Okay I've been reading the Alex Rider series and am now obsessed. This is a story that just appeared in my mind-I saw a Hacky Sack-in the little scenario it happened to me but I can fix that.

For those who have read Let It Go, this will not be a song fix. Sorry, love music but not this time.

Location is real, people are real but have different names.

GUYS I LITERALLY THOUGHT THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO ME!

Too many spy books for real.

This is after Crocodile Tears

Disclaimer: Books belong to Anthony Horowitz

The three men sat in the parking lot, fiddling with anything they could find and waiting impatiently for the phone to ring.

One man with a large gold ring on his hand was glaring at his companion, who was seeing how many times he would roll the number 5 on the die he had while the other tried to make a tower out of playing cards on the dash bored.

They were in Texas, and it was winter which mad it surprisingly cold outside for such a warm state. Kids were marching outside in the parking lot behind the high school, bundled up in large winter coats along with matching mittens and hats. It was the marching band, doing reruns of the half time show over and over and over. Their band director was clearly not satisfied with them.

They were at the back entrance of Linean Chrest High School, a school that was recently built and looked pretty spectacular. But who really cared about that?

Ring finally slammed his had down on the steering wheel. "What is taking them so long?!"

Dice was so startled he dropped his die and it rolled under his chair in the back. Card gasped, sending all his cards falling to the ground.

Cards sighed and ran a hand over his face. He glanced at the clock and saw 7:00 flashing brightly at him. Why did band have to be here so early?

Dice was one his hands and knees in the back, looking for his toy.

He spoke in a muffled, high voice. "I don't know but they better respond quick, or I'm gonna fall asleep."

Cards tried to reset his tower. "Remember they have a job to do, unlike us who are just sitting in a car with a heater."

One individual in the band branched off alone, but the thugs in the car didn't notice."

The phone rang.

All three dived for it-Dice climbing over people- but Ring was the one who answered.

"Hello?"

"You guys are here right?"

Ring sat up and glanced out the window. "Yeah we're here, I can see you right now actually."

"And you have the stuff?"

Ring scowled. "You really think we'd show up here without it?"

"Um, yeah, I do."

"Well what do you want us to do?"

"The same thing you were doing when you helped build the school, the exact same thing. We have to be certain on this."

Blood rushed to Ring's face, turning it red. "That's it? WE had to get up at 6:00 for that?!"

"I'm out here in the freakin cold. You want to help me do my job?"

Ring ran a hand over his face. "Ug, we're on it."

He hung up.

"What's the gig?" Cards asked, looking excited.

"Same thing as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that."

Both Cards and Dice visibly deflated. The same old job again.

"Alright." Ring growled. "Get on you're gear."

He turned toward the band who was still warding around in lines and hitting dots.

His breath fogged up the window and he turned away, picking up his suit.

Just another cold day in Texas.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Why did I do this to me? Alex wondered as Jack pulled him through the thongs of people. The breath from the crowd was vile and suffocating, he couldn't see anything other than the brightly colors of the clothing around him.

"Jack," Alex complained, feeling his arm almost being pulled out of his socket. People kept getting in between him and his happy housekeeper and of course jack wouldn't let him go. "Do we have to do this? I mean, shopping? Why do you hate me?"

Jack rolled her eyes but Alex couldn't see them, his face was currently being introduced to a lady's back. "I can't leave you alone at home-someone could kidnap you-and I need to buy groceries and clothes for you-because they are either all blown up or just plain gone."

Coming out of the mass of bodies, Alex could finally breath normally. "Nothing bad has happened lately, I've been left alone, so why do I have to come?"

Alex was speaking true, the last few weeks, Alex had learned how to be normal again. He went to school, he talked to friends, and he panicked over homework. It had been the absolutely best weeks of Alex's life before becoming a spy. Problem was he didn't know how long it would last. He still woke up, sweating and scared, over horrible nightmares that feasted on the happiness he had been able to recapture and he still couldn't not relax-even with friends. Spy instincts-or now Alex's instincts- were hard to shut down. He jumped at any unexpected sound or touch, he always sat facing the door or window, he found small things and kept them thinking they could become decent weapons, and he couldn't look at Nintendo's, bubble gum, or even pens without thinking about gadgets.

Jack gave Alex a hard look. "Excuse me if I don't really think the bank won't come back for you."

Alex swallowed the lump in his throat and turned away. "Alright, what are we getting now."

Jack checked her sheet. "Food? Check. Clothes? Check. Cute guys number? Check." She said the last one with a smile.

Alex gave her a look but she just ignored him.

Sighing, he examined the crowd. There was a mother yelling at her child and an old couple walking to the food court. Then his eyes fell on a group of teenagers running, laughing and talking, toward a weird store called: Hicks for Kicks.

Curious, Alex spoke to Jack. "I'm going to go in there, okay?"

Jack glanced up and saw the store. SHe smiled, Alex Rider was getting interested in teenage things! "Yeah sure, I'll go in there."

She pointed toward yet another clothing store. Alex mentally rolled his eyes at his beloved house keeper. "Alright, see you."

alex walked over to the store and looking inside.

It. Was. So. Stupid.

A bunch of stuff about bands that came from England, weird, think black glasses, and mustaches of all things. What parallel universe did I just walk into?

Grimacing, Alex walked around the store, looking at stuff he could care less about, like how he could eat food with a really long spoon.

Groaning inwardly, Alex glanced around in humiliation. This was his generation, dear God above.

Then he saw something catching his eye. It was a tiny brightly colored ball sitting among others just like it.

The sign above it just read Hacky-Scaks.

Alex walked over and picked one up. The color was woven and it was stuffed with something, beans or beads maybe.

He had heard of these, Alex had asked his uncle to buy him one. But Ian Rider thought it was stupid and said no. Alex held it in his hand, staring at it with mixed emotions. Sense he was-was defiantly, he was not going back-it should make it easier for him to play it right?

Oh well, Alex thought, as that shirt reads: YOLO

About a second later, Alex thought, did I really just say that?

Alex tossed the ball up ion the air and then hit it on his foot, then his shoulder, then his knee. He knew he would be good at this!

By the time Alex met up with Jack again, he had bought himself one.

xxxxxxxxxx

The man in gay glanced around the corner and watched as his target walked back, talking to his red headed, American guardian.

Whispering into his walkie-talkie, he said, "Target required."

"Bring him in." A voice crackled.

The man took a deep breath and turned the corner, hating himself.

he walked right up to the boy, trying to look friendly and not at all threatening.

the boy still glared at him with cold, guarded eyes.

The man held up and hand. "hi, ummm, Alex."

The woman stopped short and stared at the stranger, just now seeing him, but Alex actually smiled. "Ben, it's good to see you."

The woman-Jack Starbright- looked at Alex in bewilderment and fear, but Alex ignored her. "I know what you're here for and no way. I'm out."

Ben Daniels ran a hand through his hair. "I know, but this isn't a life threatening situation."

Now Alex looked mad. "It never is until I'm stuck in the middle of it."

"Hear me out." Ben pleaded. "In America, I'm pretending to be a teacher-the CIA actually requested us. It's just drug dealing."

Alex raised a blonde eyebrow. "just drug dealing?"

Jack stayed silent, wondering what was going on in her mother country.

"Yes, I'm going to be a just a leak-that means we are only supervising- of teacher at the school where they think the mastermind is behind and-"

"Let me guess." Alex interrupted, sounding bored. "They want a student? Someone who can blend in and get information from kids?"

Ben smiled grimly. "We can get briefed at the bank. Also, Miss Starbright here hasn't seen her family in some time, right?' Ben absolutely hated himself now, twisting things like this and to Cub of all people. "She has been to busy flying to see you in hospitals, am I correct?"

Alex knew what he was doing, Ben could tell fro his expression, but he was at least thinking about it.

Jack looked around, confused about how the conversation jumped onto her. "What, hold on a second-"

"Jack," Alex interjected. "When was the last time you saw your family?"

"Oh, Alex. It doesn't really matter-"

"how long, Jack?" Alex was looking at her intently, his hands shaking at his side.

The first thing they told Ben when he asked how he was supposed to convince Alex was that the quickest way to him was through his guardian Jack Starbright.

The red head sighed in defeat. "About a year now."

Alex's eye flashed with some undetectable emotion. "Ever sense Ian died?"

Jack gave a small "Yes."

"Ever sense I became a spy."

That was it. He didn't say when I was a spy. Ben thought grimly. He's in and won't get out.

xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Please don't do this." Jack begged as she watched Alex pack up his things, getting ready to go to America. The idea of seeing hr family wad amazing and Jack wanted it so badly but she also didn't want Alex hurt.

He wouldn't even meet hr eyes. "I'm going."

Jack groaned, angrily. "Just forget about me for one second!"

Alex snapped his suitcase shut. "That's just it, Jack, I never think about you. I don't remember you have a life outside of me. You would probably would be anything you wanted to if you weren't stuck with me all the time. Worrying about me, waiting in the hospital with me, or getting in trouble because of me!"

jack bit her lip, realizing most of that was true even if she didn't like it.

"Go see your family." Alex said, softly. He was at least looking at her with pleading brown eyes. "Enjoy your country and I'll do everything I can to save it."

Alex gave her a swift hug. "I have to go get briefed but we'll ride together on the plane."

He pulled away and smiled at her. He then went down stairs, grabbing his bike that stood in the utility room. He smiled again at Jack, who was perched at the top of the stairs. "I'll be fine, I'll have Bn with me and a whole bunch of new gadgets."

Alex opened the door and walked toward the street. Jack stepped down the stairs and looked at him from the door frame.

He waved at her. "I'll be back in at leas 20 minutes."

Alex Rider hopped on his bike, wheeling away but not before he yelled over his shoulder. "Don't forget I've done this before!"

Jack watched him until he was out of sight and his voice had long faded away along with the rolling of the tires.

"That's waht scares me, Alex." She whispered softly at nothing. "That is exactly what worries me."

Yay there we go!

I know I was kinda mean about the merchandise but come on, Alex is a spy who has to deal with life and death situations on a regular bases. Mustaches don't seem that legit after something like that.

Have an awesome life!