14 Days of Academy Christmas

Sean

Day 8.

Sean and Owen are both the main focus so we split this into two parts. 

Sean and Owen's Christmas Part 1 by  yobshabob 

"Please, Owen? You've got to help me escape the holidays with my parents!" Sean Green gripped his roommate's lapels, shaking him for emphasis. Owen looked annoyed, but he didn't care. Besides, what twelve year old had lapels?

"Listen, Sean." Owen disengaged his jacket from his roommate's hands and tried to straighten the creases. "You should count yourself lucky to have a home in which to celebrate." He glared at Sean and tried to will him to do as he was told. "Your parents aren't even that bad."

Sean rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. "You don't understand. It's Christmas, and instead of presents and decorations, it will be 'Why aren't you studying?' and 'I expect more from you, son.''" Sighing, Sean flopped back onto his messy bed in his half of the dorm and laced his hands behind his head. "It's more pressure, and I can't take it anymore."

Sean pulled a pack of cigarettes out from beneath his mattress and toyed with it, just barely refraining from taking one out. "I'm taking college courses, and basically guaranteed to start medical training next year, but all they want to know is why I'm not already doing neurosurgery!"

Owen picked up a dirty tee and placed it in the laundry basket before smoothing out the comforter and taking a seat beside his best friend. "Sean"--he plucked the cigarettes from his roommate and tossed them in the trash by the window-- "we have to make them see that you're more than enough genius for any family." Sighing, he straightened the knot in his tie and looked over at his friend. "Fine. We'll do the mission, but I don't want to hear any more complaints when it comes to your parents until well after the New Year." Sean bolted upright with a giant grin on his face. "Got it?"

Shaking his head like one of those ridiculous bobble head dolls, Sean nodded and leapt from the bed. "This is fantastic!"

As Owen watched his partner do a little jig in the middle of their shared space, he prayed he hadn't made a huge mistake.

***

"Now we wouldn't usually put boys your age out on an assignment at Christmas without backup, but this is important." Mr. Chochran looks down his nose at Sean and Owen and shakes his head. "Phillip Roberts vouched for you two, and it's on his recommendation that I'm not arranging some kind of supervision for you."

Owen adjusted his glasses and stood straighter. At almost thirteen, he was eye to eye with Mr. Chochran, and was definitely in line for another growth spurt soon. "Sir, we have completed every mission put before us, and are the youngest graduates in Charleston. You have no reason to worry."

Mr. Chochran examined the boys before him with concern. He would have rathered wait until after the new year and send in at least seven boys, but time was of the essence, and this job needed to be done specifically at Christmas. "Okay, gentlemen. Here's what we know." He handed a file to each of them, and motioned for them to take a seat. "For the last three years now, the Charleston home for boys has been the recipient of a generous donation of Christmas presents for the kids, but each year, in the morning, the presents are gone, and no evidence is left behind." He shuffled through the papers on his desk and pulled out an enlarged photograph. "Last year, two boys were injured when they interrupted the thief, and somehow, neither of them have any recollection of their attack." He handed the photograph of the boys to Sean, who frowned when he saw the damage. "We're concerned that this is escalating, and are afraid that it might happen again, posing a risk to these kids."