Chapter 1

As she drew curtains, Phoebe Niles sighed with relief. She always did looked out the window
as if searching for someone. I asked, “Is everything okay?”
She nodded with a faint smile, “Yeah, everything is just fine. You should go to sleep. It’s
late”
I chuckled, “You sound like a mother”
She smiled. Her warm smile can make an apocalypse look fine. She wrapped her arm around
mine saying, “Then let me put you to bed”
I commented taking my arm out of her grip, “Now you are being weird. I’ll sleep but what is
with this need for me to sleep early? Is something wrong?”
She shook her head, “No, everything is fine. If you don’t want to sleep, then I’ll sleep. Good
night.”
Her bun opened in raven-black hair as she slid under sheets and turned her back to me before
going to sleep. She was a small person who had a big heart. She was not one of those people
you would possibly forget. She had small eyes with round cheeks and a vibrant personality
which would make anyone feel welcome to be with her. She was normally cool about stuff
but lately it has gotten a bit off. We were roommates. I don’t know how that happened. We
were totally North and South Poles but we still got along. As turned out the lights, I
whispered, “Weird”
I slip under covers and stared at the ceiling thinking how they all have started behaving a
little weird since the night of the accident.

We were shopping in the vintage-shop for an old-fashioned item to which can become a
birthday present for Grandpa. As we were browsing, Vega Sanders, a girl who was least
interested in shopping but more interested in her phone sat in the vacant seat in the corner.
She was tall yet short because of her roly-poly structure. But she was a little bit taller than
me. One cannot go without noticing her as she had soft short-side swept bangs pixie cut with
a pair of glasses on her nose and her tomboy look. Phoebe would occasionally walk up to her
and they would whisper about something.
I was walking along the shop when Nia Adams hopped in front of me asking, “How about a
vintage watch which has a long that string thingies”
Nia was the thoughtful when it came to serious shopping but other times she was clueless like
every one of us. She had her perfectly straight hair tied in a pony-tail today with her bangs
covering her forehead. She had a perfect make-up on and her hands fiddling with her phone.
She was misfit in her own way. We all were misfits in our own way which made us more
alike. I gave the idea a thought before saying, “I think he has that. And it is pocket watch”
She rolled her eyes before smiling, “Yeah, okay”
“How about giving him this music player?” Phoebe suggested while sitting beside Vega. She
pointed towards a large gramophone that looked like a century old. I shook my head, “Not
enough money”
She sighed and went back to playing games in her phone. I noticed a Polaroid camera which
was worth something, at least I thought that. As I asked sales person the price, he told that
there are gifts worth looking upstairs.
I found that there were many vintage items on display. What caught my eyes were the first
editions of the classics. I asked the sales person if he had first edition of the Macbeth. He
nodded before disappearing behind the shelves. I took out one of the books and started
reading it. I standing beside the shelf when it happened. I don’t know what caused shelf to
fall on me. I barely escaped and had my knees and arms bruised. They all came running
upstairs and started worrying if I was alright or not.
So, since then they had not left my side which is sometimes good but also a little bit weird
because of all the protectiveness.

I woke up in the middle of the night to drink water when I noticed that the Phoebe’s bed was
empty. It was around 1 in the morning. I knocked the bathroom to check but she was not
there. It was like she slipped out of the room without even opening the lock on the door. I sat
on my bed and wondered where she could have gone. I called her but I heard the ring near her
pillow. I thought maybe she went in to Nia’s room so I went back to my bed. I couldn’t sleep
so I thought to listen to music. I went to search my earphones but couldn’t find. I
remembered that Phoebe took it last night so I went to check in her drawers. When I looked
in the last drawer, I found an ID card which had Phoebe’s photo on it and it said ‘Agent P’
She looked weird in that photo, dressed in all black and her hair neatly tied in a pony-tail with
only a bit of make-up. Agent…was she like James Bond? I gave a laugh thinking Phoebe
doing stunts like James Bond. I wasn’t a big fan but knew his movies pretty well. I kept it
back before returning to bed. Maybe it is some kind of childish joke she had pulled off in her
childhood. I drifted off to sleep thinking about how Phoebe would look while jumping off a
building or shooting people.

I didn’t get a chance to ask Phoebe about last night as we had an early lecture. We sat in our
usual seats and were listening to the lecture, or at least pretending to listen. I looked over at
Nia’s notebook who was scribbling something. She was drawing a map. A map which looked
like of that the campus. When she noticed I was looking, she quickly hid it and smiled at me.
It felt weird. My friends behaving in a strange way. When they lecture was over, I told them I
had to go to washroom. They said they’ll wait in cafeteria.
When I returned, they were all discussing something but as I sat down, they were quiet. It
was strange that all of a sudden I was a misfit in this little group of misfits.

As I was reading my novel, I heard murmurs near the door of the dorm room. I tried to listen.
It was the three of them talking. I heard Vega say “But they’ll not enter campus”… Then
after some whispers I heard Nia say “Her birthday will be the target, I suppose”…. Then
some whispers and then she again said “it is our duty to protect her. It is the mission. We
have to keep a check on every point.”
I went back to my bed as I heard the footstep towards the door and pretended to read. They
entered with big smiles on their faces. Nia slipped next to me asking, “How are you?”
I replied, “Good… living… Which is good before our communication teacher makes me kill
myself for not giving her a proper presentation.”
Phoebe and Vega chuckled before crashing on Phoebe’s bed to study.

As my birthday came closer, they all became more protective. I believed that maybe it was all
just a dream but then I started noticing it. The way they kept eye out for anything unusual.
The way they moved as if walking in ready for battle. The way they had everything planned
out. It was all which I used to ignore before but now it was more evident. They looked so
unusual to be true.

It was my birthday. They organised a celebration with a cake in a small restaurant. I turned
23 today. The cake looked delicious with white icing spelling my name- Sara Parker. It was
Park but as a joke with Spiderman reference, they did that. I was about to blow the candles
when I heard people breaking in the restaurant. I heard a waitress scream. When I looked up,
I saw my three best friends surrounding me with each of them holding out a gun….
 Chapter 2
A gun… No three, and each one of my friends. It was like a scene from an action movie with
them surrounding me and I was blank. I felt my knees go weak and darkness surrounded me
when I heard Nia scream, “Sara”
I felt someone catch me and drag me to somewhere. I was sitting somewhere when I heard
the gunshots. I kept thinking maybe it is just a dream. I can feel my heartbeat racing as the
voices raised. I heard Vega, Phoebe and Nia screaming at each other for taking me
somewhere safe. I kept my eyes shut in a hope that maybe I’ll come out of the dream. I was
walking somewhere. I opened my eyes and saw a small girl supporting me. I asked, “Pheebs,
what is going on?”
She shook her head, “We’ll explain this later. We just have to get you somewhere safe”
We were in a car when Nia and Vega jumped in backseat. Phoebe checked the rear-view
mirror and turned the ignition on. I turned and saw Vega’s shirt bleeding. I shrieked, “You
are bleeding”
She looked at her shirt and smiled, “No, it is not mine”
I looked at her, then at Nia who was tucking her hair in ponytail, then at Phoebe who smiled
and drove the car. I sat back and started looking out of window. I was hurt and a rage was
rising in me. They were my friends. They were not supposed to keep secrets from me. At
least I thought they were my friends.
We arrived at an under-construction building. Phoebe announced, “We are here”
I jumped out of the building and started looking at the building. They started walking in
while I stood near the car. Nia called out, “Sara, c’mon”
I was feeling betrayed and trying best not to let tear come out. When I didn’t respond, they
walked to me asking, “What is it? You hardly said a word in the car”
Vega looked around, “Whatever it is we should get inside before they find us again”
I started walking. I saw Nia and Phoebe exchange looks. They led me to an entryway which
was properly build. Nia pressed a red button and another door appeared which seemed
different than the surroundings. We walked in and I saw many people sitting in their small
compartments. I noticed a known face among them. I ran up to him and hugged him. His
wrinkled hands caressed my hair. Nia started speaking, “They somehow got to know. We
escaped but it is going to trouble now that they know where she is, Mr Park. We have to keep
her here for some time before transferring to another location.”
I looked at my grandfather with confusion. He wrapped his arm me saying, “She’ll stay with
me for some time. You all did an incredible job.”
They all smiled.
I was sitting in grandpa’s office. He was discussing things with rest of the girls. I could tell
that my anger for each one of them was beyond limit now. Phoebe walked up to me and said,
“Come on, I’ll show you your room”
I murmured, “No”
“What?” I heard her say. I looked up saying, “No”
I stood up and walked to the group saying, “I am not going to walk away until and unless I
know what is going here? Why are some freaking people who look like normal people trying
to kill me and why…” I turned to Phoebe and then to rest of the two, “…did you guys lie to
me?”
I turned to grandpa, “Am I that bad person that you had to hire friends for me?”
Grandpa replied observing each of the girl’s face, “Well, you should know one thing. I didn’t
hire them to be your friends that was their idea. I just wanted you to be protected. You are
one of the keys to very important mission.”
I shifted my weight with my hands on waist, “What mission? Grandpa, I am not a kid. Please
tell me the truth”
He sat on the chair in beside the round table which had some maps laid out. He continued,
“Well, your father used to work with Secret Services. He had some valuable information,
basically related to the mafias in the country. Mafia kings never wanted that to come out. So
they murdered your father. But fortunately, your father hid that information somewhere.
Somewhere you only knew”
I interrupted, “But I don’t have anything. Anything related to any information connected to
mafias or anyone. I was six when he died. I don’t even remember him”
Grandpa nodded, “That we know. But those people have the information that you know about
their secrets. Henceforth you are to be eliminated. They have been trying to find you and now
they finally did. Till you went to college, I protected you. Later, Agent N, Agent P and Agent
V were appointed to be near you, to protect you.”
I observed each one’s face when Grandpa was talking. They stood there with blank
expressions, like robots. I couldn’t find my friends in those faces now. When Grandpa
finished, I replied, “Normally, I would have replied so cool but I don’t why I just feel like a
loser. Brilliant actors you are. I actually thought we were friends”
They were all looking at each other with no expressions. I shook my head in disappointment,
“Where’s my room?”
Phoebe gestured with her hand to follow. I followed her to the hallway. It had wooden
structure with some ancient paintings hanging on the walls. It looked like a small motel.
Phoebe who was walking ahead said, “Well, initially we were pretending but when we got to
know you, we actually started caring for you. It was our job but we never faked friendship
after getting to know you”
She led me to a door and unlocked it saying, “We never wanted to hurt you”
“Good to know” I snapped before entering my room and closing the door. I felt like my
whole life was a lie. In recent year, every event good or bad had them in it supporting me on
every single step. Now, it was all a lie.
 Chapter 3
Next morning, they just burst in my room. Nia sat on the bed next to while Vega and Phoebe
on the opposite side. Vega started saying, “It is so much better now we don’t have to keep
secret from her. We can talk about anything now”
They started talking about normal stuff when I cut in, “Agent N, Agent P and Agent V, I
appreciate your attempt to keep everything normal but you don’t have to pretend anymore. I
am good. You can go on saving the world, talking in code languages and shooting stuff”
I climbed out of the bed and went in bathroom. I didn’t know any place to go and restroom
felt like a place where I can be alone.
I heard them leave after some minutes. I tried to avoid them but like some freaking elves,
they would pop up whenever I needed something. I was going out when Vega popped up. No,
somewhat like bumped into me. She smiled while I just lowered my head and walked ahead.
She caught on to me mid-way saying, “Hey, can we talk?”
“I don’t want to talk”
She held my hand, “Then just listen”
I stopped and looked at her. She started, “I was the one who was most professional while this
mission. Nia and Phoebe were all caring for you because they started loving you. You were
our friend. You were not acting. You did all those things just for friendship. You didn’t need
a mission to be there for us. And that is what made us…us, humans. We were supposed to
our jobs like robots but you made us friends. Made us sisters. Misfits tied together. So, if you
are hurt that we lied to you and about all that stuff, you remember one thing, we never lied to
you when we said we love you”
I wanted to hug her so badly but couldn’t let go of my image of still being angry. She smiled,
“I know you are just pretending to be angry now. I know you want to hug me”
I laughed before giving her a tight hug.

“So I am going to be kept caged in this building forever?” I asked Grandpa as he was
explaining each one of us the plan to stay underground for few months. He shook his head,
“No, just few months”
Nia interrupted, “But we are supposed to have our final next month”
I nodded, “You know how important studies are”
“You have to be here till we get rid of the people that want you dead or get the information
they are looking for” he told before heading back to his chair. I sighed, “Fine, then I’ll just go
back to room and make it more…living”
I was at the door when I turned around saying, “Grandpa, I am going to be in need of some
stationary. Can I borrow some from your drawer?”
He nodded. Nia, Phoebe and Vega had already left the room when I started going through his
drawers. I saw a note:
No fright, daddy is there to fight
It was my dad’s handwriting, I knew it. He used to say those words where I used to be
frightened. I have seen some detective movies and people write clues like that to help them
remember important things.
Whenever I used to be afraid, I had Mr Snuggle-bones, a white soft bunny that my father
gifted me on my sixth birthday before he was killed. I ran up to my room and searched for Mr
Snuggle-bones. I found him buried in my suitcase which Grandpa packed from our old house.
I hugged him and cried for hours before slicing off his. I found a micro-chip in him and ran to
hand it back to Grandpa who was busy in his own work. I said, “I think I am free now. I
found your “valuable information”. Now, can I please leave this claustrophobic building?”
He smiled saying, “Maybe in few days now”

They arrested the criminals and I was free to return to my dorm room. It was odd not having
those three idiots roaming around. I sat on my bed and was staring at the empty bed in front
of me that once belonged to Phoebe. There was a knock on my door. A small head popped in
saying, “Hey roomie!
I laughed before hugging her. Soon, there were all four of us hugging each other. I asked,
“How come you guys are here?”
Nia shrugged, “Just wanted to complete the studies”
Laughing, we sat on the beds in our usual positions while Phoebe ordered pizza.