The Agency

by Ann Knightingale

room and stands there in the room staring at the TV. After a few minutes an important announcement crosses the screen and a news reporter comes up with the breaking news.

  “Breaking news! The seventeen year old drug addict has been found. She has not yet been returned to her family but we expect it any time now. Macey Ricks was reported missing a couple months ago after she had returned home from a party high on cocaine. She ran away that night and seemed to disappear." A picture of me flashes on the screen and the Reporter's voice continues in the background, “An Anonymous caller told police that she is in a small house in a desert in Arizona. Police were unable to bring her to her family.

  "But now we hear that her own parents are on the way to this house to bring their daughter home. This is Julia with the latest news. Now back to your program." The cartoon resumed and Amy, Chest, and I just stared at it in shock. My body started to shake with tension.

  "No I can't go back there! There's nothing wrong with me. I'm not an addict. I can't go back! I won't go back!" My whisper grows in volume as tears come to my eyes. I lean forward putting my face in my hands, resting my elbows on my knees, and rocking back and forth. Chest wraps his arm around me and tries to comfort me. I can hear Amy's running feet as she heads in to her room behind the television. I can hear her voice as she talks to Tim.

  What's wrong with her? Withdrawals finally getting to her or has her head finally cracked?" I hear Maria's voice dripping with sarcasm and flirting.

  "Back off and shut up Maria." I hear Chest rumble. He stands up and picks me up in his arms. I keep my hands over my face and try to blink tears away. I feel Chest walking and hear the squeak of the back door opening. I feel the heat rush in at him and me as Chest gets ready to walk through the door. Can feel him step down the steps to the ground and him to continue walking. After a few minutes shade covers us and he sits me down on the work table in our shed. He tilts my face up and looks at me in the eyes with such fierceness that I feel safe.

  He kneels down in front of me and looks me square in the eyes," Your birthday is tomorrow. You will turn eighteen, which means no matter what they can't make you move. Only your parents, Tim, Amy, You, and I know this. You aren't going anywhere and how I know this is because we live in Arizona the emancipation rules qualify for you anyway. So you're still safe. So there are two reasons why you don't have to leave."

  I look at him and smile as he wipes a tear track away with his thumb and rests his hand on my cheek. I wrap my fingers around his wrist and nod at him. We sit and talk about everything that has happened. He explains to me what he felt when he found me and I share how I felt about him when I first saw him. I told him about the fights I had with Maria and all of the things that Elaine and I discussed. he told me about the awkward conversation between him and Amy about me and I told him about the identical conversation she and I had.

  Soon it was dark and we went inside. We went to our separate rooms knowing that the next day or two is going to bring a bad war between my biological family and my new family. I lay in bed going over ideas of what I'll say to my parents and all of the arguments in my head. Finally I fall in to a restless sleep.

  The next morning is bright and shiny but I feel a foreboding ahead. I still am not sure how my parents will react to the fact that Chest and I live together under the same roof. But then I remember the video from the shed that Chest told me about and realize that there is proof that there is no way that he and I could do anything bad. Chest may be smart but even he told me that he's not the best with electronics so there is no way he could have put a loop on the camera. I am now glad that Tim and Amy are so involved with everyone's lives here.

  I head in to the back yard and simply walk. I pick up little bits and pieces of wood as I go along just because I can, I have no intention of doing anything with them I just feel peace knowing I'm doing something no matter how pointless. I try to think of the best way to tell my parents that I don't plan on going home. No matter how I spin it I can still see the same outcome. I put my pile of sticks down by a rock I pass and look at the bundle I've found. Maybe later I'll dig out a fire pit. That would be fun, not the digging part but the part of me actually contributing something to the family. I haven't really done anything here to show my appreciation of Amy and Tim helping me. Well now I'm going to do something about it.

  I leave my sticks behind and start to hunt for some good size rocks. I don't know really where the sticks came from. The closest trees are alongside the wall, and one tiny tree beside the front deck. I guess the wind has been blowing kind of hard lately. So maybe that explains the sticks and twigs all over half of the compound. I keep my ears open for sounds around me. Any sound and I keep my eyes on the ground looking for rocks to use as a barrier of the fire pit.

  It doesn't take long for me to find a good armful of rocks of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. They are all normal rock colors but they are all different. I take a couple and head back towards the house, I find a nice small patch of dirt and clear out a circle to lay the stones in. I get the first ring done and head inside to take a shower knowing that my parents won't be impressed with the way I look now all covered in dust and sweat.

  I calmly walk back in to the house and in to the room that I have happily shared with Elaine for the last several months. I go to my dresser and start to dig in to the dresses that Amy bought for me. She thinks they will be perfect for when I become an agent like them. I have been taking classes and have been practicing here on the compound and Amy thinks that I can handle the job. I hope that I can prove her right. She has taken my preferences and has found some dresses that fit me. Granted I'm not a dress and skirt person but for today I'll make an exception.

  I jump in the shower and am sure to wash all of the dust, grit, and sweat from my body, many times over. After a while I get out of the shower and start to get dressed in to a simple dark purple dress that goes down to my knees with cupped sleeves, and a simple neckline that isn't to low but isn't really all that high either. I slip in to a pair of patented leather strap heels and clasp on a simple gold beaded necklace. I look in the mirror hoping that I look clean and healthy, as well as trying not to hide anything.

  There is a slight knock at the door and Amy walks in. She pulls me to her and holds me tight in a firm hug that tells me she doesn't plan to let me go outside the compound without anyone but the family in this house. She releases me slowly and holds me at arm’s length looking me over.

  “You look great, just remember to stay calm and to answer any questions they have truthfully. We aren't pretending anything, I figure that if you want them to know about Chest and you, you should tell them yourself. The rest of us agree, we aren't all dressing quite as nicely as you because you are the main person that we want your parents to focus on. So don't feel afraid to push some of the questions our way, believe me, we will be asking some of our own. “Amy whispers encouragingly to me.

  I nod and slowly leave the bathroom, I would love just for this one time to be able to hide in here like I did when I first came and was so scared of everything. But this room hasn't been my refuge for quite some time, the shed is. But I know that running isn't an option this time, No matter how much Chest and I want to. Amy puts her arm around my shoulders and gently guides me to the living room and sits me down on the couch. She knows what I'm thinking, she knows what Chest is thinking she knows that if we wanted to run there would be no catching up to us, so she was making sure that running wasn't an option. Chest comes in and sits across the room from me in the wooden rocking chair.

  Amy answers the door with Benjamin right behind her. When Amy opens the door I can't help but sit straighter and back against the back of the couch. Chest looks at me and mouths," Don't worry, we have a good plan set. Just remember that whatever happens I love you." Then he turns away and goes in to full adult mode not the normal 20 year old (he told me his age when we first started hanging out. It was one of those get to know you questions.) I'm used to. He add
resses my parents as ma'am and sir. He refuses to use their last names or first names. My parents don't sit next to me, they take the two kitchen chairs we placed on the opposite side from where the family, and I sit. Somehow I knew this was going to happen.

  "Macey." Is all my parents say to me. After not seeing me for almost 6 months that’s all they have to say? No, we’ve missed you, no, How have you been, or no, what were you thinking. Just "Macey". As soon as my name left my mother's lips I knew I was in trouble. But I trust Chest and Amy, they know what they are doing and how to get the outcome they want.

  “Ma’am, Sir, my name is Amy, my husband Tim, My daughters Elaine and Maria, my sons Benjamin and Chester." Amy introduces pointing to each person in turn.

  "Chester seems a little old to be your son Amy." Mother says. I sigh inwardly. After this meeting Amy and Tim might decide just to let them have me.

  “Maria, Benjamin, and Chest are my adopted children." Amy answers.

  "Chest is an odd name to call someone. It doesn't sound very appropriate in my mind." Mother says pointedly. Father nods in agreement while I shake my head.

  "We didn't want to call him by his