I HELD the hand-man broom in his hand, slowly moving the dust and dirt from one side of the hallway to the other where the bottom of the stairs laid. I was almost done well I heard an adult voice coming from upstairs.

Quickly I grabbed the broom, my left fist square against the wooden pole, right next to the straw and it's bundling. I put my left foot in front and my right foot at a 90 degree angle to my left foot. Both of my legs were bent and I was ready to fence. I advanced, moving my left foot first and making sure that my heel hits the floor before my toes. I advanced and retreated from my invisible attacker. I made it seem like I didn't notice the presence of my mother and father who silently watched him, taking in how their youngest son fences.

After moving and not really doing much else I lunged, kicking my left leg into the air and pushing off with my other leg which resulted with me having more air time, looking cooler in his option, and making a loud stomp on the floor when my left foot hit it.

A round of applause is in order and is given after my magnificent lunge.

"My son, you will do great on the fighting part of the test for Secret Magic Control Agency Academy," Father said, walking up to me and patting me on the back.

"I'm so proud of you," Mother said, walking down and hugging me. A smile spread across my face. I just had to get them to believe my lie and they would surely spoil me rotten.

"Oh Mother, Oh Father, I was just practicing. You really should see me when I'm actually trying. It does get boring sweeping the whole house all day."

My parents looked at each other after removing themselves from their youngest. It was a look that I had never seen before. I wanted to know what it meant and if I could use it to my benefit. 'Maybe they were going to give me a different chore; one where they don't see me everywhere they walk. Oh, how delightful that would be. I would find someone to do it for me while I took a nap,' I thought to myself. 'How glorious it is to do nothing.'

I looked at my parents like how a dog looked at it's owner with puppy eyes.

"Your mother and I have to talk about something in private," Father said to me. "For now you don't have to sweep the floors." My parents leave me and when they are out of eyesight and ear shot I break the facade and pump my fist into the air. "Yes!" I whisper elongating the word so I sound like a hissing snake in the end.

Placing the broom in the corner with the piled dust and dirt, I headed upstairs to my bedroom. Passing my older brother's bedroom door which slammed over getting right in my way. I jump to a stop on my heels almost falling backwards. My brother Stefan, stopped at the sight of me, in his hand his two-handed longsword.

"Oh, Hänsel, what are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

Quickly I thought of a lie. "Mother and Father wanted me to tell you to sweep the rest of the floors before you go practice. They said something about taking a break from studying. The broom is at the end of the stairs waiting for you."

"Really?" he questioned.

"Yup, they just told me to take a break, that's why I'm going to my bedroom," I said with full confidence. For people to believe a lie you must surround it first with truth, or surround the lie with the lie's story.

"Okay, I guess I could take a break, even if it is just sweeping around the house," Stefan confessed.

He put his longsword back into his room and I got out of his way so he could go down stairs to do my chore. "You've certainly earned it." That was true. School started next week and Stefan was making sure that he beat the Gertrude that was also going to school that year. I was always a spectacle when our two families would fight for top marks.

Well, I forgot about that and headed to my own bedroom and more importantly my bed. My bedroom was simple, a closet, a rug, a night stand, and my bed. My bed was my pride and jewel. I took care of it very well, making it to perfection every day I rise.

I fall backward onto it's soft surface, and stretch my arms. The only thing that I enjoyed except my bed was singing.

"Susie, dear Susie,
What is the news?
The geese wander barefoot
Because they're no shoes.
The cobbler has leather,
A last he must use,
Or how can my gosling
Be fitted with shoes?"

I sang the plaintive song then began the next verse:

"O goodness, O gracious,
The future I dread!
Who'll give me three pennies
For sugar and bread?
My bedstead I'll sell
And sleep on plain hay
Where feather won't prick me
And fleas will not stay."

I liked to sometimes think my life was more simple. One where there were no magic users. One where I didn't have the surname Peter, at least one where I didn't have to become an agent. One where I could just sing songs with my older sibling. Maybe they would be a girl and we would sing and dance together. Though I dare not dance alone.

My daydreaming slowly formed into dreaming in my sleep as I laid my head down and relaxed.

***

"Hänsel! Hänsel, where are you?" I heard Mother call for me. I jumped out of my bed and raced down, not before looking outside, the sun was just beginning to go down. It was dinner time. Getting myself looking like a propper Peter, I combed through my blond locks and shook the wrinkles out of my clothes. Stepping into the dinning room, the rest of my family looked at me.

"Where were you?" Father asked.

My thoughts quickly come back to me and I build up my falsehood, "You said for Stefan and I to take a break."

"That is true," Stefan said, backing up my untruth.

"I remember now," Mother said.

Father added, "Just make sure that afterwards you dive deep into studying. I know with hard work we can beat them this year."

My parents, though they are around their thirties, do not have the best memories. Lately the Greturdes have been beating us in the fight to 'who's better' so they like to think that they thought of everything. It's a defense mechanism I think.

As we ate, Mother thanked Stefan for sweeping, which made my sweat a little, because I thought my lie would be found out, but Stefan just said, "It's not a problem. I enjoy the distraction." I almost wiped my forehead and sighed, but that would definitely raised some eyebrows so instead I changed the subject.

After dinner, Father and Mother stopped me. My sweat came back as I flipped down some saliva. "Yes?" I asked turning around to face the man.

"We have noticed that you have been doing well on fighting which is one aspect of being an agent." Father said. Mother added, "So, we decided to give you a mission."

A mission, my eyes went wide. I've never been on a mission. I don't think I'm prepared. Maybe I overcompensated for my lies. This is not what I wanted.

Father continued, "You mission will be infiltrating the Grutude's manion and retrieving something from them as proof of your success."

Now I was definitely screwed. I could never do that, but I had to make it seem that I did. I swallowed hard and said in my most confident voice, "I shall be home by sunrise with proof of my mission." After saluting, I marched off, but when I was outside, the world seemed to drop upon my shoulders. My knees hit the ground.

How was I ever going to do this?