First Chapter
Alex Rider sat in class, on his plastic school chair, severely bored.
His History teacher was droning on and on about the Second or First World War and something about Dunkirk. Alex wasn't really listening, so he never heard the school bell go. The only indication that it was time to pack up his stuff was the twenty or so students barging through the doorway into a corridor starting to fill with others. Alex hastily shoved his school things into his school bag and followed his best friend Tom out, relieved.
The next lesson was Maths – the only thing worse than History at Brookland. Alex's teacher, Mrs. Vaster, found it hard to speak loud enough in front of classes and so she hid behind her large desk and practically whispered throughout the lesson. If you didn't get to class quick enough, you were placed up the back where it was impossible to learn algebraic fractions and percentages. The only thing good about Alex's next lesson, was that it was the last one of the day, even though it wasn't even morning tea.
Alex's grade was going on an excursion. They were to catch a bus to the museum for the umpteenth time. This couldn't have been any more boring than staying at school, seeing as though Brookland visited the museum every year. Alex wasn't interested at all and Tom was desperately looking for an excuse not to go.
"We could just loose our permission slips," Tom suggested as they sat down in Maths. "Then they'd have to let us stay here."
"Silence please," asked the teacher, looking petrified as a tall student passed her. "Take out your nooks – I mean books! Please take out your books." Mrs. Vaster ducked behind her desk as the new deputy principal entered. Mrs. Vaster had so far been terrified of the new deputy but the reason was unknown.
"Mrs. Vaster? Mrs. Vaster?" called the deputy, Ms. Rio. "Oh, there you are!" Ms. Rio stuck her head under the table and emerged dragging Mrs. Vaster.
"I dropped my pen. It's alright now, I found it." Mrs. Vaster picked a pen off her table and showed it to Ms. Rio. Alex sniggered behind his hands as they began talking about a staff meeting later in the week.
After Ms. Rio had gone, Mrs. Vaster wrote some problems on the board and sat down behind her desk. Alex rested his head on his hand and began copying them down, one by one.
It wasn't until half an hour later, did Alex find an excuse to leave school for the day. And it came in the form of Mrs. Jones.
Mrs. Vaster screamed when someone knocked on the door, dropping her pen. The class laughed, making her blush deeply and scuttle to the door. She opened it and almost fainted when she saw Mrs. Jones in the door way.
"Good morning, you must be Mrs. Vaster," stated Mrs. Jones. Mrs. Vaster nodded and shrunk back when the visitor turned.
Alex made eye contact with her and glared. Why on earth she would be in his classroom, Alex didn't know.