American Secrets

Chapter 1

"'Ello."

"Hey South, I need a super big favor."

"Am I gonna regret saying yes?"

"Probably not."

"Not reassuring. What's up?"

"The boss called an emergency meeting, but the World Conference is today. That and I think I'm going to crash from lack of sleep and too much caffeine soon. Could you...?"

"...Where is this happening?"

"D.C. It's suppose to be an important one. I'm suppose to present something. Just say something stupid and they'll get off your back and not notice you're not me."

"...North, is that why the US has no respect from Eastern countries?"

"We're amazing, bruh. Doesn't matter what they think."

"Then what are you doing when you say you're working on your Conference presentation?"

"The presentation. I just never actually present it. You know I hate public speaking."

"So do I!"

"Well you just freeze up and sweat! I start talking about random things and ramble off topic!"

"..."

"..."

"Just send it to me."

"You're the best bro!"

"Yeah, whatever."

~~~~~~~

The Southern United States of America pushed up his glasses as he stood outside the conference room. He was fifteen minutes late and he really couldn't afford to be later. He fiddled with the cuffs of his navy uniform. Steeling his nerves, he calmly opened the door.

All eyes were on him as he he opened the door. He awkwardly stood there as they stared at him, as if expecting something else.

"What is Union doing that makes them think I'd make a complete fool of myself?" he wondered.

South's eyes finally settled on a nameplate clearly labeled United States of America and he walked over and took his place. He awkwardly pulled out his notes, papers and USB drive as the nations continued to stare. He tried to ignore them as he looked over the notes his brother had written. It looked like Union had actually taken the time to make his handwriting look legible. How kind of him.

"Do you need something?" South finally asked the nation sitting next to him, who just happened to be his older brother Canada.

"Wha- Ohh!" Canada said, finally seeing South's grey eyes, the only thing that seemed to allowed people to tell them apart. "Nothing."

With a slight roll of his eyes, South returned to reviewing his brother's notecards as people slowly stopped staring at Canada's dismissal of any strangeness. Though he still caught the odd look when they thought he wasn't looking.

South took careful notes as the Nordics presented on global warming (they all stared at him fearfully as if they expected him to start yelling or something) and as France presented an overview of his country's situation infused with many innuendos. As it dissolved into a fistfight with England, he suddenly understood why his brother fooled around during the meeting and didn't bother to present his actual ideas. They were worst than the State's meetings and at least the States had the excuse of being petty teenagers! (South ignored the fact that he was a teenager as well.) It wasn't worth the effort, but he had promised Union and, dislike it as he might, Union was his older brother and in charge.