My name is Danielle Richards and

Ever since I was younger I admired my

My dad inspired my career.

Urgh, I hate it when they ask you to write about what you want to do for a career. Because I can hardly tell them the truth. That my father is head of a crime investigation team, and so was my dead mother, and that one day I hope to follow in their footsteps. Because they don't register detective as a proper career. But it is so important, so crucial to our lives: my father has killed people before, to save the country, countless times. But despite all the admiration, I wish he would tone it down around me and let me live my life without being "rich girl".

Instead I have to write what everyone "knows" about me. That I'm in eleventh grade. That my best friend is Clara Desanto. That I have two siblings, Freddie, 13, and Tess, 10. That my mother has died, that my father is...what did we tell them? I think last time he was a business executive. That explained his having to fly out a lot of the time. Freddie and Tess don't know. Nobody knows except me. Dad decided I was old enough to know the truth, but they're being protected. After all...she was so beautiful. Even I don't know how, or who. I just know that the team got their revenge, and that one other member was killed. That's pretty messed up. But I remember thinking, I want to go out there too. Make my parents proud. But I couldn't tell anyone this. Instead I wrote:

I intend to become a businesswoman when I have completed my university course. My father is also a leading figure at his business firm and must travel abroad frequently. I intend to carry on my French in order to establish similar overseas alliances in my career.

That's what they want to hear. There are some things that people want to hear, and some that you should keep to yourself. And I'm not just talking about my huge crush on Tommy Spencer.

But that should be kept secret too.

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if anyone has read the SCIT series, they will recognise Danielle Richards, now known as Dani Lewis (she didn't get married she just has a new/old dad...long story). I just wanted to write a bit extra about Dani in her teen years, until she started uni.
If you haven't read the SCIT series, please go and do so! it's on babyrhinos' profile, and there are four stories: you'll want to start on Pushing Up Daisies.

ooh the other day in a giftshop i saw these personalised bookmarks ( i think that's what they were...shows how great my memory is :P) and anyway i was bored so i found Danielle and this is what it said: "free as the air, will not be held down. a beautiful butterfly" and i thought that actually fitted pretty well! :D yeh just thought id throw that in there too.

updated Jul 16 '10 by PaperbackMartha23