The Agency: A Whole New Kind of Marathon
The Agency: A Whole New Kind of Marathon is the second novel in the series. This time, Cassidy and Jay find themselves transported back to ancient Greece and struggle to ensure that the Greeks win the Battle of Marathon.
Chapter One
A Sort of Graduation
“Ouch!”
Cassidy reached up and practically forced the comb out of her mother’s hand. Today was the eighth-grade graduation ceremony and Cassidy’s mom had decided that her unruly auburn locks were going to be less Rapunzel today and more Snow White. To accomplish this task, however, required herculean efforts of brushing that had nearly resulted in Cassidy attending the ceremony bald.
“Sorry,” her mother said in exasperation. “I’m doing the best and I hate to remind you-”
“Then don’t.”
“But,” her mother continued anyway, “this would be a lot less of a mess if you combed through it more than once a decade. Her mother continued brushing, holding the hair she was working through in her left hand while brushing with her right.
“I heard you the first twelve times mom,” said Cassidy. “But that would mean waking up even earlier for school which, we both know, is not going to happen.”
Her mother sighed. “You could just brush it at night too you know.”
“Instead of what?” Cassidy turned around in the chair to look at her mother, who was abruptly forced to stop her brushing. “Instead of studying? Or reading? Or, I know, maybe eating. That’s it, I’ll just quit eating.” She turned around to face the mirror once more. “I’m going to be ever so popular.”
Her mother sighed again and continued brushing once more. She realized this was not an argument that she was going to win and it was better to just move on.
“Are you excited?” asked her mother moving on to the final third of her hair - they had been at this for nearly an hour.
“To leave middle school? Uh, yeah. Am I excited to leave the most awkward years of my life behind me.” She paused for emphasis. “I guess excited would be one way to put it.”
Her mother shook her head and said, “You never know what you have until it’s gone. You might look back on those words one day with regret.”
“Regret what?”
“Well, there’s your friends for starters.”
Cassidy realized that her mother really meant FRIEND. Jay and Cassidy were going to two different magnet schools in the city. Cassidy did not have good enough overall grades or extracurriculars to get into Jay’s school and, she figured, he wasn’t going to slum down to hers.
Nonetheless, Cassidy had gotten into a magnet school: NYC School for the Liberal Arts. Her mother was ecstatic. In fact, Cassidy wasn’t sure if she had ever seen her mother so happy. Cassidy, for her part, was massively relieved. She wasn’t sure whether it was her scores that got her in, her essay, which was quite good she had to admit, or her association with the Agency.
About two months ago Cassidy and her best friend Jay had been inducted into a secret society called the Agency. The Agency was committed to ensuring that the past stayed where it should: in the past. And that it stayed as it should, not with alterations. Occasionally, this required agents, like Cassidy and Jay, to pass back into time and space and keep history from changing.
So far they had only had one mission. Cassidy and Jay had traveled back to New Kingdom Egypt and saved Pharaoh Ramesses the Great from failing to go with his army to the Battle of Kadesh - a decision that would have resulted in enormous Egyptian casualties and might have had drastic additional consequences. There was no way of knowing.
Regardless, Cassidy and Jay had saved the day. They had uncovered a plot thicker than anything they could have imagined and Cassidy herself wound up having to confront one of Ramesses’ key generals in front of the pharaoh himself. It was an experience she would remember for the rest of her life, but not something that she really wanted to repeat anytime soon.
Since then there had been nothing. At first, both Cassidy and Jay had expected their contact, Reginald Sung, to walk in the doorway at any moment with some new catastrophe, some new mission. But, to their sometimes joy and sometimes, if they were being honest, disappointment, he didn’t. They had not heard anything from the Agency in over two months now.
Beyond the missions themselves, there was the prospect for Cassidy of finding her father. Until two months ago she had believed that he was dead: dying in some distant city as a result of a terrible car accident. But, then it turned out none of that was true. Cassidy’s father, a history teacher, had been an agent, just like she was now.
Moreover, he was Reginald Sung’s partner and had been lost somewhere in medieval Florence. Every single day Cassidy waited for some sign that Sung and the Director, the leader of the Agency, had decided now was the time for them to search out and find her father. And, against all hope, bring him home.
“Yikes,” her mother continued, “earth to Cassie. You alright in there?”
Cassidy suddenly realized that she had been zoned out for at least the last two or three minutes. It happened a lot to her now but that was okay, her mother and everyone at school were accustomed to her tendency to become lost in thought.
“Oh,” she said, “yeah, sorry. What was that?”
Her mother set down the brush and began running her fingers through Cassidy’s, now beautifully combed, hair.
“Friends. Friends Cassie,” she said, “aren’t you going to miss those at the very least?”
“Jay is still right down the block mom,” she said, “and besides him there honestly isn’t anyone that I am super close to. Maybe a change in scenery will do me good. I’ll be around more people who think like I do.”
Her mother put her hand on her hip and gave her a doubting look.
“Alright, maybe not think EXACTLY like I do but at least closer, right?”
Cassidy looked expectantly at her mother for some reassurance.
“Oh Cassie,” she began, “I’m not sure you’re going to be with people who truly connect with who you are until college. So you got another four years, girl. But, I agree with you, this is bound to be better.”
Her mother took two steps backward, examining Cassidy from behind and in the mirror. She smiled, obviously liking what she saw. Cassidy so rarely bothered to even try to look decent that the prospect of her with freshly brushed hair in a beautiful dress clearly excited her mother. Her mother put her hand on Cassidy’s shoulder and drew her hair back.
“Oh,” she said, “you look simply beautiful.”
“Mom… Really? Do we need to do this?”
“Do what? Comment on the beauty of my only child?” She paused. “Yes, yes we do actually. I don’t get a ton of days like this you know.”
Cassidy reached over and placed a hand over her mother’s.
“Yeah,” she said. “I know, mom. I know. Seeing you happy makes me happy.” And that was completely true.
“Awww…” Cassidy’s mom said with a smile, “thanks, love.” Then, after another pause, “I’m just so very proud of you.”
“Of me?” asked Cassidy. “For what?”
Her mother shot her a “don’t fish for compliments” look and then continued, “For getting into this amazing school. I know you really had to work at it and I’m so proud of you. I wish we had the money for some kind of spectacular vacation or some other way to reward you.”
“Don’t worry about it, mom.” Cassidy stood up and turned around so she could face her mother directly. “This is my reward. Just hearing you say all that is enough to make me cry. I just love you so much.”
And, at that, they both began to cry.
About twenty minutes later Cassidy walked into the kitchen, fancy dress on and ready to go.
“Oh,” her mother put her hand to her chest, which Cassidy felt like was a bit much, but whatever.
“You look like an angel.”
Cassidy blushed, “Thanks mom.”
She had to admit, she did look good. She was still one of the taller girls in her grade and her green dress matched her eyes which certainly left an impression. Maybe I’ll dress like this more often, she thought. Either way, it did feel good to know that you looked good.
“Hold on,” her mother said, “I want to get a picture.”
She rushed off to grab her phone off the kitchen table.
Cassidy looked around, “What would you prefer as the background? Maybe our super fancy Ikea couch? Or, maybe the open window showing our luxurious view? (said view was of the solid brick wall of the building next door.) Hmm… Or,” now laughing, “my literally never once cleaned bedroom? All those models shooting in Maui will be beating down our door for the chance to shoot here in no time.”
“Very funny young lady,” said her mother. “We’ll get some nice pictures later I know. It’s supposed to be a beautiful June day today but I want to make sure I get the first picture and,” she paused, “if I’m being honest, I’m not totally sure I trust you not to mess up your hair.”
Cassidy laughed and moved in front of the window for a picture, “Fair point, mom. Fair point.”
Cassidy walked down the block towards her middle school for the last time ever. It was a little bittersweet, she thought. Sure, middle school had not been the best days of her life - at least she hoped to all that was holy they weren’t the best days of her life - but she did have a great friend in Jay and the two of them had found the Agency this year so, all in all, not bad. Not bad at all.
Plus, Cassidy was only too well aware that none of this counted. Next year every single quiz and test would count towards her ultimate goal: a college education. She knew her mother did not have the money to send her and Cassidy did not want to take out thousands upon thousands in student loans so that meant she needed to get a scholarship. And, to get a scholarship, she needed really good grades. So to an extent, today was the last day she had the luxury of not caring, and, if she was being honest, there had been some comfort in that.
“‘Sup Cass!” Cassidy heard Jay’s familiar voice behind her and turned to see him half-walking half-jogging down the sidewalk.
Jay was dressed in a full suit, which Cassidy had never seen him in other than at her dad’s funeral, a funeral which she now knew was a fake anyway. He wore a smart black suit that strangely reminded Cassidy of Reginald Sung, their contact at the Agency who wore a very similar cut. Jay’s giant smile beamed at Cassidy who smiled back, it was impossible not to smile when Jay smiled at you.
“Hey,” she said, “looking good.”
“Thanks, Cass, you look amazing!”
“Yeah, I clean up alright.”
“For sure, for sure.”
Jay caught up with Cassidy and now the two were walking next to each other as the school building came into view. Her mother had been right, it was going to be a beautiful day. Everything was in bloom and it must have been at least sixty degrees already, though it was barely nine in the morning. They were very lucky indeed.
“You remember the schedule?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Cassidy said. “We go to our homerooms to go over the plans for the day again-”
“For like the thousandth time,” Jay interrupted.
“Try millionth,” Cassidy said with a smile, “then we all head down to the auditorium to practice the graduation-”
“I think they call it ‘ascension’ or something,” Jay said. “I think they’re hoping no one sees this as like the end of our educational experience or anything.”
“Makes sense,” said Cassidy thinking of some of her less ambitious classmates. “Well, whatever it is called we go down walk through this thing again. As though getting in alphabetical order was THAT hard.”
“Cass,” said Jay, who stopped and grabbed her arm in an overly dramatic gesture, “remember who you go to school with.”
Cassidy smiled, “Right. Fair point. Anyway, after our practice we go to the cafeteria for pizza and then wait for our parents to get here. More or less.”
“I love that I never have to listen to instructions Cass,” Jay smiled, “you always got my back.”
“Good morning non-graduating graduates!” Ms. Gray beamed at the class.
She was by far the most enthusiastic person in the room. Then again, thought Cassidy, I guess if I was staring down the barrel of three months of paid vacation I’d be pretty happy too. Her dad always felt energized at the end of the academic year and Cassidy had no doubt Ms. Gray felt the same way. Cassidy hoped she might be able to see Ms. Gray again, if only for a visit.
“Now,” Ms. Gray continued, “we have a full plate of items to discuss again this morning. Look, I know we’ve been over this about ten thousand times already but, let’s face it, the administration would look terrible if you guys messed this up today and hence,” with a dramatic wave of her arms, “we’re going to go over it all again. From. The. Top.”
Cassidy put her head down on her desk, and waited for it all to be over.
“Wow was that boring,” Jay said to Cassidy as the two of them walked into the cafeteria. It was only eleven in the morning but Jay looked exhausted. Cassidy knew how he felt: if you knew perfectly well how to get in a line and follow incredibly basic directions then this all got tedious very quickly.
“Get used to it my friend,” said Cassidy, “we still have plenty of ceremonies, including high school graduation, to go.”
“And there you are absolutely right,” said Ms. Gray, coming up behind Cassidy. “You see the thing about ceremonies is,” now she put an arm around each of them and whispered in a conspiratorial manner, “you’re never done with them and someone will always, ALWAYS, mess them up. Hence, the rehearsal dinner!”
“Huh?” said Jay.
Ms. Gray smiled, “Nevermind. You’ll see young man, you’ll see.”
The three of them continued on into the cafeteria. The other two grades were both on field trips today, which was intentional. It made it a lot easier to have the ascension ceremony with tons of parents in attendance if sixth graders were not running around screaming.
“Oh,” Ms. Gray continued, “I sure am going to miss you guys. You’re going to do so well next year. I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks Ms. Gray,” said Cassidy, “We’re really going to miss you too. You’ve been amazing.”
“Yeah,” said Jay, “honestly I hated science until I had you.”
Ms. Gray stopped and put a hand over her heart. “Awwww…” she said, “thanks so much! That just makes my day.”
The three of them continued walking to the front of the cafeteria where a pizza delivery guy was talking cardboard boxes of pizzas out of a heating unit. Odd, Cassidy thought, it looked like he’d never done it before.
“Where did they get pizza from Ms. Gray? Local place?” asked Cassidy.
She shook her head, “No actually. We were going to, but late yesterday this new place donated all these pizzas and agreed to bring them over too. Well, you know how strapped for cash the school is so they were like, sounds good. And so we have free, kind of random pizza.”
“That’s cool,” said Jay, “what’s the name of the place? Maybe I’ll convince my parents to go there.”
Ms. Gray smiled, “That’s nice of you Jay. I think it’s called: Always on Time Pizza.”
“Huh,” said Cassidy, a bit haltingly now really trying to see the delivery guy, “interesting name…”
“Yeah,” said Jay, stepping forward with a quick, quizzical look at Cassidy, “interesting…”
And just then, complete in pizza delivery outfit, Reginald Sung turned around and smiled.
The Agency: A Whole New Kind of Marathon is available on Amazon in both Kindle and print formats.