Clear as Glass

Today is the third day of my second month at the elite academy. I was surprised that I got accepted in the first place, but if I’m honest I’m even more surprised that I made it this far. I figured I would get cut in the first few rounds and they’d have to wipe my memory to prevent me from spilling the secrets I’d learned. Maybe I’m smarter and stronger than I had originally thought I was. Today we’re stationed outside one of the best commercial window tinting firms Melbourne has. They’re so popular that their business has basically overtaken an entire street; the storefront stretches all the way into the distance and there’s a long line of people waiting to go inside. Surely most people prefer to shop online now? That’s what I would have assumed. However, apparently glass is big business and it requires lots of in-person meetings. I have no idea why we’re here, and neither do the other students.

We’ve been disguised as university students on a field trip with their professor, so for the first time since joining the academy I’m getting to see my classmates in regular casual clothes. Usually, we’d wear skin tight black suits with loads of pockets. It’s a nice change. However, we’ve been waiting outside for a while and there’s still no sign of our instructor. I try to squint through the window tinting near me to get a glimpse of the inside of the store, but it’s tinted so dark that all I see is my own reflection, like a one-way mirror in an interrogation room. The students who are a little less professional than I am are starting to become impatient. They’re shuffling around, picking at their nails and using their disguise as university students to start loud, boisterous conversations. It’s not a good look. Being in security involves a lot of waiting, and if they can’t stand half an hour of it, how do they expect to do it as a career?