"So are you going to tell me or not?"

Alex Rider was back at school, and despite his nervousness, fitting in well.

He still found it odd that he could be told off for running down a corridor, or forgetting his homework, and constantly found himself locating the exits of room when he entered them; but otherwise it was back to normal.

It had not surprised him that after only a day back at school his friend Tom hadn't been able to restrain his questioning.

"Tell you what?"

They were stood outside in the school yard, passing Tom's slightly deflated football. It was raining lightly- the type of rain seems almost lazy, as it slowly drifts onto your face. The sky was cloudy, and the teacher sat on the red chair by the front door checking that no-one did anything against the rules was sipping her tea looking annoyed and cold.

Tom rolled his eyes.

"What you've been doing the past MONTH. You were in hospital, and then you disappeared. Where have you been?"

"I've been ill." Alex said, kicking the ball up on his knee, and then passing it over to Tom; who raised his eyebrows disbelievingly, and scooped the ball off the floor. He moved over to stand with his friend.

"No, Alex, you haven't. You told me what was really going on."

Alex sighed.

"Fine, but not here, let's go inside."

They walked around to the student's door and through the corridor into a deserted classroom. Alex entered it, and sat on the table. Tom sat down next to him, and Alex relayed the entire Ark Angel tale, and all the Scorpia and Snakehead business. He noted Tom's amazed face.

"You went into space? And you were recruited by Australia?" He gazed at his friend in astounded disbelief. "Why aren't you dead?"

Alex shrugged. "I don't know," He threw the ball from one hand to another. "I was lucky, I suppose."

Tom laughed.

"Alex, if I didn't know that there is no way you could have about a million illnesses in a few months, I wouldn't believe a word of this."

Alex said nothing, just stared at the wall and thought. It was all unbelievable; sometimes he had to stop and check he was really alive. But he had put it all behind him, and he wasn't going to risk his life anymore. Those days were over; any other security service who wanted him could do without. MI6 had promised to leave him alone. ASIS, the CIA, the lot of them- he wasn't spying for them anymore.

"Why are you wearing a fake watch?" Tom asked him suddenly. "Is that-"

Alex nodded. He was still wearing the watch that Smithers had given him, not because he thought he could still use it (as a transmitter, of course, it didn't work as a real watch) but because he wanted to. He didn't know exactly why, but the watch comforted him.

He jumped off the table as the sound of a teacher's footsteps echoed along the corridor. Mrs Sheath, Alex's maths teacher, opened the door and looked inside.

"Out, boys, you're not allowed in classrooms at lunch."

Alex mumbled a sorry, and he and Tom left the room.

Alex was privately thinking how much use a teacher would be on a mission. Probably try to lecture the evil madmen or women behind whatever crime it was. That is, if they didn't get shot first.