GRADE SIX SOCIAL STUDIES

MR. BENTLEY

"Alright class, no school for you tomorrow" Mr. Bentley announced. "Hooray!" we all cheered. "That doesn't mean you're getting the day off. Tomorrow is 'Bring Your Kid To Work Day' as you will be joining your parents at their jobs." The mood of the entire class suddenly deflated. "Cheer up everyone, it'll be a great learning experience. Plus you get to see what your parents do for a living." We all started getting ready to leave, filling our bags with school books as we stared at the clock. As soon as the bell rang the class began to stampede like a herd of buffalo. "Hold on!" Mr. Bentley interrupted. "Don't forget about the school dance on Friday!"

There she was, Monica Hensley. I have had a crush on her since Grade Four. I always got nervous around her and was unable to utter a word. But that was about to change. I had decided that I was going to ask her to go to the school dance with me. "Here goes nothing" I mumbled to myself as I made my way down the stairs. "Hey, Lover Boy! The bus is here" my friend Karl shouted out. "No. Not now!" Before I got a chance to talk to Monica, she had already hopped aboard the school bus. She sat in the back with the Grade 7's and 8's while I was up front with Karl who really, really liked to talk. Oh well, maybe tomorrow I'd get another opportunity.

The next morning the alarm went off at 6 a.m. I usually don't wake up until at least 7:30. My Dad offered me a cup of coffee saying that it would help wake me up. I took one sip and spit it back in the cup. It was so bitter! How can anyone drink that stuff? I had a bowl of cereal and some orange juice. "All ready to see your Dad in action?" "Sure" I said, half-asleep. "Alright, I'll go get the car out of the garage and meet you out front." "Okay" I replied with a big yawn. Then it hit me. I wasn't going to get a chance to ask Monica to the dance. What was I going to do? BEEP! BEEP! My Dad was waiting in the car for me. I guess I'd have to worry about the dance later.

"Is the traffic always this bad in the morning?" I asked. "The commute is probably the least favorite part of my job." "Um, this is a little embarrassing but what is it that you do for a living?" "No need to feel embarrassed son. It's actually top secret. Nobody in our family knows. Not your Mom. Not your sister. And not even our cat Coco." What could my Dad possibly do for a living that was so secretive? "Today you will become the first and only person that I will share my secret with." "Cool!" "Though it may put your life in danger from attacks from robots, criminals, evil geniuses, and maybe the odd monster or two." "Monsters?" "Just kidding.....kinda."

A tiny computer screen suddenly appeared on the dashboard. "Good morning Agent Wolfe" a mustachioed man with a British accent greeted my Dad. "Agent Wolfe?" I queried. "You see Dez, I'm a special agent for an international spy organization known as The Power Watch. We are a group that is so top secret that even governments around the world don't know that we exist." "Agent Wolfe, you know it's against protocol to include family in your missions." "I know Captain Squire but this is for a school project." "Sigh! Whatever. We've learned that The Order of the Indigo Dragon are planning something big in The Splarlisk Hill District. Go!"

"Do you have your seat belt on Finn?" "What's going on? WHOA!!!" Suddenly the car began to scale the side of a large building. "We're taking a shortcut." I remained completely still, tightly gripping my seat belt. "The Splarlisk Hill District is where the richest nations in the world keep their finances. The Order of the Indigo Dragon are lead by the nefarious Oracle. He's a brilliant computer hacker who has stolen money from citizens around the world. He also gains access to everyone's personal information and then sells it to some dangerous folks called The Dragonkin. Oracle's real name is Howard Hensley, by the way, a computer engineer here in Squall's End."

CRASH!!!

Our car was now on top of a tall building that overlooked the city. "It's time for me to go to work so I'm listen closely to my instructions. Dez? "Hensley? Why does that name sound so familiar? Oh, sheep dip! Monica's last name is Hensley and she said that her Dad worked with computers. I just never thought he'd be such a powerful cyber-criminal. Hopefully the last name Hensely is only a coincidence." "Are you listening Dez?" "Sorry, continue."  "Wait here while I go look for Oracle. If any of his henchmen attack, you know what to do." "I do?" "You'll figure it out. You're a smart kid. I'm proud of you son." "Uh, thanks?"

After my Dad left to pursue Oracle, I did what any self-respecting hero would do. I went to find a hiding place. I cowered underneath a desk in one of the building's offices as the sound of footsteps began to draw nearer. I tried to sneak a peek as I left my hiding spot when I recognized Monica Hensley. There's no way she could be mixed up in her Dad's criminal enterprise. She was just a kid like me. "Monica? Is that you?" "Who said that?" "It's me, Dez from East Shores Elementary." "Like I said, who?" Ouch! That hurt! Foolishly I used this opportunity to ask her to Friday's school dance. "I was, err, wondering if you would go to the dance with........"

".........ME?"