Antoinette Martin

How To Be A Spy

Rule #1
Have a good background story

Mom sold Jimmy today. I know, I know. What an odd way to start my story. But as a spy, you have to learn to expect the unexpected right? So Im starting my story in a way that you wouldnt expect. See, Im doing you a favor and helping you become a better secret agent. So as I was saying Mom took Jimmy to the pound today. He was my first and only dog. A Native American Indian dog. Theyre extremely loyal to their owners and awfully protective. Their wolfish look makes them look fierce and dangerous; a burglars nightmare. Jimmy, however, had a silly side. He was playful and wonderful with kids but defensive when he needed to be. Also, he was kind of my best friend. I got home from school and for the first time, he didnt greet me at the door. The only other time that had happened waswell, never. I was worried instantly. So I went looking for him. Failing to find him, I asked my mom where he was. Our conversation only went downhill from there Earlier today. Mom, have you seen Jimmy? I asked. She barely glanced at me and took a long drag from her cigarette before answering. I tried not to choke on the think air. Who smokes in a kitchen anyway? Jimmy? She repeated. Yes mom. My dog Jimmy? The one Ive had for three years now? I rolled my eyes impatiently. Youd better watch your tone young lady. She snapped. I huffed and waited. She seemed to ponder my question for a moment, DogOh. Thats right. I took him to the pound to be sold. I blinked. Now I know that, as a spy, I shouldve handled the situation in a calm, unfazed manner. Im am ashamed to say, that is exactly the opposite of what I did. To my young want-to-be-spy readers, please disregard this next display of loss of control and note: every spy is entitled to have a break down, just not in front of the enemy. WHAT? I half shrieked. My voice was strangely high-pitched and squeaky sounding. I assume it was from the shock.

My mother let the smoke stream from her lips and rolled her eyes lazily toward me. She gave me an impatient look. Im not going to repeat myself. She said, before putting her cigarette back between her lips. She turned toward the sink and continued what she whatever she was doing before I came in. I didnt bother to see what it was. You sold Jimmy? I asked in a slow, threatening voice. Alright, so it wasnt threatening or slow. It was more whiney than anything else to be honest. Yes Gertrude! She snapped, I sold your dog! Of course thats not actually what she said. She cursed a few times in that sentence but Ill refrain from adding those for the sake of my readers. Why? I demanded angrily now. Id gotten over my squeaky, whiney stage and was simply furious now. Shed gone too far this time. By now you must be thoroughly confused so Ill pause to explain some things. First. Yes, this woman is my birth mother and no, shes not the most wonderful of people. In fact, the only word I can think of to describe her is terrible or awful. You get the picture. Shes not a nice person. She wasnt always mean but she wasnt ever exactlykind. I suppose that she first started showing her true colors when my dad left. By left, I dont mean he packed his bags and just walked out. No, that would be so Stone Age wouldnt it? He was smart and took the legal route, getting a divorce. He has nothing to do with us anymore. Of course, he pays his child support bills on time, but he never once fought for custody of me. It was as if he just wanted to leave his old life behind and start a new one. Although she doesnt say so, I know that mother blames me for his leaving. That was four years ago, when I was twelve. Second. Yes, my name is Gertrude. Ah what a name. What a horrible thing to name a girl right? The reason behind my naming: payback. For being born. Apparently, my birth was a huge inconvenience for my parents and caused nothing but financial problems. Theyve never said this to my face but whenever Id asked mom about the day of my birth, shed scrunch her nose and pretend she that didnt hear me. Lastly. No, I am not an actual spy. Only in my head, heart and dreams. Needless to say, my college major will be Criminal Justice. I plan on working for the CIA and getting as far away from my mother as possible.

Enough of that, back to the scene. Because I needed the money. Do you think that the bills pay themselves? Huh? Mother sneered, And do you think that youre going to some (beep) uptight private school, scot-free? She demanded. Id suggest, that you start showing your (beeping) gratitude that Im breaking my (beeping) bank trying to give you a (beeping) life. She took a long drag from her cigarette while muttering under her breath, Ungrateful little (beep). I just glared at her, unable to say anything else in my fury. I spun on my heel and stormed out of the room. I had to get Jimmy back. I didnt have time to argue with her. I had enough money saved up to buy him back so I could only pray that he hadnt been sold yet. Present Time So here I am now, waiting for someone to step up behind the counter. Id been waiting for almost ten minutes now and I was growing impatient. Just as I was about to start shouting for someone to come, a boy stepped through an employee only door and headed over to the counter. I did a quick profile scan (as every spy must learn to do) to figure out what would be the best way to approach the situation. He was young, probably a few years older than me. He looked a little geeky but in a cute way. He seemed to be about a year or two older than me. I decided that my feminine charms could come in handy at the moment. I quickly popped a piece of gum in my mouth before he was behind the counter and began twirling a lock of hair between my fingers. He gave me a bright smile before speaking, Welcome to the Right Step Animal Shelter. How can I help you? I gave him a shy smile and ducked my head a bit before answering, I was looking for a dog. My mom came in and sold him earlier but by mistake you see. So I was wondering if I could buy him back. He nodded, That shouldnt be a problem. I could take you in the back and you could show me which one is yours. He gave me a wide grin. Oh, thank you so much! I miss Jimmy so much! Hes a Native American Indian dog. I told him.

He paused, Are you sure? He asked. Yes I said cautiously. I didnt like the tone he was using. My mom brought him in today. Im afraid Ive already got a buyer for your dog. Weve only had one of that breed come in today. The buyer is still in the back with your dog. He informed me. I felt my eye twitch but kept my cool. No way was anyone else getting Jimmy. I widened my eyes and let the horror show in a way hed notice. B-but I let my voice trail off. Y-you cant s-sell Jimmy. My voice cracked and I broke off. I added a lower lip tremble for dramatic effect. He furrowed his brows and shook his head, obviously torn by my display of emotion, Alright, alright. Ill see what I can do. Lets head on back and have a talk with the buyer. He led me around the counter and through the employee only door hed come through. We walked down a long room where the walls were lined with cages. Inside the cages were all kinds of dogs that barked at me as we walked past. They were all small, yapping dogs and I couldnt help but feel annoyed at the sound. Still, I made it look as though I thought they were the most adorable things Id ever seen. After all, I had an impression to make. We walked through another door at the end of the room and took a right down a hall. Finally, we stepped into a small room where the first thing I noticed was Jimmy sitting in the corner. A woman was standing across from him, watching him watch her. I forced myself not to glare at her as I sized her up. She was probably in her mid-twenties. Probably buying a protective dog for her kid. Or maybe she was buying it for herself. She was a blonde. Hopefully the pound worker had a thing for brunettes. Jimmy turned his head and gazed at me for a second before leaping out of his sitting position and running towards me to tackle me, nearly knocking me over. I laughed and tried to push his lapping tongue away from my face. Jimmy! I cried between giggles, Stop it! When I was finally able to get my crazy dog off of me, I noticed the two pairs of eyes watching us. The store worker in amusement and the blonde in what seemed to be annoyance. Who are you? She demanded.

Uh oh. This lady seemed snippy. My feminine charms wouldnt work on her. I think Id take a more respectful little girl approach. Hello maam. My name is Trudy Kyler and I was hoping, well You see, this dog wasnt meant to be for sale. My mother accidently brought him here this morning, but hes my dog you see. I paused, giving the lady a chance to reply. She didnt, So sorry about this. The lady stared at me for a long moment, So what youre saying is, that you dont want me to buy this dog, because you want it? She demanded. No maam, its just Jimmy is my dog and my mom brought him here accidently. I tried not to sound impatient but I had just gone through this after all. I see. Blondie replied. She took a step towards Jimmy who, in turn, let out a low growl from deep in his chest. She stopped walking. Well, he does seem to know you. And I dont think he likes me much She paused to think, then turned to the pound worker, Perhaps you could show me that Doberman again? Of course miss. He replied, Right this way please. He led us all out of the room, Jimmy following close at my heels, and into the room next to the one wed been in. Inside was (surprise, surprise!) a Doberman. The lady knelt down next to it and stared into its eyes. It was actually quite creepy. She literally sat there for five minutes. No joke. Finally she stood and turned to the guy, Alright. Ill take this one. She turned back to me, Try to make sure you dont sell your dog if youre going to keep it. I clenched my teeth but nodded. Alright then ladies, if you could please follow me back to the counter then, well get you all sorted out. Back at the counter, he handed us each a sheet to fill out. I filled it out quickly and was on the last box that read, If under 18, please have a parent/guardian sign here. I nearly tore the page in half. I took a deep breath and looked up at the guy behind the counter. Is it alright if I run outside real quick? My mom is waiting in the car and I need her to sign this. I looked out the window and saw a random lady sitting in a car and pointed to her.

The guy nodded, Of course. I ran out of the building and tapped on the glass of the car Id pointed to. The lady rolled down her window. I hadnt noticed before but there was also a boy sitting in the passenger seat. I barely glanced at him (even though he did have pretty cool looking black and blonde hair like Frank Iero) before saying to the lady, Excuse me miss, could you pretend like youre talking to me real quick? She gave me an incredulous look but I ignored it and bent over the paper to scrawl my mothers signature. I finished quickly and looked back up at her. Thank you so much! I winked at the guy before spinning around and running back into the building. I handed the pound worker the signed sheet and he took it. Youre lucky you came back today to report the mistake, otherwise youd have to pay the selling price. You will, however, have to pay back the money we gave you for the dog. He typed something into his computer, That would be one-hundred fifty. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the cash then handed it to him. There you go! I said sweetly. Would that be all then? He asked. I nodded in reply. Well in that case, I was wondering if you were free on Friday? Maybe we could go out for dinner or something? Nope! Sorry! I replied and, with that, I spun around and ran out the door, Jimmy following me the whole way. Once outside, I let out a deep breath I had to have been holding for a while. Mom had gone too far this time and it was a good thing that Id been in tougher situations before. I was so focused on Jimmy and thoughts of my mother, that I didnt notice the lady in the van snap a few pictures of me. Pictures I wouldnt see until later

Rule #2

Have A Reliable Sidekick

Ah school. A place of dreams really. Where dreams are always happening and wishes are always made. Some by myself. Yes, school is that very place where wishes and dreams never come true. Because no matter how hard you gaze at that clock; no matter how long you stare at the ceiling, silently praying for the bell to ring, it just wont. Because thats what school really is: a dream crusher. A hope killer, a wish smasher. A okay you get the picture. What I really mean to say is: class sucks and I want out. Of course, getting out of tough situations could involve a little help from friends. And when that happens you may need to call for backup. And who better than your trusty sidekick! You do have a sidekick right? Because if you dont, you can just throw any hopes of being a spy out the window. In fact, until youve got your partner in crime, I hereby forbid you from reading another sentence in this book. Thats right, Im kicking you out of my journal.

Onward then. So as I was saying, getting out of tough situations requires help for several reasons. One, two is better than one. And two, who are you going to hang out with after you escape? So thats why I turned to my best mate Renny. Her real name is actually Lauren but every good sidekick has a nickname. I tapped her shoulder and waggled my eyebrows. Her eyes widened and she shook her head and scooted farther away from me. Renny is, to put it lightly, a geek. No offense to her and I know that if she read this shed be flattered. Shes the kind of girl who sits in class and records every single word spoken by the teacher. She never fails to turn in her homework and she certainly never ever, ever, skips class. Unless of course, she has a spy for a friend. And everyone knows that spies are masters of persuasion. You owe me. I hissed. No I dont! Shush! Im not helping you break out! She hissed right back. Notice she said break out, as if referring to school as a prison. She used to think that school was a waste of time (surprisingly) and was doing her best to get out as fast as she can. Unfortunately, along the way, her priorities got jumbled and she turned into a nerd. Deep down though, Im sure she still hates school. Im your best friend. And you know I would do anything for you! I whispered. This was the perfect argument seeing as killing a fly made her feel guilty. And you wont even do this small thing for me. Stop it! You know what youre doing! She snapped/whispered. Well its not going to work! Lauren, Gertrude. Is there something youd like to share with the class? Asked Mr. Fudge, our chemistry teacher. I rolled my eyes and was about to say something snippy when Renny cut me off. No sir. Renny replied quickly. She shot me a look that said, NO. I gave her a tortured expression and turned back to Fudge. I heard her sigh and she began fiddling with her fingers. 321 Her hand shot up.

Yes Lauren? asked Fudge. UmOw! Thats right, I have a umpain! In my.nose! Renny stuttered. I cringed. Oww! Yes my nose hurts. So bad! She squeezed her nose and nodded, Umouch. I stifled a laugh and decided to help her out, Oh no! Not this again! I cried, mock horror. I turned to Fudge. Sir, Im going to have to take her to the nurses office. She has a medical condition. This could be bad. Yeah! I need her help toumwalk! Ow it hurts so bad I can hardly walk! Renny cut in and I cringed again. She really was a bad liar. Your nose issues affect your walking? Fudge asked dubiously. Im sure you could make it to the nurses office on your own. No sir! Her noseissues make her dizzy and unable to walk on her own. Im sorry, we have to go now. I grabbed her arm and began dragging her out of the room, This is just too serious. Alright, alright, hold on. Let me get you your passes. He turned around to fill them out and I winked at the rest of the class. They all laughed and I quickly turned back to Fudge. He handed us our slips and we sped out of the room. Once outside of the door, I let out a long loud laugh. Renny quickly covered my mouth and shushed me, Shush! They might hear! She took off down the hall, trying to get away from the classroom so no one would see her. I followed her all the way to the school parking lot before she stopped. G! I could get into so much trouble! She snapped. I cannot believe I fell for the guilt trap! I didnt answer, still busy laughing, and she glared at me. Well you can just laugh then! Im not driving you anywhere and you dont have a car! I stopped laughing. Aw come on Renny! Its not going to kill you to take one day off! Everyone does it every once in a while. She gave me a hopeful look, Yeah. Right, it wont kill me. Ill be okay. This wont go on my permanent record or something. She muttered that last part to herself.

Great! Lets go to the park then! I exclaimed. And thats exactly what we did.

Normal people go to parks with their kids to play on the swing sets. Normal teens occasionally go to parks to sit on swings or benches and think about their lives. And as a spy, it is important to appear normal, yet not be. So I led Renny to the swings and sat. Renny, being quite normal, decided she wanted to talk about our lives. So she asked, G, how have things been at home? Oh no. She asked the question. I now have two choices. One, I could go into a huge sob story about how my daddy never talks to me and my mommy hates me. Or two, I could avoid her question by asking her a scientific question. Needless to say, I chose the latter. Hey Renny? I asked, looking thoughtfully up at the clouds. It looked as though it was about to storm. What makes lightening? I asked. She looked thoughtfully at the clouds. Well you see, lightening forms from the buildup of electrons in the clouds which become attracted to the positive charges in the ground or in other clouds. Bla bla bla lalal bla bla bla. I toned out the sound of her voice and looked around the park, assessing the amount of mischief I could create. A boy was sitting under a tree, reading a book. I tried to see what the cover said but was unable. I looked back up to the boy and was surprised to find that I recognized him. It was hard to forget the blond and black hair. Today hed spiked it up and I must say, it looked pretty darn awesome. I looked down at the grass, pretending I wasnt watching him and studied him some more. I waited for him to turn the page of his book. He didnt. In fact, he hadnt stopped looking at the same page hed been looking at since I glanced up at him. He looked over the page of his book at me, caught me looking and froze a bit. Then he winked and looked back down at his book.

He hadnt expected me to be looking at him and he hadnt turned the page of his book. He was watching me. I was sure of it, yet I didnt have enough proof yet. What could he possibly be watching me for? G! Youre not even listening! Renny snapped. I turned back to her and gave her a sheepish grin. And you tricked me into avoiding the topic of your parents, didnt you! Well if you didnt want to talk about it you couldve just said so! Renny. That guy under the tree is watching us. I told her. What are you talking about? She glanced over at the guy, Hes reading a book! He hasnt turned the page once and he keeps sneaking glances at us. I insisted. As if hed heard me, the guy turned the page of the book he was reading. I glared at him. Hes watching us. Im sure of it. The guy pulled out a notebook from the bag sitting next to him and began scrawling in it. I couldve killed to see what he was writing. I decided to get closer. Renny? Lets go sit on the rock wall. Oh no you dont. I know what youre doing. You just want to get closer to that guy! She hissed. Well no way are you dragging me into this. Fine, youre right. We should go then. How about the ice cream shop! I called those last three words out so the guy would hear, but made it sound as though Id just had a brilliant idea. Okay! Renny said, immediately perking up. I smiled. Back in the car, we started towards the ice cream shop. Figuring out if someone is tailing you while on a busy road can be extremely difficult. Anyone with tinted windows is immediately a suspect and if one car follows you for more than a mile, you become suspicious. I stopped searching for a tail after a while, annoyed that I couldnt find him. We pulled into the ice cream shop and three other cars did the same. Two of them had tinted windows. I frowned. Renny parked and we both climbed out and entered the building. We ordered our ice cream and sat in a booth next to a window overlooking the parking lot. While eating, Renny didnt attempt to make small talk since she was too busy devouring her ice cream. Its her weakness you see. Give her

a scoop and she goes nuts. I on the other hand was busy scanning the parking lot. One of the cars Id seen drive in was facing the exact window I was sitting in front of. I waited for the person to climb out of the car. They didnt. I finished my ice cream, annoyed that my plan hadnt really worked and we both left the shop. School shouldve been letting out by then so we decided to head home. Renny drove to my house and stopped in front of it. You know G, you dont have to stay there. You could always come live with me. And even if you dont want to do that, you can always talk about it with me. I smiled at her, glad to have such a good friend, but shook my head. No thanks Renny. I think Im good for now. I promise if I start cracking, youll be the first I call. Okay. And you owe me! I nodded and chuckled while climbing out of the car. I ran up the porch steps to my front door and waved her off. She honked and drove down the street. I sighed and entered the house. Ive always wished that I could be one of those girls who go home and shout, Im home! Then the mom comes out and offers her cookies. Normal. Instead, I crept up the stairs towards my room, hoping to go unnoticed. I was unsuccessful. It was Jimmy who blew my cover with his mad barking at my arrival, Gertrude! My mother snapped from the kitchen. Your stupid (but she didnt say stupid) mutt has broken a plate! Get your lazy butt (only she didnt say butt) in here and clean it up then clean up the rest of the darn (but she didnt say darn) kitchen! And finish your freaking chores (only she didnt say freaking)! Sometimes I wonder if shes secretly a sailor. I dropped my bags and entered the kitchen to asses the damage. There was a broken plate but I doubt Jimmy had done it. My mother was holding a beer this time. She gave me a nasty glare before downing the rest of the contents of her bottle and dropping it in the sink. Then she left the kitchen. I sighed.

After cleaning broken glass, scrubbing the dishes, scrubbing the counters and floors, washing the bathroom, vacuuming the living room, cleaning the dining room and mopping it, I can only say that I felt so sorry for Cinderella. After all, she had to scrub a whole mansion. It had to be worse. I stretched my aching arms over my head and trudged up the stairs, Jimmy following close at my heels. I grabbed my bags on the way up and entered my room, closing the door behind me. Home sweet home. My room was my sanctuary. I wish I could say that the walls were covered with posters of my favorite bands or at least spy movies, but I cant. Unless you count a giant blown up picture of Michael Weston from the show Burn Notice Id pasted. Im obsessed with that show. Hes my hero. The rest of my room is rather boring. The walls? White. The floor? White carpet. My bedspread? You guessed it, white. Im not a very decorative person you see. I powered on my laptop and logged onto my e-mail. Almost as soon as Id signed on, a chat box appeared on the screen. A user named: Diva1199 wanted to chat. I accepted, curious. Diva1199: Is this Gertrude? Michael(heart)Weston16: Who is this? Diva1199: Is this Gertrude? Michael(heart)Weston16: Whats it to you? Diva1199: Is this Gertrude? I frowned. They obviously werent going to answer my questions. It seemed that they were asking the questions here. Michael(heart)Weston16: Yes. Diva1199: After receiving the folder tonight, meet me under the falcon on the land on the water. 12 am. Bring no one. Michael(heart)Weston16: What?

~Diva1199 has signed out~ Michael(heart)Weston16: Hey wait! ~Diva1199 is not logged in at the moment and will not receive your message.~ Sometimes I really hate my email.

I finished my homework and slowly dressed for bed. Another day gone by. Another pointless, wasted day. A boring day filled with wishes, hopes, and dreams. I sighed and climbed into bed. Clicking off my lamp I stared at the ceiling for a long while, and did something that normal teenagers do at parks on swings. I thought about my life. And how pointless it all seemed. I run around acting like the spy that Im not, only to hide what I really feel. But sometimes, spies have to be normal too. Spies can be hurt too you know, they just choose not to feel it until theyre alone where no one can use their weakness against them. And spies can feel sad too. I glared up at the ceiling and tried unsuccessfully to forget how it hurt that my mom didnt care, or my dad never kept in contact with me. But I knew nothing would stop the hurt right now except sleep. Because at the end of the day, even spies are only human.

I was on a boat. It was more of a canoe actually. Birds flew around my head and I tried to swat them away. They didnt leave so I tried to ignore them. I laid back in the boat and looked up at the sky filled with clouds. It would rain soon, I could tell. I sat up again and looked down into the water. I watched in fascination as the clear blue water began swirling and swirling, changing in color

till it was black and hardly water at all. I dipped a finger down into and pulled it back out. The gunky mixture dripped from my hand, falling back into the water with a plop!. I looked back up above me and saw a bird staring back down. It was a falcon. A falcon with purple eyes and silver wings. I gave it a curious look. Id seen it before. I couldnt remember where though. Creak. I spun around and looked behind me. There was a dark figure standing on a nearby dock. Walking closer and closer. As he walked, the dock stretched towards me and became a bridge. The boat turned into part of the bridge and I ended up sitting on it. The man walked steadily closer and I felt glued to the spot. I wanted to run, but I couldnt. Creak.creak.creak........

Creak.creakcreak I sat up in my bed and rubbed my eyes. It was still dark out. I yawned and pulled the covers over my head, trying to fall back asleep. Creakcreakcreak I froze. Those werent just in my dream. I was actually hearing them. Someone was in my hallway; In front of my door. I didnt move as I heard the door creak open. I heard someone walking past my bed and the sound of my window opening. Someone swung a leg out and I leapt out of my bed, clicking on a flashlight I always keep under my pillow and shining it into my intruders face. I know, I know, dumb move. But a big weakness of mine is sleepiness. When Im tired, I find my judgment isnt at its best. Im never cautious enough, well, at all.

You! I gasped. It was the boy from the park. I lurched forward and grabbed his dark coat before he could leap out of the window. Youve been following me. Why? I snapped. He gave me a smirk in return and pointed to my desk. I stupidly turned to it and he took that chance to shove me away from him. Then, he leapt out of the window. Leaving me quiet confused. I watched him run out into the street and disappear behind the shadows. This day kept getting weirder and weirder. I looked back at my desk. A brown folder was sitting on top. Now I know what youre thinking, Read it! Read it! However, every spy knows her limit and I knew that if I read that folder just then in my groggy state of mind, I wouldnt comprehend it as much as I should. Also, I was really tired.

Rule #3
Be Offered Your First

Spy Mission
I woke up the next morning feeling very unspy-like. I dont know why that happens to me sometimes but Im sure that Im not the only one. The best way to get out of that mode is to do something spy-like. I climbed out of my bed and, completely ignoring the file on my desk (groggy mind, remember?), tiptoed out of the room. Id woken early that morning, the sun hadnt only just started coming up, so I was sure my mom wasnt awake yet. The perfect time to sneak around. I crept down the hall to her room and took a deep breath. If she caught me in there, I was toast. Shed accuse me of trying to steal her money or something and take away something important to me. Good thing she was a heavy sleeper and, more importantly, that Im good at sneaking around. Slowly, I opened the door, cringing at the creaking it made and slipping inside. I tiptoed past her bed and in front of her desk, where she kept all of her files. There was something I was looking for. I pulled open a drawer and began rummaging inside. Not finding it, I opened the next one, then the next. Finally at the last drawer I found my prize. It was a key. Id been wondering where she hid the key to the attic for some time now. Id only ever been up there once before. My mom had accidently left it open and when Id gone up, shed screamed at me for trespassing. Id been curious ever since. I clenched the key in my fist and crawled back out of the room, feeling quite spy-like indeed. I sped (quietly) down the hall back to my room and slipped on some sweats, glad it was Saturday so that I didnt have to worry about what I was wearing to school.

Dressed comfortably, I left my room and headed for the attic door. I knew my mother would be asleep for quite some time. I would be surprised if she woke before one o clock. After all, it was a Saturday. I opened the attic door and went inside, closing the door behind me. In front of me was a set of stairs. I began climbing them. Once at the top, I looked around curiously, and was disappointed. Something told me not to get my hopes up. The entire attic was empty, which made me wonder why my mom kept it locked. And why did she go to such great lengths to keep me out? I walked around the dimly lit room (the only light coming from a small window) and scanned the floor, making sure I wasnt missing anything. It was a good thing I did, since I found a lone photograph on the ground in a corner. I picked it up and gazed down at it. It was a picture of my mother standing next to a rather tall looking man. I couldnt see the mans face, since itd been cut out of the picture. I assumed it was my dad. In the photo, my mom was smiling. It was definitely an improvement to her usual scowl and it was almost abnormal seeing it on her face. The last time shed smiled at me was when she told me that her boss had given her a raise. That was a year ago. I was surprised then as well, to see her smiling and she didnt yell at me the whole day. She was pleasant for a while, then, a month later she lost her job and became even meaner than before. Somehow, shed blamed that on me too. I was like her bad luck charm. I stared at the photograph a while longer, a pinch of longing tugging at my heart, then stuffed it in my pocket. I let my eyes sweep the room one last time, then walked back down the stairs. Back in my room, I felt awake enough to read the file. I sat down at my desk, opened the file and began. On the right, there was an envelope with my name on it. On the left was a sheet of note that read, Open the envelope, then continue reading. I paused to open the envelope. What I saw inside surprised me. Pictures. Of me. Pictures of me at school, in class, and pictures of me sneaking out with Renny. There were pictures of me at the pound, at the park, and at the ice cream shop. And there were pictures of me at

home. Sitting at my desk on my laptop, cooking something in the kitchen, brushing my teeth. I felt my eyes widen. I didnt understand how someone couldve possible gotten those pictures. They would have to be in my house with me, and I sure hadnt noticed anyone. The only other possible way they couldve gotten those photos would have been to hide cameras somewhere. Id search for them after reading the file. I continued, Gertrude Kyler: Age 16 School Appleton High Address 278 Hayfield Ct. Silver Spring, MD Date of birth 01/05/1996 Mother Brenda Kyler Father Royce Kyler I assume you realize that we know all about you, Gertrude Kyler. If you want answers, follow the instructions you were given last night. Do not try to bring anyone along, it must be you alone. Signed, Diva1199 I glared down at the note. How had I let someone get this close and get this much information on me? Whatever this person wanted to meet about, itd better be good. Now I just had to figure out where we were meeting. Now what had Diva1199 said last night? Meet me under the falcon on the land over the water. The land on the water part was easy enough. A boat was basically land on water. Like a flashback, I suddenly remembered my dream last night before that creeper had broken in. A bridge. That was land over water. And wasnt there a falcon in my dream too? With silver wings and purple eyes? It had to mean something. Weird how I had a dream about what I needed to find. Maybe my subconscious mind was better at remembering places Id been than I was. I closed the file and put all the contents back inside, then went over to my dresser and grabbed my phone. I sent a quick text to Renny asking her about the silver-winged falcon and the bridge. While waiting for her to reply, I started looking for the cameras. The first photo taken inside my house was me on my laptop. The photo was taken from my right, making the camera somewhere near my closet door.

I searched ever inch of the wall around my closet and foundnothing. It was as if someone had actually been in my room. Frustrated, I huffed and sat on the ground and leaned against the mirror hanging on my closet. I sighed and glanced at my reflection. For some reason, I looked a littleodd. I touched the mirror with my finger. My reflections finger touched back. I gasped, remembering something. If you touch a mirror and theres no gap between the two fingers, its a two way mirror. There was no gap. That didnt make sense. Id had the mirror for ages and Id bought it myself. In fact, the congrats you found it sticker was still at the bottom corner of the mirror. Wait a minute, rewind, congrats you found it? My eyes widened and I stood. I lifted the mirror off of the door and, sure enough, it was a two way mirror. There was a small camera on the back of it. My first thought upon seeing the camera was, Has someone been watching me get dressed??? And Ill have you know, as a female, its a perfectly legitimate question! My phone buzzed in my pocket, startling me out of my thoughts. It was a text from Renny. She explained that the place I was describing was called The Silver Falcon. It was a five-star restaurant that happened to have a bridge leading out over the water to a private outside dining area. Above the bridge were arches with little statues of silver-winged falcons on it. I guess that was where wed meet. I didnt know whod been watching me, but I did know that I was going to find out. I was going to get some answers.

I spent half of the day de-bugging the house. By that, I mean getting rid of all the cameras. I found most of them in stupid places like the mirror. In picture frames, on the television, stuck between the kitchen countertop tiles. The more I found, the more frustrated I became with myself for not noticing sooner. After all, Im supposed to be a spy. Spies dont miss things like that. I didnt find any in the bathroom, which made me more worried than it did relieved. What if I was just missing it?

Anyway, after finding all the cameras, it was only one pm. My mom was still in bed but I assumed shed be getting up soon. I didnt want to be here when she did. So I called Renny and asked her if she wanted to go out for ice cream. I planned on telling her everything thatd happened since the day before. I know what youre thinking, Are you sure you can trust her. I mean, spies are never supposed to give the details of their missions to random civilians! Its a good thing that Renny isnt a civilian then. Shes my side-kick. Remember? Of course you do! After all, you have one nowright? And I believe in that famous saying, Keep your friends close. (I know what the next part is but I havent made many enemies yet.) Renny picked me up around one thirty, giving me enough time to make myself look presentable. We were taking a back road to the ice cream shop and it wasnt long before I noticed something. After all, on back roads, you dont get much traffic. Even on Saturday. Someone, with tinted windows, was following us. I didnt say anything to Renny but I kept an eye on it. Of course I know how to get rid of a tail (Id watched too many episodes of Burn Notice to not know how!), but I wanted to know who was inside. So I let it follow us. When we got to the ice cream shop, Renny and I climbed out of the car and I watched the driver and passenger door of our tailer open. A girl and boy, both probably a few years older than me, stepped out and began talking to each other. They were wearing sunglasses (even though it was cloudy out), making me unable to see if they were looking at us. Renny pulled me excitedly into the ice cream shop and I tried to keep up. For such a short person, she moved pretty quickly. I didnt dare to glance back at our pursuers as they followed us into the building. We quickly ordered our ice cream and sat in our usual spot next to the window. I snuck a glance at the couple whod followed us as they ordered their ice cream as well. I watched as they took a seat conveniently located in a way that they could see us but we couldnt hear what they were saying. Renny. I started. She glanced up at me over her ice cream. See that couple over there? She glanced in the direction Id nudged my head. She nodded. What about them?

They were tailing us here and now theyre watching us. I told her. She snorted in response and returned her attention to her ice cream. Im serious! And also, that boy from the park yesterday? He snuck into my house last night. She looked up from her ice cream. Shed been about to lick it but froze when she heard what I said. I must say, it was quite funny to see. What? She hissed. She seems to hiss a lot, doesnt she? And he left me a file, with pictures of me. I pulled the file out of my bag and handed it to her. She opened it and looked it over, her eyes widening at each picture. After shed seen all of them, she read the note. What do they want? She whispered. I dont know but I found all of the cameras that were in my house. Thank goodness there were none in the bathroom! I laughed a bit and she gave me a serious face. This is dangerous G! You have to go the police! She cried. I shushed her and glanced over at the couple. They werent watching us, at least their heads werent turned this way, they still had on their sunglasses. And tell them what? Someone gave me a file last night with pictures of me in it. Yes! Proof of breaking and entering! But Renny, I want answers. I want to know what they want! I insisted. She gave me a look. You arent actually planning on meeting with this Diva1199 are you? I am. Im going to meet with them. I want to know who they area and why they know all about me. They could be trying to kill you! She screeched a little too loudly. A few people looked over. Shhhh! I hushed her. If they wanted to kill me, Im sure they couldve done it by now, since they seem to find it so easy to break into my house. Renny, youre not gonna change my mind on this one.

She looked down mournfully at her melting ice cream. I just dont want you to get hurt, G. Youre my best friend and Im worried. Who knew she could pull the guilt trap? Maybe Id been using it on her too much. Renny I trailed off and she sighed loudly. Which is why Im going with you. You owe me big time for this one! She snapped. No! You cant go. They said to Do I look like I care about what they said? She demanded. You need someone to take you to The Silver Falcon so I will. Oh no, she crossed her arms. No changing her mind now. Sidekicks really do have their moments. I frowned, then sighed loudly, Fine, but you have to wait in the car. Ill text you to let you know Im alright. Deal? But I Those are my conditions. I cut her off. Either that or you dont go. Fine. She agreed and returned to lapping at her cone. I followed in suit.

Time: 11:45 pm, Location: The Silver Falcon Renny and I sat in front of the now closed restaurant. I turned to look at her, Renny, you know the rules, youre to stay in the car. No matter what happens. Promise? I asked. But what if youre screaming? Or calling out to me! No. I replied firmly. She huffed, Fine. I opened the car door and stepped out into the night. Ill admit, I was a bit nervous as to what awaited me on the bridge. I crept under the no

trespassing sign attached to a chain and began walking toward the bridge. I didnt understand why a five-star restaurant would have such poor security. Anyone could get to that private outside dining area. File in hand, I walked along the bridge until I was standing directly under the largest arch with a silver-winged falcon above it. Now what? Alright. I said to no one. Im here. You can come out now. Silence answered me. Maybe Id imagined everything. Maybe it was all in my head, just like my being a spy. What if my dreams had made me become delusional? The only thing that kept me there was the file in my hand. I sat down and let my feet dangle above the water. I glanced down at my watch. Eleven fifty-five. Guess I was waiting then.

I was just starting to nod off when I felt someone tap my shoulder. I looked up to see a pair of amused brown eyes staring back down at me. Youll fall into the water, leaning forward like that. The Frank Iero kid! I jumped to my feet and glared up at him. I say up because, even though I wasnt a short person, he was at least a head taller than me. You! I snapped. Yes, me! He replied, smirking. I glared harder. Well? I asked, waving the file in front of his face, Whats the meaning of this? That is not for me to say, Gertrude. If looks could killDo not, call me that. I hissed (Renny was rubbing off on me), ever. He gave me a funny look, It is your name. What would you have me call you? G. I replied. I was about to demand that he stop stalling and tell me what was going on when he began laughing. Not just laughing though,

he broke out into wild crazy cackles. Okay, so he wasnt cackling per say, but he was laughing pretty loudly. G! He cried between his laughs, Well gee, G! What a nice nickname you got there G! I narrowed my eyes. Id been teased enough about my name yet, every time, it always got to me. I grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked his face down to mine. He was too busy laughing to try to pull away. I slapped him. He froze in the middle of a laugh and looked at me curiously, Did you just slap me? Ill do a lot worse than that if you dont quit messing around! I growled. Right, right. I suppose you do deserve your answers. Besides, theyre probably waiting. Wed better go. He pulled something out of his pocket. A blindfold. I began backing away slowly. Oh no. No way are you blindfolding me. I snapped. He stepped towards me and I took a step back. We did this a few times before he stopped and said, Youre the one that wanted answers. These are the conditions. He insisted. I had a thing against blindfolds. I had ever since that awful sixth birthday party of mine. It was a game of pin the tail on the donkey. Lets just say the tail got pinned on a bottom, but it wasnt the donkeys. I rubbed my backside, thinking about it. I knew that I had to get over it though, if I wanted answers. Fine. I said, giving in. He nodded and proceeded to tie the blindfold around my eyes. Youd better not lead me into the water. I threatened. If I were you, I wouldnt threaten the person who leads you while youre blindfolded. He snickered, thinking it was funny. I glared at the darkness around me. He put his hands on my shoulders and steered me around, back the way Id come. Hey, I started, Where are we going? Were going for a little ride. Dont worry, its not too long, and Im sure your mother wont mind. He replied.

Was he making a reference to my mothers uncaring attitude towards me? Dont talk about my mother if its not necessary. I warned. He didnt reply. He led me to the parking lot, telling me to duck under the no trespassing sign. By the way, you were very naughty, bringing your friend along. However, its fine so long as she doesnt follow us. Ill send her a text for you. He took the liberty of pulling my phone out of my pocket. Hey! Ah ah ah. He said as if scolding a young child, You want answers dont you? I heard the sound of buttons on my phone. Lift your right hand, will you? Your friend wants to make sure Im not kidnapping you. I lifted my hand. Youre friend is quite cute by the way. Mind if I take her number? Give me my phone you freak! I snapped. He chuckled and placed the phone back in my pocket. Geesh I get it, you want me all to yourself, dont you. If I could see, I wouldve slapped him again. Before I could give him a snippy response, he put his hands on my shoulders again and led me towards his vehicle. I heard a door open and he helped me into the car. My door closed and I heard him climb in on the other side (oh yeah, relying on all my other senses. Id make an awesome blind person). The car started and, just like that, I was in a suspicious car with a suspicious stranger whod been suspiciously stalking meblindfolded. Lord, help me

The car ride was a little awkward, I must say. Neither of us really had anything to say. I wanted to ask him questions (obviously), but hed

already said he couldnt answer them. So I was left in silence, wondering where we were going. So He started, breaking the silence, Why the name G? Do not go there again. I replied curtly. He chuckled a bit, Okay, I can understand that. But really, why not Trudy? I scoffed, Trudy is almost as bad as Gertrude. He didnt reply but I was sure he was laughing. Well whats your name? I snapped. You can call me Grey. He replied. I snorted. What? Its a cool name! And its better than Gertrude! I couldnt really argue with that, could I? We were both silent for a long while. Being blindfolded in a car with a stranger who calls all the cards could be a little nerve-wracking, so I decided to break the silence this time, So I began, Whats with your hair? My hair? He repeated, stupidly. I rolled my eyes (even though he couldnt see it). No, your feet. I replied, sarcasm dripping from my lips, Yes your hair! What about it? He asked dumbly. You dyed it like the guitarist from My Chemical Romance, Frank Iero. What color is it really? The blond is fake. He replied simply. Oh. I said. I was just about to tell him about how dumb it was that hed copied Franks signature hairstyle, when the car stopped and turned off. We were here, wherever here was. Franky (I refused to call him Grey. No way does he get a cool name while he makes fun of mine) led me out of the car and down what seemed to be a sidewalk. I heard a door open, then shut behind us. We walked down a long hallway, then stopped for a moment. I heard the sound of buttons, then a door clicking open. I was led into a room where we finally stopped. The blindfold was taken off my face.

The first thing I noticed about the room was that everything was gray. No really, the walls, the floor, the long table in the middle. All gray. Obviously, the designer of the building wasnt very bright (hehe, bright. Get it? You see what I did there? Im kind of a genius.). The second thing I noticed was the people surrounding the table. Their ages seemed to vary. There were three girls, two of them were maybe a year or two older than me and one was probably the same age as me. There were five boys. Three were grown men (early thirties maybe?), and two were about two years older than me. At the head of the table sat a woman with a file in front of her. I recognized her as the woman in the car at the pound who Id asked to pretend to talk to me. She looked up at Franky and I then gestured for us to sit. I didnt object. Finally, I was getting answers. Grey. She said once we were seated, I assume everything went alright? You werent followed? No, everything went fine. He replied smoothly. Good. She turned her attention on me, Welcome Gertrude, or as youd probably rather be called, Trudy. Franky snickered next to me. I kicked him hard under the table, that shut him up real quick, Actually, Id much rather just be called G. Welcome G, then. I assume you must be wondering who we are. Her expression didnt change while she was talking. No smiles, no nothing. She seemed to have a business-like air to her. My name is Kendra Wallis. Should you join us, however, you will refer to me Boss. Join you? I repeated, Who exactly are you? We are C.O.P.S., a secret, and I stress, secret agency unlinked to the government. We handle cases that the CSI are unwilling or need us to deal with. We have a few ties in the CSI, which allows our organization to remain undercover. The reason behind our secrecy is that, instead of only using adult, fully trained operatives, we utilize the talent in some teens. Grey for example. She paused, gesturing to Franky, That is where you come in. We know all about you G, and I know of your dreams to become a spy. This could be your first step because, you see, we need you. For a certain mission weve stumbled upon, your presence is important.

She stopped talking and slid the file she had in front of her across the table to me. I opened it and looked at the contents. The first thing was a news paper article. It read, The Ringer strikes again! was the title. Over the past few months, civilians in the state of Florida have been tormented by the notorious Ringer. The Ringer, a thieving man who seems to have access to every persons life in Miami, has been stealing everything from weapons to cars to money, leaving nothing behind but a silver ring at the crime scenes. Officers say that they are on top of this case, but the situation is still left unresolved. It appears that The Ringer is only getting more powerful, while Miami is getting weaker. His latest attack was on a Richard Nelson, a very wealthy lawyer who, on March 17, suddenly found himself broke, his bank account empty and nothing valuable left in his home but, a silver ring. Who is this terrifying criminal? Who is safe? And most importantly, who is his next victim? I set the news article aside and glanced up at Kendra. She gestured for me to read the next thing in the file. It was a document. Someone had typed up a profile. It was on a man namedRoyce Kyler. My dad. I frowned and read, Name: Royce Kyler Age: 42 Sex: Male Residence: USA, FL Wanted for: Crimes against the citizens of Miami Criminally known as: The Ringer. Those last few words blurred in front of my face. Criminally know as: The Ringer. The Ringer. My dad, was the notorious Ringer? My dad? No, it couldnt be possible. I pushed the page aside quickly and scanned the next. It was a photo. Of my dad. It was definitely him. He was in a business suit stepping out of a limo in front of a large building. I couldnt see what the building was in the picture but I was focused on the man. There was no denying that that was my dad in that picture. I My voice trailed off and I looked back up at Kendra. I dont understand. My dadis this Ringer? Youre saying that my dad is a criminal?

Im afraid so. She replied. She opened her mouth to say more but I cut her off by slapping the file closed loudly. No! I fumed, standing up in front of my seat. No way were they about to ruin what little faith I still had in my dad. You dont have any proof! This photo shows nothing! What kind of sick prank is this? Please, try to remain calm. Your father is most definitely the Ringer. I assure you. Ive had men tailing him for weeks, watching his crimes. He has ties with the police you see, so they arent actually working on the case. We managed to get this picture from one of them though. Kendra slid a photo across the table. I snatched it up and glared down at it. In the picture, my dad was standing in a store, holding up a file in an employees face. The woman looked frightened, as if shed seen a ghost. She was reaching into the cash register and placing bills on the table. It was as if he was robbing her, but instead of a gun, he had a file. I dont get it. That woman you see in the picture was blackmailed into giving your father all of the stores cash. The file hes holding, has all of her information in it. Her passport, her birth certificate, her social security number. Everything that marks her as a US citizen. The documents in that folder have no copies. Had he destroyed them like he was threatening her, her existence in this country would have been completely lost. There would be no record that shed ever been born. There are several other pictures if youd like to see them. I shook my head and fell back into my seat. Overwhelmed. Nine pairs of eyes watched me but I barely noticed. I know that, as a spy, I shouldnt have let this faze me. But this was too much for me to handle. My father, whod walked out on me when I was just a little girl, was a criminal. A real life criminal. Not the kind you see in movies, or on Burn Notice. But a real one. Who committed crimes and stuff! I know that this must be hard for you to take in. Kendra said awkwardly. I looked back up at her and shook my head. I couldnt let this get to me. I had to focus on the task at hand. Okay. So my dads a criminal and the police arent trying to stop him. Even though hes my dad, what does this have to do with me? Shouldnt you be trying to stop him? I asked.

Thats just where you come in. Kendra said, seemingly glad that Id gotten over my emotional moment. Royce is, to put it lightly, untouchable. Every time my operatives have tried to get close, someone has gotten hurt. The last straw was when a group of highly skilled agents were killed. Royce has men you see. Men who shoot to kill and dont take prisoners. There well trained and theres just no way to get to him, let alone get into his impenetrable fortress. So when we heard he had a daughter, we looked you up right away. What better way to get close to him, then with a daughter hed abandoned as a child? I gave her a look, You have got to be kidding me. You expect me, to go and socialize like a daughter to this man? I demanded. I know, I know. This is my dream come true! Ive finally been offered the chance of a lifetime. To be in action, and be like Michael Weston (in Miami and everything!). It was what I always wanted. Butto meet the man who left me. A criminal who was my father. A murderer. I dont think I could do it. You, of course, would play the part of a daughter oblivious to his crimes, wanting to know why hed left you all those years ago. You I cut her off. No! I cant do this. You cant ask me to do this. Kendras face darkened. You hardly have a choice! The citizens of Miami and Florida are suffering from this criminal and youre the only person who can do something about it. Youre telling me that youre going to do nothing? I frowned. When she put it that wayI was really the only person who might be able to stop him. And all those innocent people But the decision was so hard. That was my father. How could I face him. Ill need time to think about it. I said finally. Boss, I told you this would be a bad idea. She has no experience, no special talents whatsoever! One of the older girls snapped. Shes the only one who can do something about it though! Replied one of the older men. Suddenly, the whole table broke out into an argument. Franky joined in as well. I just crossed my arms and watched them. Kendra met my eyes and I gave her a look that said, Im not changing my mind. She nodded, understanding.

Alright enough! She boomed above the noise. Everyone quieted down immediately. She turned back to me, We will give you three days. No more. We will be in touch G. She nodded to Franky. Franky stood and tied the blindfold back around my eyes. He helped me out of my seat and led me out of the room. We walked down the hall in silence, listening to the voices in the room behind the door. Outside, he opened the car door for me and climbed in himself as well. I heard the car engine start and the car began to move. For a while, neither of us said anything. Then he broke the silence, Um so He trailed off. I didnt say anything. Well that went well. It wasnt what I expected. I said. I would assume so. We drove the rest of the way back to the restaurant in silence. Neither knowing what else to say. When we got there, he un-blindfolded me. I climbed out of the car. See you around I guess. I said. You will. He said, with his signature smirk. Then he drove off in his tinted car. I walked over to Rennys car and climbed in the passenger seat. She was snoring quietly. I tapped her shoulder and she woke with a start, shouting something about evil dinoflagellates. G! Youre back! You gave me such a scare, running off like that! I almost called the police several of times! What happened! She demanded. I dont want to talk about it. Lets just go home. I replied. She didnt ask any more questions, seeing that I was in a mood. I didnt know what I was going to do. But one thing was for sure; one way or another The Ringer, my father, had to be stopped.

Rule #4

Begin Your First Spy Mission

Sunday came and went, then Monday. It was my last day to make my decision, and I still had no idea what I was going to do. Would I face the man whod left me and my mother, without so much as a goodbye? Or would I hide away and leave everyone in Miami to their fates? I know that when I put it that way, it seems so simple. Get over my emotions and help people! But its not simple. You wouldnt understand unless

you were in my position, so Im not going to try to explain. What I will say thought, is that this is my real weakness. My worst fear: to have to face him. Even I didnt understand what the big deal was with meeting my father for the first time in years. Why should I be scared to meet the man whod ditched me with my uncaring mother? I ought to be banging on his door and demanding an explanation, but what can I say, I was having a chicken moment. It was Tuesday and I was just leaving school. Renny was having a sick day (a rare thing for her) so I was stuck walking. It was either walk or ask my mom and the latter was a big no no. I was halfway to my house when I heard footsteps behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and saw some guy wearing a baseball cap and headphones, whistling along to his music. I was about to shrug my shoulders and keep walking, when I realized that I recognized the song. It was Welcome To The Black Parade by My Chemical Romance. Thats why I stopped. No way was that a coincidence. The boy kept walking towards me and I narrowed my eyes at him. He pulled his headphones and cap (thatd been shading his face) and grinned at me. Sure enough, it was none other than Grey, er, Franky. What are you doing here? I demanded. Walking? He asked as he strolled past me. I glowered at his back and ran to catch up with him. Youre following me. I snapped. Again. Have you made your decision yet? He asked, not paying attention to what Id said. I frowned, "No. I replied. "No? He sounded surprised, Its been almost three days! You know youve got till twelve oclock to come up with a decision. Otherwise, well make one for you. Whats that supposed to mean? I demanded. And dont you rush me. Ill have you know Ive spent every waking hour thinking about this. Its not exactly an easy decision to make.

It should be. This is what youve always wanted right? To meet your father, become a spy? Or would you rather keep dreaming about those things, while Miami suffers? I glared down at the sidewalk. I wouldve glared at him, but I couldnt. Because he was right. Of course Id thought about that, but it was different when someone else was saying it. It made it much more real. You can make a difference you know? And its not like youd be alone. Wed all help you. He encouraged. I looked up from the sidewalk and glanced at him, Ill have my decision by twelve. Okay? I said. What I didnt say was that Id already made my decision. That Id probably known it was what Id do all along.

I logged onto my email at exactly twelve am. Not a second later, a chat box popped up. Diva1199. I accepted the chat invitation. Diva1199: Meet under the falcon on the land on the water. Now. Michael(heart)Weston16: Now??? Its 12 am! ~Diva1199 has signed out~ I glared at my computer screen. Surely she hadnt actually logged out. Michael(heart)Weston16: Did you really just hang up on me over the internet? ~Diva1199 is not logged in at the moment and will not receive your message.~ I ignored the message and turned off my PC. Then I dialed Renny. She was not going to like this.

I was right. Renny was furious, well, about as furious as a kitten could be. I suppose the correct word would be worried and tired. Not a good combination. I cannot believe you would call me at twelve am in the morning to take you back to that place. You never even told me what happened last time! What did happen? Youre not in a gang or something are you? Please dont be in a gang G! You know how I feel about gangs! I dont want to see you" Renny! Im not in a gang! I cried, appalled, Why would I join a gang! Youre not answering my question! What happened and whats going on? She asked, shooting a glare in my direction. I was shocked, it was rare that Renny took her eyes off of the road while driving. Listen, I promise Ill tell you after I do this, okay? Its nothing dangerous, I swear. She pouted, eyebrows furrowed. Im just worried about you, G. Dont be. Ill be fine, I promise. She didnt reply. We pulled into an empty parking spot (which wasnt hard to find since no one was around). Alright. Stay here okay? Or maybe you should go home. Ill get back" Oh no you dont. Not on my life will I be leaving you with that guy. She crossed her arms and I gave up. Okay. Ill be back. I climbed out of the car and raced towards the bridge, not giving myself time to worry as I ducked under the "No Trespassing sign. There was someone standing on the bridge. I stopped running and walked cautiously towards them. It was dark and I was worried it was someone other than Franky. The clouds overhead parted after a minute and the moonlight revealed the black and blond hairstyle. I relaxed a bit and continued walking.

When I reached him, he simply glanced down at me and held up a blindfold. I glared at it, then at him. Its necessary. He said simply, and proceeded to tie the blindfold around my head. When he was done, he steered me by my shoulders back across the bridge. We stopped in the parking lot and he took my phone from my pocket. Stop doing that! I snapped. Just making sure your friend knows your okay. He said as he typed away. Wave your right hand? I obliged and he continued tapping on the keyboard. Okay. Done. Hey, you sure I cant have her number? I'm sure she wouldnt mind. After all I am" I snatched my phone from him (an amazing feat for a blind person) and shoved it back in my pocket. I wouldve marched to the car, but that wouldve been pushing my luck. He opened the car door and I climbed inside. He entered on the other side and started the engine. And we were off. So, Im not supposed to ask you this, but whats your decision? He asked. I scoffed and didnt reply. Oh come on, you can tell me. Im curious. Well youll know soon enough, wont you Franky? Franky? He demanded, Its Grey. It was my turn to grin, I think I like Franky much better. It suits you. Is this about the Frank Iero thing? Because I look way better with the hairstyle than he does. Hands down. I scoffed. Its amazing you can fit in this car with a head so big. Im just being honest. I coughed, Ego-maniac. He heard me and blanched, Thats not true. I like my hair. Okay? I let out a laugh. He likes his hair. What is it with some boys and their hair. Honestly, youd think theyre obsessed. Okay Franky.

If you keep calling me that, Ill call you Gertrude. Or Trudy. I shrugged, Ive been called worse. I said truthfully. He didnt reply. We spent the rest of the ride in silence. It was a little awkward but with my nervousness, I hardly noticed. Were here. He announced. I blinked under the blindfold when I realized he was standing beside me, holding the door open. How had he done that? I hadnt even realized wed stopped. He led me into the building and pulled my blindfold off when wed reached the gray room. Everyone thatd been there three nights before were present. Feeling slightly uncomfortable being watched so carefully, I sat next to Franky and waited, not making any eye-contact. You know why were here, G. Kendra spoke. I noted that shed remembered my nickname. Will you join us? I glanced around the table, looking from face to face, taking my time. No way were they going to rush me on this one. First I looked at the girls. The older ones were meeting my gaze unblinkingly. It was a little unnerving. I looked at the third girl who looked about my age. She was gazing back at me expectantly and, if I wasnt mistaken, a little hopefully. I looked over at the guys and knew I wouldnt find anything there. They were just guys. Harsh, but true. I looked back at Kendra, she didnt change her blank expression and stared straight back. Lastly, I glanced at Franky. He was staring at me as well. I narrowed my eyes at him and he raised an eyebrow as if to say, Well? I swallowed down a lump in my throat, turned to Kendra again, and said, Ill join you. Everyone began to talk at once. I was a little surprised. I hadnt been expecting that. I waited for them to quiet down but they didnt. I grew annoyed because I wasnt finished. So I cleared my throat loudly and said above the noise, However. They all fell silent. Of course. You have conditions. Said one of the older girls, rolling her eyes, Boss, I told you" Of course she has conditions. G, continue. Kendra interrupted her.

I know this is a secret organization, but I want to be aloud to tell one person about whats going on. Her name is Lauren Ashton. I said in a rush, then crossed my arms, hoping that I was mimicking Renny correctly. If I was, they wouldnt be able to argue with me. Everyone began arguing again. Franky glanced down at me and shook his head, Already causing an uproar. What are we going to do with you? Enough. Kendra said in her calm voice. Everyone fell silent but some shot glares in my direction. Grey. She said, looking at Franky. He nodded, On it. He stood and left the room. Do you have any other conditions, G? She asked. Everyones eyes turned to me and I wanted to shrink in my seat. However, I didnt. Instead, I cleared my throat and said, "No. But I have questions. Of course. She replied, then stood. And they will be answered, I assure you. But for now, there are other matters to be discussed. Franky walked back into the room and handed Kendra a sheet of paper. She gazed at it for a while, then looked back at him. Is this all? Yes. Good. She turned back to me, Alright G. You have permission to tell your friend, but only her. And I dont think I have to tell you that she cant say anything to anyone else. Not only would that put our organization in danger, but her life as well. I nodded, I understand. Good. She replied, then turned he gaze on the girls, Anne. Right away, Boss. The girl who looked about my age stood and stepped around her chair. She walked over to me and smiled brightly, Follow me. I looked at Kendra but she was busy talking to the others. The girl had already started walking out the door and I hurried to catch up.

The hallway was gray as well. There were no pictures or wallpaper to brighten it up either. The ceiling and even the tile floor was pale gray. Everything is so gray. I murmured. Yes, weve recently relocated. Just a little less than a week ago actually. We havent had time to do any decorating yet. Our old place was much nicer. Im Anne by the way. She said and I opened my mouth to introduce myself, but she kept talking, And youre Gertrude! Well, I suppose youd like me to call you G, right? She laughed, When Kendra told me that wed be getting a girl my age, I was so excited! Hannah and Jessica are okay I guess, but theyre always so stern. Ill admit, it was uncomfortable having to share a room with them. Which is why Im so glad youre here! I get my own room now, and we get to share it! I" My eyes were wide by then, and not because shed just said Id be living here, but because she hadnt even stopped talking to take a breath! I cut her off before she could continue, Wait, what? What do you mean were sharing a room? Im not living here am I? And who is Hannah and Jessica? She laughed her bell-like laugh, reminding me of Tinkerbelle, Of course youre living here silly! She said as she led me into an elevator at the end of the hall. She pressed the number 4, then continued, How else would you get your training? Hannah and Jessica were the girls that I was sitting next to in the conference room. If I were you, Id steer clear of them, especially Hannah. They dont seem to like you very much. I suppose because they dont think you have any special skills like they did when they joined. But I think theyre just" I dont think I can join you guys. I said, my voice sad. What? She screeched, yanking me out of the elevator at the fourth floor. What do you mean? Why not! My mom wont let me live here. She laughed again, her horror disappearing as quickly as itd come, is that what youre worried about? Dont worry! Well offer you a scholarship to some private boarding school (fake of course). Shell just think youre living at school! Which, of course, you will be, since Kendra, er, the Boss makes sure we have all the necessary credits to graduate. Youll still be in high school here but youll have other lessons as well. Like"

So Ill be living here? I couldnt keep the smile out of my voice, All the time? Yes. She grinned at me. I was too excited to move for a while. This was what Id always dreamed of. Getting away from my mother, without a fight. Id be trained as a junior spy, and be able to tell my best friend about it! It was more than what Id dreamed. What about my dog? I asked. Im not sure. Ill ask the Boss about it. Im sure youll be able to keep him. Jackson used to have a pet rabbit in our last location, but he died a few weeks before we relocated.She stopped talking, looking a little sad. Assuming Jackson was one of the guys sitting at the table, I asked, Why did you relocate? She frowned, Well, Im not sure Im allowed to tell you that. I think the Boss will though, since it has to do with the mission. Our last location was in Miami. Just like Michael Weston.I said with a sigh. She was about to open a door we were standing in front of when she froze, Did you just sayMichael Weston? Yes She let out a girly shriek and grabbed my hand, yanking me through the doorway. I narrowly missed getting hit in the face with the door. My eyes widened when I saw what was on the other side. I let out a gasp of delight. The room was huge. There were two beds in the room, one on either side. There were two desks with a laptop sitting on each. A dresser had been brought in for each of us and the walls werent gray! They were a soft green color and the carpet (not tile) was beige. But it wasnt because the room was so spacious that Id gasped. Hanging on the walls, were posters of the most amazing TV show in the world: Burn Notice. There were posters of Michael Weston in various scenes: Hanging on rooftops, running away from exploding buildings, ducking bullets, etc. I felt like letting out a girly shriek as well, but I restrained myself.

Oh. My. Gosh. I said, not being able to tear my eyes away from the walls. Hes awesome, isnt he? Anne asked, eyes dreamy. I grinned at her. Someone cleared their throat behind us and we spun around to see Franky in the doorway. Time to go. He said to me. Where? Well home of course. You dont think your moms not going to ask questions if we just steal you away in the middle of the night? I frowned, ignoring the voice in my head saying that she might not, Okay. I replied. I glanced back at Anne before following him out of the room, See ya. Bye. She said, with barely contained excitement, waving her hand madly. He led me back the way we came and onto the elevator. When will I be back? I asked. Tomorrow night at the latest. He replied. The elevator stopped and I followed him back to the main door. Once outside, I was able to see where we actually were. Woods surrounded us in every direction and it looked as if they never ended. There was a long driveway leading up to the enormous (gray) building. There was a road leading into the woods at the end of the driveway, disappearing in the dark trees. There were several vehicles in the driveway and I followed him to the last one. I climbed into the passenger side and immediately buckled my seatbelt, not trusting him as a driver. Not a second after hed backed out, I bombarded him with questions, Why does this, organization, have teen agents? And where are we? Whats this training that Anne kept talking about? And" He let out a frustrated sigh, Anything else you wanna ask me? Because at this rate, I wont be able to answer any of them before

getting you home.I glared at him, but kept my mouth shut. We dont just use teen agents. They have to have some sort of special talent before being offered a job. I, for instance, am pretty handy with a knife. I gave him a dubious look, Really? You? Whats that supposed to mean? He demanded, sounding offended. I put my hands up in mock surrender, Nothing, nothing at all. He frowned, glancing at me, Well youll see when its time for training. Which answers your next question. Youll be trained in everything youll need to know before the mission. Youve got a lot of catching up to do by the way. You skipped one of my questions. I pointed out. Where are we? I paused, noticing wed reached a busier road. Well, where were we? Headquarters. Of course. I murmured, unsurprised. So what made you decide to join us? He asked. I frowned, not wanting to admit that itd been what hed said earlier that day. Instead, I settled for, I want to help. It was his turn to give me a dubious look, but he didnt say anything. We pulled into the Silver Falcon parking lot a few minutes later. So, Ill see you tomorrow then? I asked. He smirked and nodded, Is that a touch of eagerness I hear in your voice? I glared, opened the door, and climbed out. Keep dreaming, Franky. I replied dryly and slammed the door shut. I marched over to Rennys car and climbed into the passenger seat. I took my time buckling my seatbelt and smoothing out my jeans before meeting her intense gaze. Explanation. Now. She demanded, crossing her arms.

I sighed. She was not going to like this