The walls were steel and cold, enclosing me into the small and pact spaces of the corridors. I have never been afraid of small spaces, but right now, I was feeling claustrophobic. I felt as if I was a prisoner, taking her last walk to the courtyard.
My Escort's pace was quick and never faltered. Her steel façade never breaking, her boots clicking on the ground in time to my heart. It seemed loud in my ears, and even though every teacher I passed had their backs to me, I felt they heard my heart's frantic beating, as they all turned on my passing.
Their stares were like hot coals in my back. I felt the pain behind the stares, not the heat, and this made me shiver. The girls gasped and the hall went silent as they saw who it was I was following. The new girls didn't know, they haven't seen Mrs Edgings before. The followed me with their eyes. I froze.
Mrs Edgings didn't even say a word. No one did. I was frozen to the spot with god knows how many eyes on me. Yet no one said anything. No teacher yelled at me to keep moving, no student taunted me for being below the average in Mcceath standards. Nothing.
You didn't have to be a Genius to know that something was wrong.
“Bye, Ocyne.” Someone whispered, and suddenly the hallway was filled with a the chorus of goodbyes, growing louder and louder, girls trying to there farewells heard over everyone else. The doors opened and in from the classrooms came more girls, all joining in.
“Ocyne,” Mrs Edging whispered, and even though it was barely audible all voices hushed. “It's time to go.”
Nothing the girls did helped my racing heart. Why was everyone saying goodbye? Did they know something I didn't? My feet wouldn't move.
Help.
It was like the message only registered into my legs and everything else was numb. They moved on while my heart, my soul, everything I was, was left in the hallway, along with the other girls who was staring at our retreating figures.
As we got to the headteachers office my escort walked in, and the door flopped shut behind her. I stared at the door for a second. Did I want to go into that room? Like last night, how I had the need to call my parents, I felt I couldn't go in that room. If I went into that room my world would change. I couldn't deal with that. Could I?
Soon as the worries came, they were gone. My reason overpowered my imagination for the first time in my life. It suppressed it, stopping me from thinking of the worst possible reason the school's law Counsellor was beckoning me to the headteachers room.
Oh, god, did I mention something in my stories I shouldn't have? Was I getting sued?
I shook my head, unable to clear my thoughts but realising I had stood staring at that door for too long.
I walked into the office and saw my headteacher, Mrs Hearst (Or as we were allowed to call her-Catherine) with tears in her eyes. My heart flipped uncomfortably. I felt this was a 'sit down' moment, and stopped myself for comforting Catherine, instead, I moved the blank paper onto the coffee table and sat down on the sofa, waiting for someone to speak.
Catherine shrieked.
"Oh, Sea! It's terrible!" Wailed Catherine, using my nickname as she sobbed. She knelt down beside the sofa, and leaned over the side to hold my hand.
"What, Catherine is trying to say-" I looked up, I hadn't even realised Mack was standing, waiting in the corner for a chance to speak.
"It's your parents." Catherine carried on. I found it amusing, I always said Catherine and Mack would make a good couple, and here they were, finishing each others-
Wait, My parents?
"What about my parents?" Neither Catherine nor Mack replied. They didn't need to. I saw it in their faces. You see, Catherine and my parents trained to become bounty hunters, but Catherine had to carry on the family trade of being a head teacher when her mother died seventeen years ago. My parents and her was so close, they missed their Hunting final, and ended up having to take the course again. Needless to say, both people present are extremely good friends of my parents. The only two good friends of my parents, actually, bounty hunters aren't exactly known for having a wide range of friends.
"They were chasing a killer, but he had a back up plan. The only way they could get him and save the civilian was-" Catherine started sobbing, Mack put a hand on her shoulder, and ended the story.
"...Was by crashing their car into his. They died instantly." I gasped.
Okay, So maybe their body language had said it all before I even sat down (Heath, my Body language and emotion recognising teacher would be proud), So maybe I knew there was something wrong before I even entered, So maybe I had been feeling something wrong with my parents for the past couple of days, but it was a heart stopping shock to hear it out loud. To realise it had happened...
The blank paper I had moved earlier sat on the desk still, one had drifted to the floor. Separated by anything but choice. It was isolated and alone.
Like me.
My parents were the best in the line of work. Everyone had heard of them, well, all secret agents, CSI and those of that profession had heard of them. They had been presented with awards from the queen and the president of the united states. Everyone said they were likeable people, even if they were cold and suspicious.. Even Lily stuttered every time they came to see me. I stared up at my teachers.
"What now?"
They didn't answer my question. They never got the chance to, because as soon as the words spilled from my lips two police officers were being escorted in by the same person who brought me here.
"What's going on?"I asked. Catherine was covering her mouth, tears flowing gently down her face.
"Jane Bostan?" One of the officers asked. Confusion flooded me, I was glad of it, it washed away the sense of dread for not calling my parents last night.
Who was Jane Bostan? I glanced at my teachers, with a nod of there head it was confirmed. I looked back towards the two men.
"Yes?"
"After certain events and no relatives to rely on, were sorry but we have to take you to a new home." The first man said. My eyes widened. I was the second smartest girl in the world, I needed to be in this school to get a for filling education. With all that status behind my title, some one would think I was smarter than to question. Nether the less, the only words I could muster out of my mouth were;
"You're kidding, right?"
The two police officers left me alone quickly after I had screamed at them. They gave me two hours to pack my belongings. Two hours to bag away fifteen years of my life. I stood in the middle of Catherine's office. My mouth was parched from the scream I gave them.
“That was the first time I've hear you scream, but I bet if you screamed again, you could have gotten more than a few hours.” Mack tried to laugh, but it came out awkward and forced. He handed me a glass of water, which I took a sip out of, then put it down. We both knew I wouldn't touch it again.
I was once told by a very wise person, that to make a story interesting, leave out the bits people tend to skim over. So I won't spend fifteen minutes explaining how I never acted like a spoiled brat, how I only acted like a spoiled brat to make the police leave me alone while I packed and as a way to get someone to explain why the police were involved, and why they thought my name was Jane Bostan. Instead I'll skip to why and move onto to the how.
“Now is your time to explain.”
“Ocyne, you have to go with them. The police got to your parents before our people could find them. You know the drill, this is a normal school to them, if we fight them they could bring the law into this.”
“And the law means reporters surrounding the secret school.” I muttered. My parents were both without siblings. Both grandparents had passed away years ago and the only people that could take care of me were Catherine and Mack, Catherine, who was older than 40 means that most agencies will not be comfortable with her adopting me, and Mack, who does not have the best background check thanks to his St Philips history, and he went into spy training.
I had no one liable to adopt me, and the police knew it. That meant one thing.
Orphanage.
When the police returned I was sitting outside the school. My three holdalls were by my side and my head was resting on my hand.
“Have you said your goodbyes, Miss Bostan?” The police officer asked. I ignored him. They placed me bag in the back on the car. They looked back once, and got in. I turned around, and suddenly there was girls standing in every window. Spy students were climbing across the wall, turning their heads to stare as I left. I smiled quickly, and got into the back. The next time I looked out of the window only two people were there. Lily, wearing all back, now standing a room near the top, her long blonde hair was out of its usual pony tail, it was flowing free down her back while a blue poke-a-dot bow was tied in her hair. It was my favourite style for her. I told her it made her look more innocent, more child like, but she always wanted to look fierce. Mack was standing on the top of the building. His loose jacket was flowing around him with the wind and his hair was obscuring his eyesight. He looked very dramatic.
“Don't worry, Jane, we've checked the place you're going to, it's really nice.” I glanced at the one who had spoken, but he was looking up at the old school. I followed his gaze. It was to the empty window, the one that maybe half a second ago stood my best friend, and my father figure.
We were Mcceath students though, we show our faces to no-one. We are spies, and genius' and we don't tell anyone that, not until we've left Mcceath. Mcceath is known by no-one but it's student and St. Philips.
“You're friends not saying goodbye?” The other cop asked, the one who was driving.
“They said goodbye already.” I stated flatly, and refused to talk any more as they drove.
It was weird sitting in the back of a police car. Having people glance in the windows with fear, curiosity or just plain disgust was not a good feeling. We had to stop in town to get petrol. Unfortunately, some of St. Philips were there.
The closest a 'Philips have ever got to the top of the ladder was #11 smartest person in the world. They couldn't hold much of a grudge for me, but still, they taunted.
"Hey, It's Mcceath 2!" Daniel shouted. We called each each other by our status. I was from Mcceath, and second smartest person, therefore I was Mcceath 2. He was Philips 11. yeah, he was the smartest in his school.
"Go read an Atoms for Dummies book!" I shouted. We laughed. Even though we were never best friends, we were kind of friends, they liked my books. Mcceath and St. Philips were basically cousins. Catherine, and their headteacher were siblings. It's been like that since Darling Mcceath founded the school after the death of her husband. Richard Philips was jealous, he didn't found the school, he spent his life trying to make a name for himself, he travelled the word, helping others. He was named a saint soon after his death. His son was Jonathan Philips. He was extremely sexist and decided men could do everything and more than women could do. He devoted his life to education and opened St Philips four years before he died.
I was the only Mcceath that could actually be in the same room with them and not end up trying to test a new rat poison I had made in science, or paralysing them from the spy techniques.
The police were in the petrol station, and paying. I stood out of the star quickly and smiled at him. Daniel ran up to me and we shook hands. Like any nerds we had our own handshake, but it enveloped being the fastest person to reach the top of each others arm. I won, as always. He grabbed my hand.
"I heard about your parents. I'm sorry." Then he let of my hands, leaving something in them. I looked down and saw a beautiful necklace. It was a solid gold heart with a diamond in the middle. I flipped it over and saw it was engraved.
'The keeper' was written in cursive words. I laughed. He had bought me a gift that was 'Sin Paradise' inspired. I threw him a look.
“I thought you would like it.” he laughed.
“You're the same as ever.” He smirked.
“Don't ever forget it, love.” He grabbed the necklace back out of my hands and turned me around. “I don't believe Mcceath would let you slip through there grasp.” He clipped the necklace into place. I turned around and shook my head.
“Niether do I.” I glanced along the road, a couple of miles down would be the building I've called home for four years.
“I would watch myself, if I were you, Ocyne.” My eyebrows creased at his words. He never called me Ocyne, it was either 'Love' or 'Mcceath 2'.
"You're up to something, Philips!" I shouted, he was running over the road already.
"Yeah," He replied, with a laugh. "With you gone, we're better at Mcceath's at all physical sport, and were going to be in the top ten finally!"
"You wish!" I laughed. He looked up, and a frown flitted across his face. I looked over my shoulder, following his gaze.
"Say, your goodbyes, Jane, we have to go now." The driving police man said. He hadn't bothered give his name, nor had I ask it. At the sound of the unfamiliar name, Daniel snorted.
"Yes, Jane, Goodbye!" He howled. I scowled at him.
"It's Miss Bostan to you Philips!" I shouted and wound the window up.