Amee stirred from her dreamless sleep, she could vaguely hear Mischief meowing pitifully somewhere, it sounded distant. Soon she could feel the cat’s paw swatting at her cheek. She blinked slowly.

“Mischief! Stop it!”

She growled towards the cat who kept meowing, it was a nagging worried meow.

“Damn it cat, you’re a pain!”

Amee shifted pushing herself out of bed. She looked down and she was still wearing her sister’s work out cloths from the night before. She was bleary eyed, she felt like she’d just gotten run over by a freight train.

“What the hell did I do to myself.”

She rubbed her eyes and stood up. Mischief sat on the bed and meowed loudly at her.

“Okay cat I’m up, oh my god, what has gotten into you.”

Mischief continued her worrisome meow. Amee stretched. Her hair felt matted. She barely remembered the try-outs.

“Did someone spike the energy drink?”

She asked Mischief, who meowed back at her.

“As usual no help from the furry peanut gallery.”

She yawned and went into the bathroom. Must not be late, mom’s not nagging me yet. She pulled the cloths off, looking at the blood stains on the top. She blinked a few times then felt her forehead, no stitches. Did someone else fall and hit their head? Amee tried to piece the events of the night before but she failed. Swiss cheese, my brain feels like Swiss cheese. Amee looked in the mirror and saw her hair was matted with dried blood. Her eyes widened as she poked at it, there was so much blood, how could she not be in the hospital?

“Okay I’m not gonna get freaked out. You hear me.”

She looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath. Mischief seeming content curled up on the toilet seat and purred softly.

“Oh that’s perfect get me all freaked out, then curl up and sleep.”

Amee grumbled and tossed her clothes aside and slipped into a warm shower. Amee closed her eyes and let the water run over her, the soft rhythm of the droplets worked magic on her emotions, washing away the blood and terrible feeling of confusion she had.

A very refreshed Amee came out of the shower. Why do I feel so good now. Her body tingled with sensation, like she could sense the air around her. Amee smiled and started to brush out her hair, she’d managed to get the blood out. Amee caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she saw a chubby teenage girl, in her mind’s eye.

“Alright already furball, breakfast then school, I must be on time no one’s harassing me.”

Amee pulled on some school cloths, her pants felt a bit loose. She shrugged it off and picked up her school bag and started down to the kitchen. Mischief followed behind her dutifully. Amee dropped her school bag beside her and sat down by the counter triumphantly.

“Hey, Helen!”

“You seem to be in a chipper mood today, Amee.”

Helen looked up at her from behind the kitchen island, she smiled.

“I’m on time!”

Amee laughed, and glanced at the microwave clock, and her smile faded, and her eyes widened.

“Oh my god that doesn’t say three thirty does it? I’m so dead I missed another day of school!”

Amee started to panic imagining the speech she was going to get that night.

“No school today, Amee, don’t you remember?”

Helen continued dicing up some carrots while she spoke, she didn’t look up at Amee.

“No...uhh...no...”

Amee scratched her head and look perplexed.

“Because of what happened last night.”

Helen pointed to the television that sat in the kitchen, it was muted. Amee could see it was tuned to the national news channel. She read the news ticker that flowed across the bottom.

‘Manhunt for suspect involved with the murder of unidentified teenage girl in Washington DC at MacArthur high school is still ongoing, unconfirmed sources say the victim may be the youngest daughter of Republican presidential candidate Senator Candice Morris. --- The pentagon is reporting a mission into North Korea was....’

“I’m supposed to be dead?”

Amee stared blankly at the television.

“You know reporter’s Amee they’ll do anything to get ratings. They’ve been calling all day.”

Helen shook her head.

“Why the Secret Service refuses to tell them you’re alright is beyond me.”

“If it’s thought she’s dead then whoever mistook that girl for her will think they did their job and get complacent.”

Agent Johnson’s youthful voice sounded from behind her.

“But...bu...my friends will be worried.”

Amee stammered as she spun around to look at Agent Johnson.

“Your mother’s going to give us until tomorrow, then she’s going to do a press release, we have some good solid leads. We’ll get them.”

Agent Johnson smiled.

“But...where were you last night?”

Amee gave Agent Johnson a withering glare.

“The faculty at your school asked me to wait outside the gymnasium, they were worried my presence might cause some issues. I ensured the gym was secure and waited outside in the school hallway. I thought we had a discussion about common sense, you really shouldn’t run outside without an escort with these threats around. How am I going to make you understand how much danger you could be in?”

Agent Johnson had a way of making all this seem perfectly reasonable just by the tone of his voice. Amee watched him talk, glancing at his handsome jaw line, and his deep brown eyes, those broad shoulders, she melted a bit inside.

“Ma’am?”

“Err..what?”

Amee blinked, blushing slightly.

“How can we make you understand how much danger you’re in?”

Agent Johnson fought back a small chuckle.

“Err...well...just make sure you’re with me...and stuff..ya...”

Amee turned around, her cheeks glowed a bright crimson. She buried her face in her hands. I’m such a loser! Why does he have to be so good looking?

“Well, I plan on ensuring you are safe, but you have to work with me, and use some common sense.”

Agent Johnson moved over to the counter to pick up a cup of coffee that Helen has placed there for him.

“Well okay I’ll do better.”

Amee’s voice was muffled by her hands. She heard a plate clink against the ceramic counter top.

“Thanks.”

Amee welcomed the distraction and peeked between her fingers. Helen has placed a roast beef sandwich in front of her. Amee without thinking reached out and grabbed it and brought it to her lips. She took a bite, it was heavenly.

“Helen, you are the best.” Amee finished the sandwich rapidly.

“Your mother wants you to call her as soon as you’re awake.”

Helen winked at Amee.

“Okay. So call her before I do anything else.”

Amee frowned. That was one conversation she was not looking forward too. Amee sighed and stood up, her head hung low she went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water, and walked up the stairs towards her room. She heard footsteps following her, she looked back, Agent Johnson was following her.

“Did I forget something?”

Amee glanced back.

“Well, no, but I really must reinforce that you cannot call anyone except your mother, and your father, and if you do not get them on the phone, just leave your telephone number, it is very important, and if you go on your computer, do not go online, you can’t give anyone any indication that you are alright. Do you understand?”

Agent Johnson looked pensive, Amee’s file had been quite clear that her spare time was spent chatting online, he’d even had her IP monitored just in case.

“bu-“

Amee was cut off by Agent Johnson.

“Ma’am, I am fully authorized by my superiors to ensure you have no contact with the outside world, I don’t want to take your cell phone, or disconnect your computer, but I will if I think you are endangering yourself.”

Agent Johnson stood his ground, this was a teenager after all.

“That’s not fair!”

Amee shouted.

“Someone tried to kill me and now I’m being punished!?!”

“I can understand how you feel ma’am, but until our deadline I need you to be dead to the world.”

Agent Johnson winced at the shout.

“Whatever. I don’t seem to have a choice but it’s pure evil making my friends think I’m dead. Pure evil.”

Amee walked into her room and slammed the door. She heard Mischief scratching at the door, and sighed. She opened the door and picked up the cat and then slammed the door again. Mischief curled up on her pillow and passed out.

“I wish I was a cat.”

Amee muttered to Mischief and started digging for her cell phone. She took a deep breath and dialled her mother’s cell phone. Please be in a meeting or something just don’t answer the phone please. The phone ringed a twice then she heard it pick up.

“Hello?”

Amee recognized her mother’s voice immediately; it seemed she would have no such luck today.

“Hi mom, it’s Amee.”

Amee tried not to sound irritable.

“Amee! I was so worried about you. Are you alright?”

Amee could hear genuine concern in her mother’s voice.

“No, I’m not alright, your paranoid secret service agents won’t let me call anyone or use the internet.”

Amee ranted. There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Amee knew she’d said the wrong thing.

“Well you’re just going to do what you’re told, this isn’t a game Amee someone was really trying to hurt you last night, and someone’s dead because of it.”

Her mother’s tone sounded accusatory.

“I..bu...I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Amee shouted into the phone.

“Didn’t you? Running off without your secret service escort, in the morning and after school? Running off alone outside? How can you possibly say you didn’t do anything wrong?”

Her mother raised her voice, she was starting to get annoyed at Amee’s antics.

“I couldn’t see, I was upset!”

Amee started to cry, she vaguely remembered the feeling of panic she got when the spectators started to laugh, but she’d never say that to her mother.

“You were upset? You were upset?!? Is that all you have to say about your behaviour?”

Amee could hear the disbelief in her mother’s voice.

“What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t thinking!”

Amee shouted in frustration.

“You never think! That’s your problem Amee you never consider the consequences of your actions, this is the real world Amee, in the real world when you don’t think people get hurt, like that girl last night.”

Amee listened in a stunned silence, her mother’s words may as well have been a punch to the gut. She started to feel sick.

Was it my fault? Amee started to sob.

“Amee! Amee! Answer me this instant.”

Her mother sounded frantic.

“I need to go mom. I’m not dead, though I wish I were, I hope that makes you happy.”

Amee hung up the cell phone, turned it off and tossed it into a pile of clothes. She spun around and collapsed face first onto her pillow. She punched her pillow a few times. She was caught between fury, and sorrow. Her mother could get under her skin so easily. How does she do it?

“Amee what the hell did you say to mom!”

Amber shouted as she pounded on Amee’s locked door.

“Leave me alone!”

Amee shouted back. Mischief meowed and jumped up onto a higher ledge, she obviously wasn’t happy about all this.

“Amee you open this door right now, or I’m going get Agent Johnson to break it down!”

Amber rattled the door’s handle forcefully. Amee pushed herself up off the bed and stalked over to the door, and swung it open violently.

“What?!?”

Amee growled up at Amber.

“What did you say to mom, she called and told us to check on you, said you were going to kill yourself!”

Amber’s face was a mixture of anger, and concern. Agent Johnson stood behind Amber, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else then in the midst of teen angst.

“I can’t believe her! Trust me if I was going to kill myself I would do it quietly and save myself the lecture from mom!”

Amee slammed the door shut and locked it again.

“Amee, she wants to talk to you!”

Amber shook the door again trying to open it.

“Tell her to come home and belittle me face to face!”

Amee kicked the door, and regretted it as pain shot up her foot.

“You are such...so...immature!”

Amber yelled back, and then there was silence. Amee straightened out her shirt and sat down at her desk and stared at the blank screen of her computer monitor. She sighed and reached into her school bag. Might as well do homework, being on the computer without being able to answer anyone would just be depressing. She pulled out her English reading assignment, and signed again, she’d already finished that. She looked down at the math and science books with trepidation.

She pulled out her science lab book first. At least that was just putting everything in a lab format. God I hate this, there is no creativity at all. She sighed and started to write out the purpose, hypothesis, procedure, data, analysis and finally the conclusion. She wrote it out in the book in black pen just like the laboratory Nazi demanded it. The mundane task calmed her somewhat, really she just had to make it look neat, it allowed her to push away the memories that kept eating at her from the events of the last evening. Amee finally finished her lab and closed the book.

“Well, the lesser of two evils is finished, now for the big bad itself.”

Amee put her science books away and pulled out her math book. She opened it to the chapter they had been working on in class. I need to get this stuff down, I can’t keep getting in trouble like that because of math! Math you hear me you aren’t going to win! Amee looked down at the page, usually it would seem like Greek to her, but something was different. She noticed the flow of the equations, and without thinking she knew what the solutions were to the problems before her. Oh my god! She started to rapidly move through the pages. Fractions, Algebra, Geometry, word problems, factorials, nothing stumped her. It was like magic. She’d broken the code of mathematics.

“Amee? Amee?”

Amee heard her sister’s voice come from behind her.

“What?”

Amee rubbed her eyes and spun to look at her Amber.

“I’ve been calling your name for the last five minutes, deaf much?”

Amber sounded annoyed.

“What, err no, sorry I was distracted by the math.”

Amee motioned to the open math book on her desk.

“Okay who are you and what have you done with my sister?”

Amber put her hands on her hips. Amee giggled a little. Amber smiled, she was relieved to see Amee was starting to cheer up.

“Seriously what gives, it’s one in the morning you should be in bed, I saw your light on figured you were on your game.”

Amber stepped closer looking at the computer, then she looked at Amee’s workbook.

“You weren’t lying.”

“Of course not, and it’s none of your business anyway whether I’m up all night or not!”

Amee started to get defensive.

“Mom and dad aren’t here someone has to spoil your fun.”

Amber stuck out her tongue.

“Okay my sister, who is failing math so badly that our parents have been to the school three times for meetings, just spent eight hours doing math proofs? For stuff she isn’t going to have to look at until November?”

Amber looked at the chapter Amee was working on.

“I don’t know what happened it just clicked. I got so excited, you can really understand math you know? It’s like a language once you know how to translate it, it is so exciting to find the answer!”

Amee sounded very excited, Amber looked a bit scared.

“Okay well body snatcher or not, you need to get to bed. And April called three times for you, she heard you were not dead and wanted to talk, seeing as the emo-freak’s your best friend I’d say you should call her when you get up in the morning, she’s probably worried sick. Seems kind of a mean thing to do not to call her once you were allowed. But that’s just me.”

Amber closed Amee’s books up and started towards the bedroom door. Amee’s heart sank, how could she spend eight hours doing math and not even realize how much time had passed? April must be so angry with me.

Amee switched out her light and curled up under her blankets, Mischief snuggled up next to her. Amee closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She couldn’t though, she kept thinking of mathematical formulas she could see them forming. The knowledge came unbidden. More and more her consciousness expanded. Vector Calculus, Probability, Linier Algebra, they weren’t the only things, she started to have friction equations pop into her brain, chemical formulas, molecular maps of materials. She sat bolt upright when she finally realized how something could be infinite. Mischief meowed angrily at being rudely awakened. What is wrong with me? Where is all this coming from? Even as she mentally asked the questions more information poured into her brain, she felt like a dam had burst. She rubbed her eyes and allowed her head to fall to her pillow. She closed her eyes and willed herself to think of something else, anything else.

*****

Douglas had tried his best to remain calm during the dinner, his discomfort was more easily hidden because the Senator couldn’t keep his hands off the date he had brought. They had left together with Douglas’s blessing. Douglas paced back and forth in his apartment and tugged on the collar of his shirt. The silence was worrying him, it was all over the news that Amee was dead. He had it on the global news network, it was all they could talk about. The situation made him nervous. He should have cancelled the dinner and taken care of things personally. He looked down at his cell phone, it had not made a peep since the call to McDonald and that was over four hours ago. He absently wiped sweat from his brow. The next phone call he received would determine the course of his entire life. He glanced at the television when, Melinda Crown showed up on the screen. She was Amee’s school, he paused there in front of the screen staring and listening.

“I’m reporting to you live from MacArthur High School, where earlier this evening Amee Morris, youngest daughter of Senator Candice Morris, was reportedly slain, we have unconfirmed reports that there was a female assailant who was taken away by Secret Service agents. When we checked with police and coroner’s officials neither would confirm or deny there was someone in custody. They wouldn’t even confirm if Amee Morris was indeed the victim. An anonymous source has revealed that the ambulance transporting her to the hospital was involved in a collision and subsequent explosion. We have footage of the fiery remains of the vehicle from earlier this evening.” The screen flashed to the flaming wreckage of what appeared to be an overturned gas tanker, and an ambulance. Melinda’s voice continued with voice over. “Witnesses claim the truck which was carrying gasoline turned out in front of the ambulance and the ambulance didn’t have time to stop, no one survived the fiery collision which leaves us with more questions than answers this evening.” Douglas flicked the mute button on his remote when he heard his cell ringing, he reached for it nearly knocking an expensive vase of the table. He took a deep breath and opened it.

“Douglas Shaw.” He had his eyes closed, praying for any good news.

“Ah yes Douglas, your quick thinking netted us something amazing tonight, expect a bonus in your account by morning.” Douglas was suddenly very confused.

“But, Mr McDonald the news says the girl is dead.” Douglas blurted it out without thinking.

“Since when have reporters ever told the whole truth, nothing of the sort, she was taken into Secret Service headquarters earlier this evening, but the body that you helped us recover, she’s an amazing specimen, just amazing, we may not need Amee after all.” Douglas’s mouth dropped open he hadn’t suspected the authorities to keep the girl’s survival secret.

“I must admit sir, I am somewhat confused.” Douglas decided honesty would be the best policy.

“Ah well, one day you’ll understand the bigger picture if you keep up this kind of good work. Keep up the surveillance on Amee, I’ll know within a week whether we still need her in our possession or not, I hope you enjoy the bonus, do something nice for yourself.” Albert hung up the phone, leaving a shocked Douglas staring at his television screen with a slack jaw.