely different person, to pretend to care just to get intel or for the sake of the mission. That was why he never completely trusted her (though, he trusted her more than most other people in his life, with the exception of people like Casey who he trusted with his life and even more). And as far as he could tell, Jaxon didn’t seem to be particularly fond of him, but he was there for the sake of the mission, of course. All of these people, there because they were hired, because they were gaining an income for it… It was only like Max was useful when money was involved. After all, how much of someone must he be if he needed people paid to care about him? That’s why he had trouble drawing a line between putting his trust in someone. Maybe it was unhealthy, relying on someone completely: Casey. He relied on her a lot, more than he cared to admit, but that was because she was one of the only people who genuinely cared. Who genuinely cared about him. Not because of his father. Not because of his money. Not because of the media. But because he was someone worth caring about.  To Max, that was everything.

“Good choice, Brooke, I have always knew that you’re a good kid,” He was only teasing her, calling her a kid and all, Jaxon understands what Brooke had said, like once you’ve tried doing drugs, it is just something that could pull you in easily if you don’t have the self-control. He admitted before that he had tried cocaine but his dad had pulled him before he got too addicted to it. But that is one of the memories of the past that he was not willing to talk to, not just him but his father too. Most of his childhood ‘friends’ are either dead because of an overdose or they are in jail. His father has a big dream for him and that is to be just like him, that’s why he cannot get distracted with the thought that he might actually like Brooke more than just a friend. There are a lot of things that he wanted to tell Brooke but he always had to bite his tongue, there was so much about him than this, than fighting, than handling a gun, but of course, he cannot share that to her, if he does, it is like giving himself fully to her. That can be used against him in the future, they were taught that even your closest friend can turn into an enemy. But sometimes, he cannot help it, there was just something about Brooke, and he can catch himself slipping away, showing a side of him that other people might not have seen, information about his childhood that was never shared to someone else’s, and it scares the shit out of him. As someone stuyding to be a spy, there are quite a handful of things that scares him and one of those was relationship. The only healthy relationship he had was with his father, and that’s because they don’t see each other everyday, though he might appear charismatic and friendly with other people, but he has got a serious side, the side that would make sure that they will protect Max at all cost, even if things get too dangerous, he can tell that Brooke and him will be able to keep the President’s son alive until they find the threat. He had always speak highly of Brooke, he first handedly saw her into action and there was no doubt in his mind that even if she had done this alone, she would succeed but it was impulse when he asked for a favor to join the mission, it was not because does not trust her skills, it was soley because he loves her company. His head was full of thoughts of Brooke, it was just when she spoke again about how digusting people are for trying to hurt Max and specifically others, “Yeah,” He nodded in agreement, he hoped that they can protect more people, and not just a handful one, Max was lucky that he was the President’s son because at least, his dad is an important man and they can afford asking spies help to protect him but what about those other people who dies everyday but has the chance to be saved? Shaking his head to get those thoughts out of it, he cannot do anything to save them because what he can just do is to protect people who they were told to protect, and to follow orders. “You’re going to see how boring I am especially since you’ve been hanging out with me for quite some time already,” He doesn’t really go out during their free time, he still focus on Max even if he was free to do whatever he has to do. “You’re right, we are going to make sure he wipe those vomit, but yeah, a lot of people would do it for him too, just to get close and all.” Since they were already on the dance floor and she literally said yes when he asked her to dance, he smiled, shaking his head, “What? I’ll take the lead? That’s funny because I don’t even know how to,” It seems like there was a cue and the music change, not one of those upbeat songs anymore, but a slow song, something that is meant to be danced during prom and not in parties, “Jeez,” He scratched the back of his head before taking a deep breath, they were already there and it was embarrassing to back down so instead of feeling like the whole world was watching them, he had shrugged it off and just rested his hands on her hips while he playfully beamed at her, “You have to put your arms around my neck, you know that right?”

“Oh, is that so? What made you think that then? Tell me, I’m intrigued,” Brooke challenged, her brows arching up at him questioningly. Although it was harmless playful behaviour between the two, she couldn’t help but think: You couldn’t be more wrong. Because ‘good’ wasn’t what she saw herself as, not at all. It hadn’t even registered in her mind that he jokingly called her a kid because her mind drifted off elsewhere. How can she be good after what she’s done? If Jaxon knew, she wasn’t sure he’d see her in the same light anymore. She was terrified that one day, he’d see her the way she viewed herself: a monster. Anything other than good, no matter how hard she tries to be. Trying to make up for that one fatal mistake back then. Back when she was more naïve, back when she was stupid, back when she trusted blindly even though she was taught not to. Well, Brooke sure as hell learnt her lesson. Falling for someone in the same fields as you – in this case, being a spy – was a dumb move in the first place. Her feelings are what compromised a mission. That being said, it was not her fault that the guy she thought she loved turned out to be a traitor. It wasn’t her fault that it was only supposed to be a mission to gather intel on a location – a simple in and out job, really, where there would be a few distractions as always but she had it all under control. Or she thought she had. It also wasn’t her fault that all forms of communication with the team waiting were inoperable due to interference, so she couldn’t request back up for the mission that went south. Again, she was only young – her training was still in progress, the mission was supposed to be easy and to gain experience. Only, it turned out to be one of the most traumatic experiences she’d encountered. Especially when confronted with the enemy disguised as the person she thought she knew like a book. At the end of it all, she was left battered and bruised with a gun pointed at her head. Summoning the last bit of energy, allowing the adrenaline to kick in as it was a matter of her life, or her demise. In a struggling battle to disarm him, Brooke managed to get her hands on the gun whilst being in a very tricky situation. Her grip was barely loose when she accidentally pulled the trigger on him while trying to regain stability. And after? The rest was history. It was only when the sound of the shot alarmed that the team realised something went disastrously wrong. She could recall not having the energy to get up from the floor, looking at what she’d done. Even if he turned out to be a horrible person, she had to believe the person she knew still existed inside somewhere – and she killed him. That, she never forgave herself for. Nobody ever knew what truly happened. Rumours spread at the academy, about how it was deliberate and not an accident, how some people believed it was her fault whilst others thought it was an amazing, considering her age and all. Her answers were only simple and as vague as possibly during debriefing, where she’d only reported basic facts. She never left that building as the same person. Often, she wondered whether Jaxon ever heard about it. And if so, what he believed. Part of her hoped that he knew nothing despite the rumours that spread. Even though she pretended she was always fine, the truth was she was never fine after that day. She hated herself for the mistake she made, and even though she was now considered one of the best at the academy – along with Jaxon, of course – she never believed it. Ever. Not after that ordeal. And ever since then, she completely threw herself into her work to ensure she never made that mistake again. Isolated herself from most people unless necessary. Making sure she knew how to fire a gun properly, as well as how to disarm it, making sure that she didn’t flinch at the sight of it despite the flashbacks that flooded her mind. That she was always on target, not missing once, without so much as her hand shaking. She had to be the best she could be. Noone has time for imperfections after all. That’s what her parents taught her anyway. 

Casey and Max’s relationship might not be perfect but the good thing is that they are trying and it is very much real. After Casey found out what her father, the one she looked up to, the one she always thought was a honest businessman was not who she thought he is, Casey cannot point out what was real and was not real anymore. But Max, he kept her from literally going insane, without him, Casey doesn’t know if she could have handled the stress and coped with what has been going on with her life. Not once, he judged her too, she had been unfair to herself, calling herself stupid for not seeing it, but Max never done that, he just listened to her and didn’t even back off from their relationship. He did not give up on her, so there was no reason that she does that, even if they don’t really have so much time for each other these days. Casey scoffed at Max, trying to act offended with what he was saying, like he was scared of her to the point that he would run in the opposite direction. “Well, you’re not running now?” She raised her brow at him, chuckling, no matter how much they try to be serious at a conversation, it always always ends up being as light as this, “Careful, Max, I might bite you,” She showed him a toothy smile before laughing rather loudly, the loudest and most cheerful laugh that emitted from her lips since the last time she saw him. “I wish I was scary though,” Because, if she was, then maybe she can scare his perpetrators off, and he wouldn’t always have to be surrounded by his bodyguard like the one who was peeking at them now, she just shrugged, she did not even continue what she wanted to say because she doesn’t want to ruin Max’s moon. “I think I’m the least drunk person in this room because I am not drunk at all,” She have not touched a single bottle of beer or some red cup which probably contain something cheap that she cannot even get her down her throat. “Hey, they look cute together though,” She chuckled at the couple who was dancing, if moving around the dancefloor drunkenly is considered dancing, then they are. “We’re worse than them, Max,” She mumbled smirking, she was looked up at him as she tilted her head at the side, “I know you would do the same thing,” There was no doubt in her mind that even at how much alcohol he had consumed, if she was in trouble, he would come for her, and he was that one person who she can always rely on. “You are lucky to have me, like look at me, all dressed up for a party,” She shook her hips slightly, trying to be the life of the party which she is not, though she enjoys being the center of attention in a party, she would always pick being on the sideline with Max compared to that. She does not like feeling jealous over some non-existent flirty relationship between Max and that Brooke and she hates herself for feeling that way, like there was no reason for her to be jealous especially knowing that Max loves her, she knew that, like a hundred percent, with just the way he looks at her or how he would always put her on top of his priorities even before hos own. “Forget it,” She shook her head, she doesn’t want to worry him about something that was seriously nothing, maybe Brooke was just one of his friends, she might not even know but she can be someone who’s not interested with Max right (though that is hard to believe since everyone is interested with Max)? She pouted, like that obvious pursing of her lips that makes her look like a puppy but she was upset that he was joking about his safety, she always think about that looming darkness that might just take Max away from her, sometimes, she wonders if she was bad luck in his life, like maybe she brought this to him. “I cannot help but be worried, you know,” Her voice was soft, she was not even sure if he can hear what she was saying but she looked up at him and nodded, he was right, she should lighten up, it’s a party and no one would dare to hurt him here. “Jeez, nevermind, Max,” She groaned, his response would always be nothing that she expects, she licked her lips before smiling widely, she loves to hear that, a reassurance that this would work out no matter how hard it is sometimes to even see each other, she just needed to hold on. “You’re right,” She brushed the hair off her face before taking his hand and pulling him down softly towards her level, giving him a small peck on the cheek before muttering an “I love you”, she just had to do that, but she pulled away quick because it was too risky and that’s the last thing that she wanted to be.

Perfection doesn’t exist. That’s why Max never quite understood why people strived for a perfect relationship, as though that was the ultimate goal. What was the point? They would never be truly happy, aiming for a goal that can never be accomplished. Sure, people had their vast definitions of what could be considered ‘perfect’ but the ideology behind it was still the same. It’s why he’d scoff whenever people he never knew pretended that they knew him because they see articles on the internet, or think that they know the President’s son inside out judging by a single photograph took by the paparazzi. It’s why he’d roll his eyes whenever said people told him that he must have the ‘perfect life,’ being the president’s son and all. Because if perfect meant being shielded from doing normal things people would do at his age because his life was in constant danger, or if ‘perfect’ meant that he had to hide his relationship with the girl he loves more than his entire existence in fear of other people, then sure, he had the perfect life. Only, the truth was that was far from the dictionary definition of perfect. Did that mean he was unhappy? Not a chance. Max was content with his life for the most part, if you completely disregard the fact he never knew when his life could be hanging in the balance. Nevertheless, part of that, he thought was amusing in a way that wasn’t even funny. It added to the excitement in his life, and it sort of made him a bit careless, because he had to enjoy life as it is now, just in case it was snatched away from him within a moment.

If only life was as easy, if there was a pause button, Casey would probably click that so that she and Max can pause their separate lives for a moment and try to spend time together. But life does not work that way, they both have their committments and as much as she wants Max to leave everything and be with her, even just for a day, she does not want to be selfish. To his parents. To those people who looks up to him. And to Max, himself. She just missed him, but then again, she misses him a lot, whenever he leaves her room, in the next five minutes, she would long to have him again. It was quite surprising that Max still doesn’t find her clingy with how much she send him messages or call him, if she was her own boyfriend, she would probably broke up with herself already. “I’m sure they are too scared of me, like I might just look at them and they would get it and scatter away,” Casey smirked, she tried to look at Max seriously, trying to practice that ‘evil eyes’ but have not even finished it because she was already laughing. “I’m not very scary, Max, they wouldn’t be scared of me,” But if she was scary, there’s this one person he would try to scare and that was the person who’s trying to hurt Max, that’s it, and she would be alright. “Course, you are not drubk, probably very, very drunk,” She rolled her eyes at him, sighing afterwards, she promised herself not to drink now that he was quite tipsy, there needs to be someone who can take care of him when he had so much drink. “I’m your bestfriend and you’re right, I am not your babysitter but it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t act like one because who else would pull you towards the bathroom when you need to throw up, that would be me,” She smiled at him confidently although she was not really into cleaning up pukes, there’s nothing she can do if it was Max’s vomit. Casey knew that he would do the same if she was on his position, he would hold her hair and rub her back, she gave him a thumb’s up, “Yeah, I’m quite lucky to have fun with you, I’m just lucky to have you,” She beamed genuinely and she meant in a different way, like she was lucky to have him in her life, to have him as her boyfriend. Letting Max drag her away from the crowd so they can have some time for themselves, she longs for the day that they can admit to everyone that they are together but that’s an impossible dream right now. “What are you looking at?” She raised her perfectly manicured brow when she caught him just staring at her, “I don’t know, other stuff?” She chewed on her lesser lip, she does not want to bring up her jealousy over Brooke because that was just petty considering there was no chance that Max would do that. “The not getting killed part is not funny at all,” She frowned, she knew that Max would joke around about it but since he had a ton of bodyguards around him, his dad must not thought of it as a joke, it was something serious and it worries the fuck out of Casey, whenever he replies to a text a little longer than usual, she wants to bolt out of the room to make sure he was alright. She unconsciously tilted her head so that she can feel his soft touch, he was right, it has been too long since they had seen each other and if they don’t be subtle about how they missed each other, people might spot them right outside and would be suspicious about their actions. “The mice who is my boyfriend,” She laughed, it was the first time she had called him her boyfriend for a long time, it was always bestfriend because other people were lurking around, “Hmm, I don’t know, Max, school is first but you’re my priority, like you’re even on top of school…………….Maybe somewhere new, like going to the park, I haven’t been into one for a very long time or going on walks to the beach? Maybe even stargazing, just get away from all of these for a while,” She was probably talking too much because by the end of her ‘where she wants to go’ speech, she was out of breath, she shook her head, smiling at him, “Or we can just stay in and watch Nexflix, let’s not be too adventurous and plan everything because that might not happen and we’ll just be disappointed.”

If Max was being true to himself, he would admit that perhaps he hadn’t been as good of a boyfriend as he could have been. He didn’t want to admit that he was in the wrong though. At the end of the day, Casey didn’t seem to mind. If she did, then she did a pretty good job at pretending not to. Max just hoped that she knew that no matter how much time apart they had, he didn’t love her any less. If anything, it made him love her even more. Made him able to appreciate the time that he did have with her. Because he would literally do anything for her, even if his own life depended on it. There was a form of irony that linked with his ideologies in that instance, because there was always going to be a possible chance of death looming over Max, ready to be stricken at any point… until the culprit or culprits is/are revealed and the threat eliminated. He should be fearing for his own life, but truth be told he was more concerned for Casey’s wellbeing than his own. He knew that she was more than capable of handling herself, but that was beside the point. She is everything to him, there was no doubt about it. “I guess you just have that effect on people. Even me, sometimes when I see you, I want to run in the other direction because you’re that terrifying. So don’t say you’re not, because you are,” Max teased, the wide smirk on his face just an obvious factor that he was messing with her. He laughed even more at the fact she denied being scary after that, to which he just shook his head after he’d spoken. Of course she was right, that she wasn’t scary – but it was fun to play along for the crack. “Am not! I’m like the least drunk person in this place,” he replied, scrunching his face up slightly, knowing full well that he was probably exaggerating. “Okay, not the least but… but close enough, right? I mean there are people worse off – I mean look at them,” he grinned, looking ahead at a couple of people with quite possibly the worst dance moves ever. Opening his mouth to retaliate, no words came out as he realised that there was truth to her answer. Still, he was too stubborn to fully agree so he shrugged, shaking his head slightly. “You shouldn’t act like one until needs be. You don’t see me throwing up any time soon, right?” he smiled innocently, assuming that he wasn’t in that much of a state just yet. Max felt good more than anything, “but you know I’d do the same for you though, right?” he added, just to be on the safe side that Casey knew he would do anything for her, just like she would for him – no matter what. “More like the pleasure’s all mine. I’d say I’m the lucky one here,” he said returning her beaming smile with one of his own. Max could be in a terrible mood and all he’d have to look at is Casey’s face to have his normal, chirpy self restored. You could say that she was the light of his life. Caught off guard when she asked him what he was looking at, he contemplated saying that he thought he could detect something wrong with her, but decided to ignore it reluctantly. Instead, he shrugged, giving her a fond smile. “I’m looking at you. Is that a problem?” he asked, raising his eyebrows at her, being his typical playful self instead of going into something serious, considering being serious wasn’t his area of expertise. At ‘other stuff,’ Max raised his brows once again, giving her an unconvincing look, as though he had a feeling that there might have been something underlying, something more that she wasn’t telling him. “Other stuff? Sounds very specific,” he pointed out, the undertones of sarcasm in his voice, yet covered up with his infamous smile. In all fairness, he assumed that if anything was truly wrong, then she would have approached him about it. So it couldn’t be all that serious if she didn’t want to be specific. Noticing her frown, Max unintentionally reflected her expressions, frowning back at her too as if upon instinct. He didn’t see what the harm was with joking. After all, if you can’t joke and have a laugh about matters like this, then you’d end up sad… which was what he intended to avoid at all costs. “Oh c’mon, lighten up a bit, yeah?” he pouted childishly, nudging her gently as though trying to brighten it up. “Noone’s gonna attack me at a crowded party, are they? No harm in joking about. I’m not worried about it, you shouldn’t be either!” No matter how much enthusiasm he tried to pour in his voice, the look in his eyes most likely betrayed his words; that he was worried, he just didn’t want to act like it. “Ahh, so you’re into animals now are ya?” he smirked, tilting his head slightly. Of course, out of all the ways he could have responded, it had to be like that.  “Hey, you’ve always been my priority too, y’know? I’d choose you over school, over anything else a million times over. You already know that though, I think. Hmm, maybe – if we get the chance we can do everything you’ve just said? There are twenty-four hours in a day after all, so it shouldn’t be hard! And shh, we won’t be disappointed. Or at least I won’t; I’m never disappointed when I’m with you.”

After settling in to the role of being a student at some prim and proper academy, Brooke found that she didn’t actually mind the place as much as she initially thought that she should. What shocked her even more than that was that the President’s son wasn’t nearly as half bad as she’d automatically made the assumption of before she’d even walked through the doors.  Now getting to know Max seemed less like a job everyday. He seemed like a decent guy and besides, getting closer to him meant that it was easier to protect him, being nearby on most occasions and all. Earning his trust was a part of her strategic plan to make everything easier on her side; gather intel, get close to Max and the people he’s close to so she could eliminate any threat that surfaced but it turned out that there wasn’t all that many people that Max was close to. Only Casey who, as far as Brooke knew, was Max’s best friend. Which only diminished an inkling that she originally had; that whoever was after him was reasonably close to him. Because Casey gave her no reason to put any suspicion on her, who seemed to be practically the only person he was close to – or allowed himself to be close to. And when speaking to him, the only person he really mentions is her which explained a lot to Brooke that they were close. And while she was executing her plan to get closer to Max, she found that she enjoyed talking to him. He was a nice guy and now she could see why he attracted so many people’s attention – he even caught hers. But as far as any ‘feelings’ were to say, she managed to tell herself that friendship was all it was. That was all. And now they were at a party; everybody was. And she thought there was no reason not to go – after all, isn’t that what all the students do? She found herself speaking with Max for the majority of the time she was there, getting lost in the topic although she couldn’t quite remember what they were talking about. When he told her that he’d be back in a bit because he wanted to see Casey, she smiled up at him with a nod to say that it’s fine. Alongside a ‘I’ll be over there if you need me’ comment, because Jaxon caught her eye and she realised that she hadn’t spoke to him as much since going to the party. Looking around to ensure that the President’s son was still in sight, Brooke made her way over to Jax, taking a cup that was offered to her on the way with a polite ‘thanks’. “Hey, you,” she smiled softly up at him, using her elbow give him a light nudge. “Everything seems alright so far. Max seems happy. Honestly, I don’t know how someone can remain content and happy when they have a constant threat looming over them,” she shrugged, glancing over at Max to make sure everything’s okay before looking back at him. “What about you? Is everything okay with you?”

When Casey first got into this school, she never actually thought that she would be friends with Max. Well, she knew that he was the President’s son so she thought he would be this guy who’s annoying, act like he knows everything because his father’s the President, she didn’t expect him to be a down-to-Earth guy who she obviously fell in love with him. They became friends, the bestfriends, dated a few times, finally defined their relationship in which they figured out that they feel the same thing about each other, so now, they’re together. Casey actually convinced herself that she wasn’t falling in love with him before, she knew how her family can be and how his was, so she denied her feelings about him over and over again but eventually, she got tired of denying herself the happiness that she deserved. The last few years that she had known him was the greatest years of her life, she doesn’t really know why she was so lucky to meet someone like Max, even though he can be really childish and annoying at times, she wouldn’t change him, he was her Max and she wouldn’t allow anyone else to steal him away from her. That’s why when she heard about the threats on his life, she was worried as fuck, she wasn’t able to sleep at night unless he replied to her text which tells her that he got home safe, during breaks, she would require him to call her everyday so that she could hear his voice, maybe she was too paranoid, he has bodyguards everywhere he goes and even if they are really uptight and they can’t spend time alone, she was glad that they were there to protect her boyfriend. She cannot imagine what she would do if she knew that he was in danger, she would be shattered, and that feeling wasn’t just one-sided, Casey was sure that he would do anything to make sure she was safe as well. With her dad’s business, she wasn’t really safe but not like Max, he was far more important anyways. Casey was actually scared when she told him the truth about her dad, she thought that he would leave her, her family was complicated and even knowing that, Max still loves her and that only shows how willing he was for this to work out. “Max!” She half-shouted when he cussed suddenly, she was actually just surprised about it, she rolled her eyes at him, he can be a bit dramatic sometimes to prove a point. “Seriously though, kids look up to you so you better not curse in front of them,” She chuckled softly, the kid of their housekeeper was talking to her last time about Max, who he knew that she was friends with and how nice he seems to be, she can see why kids look up to him though, he was smart, good-looking, and she’s not just saying that because she’s talking about her boyfriend. “Are you sure you had been checked for a chip implanted on your body? Maybe they had planted one on your butt cheek and you don’t even know?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him before laughing at the idea of that one, she can’t actually understand why they are so hang up over Max Cole, all she can see in front of her was a normal guy who happens to be the President’s son, nothing special, well, for he was special for her but for other people, she cannot really point out why. “I don’t get it!” She told him, her eyebrows furrowing as if she was thinking hard about it, she pursed her lips, looking at him as if scrutinizing him, “What’s so special in you that even our housekeeper’s seven year old son likes you? You’re rude and you even throw a fry at a lady.” She scoffed, he knew that she was just joking around but the media’s interest on Max was something else, they’re obsessing over him and it was quite scary sometimes. “Ohhh, snappy at your bodyguard, I like it!” She laughed, taking another fry, she was about to throw it at him but changed her mind and ate it, she cocked her head at the side before smiling back at him. “Seriously, I’ll babysit you if needed, like I’m sure my karate is a little rusty but I think I can protect you from immediate danger,” She just wants to spend time with him and just him, after the event’s that happened to her during break, she just needs her boyfriend who she can talk to about everything. “I’d challenge them for a one on one fight to prove that I can take care of you.”

With his life already beyond the concept of complicated, Max knew that dragging people into his sometimes mess of a life would not only put more pressure on him, but anyone involved with him too. There were many occasions where he genuinely considered ending it between them. Especially in more recent times where despite the immense amount of adoration and affection he held for the girl, his life was growing even messier by the minute. A tangled mass of chaos where he was becoming closer to the epicentre; the star of the show. The star of the show with impending doom by the looks of it considering recent circumstances where his constant need for protection had been amplified up by a couple of notches. Knowing that his safety was compromised was enough to make Max consider breaking up for Casey because he thought that if whoever was after him or his father could not get a hold of Max, then they would search for the person closest to him – which was her. And the fact that every moment spent with her was potentially putting her in some sort of danger made him feel uneasy. Because if anything happened to Casey because of him, he would never be able to forgive himself for it. But then for his own selfish reasons, predominantly being that he couldn’t imagine his life without her, he could never find the heart to do it. Because if he did, then not only would the love of his life be no longer existent in his life, but a piece of him would also be missing. And with the way things were going, she was the only person he had that he could truly rely on as of now. The imbalance between certain and uncertainty was beginning to grow, but of course he’d never addressed those specific thoughts. Why? Because he was terrified. Not only for himself, but for her. She worried about him enough, adding further concerns into her would only make matters worse. He loved her dearly, if he were to destroy that… Max had no idea what he would honestly do… probably mope around for the rest of his life. The thought alone is enough to crush him and his heart. It was definitely something he’d rather not think about. Honestly it was safe to say that the boy flinched a little when she half shouted at him, despite expecting to gain that reaction from her, hence the reason why he decided to do it in the first place. “Casey!” he retorted with a slight smirk, mirroring her reaction by half shouting back at her, emphasising her name as though he was a child answering back for the sake of it. Being playful and immature was his way at forgetting about the danger he was in on a daily basis, his coping mechanism to make any situation he encountered lighthearted. It was easier to be like this when he was around Casey. She made any situation easier for him. “Can’t say I understand why kids supposedly look up to me. Maybe it’s because I’m taller than them? So they are… literally like… looking up,” he added, trying to maintain a serious face even if he was itching to crack into another silly grin or smirk. Thinking again, as usual, that he was hilarious – even when he probably wasn’t. At her suggestion, his eyes widened as he genuinely considered the idea, no matter how much they were both merely joking in the moment. “If they have then I have been violated… and I’m sure I could sue them… or get my lawyer to, though imagining me sitting in the courtroom would be pretty comical right?” Max laughed, shaking his head dismissively at the thought. With a deadpan voice, he looked straight into her eyes and asked flatly, “If they have, which butt cheek do you think they’ve planted it in? My left or right?” Only it was seconds before he couldn’t help but snort, laughing at himself to the extent where he needed to cover his mouth due to laughing so much, gaining a few stares from the people surrounding them. When he finally calmed down, he smirked briefly, raising his eyebrows at the people watching them both before smiling innocently at Casey. Huffing and folding his arms, Max stuck his tongue childishly out at her before shrugging, “Maybe it’s my good looks and charming personality?” Chuckling softly at the mention of her liking him snapping at his bodyguards, a cheeky smile crept across his face and he leaned a little closer so that his mouth was by her ear. His voice barely a whisper to avoid other people from hearing, just so Casey could hear his crude remark. “Does that turn you on?” Max teased before retreating back to his previous position, leaning back in his chair and grinning back at her with a playful wink to demonstrate his simple kidding around… as usual. Laughing at her feeble threats about fighting his bodyguards, the mental image in his head enough to keep him amused, he decided that cheering Casey on with the said decision would continue the joke, make it last longer and keep them both entertained for the time being. “How do I know you won’t pull your karate moves on me? I know what you’re like, Ms Wright. But I won’t decline the offer to be my babysitter. I’d say go for it with that one on one fight, but things could turn ugly… and I don’t want them to have to suffer with what you could do to them. I think they know you can protect me just fine.”

There was not even a doubt in his mind that he was going to be a spy when he grows up. His father repeated it a million times about helping the community was a great thing, that made Jaxon think about being a spy. Although even if he didn’t choose to be one, his father would have forced him to be a spy and he can never say no to his father. When his mom left them, he was there for her even though it was hard for him, juggling his missions and taking care of his son, it was not easy for his father especially when his mother left but he managed to raise a kid. Jaxon wouldn’t forget that and even if he wants to have a normal life, he cannot do that because he was scared that he might disappoint his father, and maybe even though this isn’t his first choice, he had grown to love being a spy, that’s why he’s here right now and he does not regret the decision he made even though there’s a lot of ups and down on being a spy, his dad was right, it was fulfilling work and even though they’re just starting, he can already feel the pressure of being like how own father. To have done a lot of things at a young age, helped a lot of people and changed some lives. He wants to do the same thing and even if he would have to get through some shit before achieving that, he was going to make sure that his own father would be proud of him, no matter how hard that would be. A smile was plastered on his face when she agreed on the pranking, the academy is a stressful place to be, they have to pass all these tests, not just Trigo and fuck but also physical exams, they train a lot, a whole lot, like most of what they do is physically and mentally training them for what their future holds. So, whenever they need a little fun, Jaxon would be the first to volunteer for that, they can’t always be serious, they need a little laugh so pranking others is great idea. “I’d have to get revenge on Matty anyways, he had this prank played on me before we left for this.” He chuckled softly, Matty was his roommate in the academy and they would pull prank on each other and the last one involved some messy pie under his bed, it was all for a good laugh and no one got hurt really, except for Jax’s ego and his sheets. He knew that they should probably concentrate on this mission but he can’t help but loosen up a bit as well, they never had experience on how it is to be normal teenagers so maybe now is the time to experience that one right? “The other thing is always going to be our priority, Brooke but no one said we can’t have a little fun right? We should act like normal students,” He made his voice soft when he said those last two words, they should attend to parties if Max would attend the same thing, other people would grow suspicious if the two new kids doesn’t join parties that they throw, and there is always a chance that Max would go to parties so they would have to babysit him there. He was positive that they would be okay, it’s him and Brooke after all, they wouldn’t be sent here if they cannot do it, well, she wouldn’t have sent here alone if she cannot, he was only here because he told them that this is a two-person mission. “You’re right, two is better than one right?” He smiled at her, their top priority would be Max so they should do everything to protect the guy, he was the President’s son after all so there’s so much danger around him, may it be political enemies, terrorist or whatever, he was surrounded by those. His eyes focused on her while she was eyeing the food, he was wondering how it would taste like but seeing her reaction, it might not be that bad. “Great huh?” Jaxon asked her, rubbing his neck before popping a fry inside his mouth, shaking his head when she asked him if she wants some, “No, thank you, you seem to be enjoying it so don’t worry about it,” He was fond of Brooke, she can just make him smile so simply, she doesn’t have to joke around or whatever to make him smile and that come as a surprise for him because he rarely smiles. “So, how do you find this school?” He asked her, it has been a while since he was stuck in a schedule like this and there’s no doubt that it has been a while for Brooke as well.

In Brooke’s head, she could barely remember what she wanted to do with her life before being granted with a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a spy. When approached with the opportunity which she was already certain of taking before addressing it to her parents, she did not hesitate, nor blink. She just wanted to be useful to someone – she felt that becoming a spy would make her not only a use to one person, but to the world. It may be a bit hyperbolic, yes, but that did not stop her from wanting to look at the bright side and work her butt off to get where she wanted. Working hard to your destination in life was all Brooke was ever taught. That she would never mount to anything if she did not put one hundred percent effort in to it. With that being said, it meant that it was hard to let loose from time to time. Because in the phrase ‘work and play,’ only the word ‘work’ was acknowledged. Whereas ‘play’ in her instance, having fun, was not part of becoming a person. To strive to succeed, you have to put every ounce of effort in to it; if you leave just to have a bit of fun for the short term, there is no way that you’d succeed because you don’t want it enough. Or at least that’s what was drilled into her skull day in, day out by her parents. Time to time, she wished that she could be just ‘normal’ or somewhat a variation of however normal you could be in this job sector. As cliché as it probably sounds, Brooke did not – under any circumstances – know what ‘fun’ was until she met Jaxon. Though on the odd occasion she did decide to have a little bit of fun, or a joke around etc, there would always be a traitorous part of her brain which felt guilty, as though she was betraying her parents. Granted, she’d never speak of it to anyone in the fear that it would make her look ridiculous. Or for the possibility that she’d be a laughing stock because of it. “I know; he told me,” she grinned at him slightly, a small laugh escaping due to her confession. She wasn’t sure whether Jaxon even knew that she knew about the prank. She’d caught Matty carrying pie around – more than what the average person would carry around – and it was just in her nature to question it. And it took a while for her to get it out of him because he was afraid she’d grass him up and ruin it, she got there in the end. Although she did promise she wouldn’t tell Jaxon and kept to her word – even if it had been tempting. “I know… yeah, I know. It’s just –” Realising where she was heading with her protests, Brooke stopped herself from speaking; her mouth left agape as she looked at him, trying her best to find a way of going back on what she was about to talk about, and talk about something different. “It’s just… nothing, you’re right. Normal students.” She nodded, offering a smile in his direction before mentally cursing herself for not being convincing enough. ‘You’re a spy, Brooke; you should be able to lie better than that’ echoed through her mind clouded with uncertainty and self doubt. Her subtle slip that wasn’t even major, was in fact major in her head. Even though it wasn’t like she was blowing her cover – that had nothing to do with it. It was just Brooke having an inner battle with herself; something that she needed to get over. And fast. Especially in case Jaxon started to ask any questions revolving around the subject. Then she was definitely sure she wouldn’t be able to lie through her teeth. “Exactly. They obviously need someone like you and someone like me. That has to count for something? We’ll be fine, I’m sure of it. No matter how dangerous this gets. You and me… we’ll be good, yeah?” Brooke didn’t understand why she was so insistent with the same ideology; as though repeating it, or repeating variations of it, would constantly remind her that she would be okay. Even if there was part of her deep down that had doubt and uncertainty but most of that stemmed from her fear of imperfection in their line of work. It was never because she doubted them as a team, it was because she doubted herself. “No no no no, if you want to try some. Have it!” She paused for a moment, putting some more food on her fork and waving it in his face with circular motions as though performing some sort of hypnosis. “Try itttttt. It’s going, ‘Jaxon, eat me! Eat me!’” she laughed softly, putting on a higher voice while imitating the ‘voice’ of the ‘food’. A stubborn one at that, she wasn’t planning on backing down. “The school? It seems okay I guess. Have a feeling it’ll be a bit difficult adjusting – but hopefully the lessons aren’t too bad,” she said with a shrug. “Even though we have a map, I have a feeling that I’m still going to get lost. How about you? What do you think of the school so far?”