"In conclusion, the cold war was a-" The extremely boring history teacher was cut off by the bell, thank god. I actually liked history, but this guy made it sound so boring.
"So, how's it going with your new BF?" Julia comes up behind me as we make our way out of class. I knew that I wouldn't get out of this conversation very easily, we had ten minute passing periods and our lockers were right next to each other.
"Well, I haven't really spoken to him much since last night." Which was true, my only classes with him were Music and AP Chemistry, which were both after lunch. We did exchange numbers though.
"Oh, come on! You were up all night on your phone, you must've been texting somebody!" Oh right, about that. I was really just reading a super long email from the UIA, apparently they were sending in two agents to help me with the case to act as a substitute teacher and a waiter at the small diner in town. I would speak to the waiter when we are allowed to go to town over the weekend.
"I was playing a game."
"Hmm, sure." She gives me a look that suggested that she knew I was lying, but assumed that I was texting Max.
The truth is, I didn't really like Max that much - I mean - sure, he's a good looking guy, but he is nowhere near my type. And he was a bully, which would normally mean that I would have beat him to a pulp by now if I wasn't undercover. Overall he was just your average prep school jackass.
"Anyway, it's only Wednesday, but on Friday there'll be a big party at the Cheshire manor in town, you should go with Max. I'll be there, and I can assure you that it will be awesome."
"But, are we allowed to go off campus on Friday?"
"Totally, after classes end it's considered the weekend as far as the staff is concerned. We can go to the town as long as we are back at the school by curfew, which is midnight. That's the reason the party starts at seven, so we can get the most fun out of the night."
"But who owns the Cheshire manor?" I of course did my research before I got here, but I am not supposed to know this stuff.
"Oh, Bradley Cheshire's parents work overseas during the school season, they keep the manor for him whenever there's breaks or if he wants somewhere to hang out over the weekends. They are one of the richest families to attend here, right below the Italian ambassador's children." Her voice got really star struck when she said this. I concluded that she just might have a crush on this guy.
"Ooh, what grade is he in?" I asked in an over enthusiastic voice.
"A senior. I mean - can you believe it! We got invited to a senior party, this is all we need to bump up our social status. By now I bet that all the guys at school want us." I thought she was already the most famous teenage girl in the country, why does she need this to bump up her already high social status?
"I bet! Oh my god, I can't wait for the party." Then I thought of something she had mentioned. "Wait, he invited me?"
"Oh yeah. He totally told me through a friend's girlfriend that if I brought you that we'd totally be invited to his party on Friday." I doubt the guy had ever talked to her face to face, but I didn't want to ruin her mood.
"Oh my god, that is so awesome!" I squeal.
We head to the last period before lunch, AP physics, and continue the conversation. No matter how much I wanted to hide in my shell after all the question, I couldn't. Ashley would never do that.
"And, he invited Jonathon and Max, just for us! And imagine those hot Senior boys!"
"But don't we have boyfriends?" I try and be reasonable with her.
"Honey, I bet all those guys have girlfriends, but that ain't stopping them from coming up to us. I just accept the opportunity when it comes around." I was reminded of the scandal she and her boyfriend had last year, they both cheated on each other with other famous people. Jonathon finally got back together with her when Julia's father paid him off. It was all just a big publicity stunt anyways, it was common knowledge throughout the school that their relationship was obviously just to put them in more papers. It was too bad that Julia couldn't see that.
We walked into the class and took our assigned seats on opposite sides of the room. I noticed a man whose back was facing us writing his name on the board, Mrs. Hawthorn must've been absent today. The sub's name was Mr. Hart.
"Alright class, your teacher, Mrs. Hawthorn is out sick today. I'll be your substitute, Mr. Hart." No way, it can't be. His voice sounded very familiar, but I wasn't sure. He turns and I mentally do back flips. They had to send him to be one of the extra agents to help me out on the case. Really? "Any questions?" He turns towards me and my eyes are met with Jackson's, otherwise known as my best friend in the agency.
"Yes, I have one question." I raise my hand, knowing very well that his eyes are already set on mine. He gave me his signature side smile and gestures for me to continue. "How long exactly will Mrs. Hawthorn be sick, because I wouldn't mind having you as our sub every day." I smirk as Julia and the rest of the popular kids in the room gasp and then laugh their butts off.
"Well, I can assure you that it won't be too long." He turns and faces the board again, and I had a feeling that when he catches me later that I would get in trouble for that. Jackson was basically an intern for the agency, still in college. He was only a couple of years older than me, but we became friends fast at the agency.
"Ashley! Keep that up and Max is goanna get very jealous." Lindsey exclaims from her assigned seat next to me.
"Oh my god! Are you trying to make Max jealous?" Lilly laughed from the seat in front of me.
"What, I can't ask a simple question without being bombarded with more questions than the one I had originally asked?" The truth was that my flirting with him was a sign to him to talk to me after class. We had made a lot of signals in case we were ever on a case together.
"Ladies! Pay attention." Jackson/Mr. Hart snaps at us. I inwardly laugh at how strict he was being. It must be hard for him not to laugh at my new look. I had turned into the exact girl that I had hated back in high school for making fun of me for being a child prodigy.
The class turned out to be quite interesting when Jackson was our teacher. He kept cracking jokes and making fun of the students in a nice way. He was being the kind of teacher we all wanted back in high school. When the last bell rang, everyone took their time in packing their things, no one wanted to leave the funniest class we had been to all day.
"Oh, Mrs. Petters, will you stay a little after class. We need to discuss your behavior today." My 'friends' all gave me looks that suggested that we'd be doing more than talking.
"Go on, I'll catch you guys at lunch." I assure them.
I turn to Jackson when the class was finally emptied out. He gave me a smile and we ran into each other's arms. We hugged for a while and finally parted. It was great to see a familiar face.
"Sammy, I missed you girl."
"I have only been gone for a couple of days."
"But it's felt like years!" He wines. Same old Jackson.
"So, what has happened so far Blondie?" I explained the gist of it, nothing too interesting had happened so far anyway. When I finished, he gasped in horror. I reared back and got scared. I hadn't said anything that scary, had I?
"You've become a mean girl!" he refers to the popular movie with Lindsey Lohan in it. I gasp in horror too, I've become the dumb blonde one, haven't I?
"Oh, this is horrible. I can't imagine, the embarrassment." I fake gasp and pretend to faint.
"Anyway, I need to give you some outside information. The director has me and Jake to help you out, and kind of be your protectors because it turns out that some of the top spies have been going missing during their missions."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that they're going missing. Two of the top five have gone missing this last week. And if you can remember, you're in the top five too. Them and whoever they were trying to infiltrate go missing. Which in your case would be you and Julia. The director wants to make sure that you won't be a target too."
"But, why would people be targeting spies. What can they gain from killing, or kidnapping us?" I ask in fear and confusion.
"Ransom probably. The government would pay a lot of money for their best spies back."
"But these people must be idiots if they think that we won't find out who they are. If they make a move on me, I'll make sure that they won't see the light of day again. Anyway, did you guys locate the other girls who were kidnapped, the high profile ones?"
"Sadly, we did find the second victim. She was lying face down in a shallow grave in the middle of the woods. It gives us reason to believe that the first victim is also dead and buried somewhere. What we can't figure out is motive. The gang took responsibility, but never asked for ransom or any demand."
"Hmm that gives me something o think about. But I better get to lunch, they probably think we are having sex in here or something like that." I laugh a little at the thought of that. It would never happen, he's like a brother to me.
"What's bad about that?" He smirks as I punch his arm, hard.
"I have a boyfriend you know."
"And what's he going to do? I'm a spy trained by the U.S. government. I'm pretty sure I can beat him in a fight." He brags, showing off his muscles.
"Bye 'Mr. Hart'" I walk out the door and head to the lunch room.
I mentally went over everything that I had just been told. If I didn't complete this mission successfully, Julia would probably end up dead. There was also a possible kidnapper/killer after me too. This mission may end up being the death of me.