Spy School - Back to Basics [2]

09: Espionage

Dedicated to Speakamumbo and Ultraflame101 

Site Omicron

Vienna, Virginia

May 10

1000 hours

I looked on gloomily out the window of the school bus. Or at least I tried to, since I didn't have the window seat.

To day was May tenth, the day of SKITTTLES' operation. Mike had two bullet-proof vests and Trixie with a bag full of guns and knives, but I knew something was going to go wrong. Assuming Trixie's reflexes were fast, about a hundred milliseconds, if a bullet was racing towards Mike's head Trixie wouldn't be able to do much about it, unless she wanted to take a bullet to the chest.

I was a little bit glad that Erica wasn't sitting next to me, since that would have been a grim reminder of the mission to come. But yet, I would much rather had her next to me, even if she didn't acknowledge my presence. She was a reminder that even with all the obstacles we faced as spies, we were still able to foil the plot and emerge with only a few scrapes.

I started reciting all the prime numbers in my head: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37 and so on. As a kid, math always helped me calm down. It was a steady rhythm of symbols and the scratching of the pen as I solved my math equations for homework. After I had gotten over the initial "glory" of Spy School, I sometimes reminisced about those afternoons, when my parents where still working at the grocery store and the house was quiet for me to do my homework.

I know what you're thinking: what kid would have notalgia about math homework? Well, for me, it wasn't homework. It was rather a relaxing technique, sort of like yoga, but it didn't hurt my muscles.

As the bus screeched to a halt in the parking lot, I was vaguely aware of Ms. Smith barking some instructions at the glass. Seeing everyone get up, I did as well and numbly followed them to the entrance, where some worksheets for the trip were placed.

"Dude."

I nearly jumped as Kris tapped my shoulder. "You good?" he asked. "You haven't been looking very well the past two days."

"I'm fine," I said. Then I reconsidered. "Actually, no."

"If I can ask, why aren't you okay?" he replied.

"Er..." I said, as I tried to phrase the ongoing events while not giving anything away. "One of my friends from my old school actually used to date someone here, but then they broke up. My friend's ex was actual determined enough to stalk me when I went over to his house, and now she's trashing his place and stuff."

"I have no words. That honestly sounds like something that would happen in a crack-fic."

"True."

"Maybe we're in a crack-fic!"

"That explains why my life sucks."

We continued conspiring until we reached a wooden building and entered. The place was a lecture hall of sorts with a bunch of chairs facing a wood podium.

At the door, two tour guides were waiting to greet us. "Hi!" chirruped the first one. "I'm Lacy and this is Jayden. We'll be showing you around today, but before we go, we have some rules to go over and a small rock presentation. I hope you have your worksheets since you'll be taking notes on the presentation!"

The class groaned. Lacy ignored them. "Go on in, take a seat, and don't forget to take a pencil form the bucket!"

We filled in, some taking a pencil from the bucket more grudgingly than others. I got one that was broken in half. I sat down next to Kris, and soon Lacy and Jayden began talking. "Alright, children, a few ground rules," Jayden began. His voice sounded ordinary enough, but he looked like he was dead inside. "No running off. Don't interrupt. Don't fall into the mines. Don't die. None of us want paperwork." Lacy elbowed him.