Musings of a Headmaster

Mr Brey was both nervous and excited. He knew that the were going to get financial support that the school would be getting from Desmond 'Dez' Crane of Crane's Corporation (CC).

Brookland Comprehensive had been struggling with costs for a few years now since the strange fire four years ago. Though, strangely they were bailed out by an unknown government branch with a long, boring name. Something to do with national home and health economics.

But then the recession hit.

The school had come to closing several times just to be bailed out at last minute by the government. Mr Brey had checked with several other schools but nothing of the sort had happened to them. He knew for a fact that Riverside High had shut and they were in a better situation the Brookland.

Looking around across the lunch hall his eyes caught a table of eleven seniors, graduating in a few months. There was the tall, black athletics girl; Gillian Russell who was arm in arm with a smirking silver haired boy was pale as Gil was dark who let off an air of unmistakable arrogance; Daniel Aaronson. Gill's best friends sat on the other side of the table; Hattie Dawson mousy hair tied back in a schrunchy wither her Physics Text Book laid out and dark blonde Dawn Craig ever the peace maker between the two girls. Then there was Luiza Lettie, the Brazilian new girl. She was accompanied by three rugby players desperately wanting her: Ryan Greet the hulking blonde, Blare Rooney the brunette, and Aiden Sneddon. Dark haired James Hale and little Tom Harris beaming as usual despite his parents' messy divorce. Henry Brey had taken active interest in supporting Tom through that troubled time four years ago. Then at the very end of the table was a dark eyed, blonde haired boy.

Alex Rider. That boy was a mystery to all. Not that you could call him a boy; it was his eighteenth birthday. Not that his outlook had changed since he had returned to school a month ago. Ever since Alex' uncle had died almost four years ago Alex would be absent from school for anything from an afternoon to months. There were from drugs to criminal behaviour to gangs.

Mr Brey wasn't sure what to think. But since the poisoning, Henry shuddered at the memory, he knew there was something else going on he just had no idea what. Before Ian Rider's death he would never have believed it but every time Alex would come back with scars and bruises to match his absences and a hard, cold look in his eyes as though he had seen too much. At first he thought his American guardian, Jack Starbright, was abusing him but after her car crash the boy's eyes held such grief that he knew this was not true. The bruises and absences didn't stop with his new guardian – Benjamin Daniel or when he decided to live alone at sixteen.

He remembered the day when he had asked what Alex had been doing when away.

Mr Brey was watching the pupils in Brookland mill around the grass. They were laughing and chattering amongst themselves in a fit of end of term high spirits.

Except one boy who was sitting under the shade of a tall, oak tree – Alex Rider. He had an arm in a sling and a scratch across his cheek. He had a book in his working left arm but his eyes were observing the scene as if he didn't belong there. Mr Brey had the distinct feeling that he didn't want to be disturbed. He knew his guardian had died in a tragic car accident, much like his uncle; apparently there was something wrong with the fuse wires. He wondered if this is what was upsetting Alex. He hoped Ben Daniels was helping him.

This was backed up by the fact that Tom Harris, Alex' best and only friend kept shooting the blonde teen worried looks. Something which from the small frown Alex was wearing he wasn't oblivious to. Mr Brey wondered whether anything went on anywhere which Alex was oblivious to – he always seemed to know too much. This was something unusual in usually ignorant school children. But that was Alex all over – unusual.

Mr Brey wasn't a nervous man but in all matters concerning Alex Rider he was decidedly wary. He often wondered why this was. There was something about the fifteen year old's aura that radiated confidence, power and danger. It was as if he was a lethal weapon and saying the wrong thing would be a death sentence. Mr Brey. The headmaster didn't realise how right he was but soon would.

Ignoring this fact Mr Brey went and sat beside the teen, hoping to give off a comforting presence by the look Alex was giving his book it hadn't worked.

'Hello Mr Brey,' said Alex calmly startling the older man. The teenaged boy studied his headmaster from behind his blonde fringe ignoring the interest everyone was giving the two. Tom had thought this would happen eventually but hoped that it wouldn't be this soon and his friend wouldn't kill him. Eyes unblinking, the dark irises looking wary and far too serious for a teenager. For the umpteenth time Henry Brey wondered what had happened to make them like that so decided now was as good as ever to ask the boy. Alex seemed to realise this as did Tom who hoped that Alex' more deadly side wouldn't come out too strongly knowing Alex could all too easily kill.

'Hello Alex,' said Mr Brey looking a bit apprehensive. Seeing this Alex smiled at the man chuckling softly making Henry Brey this was the first act of relaxation Alex had seen since the news had came of Miss Starbright's death. Maybe Alex was finally healing.

'Did you want something?' Alex asked in a unnervingly calm voice, straight to the point as always.

Mr Brey gulped this wasn't going as he'd hoped but then again nothing with Alex Rider ever did, 'un … yes … where do you go when you're not at school?' stuttered Mr Brey cringing at the eloquence of his question. Alex looked amused at his fear. Who was this boy?

'I'm ill a lot,' Alex looked embarrassed. 'I have a weak immune system something about the stress of my uncle's death caused me to contract an illness. My doctors at St Dominic's are trying to figure out what's wrong but …' Alex sighed looking very worried.

'There's something else going on!' Mr Brey tried to have one last stab at figuring out what was going on with his student thinking of the poisoning attempt.

'What?' asked Alex sharply glaring at the teacher glaring at the teacher with a look that had made the most hardened criminals and soldiers want to run the other way the poor headmaster didn't know what had hit him but knowing he was a hurting student Mr Brey wanted to try and help him once more but couldn't.

Mr Brey didn't answer. Mr Brey couldn't answer. The whole school held their breaths at the obvious confrontation by school bad boy and headmaster who looked frozen in his spot.

'If we're done here I have to catch up on my English,' Alex said contemptuously with a look that said I know more than you.

Alex returned to his book. But unfortunately Mr Brey, who'd got his courage back when Alex wasn't glaring at him murderously, wasn't finished with his young charge. Alex looked like he was about to murder the teacher.

'Your eyes have a look that you've seen too much!' Mr Brey said and everyone at the school year seemed to agree with this. Tom sighed sadly looking like he wished this wasn't true.

'Oh yeah!' Alex changed raising an eyebrow skilfully as his uncle had taught him when he was ten, 'like what?' he seemed to know this was unanswerable question as he was smiling smugly and arrogantly.

Mr Brey had no answer for that one and by Alex' expression he was well aware of that fact. He swore to himself he would find out one day. He did research upon research but nothing turned up.

'What about your arm?' he challenged trying not to squirm at the look Alex was now giving him heated and conniving.

'Fell down the stairs,' shrugged Alex all too calmly. Mr Brey didn't believe this for a second – Alex Rider was many things but clumsy was not one of them. Everyone looking on knew this too and some snorted. Tom shook his head at his friend's lie surely a spy would be able to come up with a better lie than that.

'Why don't you prove it!' hissed Alex. He as well as everyone else knew that no one would be able to do this but that didn't stop the headmaster from trying he wanted to help all his pupils especially those in bother like Alex. 'You can't,' Alex voiced what everyone was thinking, 'but if you dare say anything like this again I will personally see to it you are no longer my headmaster.' Henry Brey wondered if he meant that he would leave Brookland, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing or make Henry no longer the headmaster. Then he wondered whether Alex could do this. He shuddered at the thought of any fifteen year old having that much power. Tom winced knowing his friend could do as much.

The boy got up to stand by the gate never and everyone else returned to their conversations whispering excitedly about the exchange. Alex seemed all to calm about this. Just who was Alex Rider? Alex didn't take his eyes off Mr Brey until the bell went. It was as though he was daring him to approach again but Mr Brey had had enough stress and fear to last a lifetime from Alex Rider. But his stress and fear was nothing to Alex' life. Not that he knew this only Tom and Sabina were aware of this. They kept Alex somewhat human not even knowing they were doing it but at the same time his relationship with the two teens scared him. Sabina had been kidnapped once to get to him he hoped it would never happen again.

True he never asked again and feeling Alex' eyes upon him he knew they were thinking of the same thing. He returned to his conversation with Miss Mary Colum's (a maths teacher) wedding with an English teacher, Miss July Miller. He'd always found her name interesting and knew it was because of all the twelve children and mother, father and two grandparents she was the first not to be born in December so was named to commemorate this historic moment in their families history. He chuckled knowing a historic moment in his family was when his grandfather received the Victoria Cross in the first world war.