Stars and Secrets

Lucy stared up at the stars. She had received an encoded message that morning that she would have to go soon. She hadn’t made any real friends this time so she had told herself it wouldn’t be hard to leave the people, but she was going to miss this view. The mountains, stars, and the warmth of the small town, which she supposed came from the people.

It was true, Ella at the cafe would probably ask where she’d disappeared to. Her neighbor, Zane would be sad that she was gone, he’d have no one to tease. Okay, so maybe she would miss the people, but it wouldn’t be like last time.

Lucy had to admit, this town had taken her by surprise. Arriving two months ago she had come with low expectations. Having just wrapped up a year in New York she wasn’t exactly thrilled to be stuck in a town where there was only one grocery store within a 50 mile radius. But it had almost been nice. Being in a small town she had to be careful, it was one of those “everybody knows everybody” situations. After New York she was extra cautious. She knew not to make friends on her first day of school, keep a low profile, and have an answer to any questions someone might ask her.

Carson, whom she’d been partnered up with several times before, was on extended assignment so it had been easy to craft a cover story. As expected, everyone in the town knew Carson (though here he was Cody). He was a few years older. With their blond hair, green eyes, and freckles in common, they could be related. It was easy to say she was a cousin, visiting for a few months.

A meteor shot across the sky as Lucy lay there on a picnic blanket, fire crackling at her feet. The stars wouldn’t be nearly as pretty wherever Lucy ended up next. She hadn’t been able to see them in New York with all the light pollution, but here, they were so brilliant. She felt they had become part of her.

She heard footsteps in the grass behind her and tilted her head back instinctively to see who it was. Normally, she could tell instantly but the grass seemed to muffle their steps enough to throw her off.

Eventually, the fire illuminated a face.

“Time to come in, okay kiddo?” said Mrs. Morgan. Relieved, Lucy smiled and nodded.

Mrs. Morgan was Carson’s host mom here and she had been incredibly kind to both Carson and Lucy. She wasn’t part of the network, so she didn’t know why Carson and Lucy were really there. However, she had willingly taken Lucy in when she had shown up at the Morgan’s door, claiming that she knew “Cody”.

Her phone dinged. Sighing, she sat up. Lucy stared off into the nearby expanse of trees. She had heard Mrs. Morgan go inside already but she didn’t want to check her phone. A new message meant new information and that meant her departure would be all the more imminent.

Reluctantly, she slid her phone out, opening it.

“The Pine Tree Diner. Tomorrow. 7:43. Across from the moose.”

She looked at it, then deleted the message. Too dangerous to keep it, plus she had memorized the information already.

Slowly, she made her way inside, peeking several more times at the sky, before climbing into bed.

Morning came quickly. The rest of the day flew by with unanticipated swiftness. Lucy begrudgingly thought about how few days she had left in the town, resenting time for racing by.

At 7:30 she wrapped up her homework, which she wasn’t even sure why she was doing. She wouldn’t be there when her English essay was due.

Lucy grabbed a jacket before heading downstairs. She had been taught to travel light, coming to the Morgans with only three outfits. Now, thanks to the Morgans, she had a closet full of clothes. She would miss the Morgans. Moments later she scolded herself for getting too attached.

“I’ll be home by nine” she told Mrs. Morgan, who was doing dishes.

“Stay safe, darlin’” Mr. Morgan called.

Lucy nodded before slipping out the door. Before the Morgans, no one had called her anything like “darlin’”. She had been trained not to get too close. New York had been the exception.

Lucy walked to the Pine Tree Diner.

She entered the restaurant at 7:40. It was a cozy lodge-like place that served good, home cooked food. Carson had taken her there her first week in town.

She glanced over at the moose head which had never, in fact, belonged to a real live moose. It was fake. She had never really liked violence, which seemed strange, given her profession.

A few weeks ago, she spotted a moose while hiking through the forest. Though it was huge, it was gentle, minding its own business. She knew not to provoke it, she just stood and watched it for a long time.

The booth across from the moose was empty and she requested to sit there. She glanced at her watch: still 7:40. She ordered water, and at 7:42, a bowl of fresh rolls, some butter, and her drink were placed on the table. She scanned the restaurant. No one was looking her way. She wondered if her contact was there yet. It was unprofessional to be late.

She glanced at her wrist again as the minute hand ticked up to 7:43. She looked up when she heard footsteps approaching. It was her waiter, she knew it before she saw him. He looked puzzled.

“Um, ma’m, this is for you.” He placed a glass of merlot in front of her. So they were here, she thought.

“Thank you” she nodded politely. She could easily make herself look old enough so she had rarely run into any issues.

As the waiter walked away, she slid a packet of sugar out of the table caddy and placed it next to her left shoe. After a moment, she registered movement at her “eight o’clock”. She sat back as a tall figure, wearing a dark hoodie slid into the booth.

Not looking up, she swirled the glass of wine.

“You can’t drink that, you know.”

She smiled, “I could. But I’m not going to.”

“You’re seventeen”

“I know that. You’re not supposed to.” she replied.

“Cody told me”

“Of course he did.” she rolled her eyes. That boy was surprisingly bad at secrets.

“We’re not here to discuss my age.”

“You know how hard it was to order merlot here?” a low voice hissed, ignoring her last comment. “I want a whiskey dutch, no problem, but merlot, woo-e.”

Lucy ran her fingers through her hair. “Just tell me what you came here to tell me.”

“What? No introductions, no pleasantries? This is a date, you know!” feigning offense.

“It’s not a date.” Lucy scoffed.

“I bought you wine!”

Lucy tilted her head, this person was funny, not like her usual informants.

“You had to do that, it’s the signal.”

“I didn’t have to! I could have just come over here!”

“And break protocol? What if I thought you were the enemy?”

“Then I’d probably be hurtin’ pretty bad right now.”

Lucy tried her best to hide her smile.

“Fine. I’m Lucy. But you already know that. I’m 17. You know that too.” She tried to meet the eye under the hood.

“I’m Hunter.”

“Hunter. Is that your…”

“No.” He cut her off. “It’s William”

“Do you have a cover here?”

“No.”

“Then I'll call you Will.” she declared, smiling.

William reached up and slid his hood off. He had dark short hair and kind eyes. That was rare, most people she met had cold, calculating eyes. They were on their guard and didn’t get too involved, Lucy reminded herself.

William looked to be Lucy’s age, maybe older, maybe younger, it was hard to tell, which she supposed worked well for him.

“So...you’re going to tell me I have to leave soon.”

William smiled wryly “Oh no, that’s not how this works”

“I think it is”

“No. It’s a date.”

“Fine.” Lucy crossed her arms. “What do we have to talk about?”

“Have to? Oof” he clutched his chest, wounded. He recovered quickly, asking, “Favorite food?”

“Szilvás Gomboc.”

“What?” He looked genuinely curious.

“Plum dumplings, it’s Hungarain.”

“Yum!”

“I’ve never been assigned anything international.” William added. This was a small victory for Lucy.

“Your turn”

“Hmm, last assignment?”

William frowned, “A. I can’t tell you. B. Not a good question”

“Not a good question?”

“It’s a date! We can't talk about work” he insisted.

“Really? We’re still going with that? We both know how this will end. After what you think is a nice night, you give me the intel for my next mission, I leave here, and we never see each other again.” Lucy's voice came out harsher than she had meant for it to.

William just stared at her. His face was unreadable, which was saying something for Lucy. Lucy’s face burned. She felt angry, but not at William. She was angry that she had to leave. Angry that she had made friends, almost been part of a family. Scared that somehow it would be New York all over again. She had tried so hard but this boy had stirred up everything she had worked to bury.

She was swift, clever, she could do a lot of things people didn’t expect of her but there was no way for her to steal the words she’d just said back out of the air, no matter how much she wanted to.

William simply stood up and walked away, dropping a paper at her feet.

Tears stung the corners of Lucy’s eyes. She was not going to cry. She turned around but William was just gone. She unfolded the paper. They were coordinates and a time. By 8 am tomorrow she’d be in Washington. There seemed to be lines across the paper though, as if ink had bled through, she flipped it over.

“Lucy” was scrawled across the top. “Can stay in town!” it said with a smiley face drawn next to those words.

She could stay! A balloon of joy rose up in Lucy but it was inhibited by guilt. She glanced over her shoulder again in time to see William’s black hoodie as he tried to slip out the door.

Lucy bolted to her feet. She didn’t care about being stealthy. She ran full force towards her target, tackling him.

Astonished heads turned their way.

“Y’all okay?” asked a perplexed gentleman with a large mustache and cowboy hat.

“Fine” Lucy answered.

“Nerfur burur” came a muffled voice from underneath Lucy.

Lucy looked down, realizing she was still on top of William. She rolled off, offering her hand to help him to his feet.

“Thanks” he looked at her hesitantly as if she could still flip him flat on his back at any moment.

“I’m sorry.” She apologized. “Do you...think we could finish dinner now? I promise I won't yell this time.”

“You read the note?’

“Yeah”

“Both sides?”

“I read my side”

“Washington isn’t your assignment.”

“I know”

“I had to deliver two assignments tonight.”

“How about you?”

“I hope you don’t mind seeing me again. I’ve been tasked to join you and Cody here.”

Lucy couldn’t help grinning.

“So...Will?” she asked playfully. “You have time to finish our date?”

“All the time in the world.”

Lucy realized they were still holding hands from when she helped him up. They walked back to their table that way.

“Oh, but I do have to be home by nine”

“That so?”

“Yeah.”

“So this is home?”

“It is” Lucy answered, as she gazed at the stars reflected in William’s eyes.