Define Spy

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 16

All I could think about was, who was it?

Who was the person who gave me that note? A stranger? That's a slim chance. A student? It's possible. A teacher? Very possible. But who?

I rubbed my thumbs over the ink that had now dulled and smudged. I repeated the sentence over and over in my mind, like a tape that won't stop rewinding. It gets annoying after a while, but it sticks into your mind.

Next time it'll be more than just the stink bomb.Than just the stink bomb. A real bomb.

I think back to the huge mosh pit of confused students and crowded pushes, and then the feeling of the person's hand that gave me the note; a reassuring squeeze before they fled, and then the black figure walking away quickly and gracefully; avoiding bumping into any of the students. And it's like I know who it was but I just couldn't put my finger on it. Like it was so close but felt so far away.

As Johanna pulls up into Summington's parking lot, I quickly fold up the paper and stash it into the secret compartment of the yellow slug bug. As usual, the school's crowded with students surrounding the outside. And even though I hate the crowds, I'm getting used to it. I just wish that I wasn't.

The normal routine swings by quickly, but I don't run into Danni anytime soon, that is until I find my way to first period English. I walk by his desk swiftly, trying to avoid any awkward eye contact as I kept my head down till I arrived at my desk. Once Ms. Potter walks in, my eyes dart to her desk, wondering if it's in there now. Which probably is a bad guess, considering it wasn't last time. But I need to get that paper. I need to know what it says.

Ms. Potter dives straight into English literature, but I keep my focus on her more of than what she's saying. She walks around the classroom casually, row by row, desk by desk, and then she stops at mine, leaning a little on the edge of it. I roll my eyes and prop my chin against my hand, my elbow supporting my head. My eyes flicker down to my notebook, and I play with the pages, flimsily skipping through them.

My eyes travel down to my desk as Ms. Potter moves her hand behind her, still continuing her lecture. In her fingers is something white and crumbled, and she adverts her hand to under my desk, sneakily sticking it to an old piece of chewed gum. I raise an eyebrow and look up to Ms. Potter, but she's still talking and doesn't look at me. I then scan my eyes through the class; half of them are zoned out already and the other half look to Ms. Potter, expressions blank. I want to reach a hand under my desk and yank out the paper, but my eyes flicker to Danni.

He's staring not at Ms. Potter, and not at me, but at the desk. I remove my hand and casually rest it on the surface of my desk. Did he see Ms. Potter put the note there too?

Danni looks up to me suspiciously, but I just try my best to fake a smile and look tuned into Ms Potter's talk. Danni barely raises an eyebrow, his mouth in a straight line; which is odd seeing that expression on his face because he's usually just smiling. But that new look soon goes away as he turns his face away from me.

I bite my lip, looking up to the clock. I can't let Danni get the note. And I can't get the note without Danni and his suspicions.

The bell rings, making me jump a little in my seat, but then I get up and make my way to Danni.

"Hey." I say, smiling to him. Danni manages a smile too; but it's crooked and I can tell it took effort. I frown, but then look up to Danni, meeting his green eyes. "Haven't talked to you in a while." I say.

"Yeah." he shrugs his shoulders. He looks off to a distant point instead of having his attention on me. What's wrong with him?

What's wrong with me?