Prologue
When I brought my friends to my house for the first time, they oohed and ahhed over the trinkets placed all over my house. After I explained to them they came from all over the world, purchased by my parents on their travels, my friends loved them even more. A genuine teapot from China, a finely woven blanket from Norway, and an ivory statue from India were some of their favorites. But they didn't know the real meaning of them.
I was twelve when I found out. My parents didn't just travel all over the world to see the sights; they went to specific places, for specific purposes. Where the government told them to go, they went, acting as innocent tourists. At that age, as I had to battle puberty, drama at school, and wrestling with who my real friends were. To top all that off, I now had to grapple with the fact that my parents were spies.
We moved again when I was fifteen, making it the sixth time since I was five. I was so tired of moving and trying to make new friends that I almost gave up as I walked into Jefferson High School in Jefferson City, Virginia halfway through the school year. And here my story really begins. It is a mix of action, suspense, and, of course, fighting to befit a real spy tale. Mom dropped me off that day with a kiss and a warning. "Let no one know your parents are spies."
Chapter One
0800 Hours
Jefferson High School
After the principle had given me my schedule, I walked slowly to my first class: Chemistry. Sigh, I thought, already bored. Dad's specialty was, in fact, chemistry, and taught me everything I knew about it. When I got my schedule, I had tried explaining to the stupid principle that I should be at least in Chemistry AP, but no, sophomores couldn't take that.
I slipped into the crowed lunch room and took a seat at a nearly vacant table. The only other occupants seated there were two guys and a girl. They studied me, eyes full of questions. I could read their faces: Why would someone want to sit with us? What is she doing here? That was Mom's specialty; Math and reading people. She taught me all she knew, though I wasn't nearly as good as her.
"Hi!" The girl said brightly, startling me from my thoughts. I smiled back with the same greeting. One of the boys, the one with a shock of blond hair, chewed what was in his mouth and asked me, "So, where ya' from? Ya' look like you came from up north or somp'ten." As I opened my mouth to answer, the guy sitting closest to me, the red haired one, punched the blonde in the shoulder and sighed, "Jason, quite trying to act all country. Just 'cause you were born in Oklahoma doesn't mean anything." He looked at me for the first time with a silly grin. "Don't listen to Jason. I'm Peter, and this is Ashley. So, where are you from? And what's your name?"
I found his smile quite charming, so I slowly began to relax. "My name's Jess Philips. Short for Jessie, but, well.." I trailed off, shrugging good naturedly. Jason chimed in, saying, "Yeah, I know what you mean," He rolled his eyes, "My real name is Andrew, but I don't like it that much. So I go by my middle name."
I nodded my agreement. "I was actually born in England, but moved to the States when I was five. Since then I…I kinda move a lot for my mom and dad's…job." I blushed as I stumbled over my words, but the three didn't seem to particularly care.
Ashley, with a warm smile, asked me what my schedule was. I pushed it across the table to her and she studied it. Then she squealed in delight. "We have Chemistry together! And Jason, don't you have Algebra II next period? And we all have English together! Oooh, with Mrs. Choren," Ashley mentioned to me slyly.
That got the three of them started on how old and batty this Mrs. Choren was, who, I later found out, disliked it when people came in the middle of a semester.