The outcome was obvious.

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We were gonna back out.

"Haha, let's not," I started, grabbing onto Liam's shirt and tugging him as a sign to retreat.

Liam looked back at me and cocked his eyebrows amusingly, "Why," he whispered with a smug smile pasted on his face, "You scared, Lennon?"

I leaned into him and sped-whispered, "Carter you know goddamn well we're gonna end up murdering the poor boys before they could even see their grandkids, have you no mercy?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment.

"Guess not," he popped, averting his attention away from me and instead at a heated Daniel and his pumped up friends.

I wasn't sure what to do right now. 99% of me wanted to join in. The other 1% was bound to the contract we agents follow.

But I didn't have time to think anymore. They were gonna do it. They were gonna end it today. I'm gonna have to dig three graves today. I'm gonna have to dig three goddamn graves today-

Oh, hold up. Someone came to stop that from happening.

"Would I be able to interest your group in any special sales we're offering today?" A young working attendant obliviously came up and greeted us cheerfully in a sing-song voice.

Everyone paused.

I turned around and 'ctrl + c, ctrl + v'-ied the same sweet face I'd been using with my teachers since 2015.

"No ma'am we're shopping separately," I answered, "However, the girl with the golden locks and her three guy friends would like to go and peruse the underwear section. I heard you're having a special buy two get one free sale?"

I have never prayed harder in my life. And not just to one god, no, I needed all the gods.

I prayed that there was a buy two get one free sale for underwears today.

To, Jesus and friends.

"Oh, you are quite right!" she replied to my question, placing her hands together and glancing at Allison and her group.

Quite right. Q-ui-t-e right? Since when was there a 'quite right.'

You know, if the head of the R.U. said to me, "Agent W, I assume you finished your mission?" and I had answered him, "You are quite right, sir." Do you know how I would end up?

Not with my cash that's for sure. I'm gonna end up starving that week.

Goddamn, why can't there just be a right and wrong. The world's so complicated, and the English language along with it.

"Please follow me then," the attendant directed at Daniel. He seemed to still be trying to understand the sudden change in the situation, but Allison wrapped her arms around him and dragged him away. The other two boys followed suite, equally confused.

Allison and Daniel glared daggers into my eyes as they passed. The attendant worker guided them away and I was able to let out a loud, long breath.

I turned back to the ill-fated group I was always bumping into.

"Hey," I snapped, eyeing down all four of them who were lined up perfectly in front of me.

I was at a lost for words. Not because I had nothing to say, but because I had too much to say. If I started talking and lecturing that group in front of me right now, we'd might as well camp out at the mall for the night.

"I can't believe you two," I finally managed to let out at Liam and Kai instead.

"Lennon, I meant what I said," Liam chimed, "If he's asking for a fight, he's got it."

"It's my business," I countered back, frowning, "My conflict with Allison and the likes of her go back two years before you all were even here. I'd appreciate it if you stayed out of it like it had been so far."

Kai rolled his eyes and he and Liam quickly glanced at each other before looking back at me.

"Why do we even have to deal with her? She's so ungrateful. My heart hurts," he commented slyly, running a hand through his dirty blonde hair.

Liam cracked a smile and hit the man playfully on the chest.

I looked back and forth at the two in their own world with my eyebrows raised. What have I gotten myself into? What is it with this year? Why is stuff suddenly happening to me now?

I gave up and turned to Helene and Carlos, and my form instantly turned quiet. Needless to say, it was still awkward between the three of us.

"Jamie," Carlos broke the silence.

I gave him my attention and waited for the two words I needed to hear from him.

Carlos didn't avoid my eyes either. His bright green eyes stared back at me and out of his two lips came the words, "I'm sorry."

Day 1.

_

We stopped by Helene's temporary dorm to pick up baby Cherish. And by 'we,' I meant Liam and I. Kai did himself a favor and went back to Liam's room without asking the man himself, while Carlos had to go back to his dorm room.

"You hold the baby," I suggested to Liam after we had left the girls dormitory and entered the boy's.

Liam eyed me weirdly before, I assumed, he chose to ignore me. I groaned. I wasn't kidding. I didn't know a thing about handling a child, nevermind holding it.

We walked silently back with Cherish.

_

"Welcome back mom, dad," Kai lazily said to us once Liam opened his door.

Liam tossed his keys inside a cabinet drawer before replying, "Greetings, gramps."

I rolled my eyes and started spreading out an area on the floor for the baby with the supplies that Helene gave to me.

"Uh," I said under my breath afterwards, scratching my head a little as I held the child awkwardly, "I think I put you in here..."

The second I placed her inside her cushion bed thingy, Liam pointed out before he headed into the bathroom to wash up that I had placed the baby in upside down.

"But how would you even know," I asked to no one in particular.

Kai replied, "The pictures were upside down, dumbhead."

I raised my eyebrows at him, "Don't you tell me the sun and clouds look different upside down."

"But obviously the sun doesn't go under the clouds," he countered irritated.

"It does during sunset," I glared at him.

"It's not even sunset though!" he exclaimed, sitting up on the bed as he crossed his legs together and frowned at me, "Look how far away the mountains and the sun are from each other!"

"Ohmygod it's not even to scale," I shot back, "The sun and mountain's only 3 inches away from each other! It looks fucking sunset to me!"

The bathroom door bursted open and Liam's irritated head popped out.

"Would y'all shut the fuck up? Can't I wash my face in fucking peace."

"He's right!" Kai exclaimed abruptly, scaring the shit out of both me and Liam, "FUCK PEACE. I call war!"

"Oh... mygod," I cried, covering my head inside my hands as I was 100% done with him and his shit.

Suddenly, baby Cherish cried.

We all snapped our heads towards her and I leaned down closer to the bed to check what was going on.

"She's crying," I exclaimed, suddenly feeling panicky. Is this what mothers felt? I don't like it at all.

"Obviously," Liam replied, closing the bathroom door and looking back at the new scene.

I picked her up and cradled her the best I could in my arms. She was still crying.

"Why hasn't it stopped," Kai groaned, shutting the noise out with the pillows that Liam had neatly laid out for himself. If I could see Liam's face at the moment, his eyebrows would've been twitching.

"Uh," I began, fumbling with my words, "I-I got it! MILK HER!" I piped, holding the baby out to Kai. My mistake.

Kai looked at me with the most disgusted and weirded-out face a man could possibly make before he stuttered, "Did she just- Did she-" to Liam.

Liam bit his mouth closed and silently occupied himself with scratching his head over and over again.

Kai turned back to me and shouted, "DO MY BOOBS LOOK LIKE THEY CONTAIN ADEQUATE MILK SUPPLY FOR THAT CHILD, HUH? DOES IT LENNON?"

I was so embarrassed. Kill me now.

"N-No I didn't mean that I-" I stuttered, pulling the baby back to me and whining, "I meant pass me her bottle you misunderstanding jerk."

Liam was turned away from us with his head in his hand. Aside from his silent corner, we have the weirded out corner featuring your assassin Kai Bennet. Then come on down to my corner and you'll have a disorganized woman and a wailing baby.

Just what is it with this year? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a tad bit scared for my future.

_