"Okay, next we have to..." Heather said.

Donovan didn't even look over, instead slid a glass container across the table.

"Add 2 milligrams of this," he said.

His table partner hesitated, glancing from the glass to him. But Donovan wasn't paying attention to her, instead he scrolled through Miguel's social media, gathering intel. Brock had confirmed it. The Alvarez family had moved to the East Coast and Miguel attended Hamilton Prep. As Donovan gleaned information off of the photos, he slowly started to form a plan.

"Next is..."

Donovan pushed two different chemicals to her, already measured out.

"Combine these slowly and stir them until they blend."

Heather stared at him. "How can you know this? You're not even focusing on the project?"

"Because I'm extremely smart."

"You can't do all these calculations in your head," she argued.

In answer, Donovan lifted up a piece of paper and handed it to her, still looking at his phone.

"I did them while Miller explained what the project would be."

Gaping, Heather took the paper. Donovan sensed Heather's emotions undergoing a shift as she slowly lowered the paper. He wasn't looking forward to it, so he decided to cut it off before it could start.

"Not worth it," he said. "You'd have a better chance with someone like Mitch Wylin."

Heather stared at him. "Mitch Wylin?"

"I'm guessing from your skeptical tone that you don't think Mitch is worth your time because he doesn't match you on level of attractiveness." Finally, Donovan looked at her. "Looks fade, Heather. A year out of high school 75% of the guys you know will have gained twenty pounds, from not having to constantly work out in PE and from drinking beer. The other 25% will grow bigger egos because they have retained their fitness. So find someone caring, who will love you for who you are, not how you look."

Stunned, Heather only managed to stare at Donovan, completely lost for words. Donovan went back to his previous task, knowing she'd be catatonic for awhile. When she eventually managed to form thoughts again, she turned away from Donovan, choosing to say nothing.

He had no idea if what he'd said made any difference to her. She was still in high school, after all, dating a hot guy still ranked high on her list of expectations. He wondered if she'd ever see beyond that, but realized it was not his problem.

Right now his problem was Miguel and how to handle the whole situation.

Suddenly, a white light flashed inside the classroom, burning Donovan's eyes and blinding him. Cries of panic and shock exploded in the room.

"What was that?"

"I can't really see!"

"What happened!"

"Was it lightning?"

Donovan jerked upwards, grabbing his textbook, ready to wield it as a weapon. He knew what that light was, he'd gone through too many training courses not to know a flashbang when he saw it.

But he didn't hear the shattering of glass, the yell of men, or the rapid-fire of gunshots. Blinking, willing his vision to come back, he slowly sat back down, letting go of his makeshift weapon. When his eyes cleared, he looked directly at Carter, knowing that was only one person in the classroom who was likely to cause this sort of trouble.

She smirked and tipped an imaginary hat.

Donovan didn't react. He wasn't sure if this girl was a troublemaker or bored?

The thought made him pause. How many times had he acted out in middle school because he was bored? It had been enough that his mother had pulled him out and homeschooled him. It seemed Carter suffered under the same sense of boredom.

Mr. Miller stepped into the middle of the classroom, banging his leg against a table on the way.

"Everyone, calm down," he said. "It was just a mishap. Nothing to be alarmed about. Continue with your projects, you still have a few minutes left of class."

Donovan watched as Carter swept away the evidence that she'd used to cause the disturbance. That explained her nearly clean record, she knew how to not get caught. Donovan puzzled over that, not sure whether that made him admire her or be wary of her. Either way, she warranted a close eye, she was too unpredictable.

**********

"We need to look like we're having a conversation," Donovan said, as he walked beside Link through the school hallway.

Link gave him a baffled look. "We are having a conversation."

"I mean a real conversation," Donovan said, twisting to avoid colliding with a pack of jostling boys.

"You mean besides the conversation we are having right now about having a conversation?"

Donovan threw Link an unamused look, which he replied to with a toothy grin.

"A couple of days with Carter and you seem to pick up her annoying smart-aleck habits, this doesn't bode well," Donovan said.

"I don't know, I kinda like it."

Though Donovan wasn't sure he liked the quipping version of Link at least it was better than him small and retreated into himself. For that he was grateful.

"Do you plan to also pick up her sarcasm?" Donovan asked.

The question was meant only as a means of getting Link to talk since Donovan spotted his target. He knew he hadn't needed to worry about Miguel being on the inside of a group, he'd always been more comfortable on the sidelines. Which still held true as he tagged along with a trio of guys, walking on the outer edge, typing away on his phone.

Donovan purposefully knocked into him. Miguel dropped his phone in surprise. Since Donovan predicted this would happen, he deftly caught it.

"My bad," he said, making eye contact with Miguel as he handed back the phone.

Link stopped talking but Donovan guided him onward, not glancing back at Miguel to see if he recognized Donovan. Before Link could question whether the collision was only an accident, Donovan diverted his thoughts.

"What were you and Carter talking about in class today?" he asked.

His tactic worked.

"Oh! She does that insane thing you do where she can know everything about a person just by looking at them."

Donovan didn't find this at all surprising since he knew her father to be a Navy SEAL, he would have raised her to see and take in everything.

"It's not an insane thing," he said, pushing open the library door for Link.

"It kinda is, I still don't get how you do it."

As they passed the older librarian, Donovan nodded in greeting.

"It's about taking in the facts and eliminating factors that don't plan into the equation."

Link simply looked at Donovan like everything he said is gibberish.

"Come on," Donovan said.

Dropping his backpack onto a table, he indicated for Link to follow him. Link hurriedly dumped his stuff and trailed him. Donovan led him into a row of bookshelves with a view of the line of tables with students already parked at them. Donovan surveyed them, making note of the disheveled boy and the collection of girls.

"It's simple before you even look at someone, you take in the environment," Donovan said, double-checking that no one was around them. "Where are we?"

"A library at a school," Link said.

"More specific."

"At Hamilton Prep."

"Exactly, a private high school, one of the most prestigious in the country. What does that tell you about the students who go here?"

Donovan slid his hands into his pockets and rested back on a bookshelf. Link had rarely wanted to know this type of thing. Now that he knew Carter could do it, Donovan wondered if Link finally saw it was a skill that could be learned, not something only Donovan had the ability to do.

"Rich, privileged," Link said.

"Right. A few don't fall under that category but they are easy to see." Carter came to mind. Her blazer was faded and the edges looked a bit frayed. He figured it was a year or two old. The cuffs of her pants also bore the same marks of wear. Based on her test scores, he deduced she was at Hamilton on scholarship.

"Now that you know that basic fact," Donovan continuing the lesson. "You look at each student through the lens of knowing that they come from money, and to go to school with the First Son, they also have connections. From there you take in the details of the individual."

Link nodded and gazed out on the tables.

"Okay," he said. "That boy over there, at the end of the table, what can you tell me about him?"

Donovan noted the boy in question, absorbing all the details.

"Sophomore." Based on the subjects of the textbooks around him. "Left-handed." Obvious fact. "From a well-to-do family." Naturally. Donovan took in the boy's appearance. His uniform was starched, which was clear from the sharp creases on the sleeves and the collar. "They have a housemaid that irons his clothes, but he has nervous and untidy tendencies. See how his collar is stiff, but the rest of the shirt is disheveled. As well as his hair, it's neat on one side and not the other. He runs his hand through it when he's concentrating."

Donovan watched the boy, noticing how his gaze never shifted further down the page, how he stared uncomprehendingly at the same paragraph over and over again. Where most would give up at that point, the boy determinedly stuck to it, trying to understand the content.

"He's about a B-average student and that's only because he studies as much as he does. He struggles with understanding the material."

Link scratched his head, brow furrowed as if he were trying to see what Donovan saw but failing.

"How do you know?"

"He has been on the same page for the last ten minutes," Donovan said. "I would bet the same paragraph as well. He studies but doesn't know how to do it well. His parents aren't overly involved in his life or else they would have noticed his struggle and hired a tutor."

"Right," Link said. "What do you make of the blonde?"

The blonde Link pointed out sat on the edge of the group of friends. Where each girl around her wore their uniform with a distinctive uniqueness, this girl seemed to have mimicked one trait from each of her friends. Even as she listened to them talk, Donovan noticed how she mirrored their gestures.

"There's a deep-rooted hurt in her that has her looking for acceptance in others," Donovan said. "I would wager this comes from a childhood occurrence. She's beautiful and that is easy to see, but she can't see it herself. That's why she mimics the looks and trends of girls around her, becoming copies of them. Not only does she want their stamp of approval but she also seeks the approval of guys."

Part of Donovan knew Link wouldn't be able to pick up most of this on his own. What Donovan could see and understood came from years of watching the world while having an understanding of how childhood affected people and how to see the psychology of a person.

"How-"

"She approached me after A.P. Lit."

She'd been nervous but determined like she'd been put up to the task. It didn't feel like she even wanted Donovan's attention but felt because a lot of other girls had approached him, she should. He also wondered if this played into her deep-rooted hurt, wanting to go looking for rejection in places she knew she'd find it, therefore confirming the notion she'd believe for a long time: she wasn't worth love.

But he could be wrong, seeing a lot didn't mean he saw everything.

Link nodded.

"Okay. What do you-"

Donovan heard the shuffle of shoes on the carpet and shot a hand out, stopping Link as Carter walked down their row. Donovan froze, not sure how much she'd heard and what it would mean that she had. She smiled as she passed them.

"It's her father, by the way," she said, looking over her shoulder. "Abandoned her when she was eight."

Link looked at Carter in surprise, while Donovan forced indifference though inside he was wondering what repercussions this might have. Already, she poked holes in their cover story, was she likely to understand why Donovan knew all he did?

Carter pulled out a book and started walking backward. "If you're looking for a girl to flirt with, go with the redhead in the far corner. Smart, but not too needy," she said.

She turned and stepped out of the row.

Link looked to Donovan, still stunned.

"Is this bad?" he asked.

Donovan shook his head, he didn't know for sure. Yes, Carter caught him analyzing people but what she would make of that, he didn't know.

"We need to stick close," Donovan said.

They left the row, collected their things from their table, and crossed over to Carter's. Link dropped his stuff down beside Carter, making her jerk her head up in surprise. He smiled. At least Link's already formed like of Carter made it easy for him to be calm around her. Otherwise, Donovan knew Link's nervousness would heighten Carter's suspicions.

Donovan knew Carter watched them both as they flipped open their books and started working, trying to puzzle out what she'd just overheard.

"Alright, so we're adding that to the list of things we're ignoring, are we?" she said.

"Yup," Link said, without looking up.

Carter eyed them for a long moment, but neither of them reacted. The doors to the library opened and a group of girls walked in, talking in low whispers. Donovan noticed as Link did a double-take as the girls passed their table. His gaze followed them as they took a table three rows down. He also took in how Carter absorbed Link's attraction to the girl. A smirk slowly took over her face as Link glanced up every few seconds to look in their direction.

Donovan didn't know what the look meant but knew that he was about to find out.

"The one in the middle is in our history class," Carter said.

Link jerked his head to her, startled.

"What?" he asked, forcing an innocent tone.

Carter pointed to the girl in the middle with glossy black hair, a thin face, and a playful laugh. Donovan knew the girl in question, he'd noticed Link glancing at her from time to time in class. But he also knew Link wouldn't do anything, too many years of being afraid of getting close kept him from making a move.

"Oh," Link said. "That's interesting."

He dropped his head and continued working. Donovan did the same aware that Link's attention drifted over to the girl.

"Link, just go and talk to her already," Carter said finally.

Link flushed with embarrassment.

"As much fun as it is to watch you jerk your head up every five seconds, just go talk to her," she added.

As Donovan listened to Carter egging Link on, he acted as if he weren't interested in what Carter said, but he was. Her tone was brusk, almost aggressive but her words were encouraging. She was a strange dichotomy.

At Carter's declaration that she could solve the problem of not knowing the girl Link liked, Donovan raised his head, curious. She snatched up her pencil and Link panicked.

"What are you doing?" Link asked.

"Getting you information on Maddy. You know, the girl you have been shamelessly staring at," Carter said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I haven't..."

Carter started walking away and Link whispered yelled out at her.

"Carter. Don't."

She looked back and gave him a wicked grin. Tucking her pen in her pocket, she lowered her gaze and started scanning the floor.

"What do you think she's going to do? You don't think she'd tell Maddy that I like her, right? She wouldn't do that?"

"Breathe," Donovan said.

Link sucked in a breath but didn't seem to want to release it. Donovan didn't know whether to find Carter's intrusion into Link's love life to be kind or dominating. She was such a conflicting person that he couldn't make her out.

By the time Carter returned to the table, Link was a ball of nerves ready to explode. When Carter sank into her seat but didn't say anything, Link nearly jumped out of his skin with anticipation.

"So?" he asked.

Donovan rested back in his chair, crossing his arms. This should be interesting.

"Her name is Maddy Hooper," Carter said. "She's a senior. Right-handed. Organized and neat. Smart but struggles with Calculus so that's your way in. She's taking French, A.P. History, A.P. Lit. and physics. At least one parent is a journalist because she takes notes in shorthand. She prefers cats over dogs. Doodles hearts on the edges of her paper. Doesn't like being pushed around and puts up a decent fight. And currently does not have a boyfriend."

Link just stared at her, mouth partially open. Donovan held in his reaction, knowing it would only make her more smug, but he was impressed. Before Link could say anything Carter nudged him to stand up.

"The calculus textbooks are on the top shelf in the back of the seventh row. Go take one down and look through it. She will come to you," Carter said.

"What?" Link said, giving her a strange look.

Carter nudged Link again.

"Go now, you idiot. You understand calculus, offer to help her," she said.

Link still didn't move, his brow furrowed. Carter punched his arm and he jumped into action. Again Donovan was struck by how she'd was trying to be helpful while being pushy. Link stumbled away. Donovan wondered how Link would handle the whole thing, the number of times he'd interacted with a girl he liked was very small. Donovan silently wished him luck.

Carter slumped in her chair, crossing her arms.

Donovan eyed her. Most of the information she got was easy enough to understand how. Unable to hold it in, he asked, "The boyfriend info?"

"They were remarking on the attractiveness of Lucas Harding, a fellow senior. She declared that she would say yes if he asked her out."

Simple deduction.

"Puts up a decent fight?"

"I helped her out of a conflict with Zac. She had been holding her own fairly well before I entered and popped his shoulder out of its socket."

Donovan nodded and dropped his head, struggling to fight off a smile.

This girl was something else.

********

"What are we doing here?" Link asked.

"Homework."

Link frowned. "That's not what I mean and you know it. Why are we doing homework in this coffee shop?"

The bustle of the coffee shop wrapped around them, the scent of freshly brewed coffee, the ebb and flow of conversations, the shuffle of shoes on the tile as baristas scurried to fill orders, and the staccato call of names.

"I thought we needed a change," Donovan said.

Link stared at him, not believing the statement. Which was fair, it was false after all. This coffee shop was two miles from their apartment building so it didn't make sense to come here. But it was the coffee shop that Miguel came to in the afternoon. That was why there were there, but Donovan didn't plan to tell Link that.

"You're not going to tell me the real reason, are you?" Link said.

"No."

Link adjusted his glasses. "Should I be worried?"

"No."

He nodded and went back to his schoolwork. Six years of being in each other's lives at least meant that Link trusted Donovan without question.

Donovan half worked and half-watched the doorway. When Miguel arrived, Donovan ducked his head but followed him with his eyes. He waited. He'd worked out a plan with his brothers but there were a lot of ways it could go wrong. But he knew he needed to act. Waiting would only make it worse. And waiting to take action wasn't something he was good at.

After Miguel ordered and received his drink, Donovan casually rose from his seat and headed for the counter with all the additives. He put himself directly in Miguel's path. When they nearly collided, Donovan jerked back, feigning surprise.

"Woah, sorry," he said.

Miguel checked his coffee hadn't spilled on him before looking at Donovan. He paused then narrowed his eyes, a glint of recognition sparking in them.

"Wait," he said. "Do I know you?"

He glanced down and spotted the blazer Donovan wore and brightened.

"You go to Hamilton," he said.

Donovan stared at Miguel then became animated.

"We bumped into each other earlier today, right? I saved your phone."

Miguel nodded, happy to put an answer to the face that he questioned.

Donovan took a step back. "I guess I'll see you around school then."

"Yeah."

Donovan walked away, knowing now that if Miguel ever wondered why Donovan looked familiar it was because of these two interactions. When Donovan sat back down at the table, Link regarded him with blatant curiosity. Donovan didn't respond to his look, instead packed up his things. Link did likewise.

Donovan dashed off a message.

"The plan worked. Though that means we can't ever reconnect with the Alvarez family."

"Let us know if anything else comes up," Brock replied.

"Now Gloria will forever be the one that got away," James said.

"No, she'd be the one hundred twenty one that got away," Clint messaged. "Which seems she's wise like all the others and won't return."

Donovan slipped his phone into his pocket, already knowing James would retort with some very colorful language.

As the pair stepped into the chilly day and headed down the street, Link's curiosity got the best of him.

"Okay, are you going to explain to me what that was all about?" he asked.

Donovan jostled Link's shoulder, imagining he was almost like his little brother. It made Link smile.

"No. All you need to know is that you're safe."

*********************************************************************

Hold it right there! ✋
(...okay now you can move, had to wait for the end of the chapter to settle in)

Thoughts, people! That's what I'm looking for right here! If you don't got them then go out and get some! 💭🗯💬

Slowly, slowly I am making my way through this book. A lot of things get in the way you know like publishing A Secret Service (woot woot!) and all the jazz!

I have thought of publishing this book, what do you think? Would you buy it if I did?

It's just a thought it would still have to be completed and I would want to keep expanding the relationship between Donovan and his brothers, which is one of my favorite things!

(Along with rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...you know normal stuff)

Vote, comment, follow! I love you! Thought you should know!

Meet the Keller Brothers as baby tigers!