I fix the red bow atop my head and pat down my white vans from the shelf. I smile as I look at them and remember Helga telling me that there is no point for me to get white shoes because they'll become dirty. Well, they're just as, if not more clean than when I first got them if that is possible. Moving over to my bed to tie my laces, I can't help but laugh. Today, I turn fifteen and I need to look as put together as possible for all the agents. I need to look perfect within all those adults.

A sigh leaves my mouth as I lie on my double sized bed bored, patiently waiting for James to call me down to the staff room for my 'surprise birthday party.' Each year the agents try to surprise me with something and it never works. I just always manage to make my voice really high pitched and act like it totally catches me off guard. They haven't seemed to get the hint yet. Some spies they are.

I suppose I could go to the facility and just sit around in one of the board rooms but my bed is much more comfortable. I decide to count the little white specks on my ceiling to help make the time pass quicker. There are 1673, give or take a few. Turning over to my side, I look at the clock which flashes '2:35'. James was supposed to call me down exactly five minutes ago. Hurry up please. I want my cake. To help make the time pass even quicker, I pull up my computer and watch YouTube videos. After five videos, my eyes become heavy and I suddenly feel them closing.

-----------------------------

"Snow," I hear abruptly. My eardrums practically bursting. I rub my eyes and listen to the voice in my ear chip. "Sorry it's taken so long. Come on down know though."

I glance over to my clock and see that it's '3:32'. I let out a laugh as I sit up. "Oh really James, this is a new record. This is happening literally an hour late."

I know how annoyed he must feel. Not because of me, but because of the other agents and how stubborn they are to make an effort to co-operate. Him and Maddy are probably the ones that did all the work today. It always is. "I know, just come already."

"Same place as last year?" I ask him. I get up and make my way to the white door of my room.

"It's always been in the same place," he tell me like I'm crazy. "Of course it's in the same place. Honestly, sometimes you really are clueless. Not often, because usually you're like a modern day Einstein but you have your moments here and there."

"Relax James," I tell him, laughing as I make my way down the long white walled hallways with the very high ceilings. I leave my home and walk a couple minutes until I get into the facility with my ID scanner. I pass the very famous and expensive painting hung up on the walls that are at least three hundred years old. "Just making sure. Anyway, I'm right outside the door."

I stop once I get to two large doors. One blue and the other white. I grab the hold of the two gold door knobs and jiggle them to signal I'm here. For agents, they really are terrible at keeping surprises. I can hear whispers from the other side, ordering people to hide and to scream loudly when I get in.

Finally, I open the door and walk in. To no surprise, my closest spy friends that consists of adults jumping out from their hiding spot and yell, 'surprise.'

My jaw drops and I bring my hands up to cover my mouth in disbelief. "Oh my gosh," I say with a tone bit higher than my usual voice. "I can't believe you've all managed to surprise me another year. Thank you all so much for coming to support me and show me how much you all really care about me."

An uproar of applause goes around and I drop my hands back to my sides and laugh. I nod towards the crowd giving them the symbol for them to disband and go back into their own conversations. The sooner we get the party going means the sooner I'll get some cake.

The room is very nicely decorated with many colourful decorations ever. The large white walled staff room has gold and white streamers. Red balloons are up in the air and purple and blue party hats sit atop everyone's head. Red bows are placed upon all the tables and the TV. My obsession with bows is satisfied.

I feel a push from behind and find all my friends coming to wish me happy birthday. We call our group the 'Orphanage of Five'. Not a very pleasant name but it's accurate. Five of us are orphans and the ones that aren't are like our caretakers.

Most of them go off to get food while Maddy and Marissa stay. "Hey there Marissa," I say, going down on my knees so we're at eye-level. I analyze her outfit for today and laugh as I grab her hands. "You look very cute today with your blonde hair in this braid."

"Thank you," she says to me as she gives me a hug. I return the embrace. Marissa looks at me with wide eyes as we unravel from the hug. "Do you like this purple dress the Helga picked out for me?"

"Like?" I question as I look over the purple ruffled dress with some bright sunflowers on it. "I have a different word I'd like to use. I absolutely love what you're wearing sweetie."

Getting off my knees, I'm quickly engulfed in a hug, literally breath-taking hug by Maddy. "Oh," she begins. Maddy has her hands clasped over her chest as she looks at me in a very soft way. Her eyes are kind and gentle as nostalgia consumes her. "My little girl is growing up and becoming a woman. I remember when you put blue dye in some of James' hair gel and he had blue hair for a week. I also remember when you blew up the image of James falling down at the escalator at the mall. Then you posted it on every wall in the agency and at the community centre so random people would see James and start laughing. I also remember when you-"

"Okay I get it," James says popping up, rolling his hazel eyes. He's wearing a khaky green coloured t-shirt with some black joggers. You can't even try to look put together on my birthday? "I've been pranked many, many, many times by the birthday girl. We all know that, that is true."

Maddy hugs me again and I look into her brown eyes. "The miracle girl certainly does have many advantages over you. I've taught her to prank you well." Maddy lets out a laugh and stands proud of herself.

"You've freaking taught her to prank me?" he yells outraged as if he didn't know that Maddy was the one that inspired me in this particular hobby of mine. I look over at him, he's smiling widely and his eyes are filled with fire.

"Obviously," she tells him. I look over at Maddy and see an equally fired up expression. Both are laughing, enjoying themselves. Both seem to have this fiery, ready expression in their eyes. Ready to pounce and fight. "I needed someone I trust to make fun of you whilst I'm away."

I can't help but laugh as they throw witty comebacks at each other. I feel a tug to my side and I look and see Marissa with a smile on her face. "Come with me," she whispers. Her turquoise eyes look alive as she brings me over to the corner and hands me her gift. "I hope you like it!" I take the badly wrapped pink box with the red bow atop it and open it carefully to find a bright blue bow sitting in it. "Maddy said I should get it because it would math your eyes. They said you would like it because it doesn't seem like you have any colour like it. So I really, really, really-"

"I absolutely adore this," I say giving her the biggest hug I could possible give her. "The most incredible gift I have ever received. Especially since this is the first gift you've ever bought. Thank you so much Marissa." Her smile is as big as the moon. I notice that she's missing her front tooth. "Looks like someone's a big girl! Missing a tooth I see." She giggles and I look at the gold frames mirror beside me. Looking back at Marissa and the bow she's just given me, I unclip my signature red bow and clip in her blue one. They were right. It really does match my eyes. "How pretty," I tell her as she looks at me happily. "Looks like this really is the best gift I've ever gotten."

Maddy comes over to us with a smile and laughs. I'm guessing she won the battle against James like usual. "It's time for you, Marissa and your bows to come and eat some cake." They lead me to a grand Blueberry cheesecake as I've never really liked traditional cakes. My name is written gracefully on it with blue frosting.

Marissa goes to join her parents and James goes to his uncle. The lights are turned off and the candles with my age light up. I look around at all the agents around me singing happy birthday. I'm so used to this scene but every single year, it feels so surreal for some reason. Every time they sing happy birthday, I feel like the world slows down and I can take a moment to enjoy being a regular fifteen year old. A normal kid.

Almost everyone I care about is by my side celebrating me. At the very end of the song, I hesitate to blow out my candles. Making their way through the crowd are John and Helga. Finally, they show up and a small smile creeps onto my face.

"Go ahead dear," Helga whispers to me with a huge smile on her face, a camera in her hand filming me from across the table. Her hair is place perfectly down her shoulders. She's so put together. Her and John are what I aspire to be. John's arm is around her as she smiles. "Wish," she finally tells me.

I hold my hair as I lean down to look at my cake. Closing my eyes and with a smile, I make my wish and blow out my candles. A second wave of applause greets me and I laugh as I'm handed the knife to cut the first piece of cake.

"What'd you wish for?" James asks me as he passes me a piece of cake. We all head over to the red couch and sit.

I look at him and oddly and laugh. "Now you're asking the dumb questions," I say to him. "I wished for the same thing I always wish for. It's the same thing you always wish for too."

He laughs and then looks down at his feet. Maddy nods to him but he can't seem to say what he wants to say. I put down my cake and look at him concerned. "Are you alright James?" He genuinely looks nervous and it's alarming. "Do you need a glass of water?"

"I'm fine," he tell me, shaking his head and then looking at me with a smile. "I just had a mini freak out in my mind. For a second I thought I had left my phone back at the place where we got your cake. Now I remember that I left it back in my locker. No worries."

He smiles smugly and hands me a small blue box. "Here's your gift," he says. I take it from him and open the box to find nothing. "What kind of sick joke is this James?" I laugh. "Where's my gift? I got you one."

He laughs as he takes back the box. "Your real gift comes later," he explains.

"There's my girl," Helga says as she looks at me and brings me up to give her a hug. Just like her daughter had done, it's as if she's squeezing the life out of me. Because once again, I cannot breathe. My birthday is one of the only times a year that John and Helga show a whole lot of emotion toward me. The same amount of feeling parents would show, I'm guessing. "All grown up and kicking butt. I can't wait for your sweet sixteen next year." If I live to sixteen.

She lets me go and I hug John. He seems stressed out but I can tell he's trying to put up an act that he's fine. His wrinkles are prominent, the bag under his eyes are dark too. "Hey there kiddo," he tells me as he pats my head, making me fix my hair. "How's my favourite fifteen year old doing?"

"Hey!" James calls out. "I am your favourite and I am doing just fine, thank you."

I lift up my thumb and pointer finger in the shape of an 'L' and show it to James. "I'm great, you on the other hand don't look too good. You okay?"

"I'm fine!" he lies. "I'm great. Better than ever really. Just a case has me up all night and I can't seem to fit all the pieces together."

"Can I help?" I ask him hopefully. I want to make sure John is okay. I don't like seeing him weak. We need John and there isn't any time for dilly dallying.

"With the actual case, I'm afraid not," he tells me. "With going on the mission once we have everything figured out? Of course. Besides, it's a tough mission and we need the miracle agent to do it.

"Great," I say to him, happy to be of any assistance. "Where is it?"

"Japan," he tells me, joining us on the couch, stealing my cake away.

I throw him an annoyed look but laugh. "What's my mission? To retrieve cakes?" He laughs and continues to eat my cake, swallowing it in one bite. "I have to eat your cake, it'll slow you down on the mission you have right now."

"And that is?" I ask. The agency will never give their 'miracle agent' a break. They're always going to make me work, even on my day offs. They're always going to send a fourteen- I mean fifteen year old kid to do their work. Even so, I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Five bad guys," he says in between chews. He takes another large chunk out of my birthday cake. "On Sherteuse Avenue, they got guns. Be careful."

I roll my eyes and take the files of the criminals from John. "I'll be back in twenty. Give or take a few. Depends on I want to take it easy or just get the job done." I turn but remember something. "If I get back and don't see any cake for me, I swear I will make you all flipping buy me more cake or else."

They look at each other and all run to make sure there's some left over for me. I leave and hop into one of the agency's convertible. Putting my sunglasses on and looking over the files and at the criminals' faces, I laugh. Two women, three men, trying to take control of that area. How many times has that happened? The agency makes us take care of all sorts of crimes. Whether it's meant for the police or the army or not, we're there doing it right.

I put the car into gear and drive all the way to Sherteuse which is only a thirty minute drive. Yellow police tape lines all around the perimeter of the scene.

"You can't come in here," an officer tells me. "It's off limits. We can't risk you innocent civilians getting hurt. If you have family members living in this area you need not worry, we're working on having everyone evacuate." His face is stern. He looks proud that he's been put in such a high position of authority and I feel kind of guilty for spoiling his fun.

I show the officer my badge and I can see his face flushed with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry miss. I should've known who you are."

"It's okay," I smile as I go under the tape and into the restricted area. "Mistakes happen." Not for me.

I take out my tranquilizing gun and make it through the area, scoping out for any signs of human activity. As I near the edge of the perimeter, I hear voices coming from inside a beige building to the right of me. Behind the window, I peer inside and find five people with guns and one person tied up. I lift my gun and shoot one, two, three and four. I look around for the remaining woman to no avail.

"Turn around you spy," says the voice of a woman. I see the lady described as blonde and tall. She holds her gun, the size of a watermelon, like an amateur. "This is going to be fun."

I jump to the side before she pulls the trigger and I attack her from the side. "You're right," I laugh as I shoot her foot, putting her to sleep with a tranquilizing dart. I never kill, I can't do it. The agency has taught me that it is better to not kill if given the choice. "That was fun," I laugh. "For me at least."

I motion for the police to come and take the criminals and also free the hostage. John walks over to me and gives me a high five. "Nice job kiddo," he says as he tells me that my cake is waiting for me at home. He even proceeds to show a picture of it. I roll my eyes as I leave him. If he ended up coming, why couldn't he just do this simple mission?

The agents that came to help fix the damage cheer me on as I head to my car. There are shouts of people telling me how incredible I am and how I'm their hero. Someone even wishes me a happy birthday which I reply thank you to.

I close my eyes and laugh as I get into the car and the final wave of compliments hit me. Looks like me, Agent Snow, wins again.

---------

Hope you're all doing well!