The Young Spy (Book One)

Chapter 17: You Know Him?

WEDNESDAY.

"Okay, Ryan. Quick question," Dane points his tiny pudding spoon at Swift, who's enjoying his cheeseburger until Dane speaks up. "Favorite type of music?" He asks, making Swift pant in a conundrum. He didn't have any favorite music genre. He only listens to what he thinks is good.

"Ooh, that's a tough question." Swift looks up in question. "Is it okay to say that I don't have a favorite genre? I mean, I listen to what I consider to be enjoyable or ones that boost the mood." He answers truthfully.

"Come on, everyone has their favorite genre. One type of music that they listen to a lot, not all the time." Dane comments.

"Okay. Well, at gunpoint, I would say R&B," Swift says.

"Rhythm and blues?" Dane asks again.

"Yep. Sometimes they're fast-paced, sometimes they're relaxing. It's just my vibe, y'know?"

"Blues? Really?" Iggy, who's sitting next to Dane, chuckles. "I bet you're the kind of guy who's obsessed with tuxedos."

Putting his head down, Swift makes a smug invisible to Dane and Iggy's sight. Oh, you have no idea. "So, what about you? What's your poison?" He asks back to Dane.

"I'm more of an electronic-music kind of guy."

"Huh. I kinda thought you're a rock fan." Swift comments.

"What made you jump to that conclusion?"

"Just a hunch, I guess. Looks like my powers of reading people isn't so great."

"What do you mean you can read people?" Iggy questions.

Dane hummed on his food, knowing what it meant. "See," He talks as he chews, "Ryan here knew firsthand just by Jake's looks that he's no good deed."

Swift holds a hand up in denial, "Look, I sorta' have instincts for jerks like Jake, okay? Nothing more. I mean, look at the guy," He gestures to a table at the very far end of the cafeteria, where the three of them spot Jake hanging out, enjoying lunch with his fellow associates. But instead of eating his meal, they meet with his unfriendly gaze from afar, staring them down like a predator observing his prey. Dane winces aggravatingly at that. "He's the personification of annoying as a person."

"Tell me about it. He couldn't spend an entire day without having to be in my way and Iggy's." Dane says. Then he gulps his apple juice from its carton. "By the way, you're right."

Swift raises an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"I do like a little rock also," Dane reveals, which made Swift smile.

"Called it. Anyways, Iggy," Swift makes Iggy turn to him. "What's yours?"

"Mine?"

"Your favorite genre."

"Oh, right." Iggy puts his hand upon his chin, thinking. He isn't sure what to answer as his favorite genre. Just like Swift, he listens to what he likes to listen to, no matter the genre or the era the music originates from. One moment he might be listening to Vera Lynn, and the next he's listening to a Post Malone song. "Not sure."

"No?"

"Nope. My Spotify playlist is just as messy as my bedroom. But I do have to say, I leaned into electronic music these days." Iggy's fist curls at Dane and the other accepts it, resulting in a fist bump.

"Are you kidding me?" Swift says as if he's offended by them.

"What can I say? It's a sophisticated genre. It takes real talent to make those. Also, I kinda started liking it after being obsessed with rhythm video games recently, so that's probably the reason why."