Miami, Florida, U.S.A

Thylonius- 15

“This is all so pointless”

I couldn’t help but think that anytime I had to sit in a tone-deaf teacher’s class in the 10th grade. It had a been a year since Lucius had taken us in and moved to Miami. While Miami offered more to the eye and more of a breeze than Sierra Leone did, it still wasn’t what I thought it would be. But even though I wasn’t “happy”. It worked for my cover or at least the cover “he” gave me. You see I was Thylonius. A regular 15-year-old student athlete. It was easy to make superficial friends in this fake world. Just talk about girls and sports with the guys. Just flirt and tease the girls, it was easy to blend in. Easier for me because I was not a bad looking guy and happened to be a star ball player, so there was no need to look deeper into me. While it was easy for me to be one of the many students, it was much harder for my sister to blend but that suited her. CniDaria, as it was back home, was usually the most attractive thing to walk into the room. Whatever room it was and naturally as we were always together a lot of guys asked to me to “hook them up”. I didn’t see the appeal but I had a role to play so I always smiled said “Good Luck” knowing full well my sister would never look twice at someone like that. She was much more likely to laugh at him and walk away. While the confrontation with my parents changed me it seemed to reaffirm my sister. She thrived in this life. Pretending, having artificial friends and all the boys chase after her.  It seemed effortless for her. She seemed made for this life and she liked it. Yet I… I felt there was something missing. I don’t know how fulfilling working for an international spy agency is supposed to be but living in America, seeing the decadence and wastefulness they live with, made it seem hollow. A far cry from what we imagined America to be when we were kids. But then again a lot of things had changed since we were kids. I saw myself in a whole different light. I just knew... I just knew my sister and I were destined for more. But all my peers cared about was their “kicks” and who “smashed” who. It seemed so trivial to me. I came from a place that literally burned in fire. I ate someone else’s garbage, scavenged for every little thing including food, shelter and clothing. While I had to interact and coexist with them (my classmates) I didn’t see them as my equals neither did Ni for that matter. That’s why it sucked that we didn’t share a lunch. I couldn't watch these kids eat lunch being as wasteful and inconsiderate as they were and it would kind of my blow my cover if I told them off for being… You know “American”. So I usually ate lunch in solitude.

One day, as usual, I was sat by myself and enjoyed my school lunch while watching my fellow students talk about stupid things shaking my head. This is when my life changed yet again.

“Hey” I looked around and a tall skinny caramel skinned kid sat down at my table. “My name is Nick”

I looked at him for a full minute without a word. It was common knowledge that I sat by myself at lunch and no one ever dared bother me. I always had to concentrate on our next basketball game by watching film. Playing point guard was important or at least that I was told by everyone but here was this guy, who not only sat at my table but introduced himself and talked to me. I couldn’t tell you what he said at first because I was dumbfounded by his presence. “I’m sorry?” I said after I realized he had been speaking the entire time without me uttering a word to him. He paused finished his bite and said.

“I said… I’m new here it’s my third school since I started high school I’m a military brat....” I was really paying attention when he mentioned military brat and the all moving around. “Where are you from?” I was surprised he asked me that, well honestly I was surprised he asked me anything after all he talked so fast.

“Uh what makes you think I’m not from here?” You see we weren’t supposed to tell people where we were from. You know the whole presumed dead thing. Nick, however, laughed

“I can tell you’re not from the states. The way you look at the other kids. You actually know the value of things.” I smiled at him

“I’m from Africa.”

“You do realize that’s not a country, right?” I looked at him. He had a teasing smile on his face. He replied “Yes. I know there is more than one country in Africa” I laughed again. He was funny and some reason I found myself comfortable with him.

“I’m from Liberia.” I was comfortable with him, but not stupid enough to tell him where I really was from. He seemed impressed.

“My family spent time there as well as the Congo and South Africa. My father also “helped” with Rwanda.” I looked at him and realized I hadn’t asked “Where were you born?”

“Nuremberg.”

“Germany? Wow. Did you like it there?” Nick ate a little slowly.

“I did, I mean what I could remember. I just really remember how everyone was happy with what they had. Whether that’s the military way or the fact Germany still hasn’t fully recovered from the war, I don’t know, before I could really register it as more than what a child saw. We were gone.” He swallowed, “We’ve never stayed anywhere too long. I’m really hoping since my parents aren’t on active duty anymore. We can stay in one place. Settle.” I didn’t really understand why someone would whom seemed to have seen the world would want to settle here.

“Why settle? You get to see the world. Travel. Not get tied down to one place.” He looked at me.

“I never asked you man. What’s your name?”

“My name is Thylonius but just call me Ty.” He smiled

“Well Ty. I’m 15 I want something all those places could never give me.”

“What’s that?”

“Friends.” He said it so simply but yet it had a profound effect on me. Honestly, he had an effect on me. So I decided right then and there.

“Well you have a friend in me Nick.” I held out my hand. He took it

“Likewise Thylonius.” We laughed and continued to talk and from then on we always sat at lunch together and talked.

While after I found a friend at school, things were better there. Things at home. Well at least it was better than scavenging on the streets. But only a little. Lucius is a trained assassin. An assassin who is used to taking lives. Not providing for them or being responsible for them. So we weren’t children to him. We were his employees. He was our supervisor. CniDaria hated him and clashed with him constantly. Deep down I always thought it was because he shattered our perfect vision of our parents. Me, I hated him because he was just like them. He hated us because he hated everyone. Like I said, he wasn’t used to being responsible for people. But he needed us and though, we didn’t admit it at the time, we needed him. Part of his need was for us to be better. Better at our roles. That meant for me to be more meticulous. So one night before the biggest game of the season I was in my room going over last minute preparations. He came walking into my room. He was always so quiet so whenever I turned around and saw him I always instinctively reached for my knife but he always struck my hand before I could get there. “What?!” I said massaging my hand. He just looked at me and leaned back on the wall. I used to hate the way he looked at me so I never wanted to be in his company for too long. “What do you want Lucius?”

“For you to win.”

“That’s the plan.”