End of a chapter, beginning of a story

We were rapidly approaching one month of being at Forestons. It felt like I only blinked. That also means we graduated boot camp soon, like tomorrow soon.

"Good morning!" I shouted in Bryson's room. He jolted awake then groaned. I beamed with pride. Someone drank too much wine last night and it wasn't me. "You're going to be late for breakfast."
"I'm not hungry, I'm tired." He grumbled into his pillow.
"Better be on time to class then, Hungover."
"Shut up and go away." I chuckled as I walked to the small kitchen.

Joe sat at the table drinking a cup of coffee.
"Morning Joe."
"Good morning Lawrence. How are you this morning?"
"I'm pretty good, you?"
"I'm alright." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Bryson is going to be late."
"He's not joining us, he's tired." I swung my leg over the chair and plopped down with my plate.
"He's better not complain he's hungry before lunch."
"I'll sneak him a muffin and a banana." Joe shook his head.
"You're a good partner."
"I know."

I ate a hefty breakfast and snuck a muffin, banana, and Gatorade out with some help from Joe. In the classroom, I set it at his spot and sat in mine.

Upon entering the room, Bryson commented;
"You're a god sent." He sat at the table and started to eat. I smiled to myself.
"I know, I just got promoted to an angel."
"Charlie's?"
"No, Mr. Golds." I grabbed a nut from his banana nut muffin.
"I like how you matched the flavors." He teased, I shrugged my shoulders.
"Could have done nothing."
"And you're an angel for bringing me food and a Gatorade." I hummed in agreement. "Thank you."
"Better."

Mr. Gold entered the room and I slammed the feet of my chair down.
"Mr. G, what are you doing here?" Clearly, I was flustered. We weren't doing anything we shouldn't be, but it was highly unusual for Mr. Gold to be in the classroom.
"Are you doing something you shouldn't be, Lawrence?"
"No." He raised a quizzical brow to me.
"She's just thrown off by the change," Bryson added casually.
"I'm aware, I was testing Ms. Campbell." He turned his attention off of me. "Bryson, why are you eating in the classroom?"
"I was running a little late."
"Hm, don't let it happen again." Like a bobblehead, Bryson nodded.

Training seemed quick. That was all we get? Garnet, we are doing this from almost sun up to sun down and how much could they really teach us without working the job?

In the classroom, we were getting ready for our pinning ceremony which only happened within Forestons. No one outside was invited or even knew of the tradition.
"So we stand at the front of the room and that's it?" I asked.
"Lawrence." Mr. Gold sounded tired. "It's not about standing for them to see, it's showing you are a part of the team. You are a legacy, family."
"Family," I remembered.

My family was already all sorts of mixed. But these people, they weren't family. They are more. These are the people who would take a bullet for me and I'd take a bullet for them. They taught me everything they know and helped me grow. They are all extensions of myself. Somewhere along the line, Bryson and I blurred too. We weren't two kids who didn't know anything anymore, we were two trained agents ready to do our jobs.

"Do you have any other questions?" Mr. Gold asked. Bryson and I shook our heads. "Are you sure? As now or they may forever go unanswered."
"Does Joe really make all the food?" Bryson blurted out. We both looked at him strangely. "I'm sorry. I panicked. I felt like there was supposed to be a question asked and I'm hungry and here we are." Mr. Gold and I exchanged a look.
"Yes, Bryson, he does." Biting my lip, I resisted giggling. "Lawrence?" I shook my head again. "Alright, you are dismissed for lunch.

After we were out of earshot of Mr. Gold Bryson grumbled.
"What an idiot." I burst with laughter.
"Oh come on, that was funny."
"Don't laugh at me!"
"I wouldn't be if you were laughing too, then I'd be laughing with you."
"That's really good advice." Thoughtfully, he spoke.
"My mom used to say that to me when I would get upset about people making fun of me at school." The kitchen was empty but lunch smelled delicious.
"I wish I had that kind of advice in school."
"What do you mean?" We both sat down with a grilled cheese each.
"I was never the cool kid in school."
"I find that hard to believe." I nudged him playfully.
"No really, I always wanted to be like my dad. By the time I figured out I wanted to be cool, it was too late to switch friend groups." We laughed.
"Your dad seemed like a cool guy."
"He was." Bryson hung his head a little. Drawing in a deep breath, he spoke again, "what about you? Who were you in high school?"
"Background noise. I mean, I had school friends. I ran cross country so I had those people I was friends with but we never did anything outside of school and events. Don't tell them, but my brothers are my best friends. They taught me how to be a badass and we played video games together." Bryson was smiling. "I wish I knew my dad though." The admission rolled off my tongue. "Everyone says he was so great and just a person you wanted to be around. Sometimes people even tell me that I remind them of him, but I have nothing to compare to. Don't get me wrong, Mikes great. He's a great stepdad. It's just, not the same."

While we ate Bryson and I touched on a wide variety of topics like normal until Joe joined us.
"Sheesh, you two are so chatty!"
"Should we bicker instead?" I teased.
"Please, no." He sat at the head of the table. "So what is our current topic?"
"Star Wars." Bryson and I said in unison. That was a lot of our common ground. For me, Star Wars was a way to be close to my dad but it also taught me a lot about life. I had a crush on Anakin before he went dark, Bryson said he had a crush on Padmé before she well, you know.
"Of course. Well-loved galaxy around here."
"We are currently," Bryson gave me hard eyes. "arguing over if it would be nearly as famous if it was released in chronological order vs how it was released."
"It would not have been as big. It is still a cult following, yes, but the cinematic twist is one of the best in all of history. That's what put it on the map. If it was released in sequential order it wouldn't nearly be what it is!" I countered him.
"I just wanted to have lunch." Joe sat with his sandwich in his hands. We all laughed.
"Sorry."
"I do have to agree with Lawrence though." He said quickly before he shoved a giant bite into his mouth.
"What!" Bryson gawked.
"Told you!" I playfully threw my napkin at him. "Alright, I'm done with you two. I'm going to bug Mr. G." I threw my trash away.
"May the force be with you." Bryson held up his hand as Obi-Wan did.
"And with you."

The bunker halls were empty as normal. I wasn't actually tired or annoyed with Joe and Bryson, I just had a topic heavy on my mind and wanted to talk to Mr. Gold about it. He promised me.

I plopped down in Mr. Golds' office chair.
"Yes, Lawrence?" He continued doing his crossword without looking up. I hung my head back.
"You told me you'd tell me about Mr. Patton." I'd been asking since he gave me the gun. Mr. Gold sighed.
"Lawrence, I thought we went over this." He took his reading glasses from his nose.
"We have and it's always the same thing. 'Not now, later.' Guess what. Now is later and I'm tired of waiting." Knowing he had been defeated, Mr. Gold sighed again.
"Alright."

Mr. Gold put away his crossword and pencil. Sitting at the end of his desk, he leaned towards me.
"Why do you want to know about Donald so badly?"
"Partners research and partly because he was friends with my father." He nodded.
"You're lying but let's continue. What would you like to know?"
"What was he like? What did he and my dad do together? Why didn't he stay in touch with me and my mom?"
"Oh, he did. Donald tried to at least. She never answers his letters, dodged his calls. She didn't want you to grow up in this life." Part of me resented my mother for that, but the overwhelming part of me is happy for my childhood. "As for what he and your father did together, everything. They are breakfast together, worked missions together, had dinner together. Of all the agents I've ever know, those two were the closest. They even stood up in each other's weddings." Mr. Patton was at my parents' wedding?

Mr. Gold spent the next half an hour telling me anything my heart wished about Donald Patton. I felt as if I'd known him myself.

Eventually, I let Mr. Gold have his time and sanity back. Craving to play Grand Theft Auto, I got up to leave.
"Lawrence," He said only last thing. "Your father would be so proud of you. No doubt he's gloating about you where he is." My heart swelled so much it burst. I'm not sure if I believe in the whole heaven and hell thing but it was a nice thought; my dad gloating up in heaven to angels about his little angel on earth.
"Thank you, sir."