Sarah swung her bat and hit another ball. Putting her six ahead of Richard. He shook his head with a smirk. She put the bat over her shoulder walked a few steps with a swagger. Then crouched down for her next pitch. Richard swung at his next one and hit air.

“Here I was thinking you’d let me win and save my fragile male ego.”

“I don’t have it in me to lose on purpose.”

“I know that is what makes you so amazing.”

“Tell me more about how I’m amazing?”

“Uh…you have eyes.”

“I have eyes?”

She laughed and hit another ball.

“I mean like you have cool eyes. They’re almost silver sometimes.”

He hit another ball.

“And?”

“And you kick ass at soccer, hockey, basketball, volleyball, swimming. I mean you are like born to play sports. Why didn’t you play baseball?”

“Coach said I should play girls softball and that wasn’t cool with me.”

“Coach was an idiot. I’ve seen you run.”

Sarah hit another ball. Richard missed his and he swung the bat around.

“I know what it is, you’re distracting me. I mean how can a guy concentrate with you in the next batting cage looking all…you.”

The buzzer rang letting them know their time was up.

“What looking all sweaty? Are you into girls who smell like they should have two showers? Is there something I should know here?”

He blushed.

“I can get us another hour, but it will just make it worse. Face it, last hour I was 4 ahead, now I’m double.”

“Fine you win batting.”

“Do you still want to do the driving range?”

“Umm, let’s do something inside where we can drink lots of water. I mean I could beat you at that too, but I don’t want to tire you out.”

Sarah put the bat and batting helmet away.

“I’m not tired but you look like you just ran a marathon.”

“I’m not tired…okay I’m exhausted, how are you still going? Two hours of batting practice in this heat?”

Sarah shrugged.

“Guess they just make us girls from the Highlands tough.”

The pair made their way across the road to the arcade and started to play Skee-Ball.

“I’m going to win you a stuffed animal.”

“If you play skee-ball like you bat it is gonna be one of the tiny ones.”

Richard blinked at her.

“Ouch. You can throw some serious shade.”

“We Scottish girls speak only the truth. Scottish men can handle it, I guess American boys can’t.”

“I’m not sure I’m going to be able to recover from that one.”

He looked at her and rolled a ball and it popped into the 10000-point hole.

“Oh, was that 10000 points? How did I do that?”

Sarah laughed.

“Hmm you seem to be really good with balls.”

He was taking another shot and when she said that he messed up and it bounced back at him. He caught it. He laughed.

“And they just keep coming.”

Sarah laughed and bumped against him the arms touched and she lingered near him and he kissed her suddenly. Then turned and got another 10000 points. She blushed and smiled at him. He cleared his throat.

“Time for twenty questions or however many we can do before we end up staring at each other awkwardly. You go first.”

“Umm, does it hurt being so bad at hockey?”

“No! I’m not bad at hockey. Umm, do you miss Scotland?”

“Yes. Mmm, so you have to answer honestly, right? That’s how this works?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, do these shorts make my ass look fat.”

“This isn’t like…you win by making me not answer! No, okay, favorite song I’ve never heard of?”

“Hmm, Ailein Duinn in the original Gaelic of course.”

“Okay break on questions, what does it sound like?”

Sarah looked around self-consciously and sang it up to past the first chorus. He shivered and got goose bumps.

“I have no idea what it’s about, but it sounds sad and wow you have an amazing voice.”

“It’s a lament written by a woman whose betrothed died at sea. She’s saying things like the sand is your pillow and the seaweed is your bed then I would be with you.”

“That’s pretty dark.”

Sarah shrugged.

“There is a reason Scottish people drink a lot. We were never known for our optimistic outlooks. But damn it we will fight you to the bitter end.”

He laughed.

“Like Braveheart.”

“Them’s fighting words.”

He held up his hands in surrender.

“Okay what’s your next question?”

“Do you want to kiss me again?”

He leaned in and kissed her this time it lasted longer.

“Favorite movie of all time?”

“Breakfast Club.”

“That’s like from the 80’s.”

“I know my other answer was Breakfast at Tiffany’s but I didn’t think that was cool enough.”

“Wow you like some old movies.”

She shrugged.

“When I was younger, and I first came here my mom would sit there with me on her lap and we would eat so much popcorn and just watch old movies for our whole Saturday. We would practice our English because I went to a Gaelic speaking school in Scotland. I wasn’t very good at English. So, we’d play parts in the movies. We started with Scottish movies.”

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“That’s so cool.”

He’d finished his sixth game now and had so many tickets it took two of them to carry them to a table and start counting.

“My turn, what is your favorite movie?”

“John Wick. I mean you can’t beat that shit.”

“That’s the one where his dog gets killed?”

“Yes.”

“That was pretty good.”

“Alright, cutest boy at school?”

“So hard, there’s so many boys. Hmm. She tapped her fingers and scratched her head. I guess if Had to choose it would be you. I’m pretty sure I wore the dress better though.”

He coughed a bit and lost his count.

“Too soon?”

“No, I was avoiding that topic because I thought it might upset you.”

“I was furious when I first saw it wanted to beat the crap out of Candace but… now I just don’t care. It’s like it’s not important anymore. She’s going to be out of my life for good in a week. I’ll be going to somewhere without her and she’ll still be here, stuck in her rut. And I mean you didn’t look bad in the dress.”

“Can I barrow it for the party tomorrow night?”

“Sure, you want me to do your make up too?”

“Would you? I was thinking silver leggings, too much?”

Sarah laughed.

“I’m pretty sure Momma Lucci would throw you out on your ass.”

“She probably would.”

“It wouldn’t be because you’re wearing a dress, it’d be because your legs were scaring away the rest of the customers.”

“Yea, she’s too cool to throw out someone who is just expressing their true selves.”

“You know, that’s something I noticed at the school Candace aside, people were pretty cool with Samantha.”

“Well, hey, it was weird at first. I’ve known Sam since kindergarten we used to play together all the time. Then Sam became Samantha. I didn’t know what to say or do. Then you showed up and were like hey Samantha, I’m Sarah, what’s up? Then I thought, wow this new Scottish girl gives no fucks. Maybe I shouldn’t either. Then everyone just sort of went with it, except Candace. It’s just too bad.”

Sarah nodded.

“Too bad.”

They stared at their drinks then started counting tickets again.

“She was a good friend, I wish she had said something, or I’d paid better attention.”

“Sarah, that wasn’t your fault.”

“I stopped hanging out with her when Candace started about me and her being an item because I wanted to be a boy and she wanted to be a girl.”

Sarah sighed.

“Sorry, that was kind of a conversation killer.”

“You know what, it’s okay to talk about her. She’s not some secret best left forgotten.”

“I’m going to put a seat aside for her tomorrow night. Right beside me. And I’m going to talk about her. She deserves to be remembered as a good friend.”

He nodded.

“Hell yes. Kind of makes me think Candace got what she deserved.”

“She was really hurt, and it will not bring Samantha back.”

“Yes, but karma is a real thing, I’m glad it finally caught up with her.”

Sarah put another stack of tickets aside and updated her total on her phone.

“You know the police came to my house and accused me of doing it.”

“No shit?”

Sarah nodded.

“I was literally in front of my computer and it was exploding when I was supposed to be doing it.”

“Like at exactly the same time?”

“From what I understand.”

“Freaky.”

“The part that bothers me is I wish I had done it.”

“Hey, I was ready to do something reckless when I saw the stupid video too.”

“So, it wasn’t you either?”

“No ma’am.”

The had the tickets all counted and piled up neatly when they noticed the ticket counting machines. And looked at each other. They stood there both feeding the machines neither looking at the other.

“Well, that was dumb.”

“Yes, but it was a nice talk.”

The ticket count completed they compared notes.

“Wow I was only three tickets off.”

Sarah looked at her total and the one she got from the machine.

“I was off ten.”

“I am better at an obsolete skill. Go me.”

He walked off and came back with a stuffed unicorn that was half the height of Sarah.

“Okay, you surprised me. I have no idea how you did it.”

He rubbed the back of his neck.

“So, my dad he brings me here all the time and we play together. He told me it was the way he used to impress girls.”

Sarah fake gasped.

“Oh, I totally got played, let’s go to the batting cages. Oh, I’m tired and hot let’s go inside.”

“Are you impressed.”

As an answer Sarah leaned in and kissed him. He blushed.

“I guess that’s a yes.”

“I see only one problem with it. I’m going to have to buy it its own plane seat to fly it to Scotland.”

He laughed. He then quirked his head to the side and looked at her ankle.

“What the heck is that? New style of jewelry?”

“Aye it’s from the: My parents abducted me twice line of jewelry. Do you think it clashes?”

He blinked at her.

“Child protective services was worried my parents my nab me and take me away so I’m wearing an ankle monitor. It’s the deal I made with the lady who came to my house. I get to go on a date and have a party before I have to leave, I wear this so I can’t be vanished again.”

“My brother has one for house arrest his is way bigger.”

She shrugged.

“I don’t know it is so light I forgot it was there.”

“So, like they know exactly where you are right this minute?”

“Yes, you weren’t thinking of kidnapping me, were you?”

“Well maybe but that plan is shot now.”

“No plan survives contact with the enemy.”

“You quoting the art of war again?”

She shook her head.

“That’s not the art of war.”

“I thought it was.”

“No, it’s not, I’ve read it about twenty times, and that is not in it.”

“Maybe it’s in the original Chinese version.”

“Nope.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I’ve read it in Chinese.”

“Bullshit.”

She shrugged with a twinkle in her eyes.

“Now I’m not sure if you’re bullshitting or not.”

“That is the art of war.”

“Sometimes you are like this mad genius.”

“Well, I’m certainly crazy, I’m not sure about the genius part.”

She had the unicorn in her arms they walked back to the SUV.

“What movie should we go see?”

Sarah blushed slightly.

“How about something neither one of us care if we are missing because we’re kissing.”

“See? Genius.”

“But something we won’t hate if we have to watch it because we get bored of kissing.”

Sarah pulled out her special phone and sent a text to the number Helen had given her before she could finish Helen was by the SUV in a professional looking suit. She opened the door for the pair. Sarah slid across the seat first. Richard got in after gawking at Helen for a few seconds. Helen got in and started driving towards the theater she glanced back when they were stopped at a light.

“You two look hungry, food first?”

“Yes Ma’am.”

Helen nodded and pulled into a turning lane and drove along a side road. Richard kept looking between the two. He sent Sarah a text.

Who is she?

You want the truth or like…can I make something interesting up?

Truth and then something interesting

Truth: My grandparents hired a bodyguard. Interesting: I’m a world class hacker and MI6 sent agents to retrieve me because I stole data from an evil syndicate and I’m the only one who can stop a nuclear terrorist attack. My agent number is l33t.

Richard put his phone away. Sarah followed his example.

“Okay, how about the Mary Poppins re-master – re-release?”

“Umm, wasn’t that made in the like…sixties or something?”

“Yes, but I like it.”

“Fine I guess I could uh watch that with you.”

He leaned into kiss her, and Helen’s eyes flicked to the mirror.

“This is a no touching car. Boys and girls.”

Sarah smiled slightly and Richard jumped back.

“You want to kiss do it in the theater, I’m not running a love mobile.”

She pulled into a fast-food restaurant and ordered all three of them food. They parked and ate. It was a short drive to the theater and the pair went inside and as predicted they didn’t see much of the movie hands may have wandered to places they shouldn’t have, above clothes of course. They were holding hands when they left the theater it was night by that time. Sarah felt a hand grab her from behind. Before she could react, the hand was gone, and someone hit the ground hard then another one hit the ground hard and when she looked back Helen had two people on the ground with a gun to one of their heads and a knee in the other’s back. It happened so fast the only person who seemed to have a clue what was going on was Helen who looked up at Sarah.

“Sarah, love, be a dear and call my sister?”

She was going through the two men’s pockets. Sarah called Eyre.

“Hi Sarah, how did the date go?”

“Uh, I… guess good, but umm two men tried to grab me and Ms. Aurelius told me to call you.”

“Put it on viddy please.”

Sarah pressed the button and pointed it at Helen and the two men Helen held something up and Eyre swore in a language Sarah strangely understood but had never heard before.

“Let them up we’ll sort it out at the station, get the boy home.”

“Sure, thing sis.”

Richard was very confused and looking between everyone there. Helen stood up and put her gun back in its holster. A crowd was forming. Helen looked at Sarah.

“Give me your phones.”

Sarah gave them both up.

“Go with them don’t say anything. Don’t do anything to them either okay? Just stay calm my sister will take care of this.”

Helen grabbed Richard’s arm.

“Come on lover boy time to get you home.”

“What about Sarah?”

“The police want to chat with her about something she had nothing to do with.”

One of the men drew his gun and pointed it at Helen.

“You can’t just leave; You assaulted a police officer.”

Helen used her free hand to pull out two pieces of paper.

“The first says I have diplomatic immunity the second says I have all the powers, responsibilities and rights of a member of the secret services, signed by the president. And you boys are in a lot of trouble. You are swimming in shit, and you are going to get flushed. Hope you weren’t counting on that pension.”

“We need to call this in verify.”

“So, you can explain to your department why you’re facing obstruction charges from the Secret Service?”

“Just let her go Deacon, we got who we came for.”

“We’ll need her phones.”

“No, you don’t, National Security. You have no authorization to these devices. Don’t like it take it up with my boss the President. I’m sure her office will love a call. Maybe you can explain why you are detaining a National Security asset while you’re at it. I would love to be a fly on the wall for that call. I mean why on Earth would a British citizen be a deputized agent of the United States government, and be protecting an asset she was ordered to protect by the president? I mean it couldn’t be that important. Could it?”

She tugged on Richard’s arm.

“Come on kid, let’s get you home.”

Richard watched as Sarah was pushed to the ground and cuffed, he thought it was kind of a crappy way to end the date.