So
sorry I forgot to add a disclaimer for my first chapter!!
Please
review the story!! Ok I know not all have even read it
yet…thanks!
DISCLAIMER: Alex Rider ain't mine…….oh the fun I could have if it were…
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"What?!" Alex looked at his friend, searching his friend's face for any sign of humor but none. Tom stared back at Alex, he wore a look of seriousness on his face.
"No kidding. I could swear it was you." Alex sighed and looked away.
"She's different."
"I don't know, let's just go in." They walked into the plain building without speaking and headed for the assembly hall where everyone was to gather every morning. As they found a spot on the floor Alex saw Erika slip in and sit at the far corner. She was wearing a jacket to cover the gash on her arm and tied into two ponytails in an effort to cover the scratches on her neck. On her lap was her bag that probably covered all the obvious marks on her legs but she couldn't continue hiding them for so long could she? A teacher who Alex forgot his name spoke into the microphone.
"Good morning students." He pushed his glasses up. "I would like to inform all of you that a compulsory summer camp would be scheduled during the summer break and that attendance is mandatory."
"You already said that." A boy who found it funny called out.
The teacher pushed up his glasses. "As I was saying, you will be sent to a camp at the SAS training grounds and made to spend two weeks there. You will learn basic survival skills and basic self-defense techniques. You will live like in the army though your living conditions might be slightly advised." He pushed his glasses up again and Alex found it increasingly annoying. The last thing he needed to hear was anything to do with SAS. "Your first period teacher will give you the packing list and the dates and details. If anyone of you cannot attend the camp for a valid reason, please submit your reasons by the end of this week before your…" He prodded his glasses. "Ahem, prom." Some boys hooted playfully and he ignored it. "Now go to your classes."
Alex didn't like the details of the camp. It started on a Monday and everyone had to gather at the SAS training ground by six. They had to pack whatever necessary and no food was allowed at all. Since there were eight classes in his level they would be split, four classes would go for the first session and the next four the second session. Alex was in the first session.
"Wow, this sounds exciting!" Tom exclaimed. Alex could only chuckle half-heartedly.
"Not too exciting after you're there."
Tom looked at him. "What do you mean? You've been there? How do you…" His friend fell silent for a while. "Oh. Yeah. You've been there."
The rest of the day went in a blur with Tom reminding him of the prom constantly until French lesson. Erika was already at her seat when Alex came and he saw her flip the book close when he sat down. She set down her pen with her left hand. Left hand?
"Weren't you…like, right-handed?" Alex asked curiously.
She laughed humorlessly. "Curiosity killed the cat. Don't you ever learn?" She looked at him, her brown hair band suddenly becoming obvious. "I suppose you don't. Anyway, I can write with both hands, stand on both hands separately, punch with both hands, fight with a sword with both hands, shoot a gun with both…" She trailed off, realizing her mistake too late.
"Shoot?" He queried.
"Yeah…err…I do shooting as a sport. You know…that…"
"Yeah, I know." Alex didn't believe her but she looked fit and that had to be an explanation. "So do you do any other sport?"
She relaxed. "Gymnastics and running. How about you?"
He saw she was trying to change the subject. "Soccer. So what kind of gymnastics and running in particular?" He was trying to find out more about her, as much as he could.
"Artistic gymnastics. I'm training specially for the uneven bars and balance beam. Youth Olympics coming soon and stuff…"
"Wait, you're going for the Olympics?!"
"Youth Olympics. I'm going to. I've already got selected in the national team. As for running I'm just a cross-country runner. Came in second in the championships last year but I didn't have time to take part this year…was…busy."
"That's great. You do three sports. I wouldn't suppose any would be particularly violent so as to explain the multiple bruises and cuts on you?"
She narrowed her eyes. "So this is where it's leading? No, it's got nothing to do with my sports." She winced at the pain her arm was causing her.
"Then how do you manage your time? I mean…you're good at academics."
"Home school. I learn everything ahead and when I slack back I don't lose much ground because I haven't missed anything and besides, this is my first time in a proper school and I must say I'm appalled by the IQ of all of you here. My tutor used to say I was lagging behind a lot but I guess I was lagging behind her standards, which actually wasn't literally lagging behind." Erika looked indifferently at him. "You've been missing quite some but of school haven't you? What are you? In some sport or something?"
Alex had to lie again. "No, I just fall sick easily."
She looked at him as if she knew exactly what he meant. "Oh yes, you certainly look very sickly to me." All of a sudden, Alex felt somehow attracted to her, like a barrier had been broken and all emotion had come back to him at once.
"So err…do you have anyone to go with to the prom?"
A wide sly smile spread across her face. "Bold are you. I have quite a few asking. There's this…Ralph? And Gerald? Don? Joe? Will? Matthew? Klaus? Why should it be you?" She challenged him. All the names she had listed were the names of the boys in the 'cool' gang and they all had girlfriends. Erika's beauty must have attracted them too probably but he was just going to stay simple.
"Because I'm the eighth one to ask you?" – or maybe joke.
"Nice try." She folded her arms. "Extremely convincing that every girl in town would want to date you just because of your charming eight-word sentence."
"Well the world's unfair as you say so is it a yes?"
"The world's cold too. No mercy too, I've actually already said yes to Ralph and a man must uphold his promise." He was shocked with the dignity and righteousness in her voice. "You're a nice guy, Alex, and I would love to but I can't compromise on my values just to make myself happy." She said in a nicer and softer tone that made Alex feel better. Besides, a million other boys would be asking her too. After having an awkward French lesson with her not paying attention again, a pretty blonde girl came up to him.
"Hi, you bumped into me in the hall the other day, was wondering if you have anyone to go to the prom with. I'm Alicia." Perfect. So he could just find another girl to go with, any random one. Alicia was slim and had fair skin and pale blue eyes. She was overall quite pretty but not exactly anymore when compared with Erika. Why was it that a single person had to bag everything? The looks; the grades; the attention; the prizes and medals. Erika was a perfect example.
He smiled back at her. "Sure I'll go with you."
Alicia almost squealed with joy until Alex realized his mistake too late. Alicia was Ralph's girlfriend supposedly and was he doing any hurt to his current social life by agreeing? He couldn't give a damn.
"Awesome. So you're going with Alicia? Then what happens to poor Ralph?" Tom sounded so happy for him.
"He's with Erika." Alex said sourly not knowing why.
"Aww c'mon, Alicia's pretty good too. As long as you've got someone, you're social life won't certainly go bust and no one will think you're some freak nerd." Tom's language was going a little off. It always did when he lost himself in euphoria.
"So how's the project moving? It isn't moving is it?" Alex wanted to change the subject.
"Hey don't look at me. Erika's in charge."
Alex saw her quite near by so they both headed towards her but only after Ralph was there.
"Hey." Ralph leaned on her locker and she sighed. "What are you wearing for the prom?"
"Not you're business." She reached out for her locker but Ralph leaned against it.
"Is now."
"Go away. If I knew you were such a loser I wouldn't have agreed."
"Oh! Is that so?"
"Now bummer off, I need to get my stuff." Ralph defiantly stayed there. "You leave me no choice. It shall be your folly." Alex's eyes widened as he saw her grab Ralph's collar with her strong left hand and her fist holding it tug him away with such strength that Alex heard Tom gulp and whisper to him, "You sure that's our group member?" Ralph staggered away in embarrassment.
"She's some fantastic sports person, what do you expect when it comes to strength?" Her gaze fell upon them and she smiled thinly at them.
"What about our group project…"
"I don't know but I did the power point already. You can just go add some pictures into it or something, make it understandable for our dimwitted classmates." She waved at them. "I'm off." And she tossed Alex the thumb drive casually. Tom looked up at his friend and they both mouthed one word together. "Wow".
Friday night came quickly. Alex wore a grey jacket over his black shirt and slipped on a pair of grey pants. He looked casually formal. Like an MI6 operative. The thought made him shiver. He couldn't be bothered to neaten up his hair or anything, after all he was just going to be there since his life needed to look normal again and this was a first stepping-stone. Alicia would be waiting for him near the school so he slipped a wallet and a cell phone into his pocket and left after acknowledging his leave with Jack. After a not very tiring walk, he met Alicia at the spot as planned and indifferently handed her a rose that Jack insisted he bring.
"Here. This is for you." He saw her blush and could only roll his eyes. She was wearing a light blue silk dress that stopped above her knees and some high heels that Alex had no idea how girls walked in them.
"Thank you…" She stammered. He felt nothing for her. The hall was half filled when they had reached school and Alex saw Erika with Ralph at the table next to theirs. She was wearing an all black dress that reached the ground and a diamond pendant hung significantly on her neck along with some matching strings of diamonds as earrings. She wore heels too. On her brown hair was a diamond studded hair band that did not look too heavy and she looked absolutely beautiful with her hair cascading smoothly to cover the marks that were no longer obvious except for the gash on her right arm. Ralph was clad in a black suit as well and Alex could see he had got over the shock he had of Erika shoving him away on Tuesday. Erika glanced over at him and smiled. She looked bored with the crowd of people around her talking about something she obviously wasn't interested in. Her serious eyes seemed to be scanning the area for something that Alex didn't know. Alicia cast a longing look at the group then got up to dance with Alex as the music had started and most were heading to the floor. He wasn't exactly a great dancer as he could tell Alicia was so he just coldly stepped around the floor with her, not really looking at her. Where was Tom? He bumped into Erika and Ralph and she whispered something to him as they went by, "Danger." He wasn't sure what that meant until the sound of a gun shot echoed a few seconds later and everyone went stone still then the entire cohort there turned rowdy and pandemonium broke out. Alicia gripped onto his hand weakly and cast a furtive look at him as if he could save her.
"Get out of here!" He shouted to her over the screams. He saw some teachers had come in the help usher people out and some had started calling for help with their cell phones. She shook her head dramatically and Alex rolled his eyes. How did Erika know there was danger? Was it by pure luck? He didn't think so. Alex grabbed Alicia by the arm and pulled her out into the field where everyone else had gathered then searched around for Erika. He saw her not too far away alone. She was shouting violently but to who, he didn't know. As he neared he saw her get frustrated with the person she was shouting at and rip off her hair band. He stopped. There was no one around. Erika saw him and she tried to force a smile.
"Hi. Wanted to warn you about it earlier but…"
"How did you know?"
"Saw a man with a gun at the second floor of the gymnasium, he was aiming at you."
She poked him in the left shoulder and almost pushed him back. "You're lucky I bumped into you."
"Who are you?" He demanded.
She broke the hair band she was holding. "I'm Erika Louvre. And you better be glad I just saved your life." Ralph came to her side and looked offensively at Alex.
"What you doing now?" He nodded his head at him.
"We're having a conversation." Erika stared at him. Alicia scrambled through the crowd and grabbed Alex on the shoulder.
"Alex I thought I'd never find you…" She trailed off as she saw Ralph. Alex walked away, not caring about Alicia. Besides, he never did. No one cared for him and he cared for no one anyway. A man with his hands behind his back was brought out from the school and all the students gasped and more speculative whispers were heard and accusing fingers pointing at him and all.
"All
students! The prom night is officially over. Sorry but the school has
to be checked thoroughly. Remember to be present at the camp on
Monday!"
There were a few protests and some shouts of
disagreement but most people just walked away and groaned and
complained unhappily.
"I'll go home by myself." Alicia told him, sensing his coldness towards her.
Erika refused Ralph's offer to walk her home. The last thing she needed was some loser walking up her front doorstep. Walking with a slight limp now, she made her way home, which was thankfully nearby and within walking distance. The heels made her feel vulnerable so she kicked them off and carried them home instead, walking barefooted would be less of a handicap. The gash running up her right arm was giving her a searing pain at the moment but what could she do? The last thing she wanted was to fall onto the pavement yelling because of some small cut – well, it wasn't exactly small. It was already eight and the sky had turned dark already. Why was that sniper aiming for Alex anyway? What was he doing at school? Who was Alex? Some drug delinquent as her classmates had told her? Some juvenile? He didn't look like that sort of guy though. She reached the main gate of her house and sighed sadly. A tall grand house stood towering above her. It had all the luxuries anyone could wish for. A pool, a huge garden, a boulevard, a drive way, three stories each packed with huge rooms of different themes. She slipped on her heels again and walked up the hill to her house.
"Where'd you been sister?" Nate, her brother had just entered the back door from his night swim and had a towel draped round him though it didn't hide the muscles he had.
"Some
lousy school prom. Dad and Mom not back yet right?" She
asked.
Her brother got a drink. "Nope. End of the summer
break Dad will be back for a week and in two months time Mom will be
back for three weeks."
Erika didn't sigh. It was typical of
her parents to not be around all the time and they had grown up in an
environment with military officials guarding the house and housemaids
and tutors bringing them up. "Where's Wren?" Wren was her
older sister of age seventeen and her brother was eighteen.
"At home." Her brother climbed the stairs before her.
"Home's a huge place."
"Well somewhere at home would be good in comparison to England right?" Erika reached the third floor and ignored her brother as she entered her room. It was huge but who needed a huge room when they were never home? She threw her heels aside and got changed into a nightgown. The next day, the maids were sure to pack everything up for her. At one corner of her room was her study den where one could find the hardest textbooks and at the other corner was her walk-in closet and bathroom. Her entire room was specially designed by some French guy, Erika couldn't care much about from Italy. Basically her room had the red theme, which Erika absolutely loved. The door cracked open.
"Erik-a! Nice to see you back." Wren came into her room and saw her gash on her arm.
"Hey, you want to talk?" Wren was the next closest thing to a mother since they had grown up together without one.
"About how clever I am or how you could try to get out of the room?"
"About
how this whole thing has affected you." Her sister was very
patient.
Erika sat unto her bed and heaved. "I don't want to
talk about it. The thing is I'm alive and I'm still on the national
team and I'm still more intelligent than everyone and I'm happy!"
"Well you don't sound so to me."
"It's just I'm trying to become some normal person okay?" She looked at her sister. Wren had dark curls falling over the side of her face and two blue eyes looked concernedly back at her. On a whole, her entire family was good-looking – at least her siblings because Erika had never had one good look at her parents.
"And going to public school will help?"
"That's what normal people do. They don't stay at home and get forced to learn difficult stuff. You know what? The kids there don't even know what a binomial theorem is! I just realize I've studied two years ahead of them." She was getting annoyed by her worried sister.
"Isn't that better? Then you'll have more time for training."
"It isn't when I have to live two lives at the same time and go to school with this!" Erika pointed at her gash angrily. "And everyone can just go on and think Erika is some weird girl. She's great at sports and studies and she slashes herself 'cause she's plain weird!" Wren looked shocked. "I'm just popular because of my looks okay? Not because of me but who cares? The world's crazy out there!" Erika realized how rude she had been to her sister and in a softer tone said, "I'm sorry…"
"No.
I should be. I shouldn't have disturbed you." Wren got up and
left.
Erika fell back into her bed and left the darkness of sleep
overwhelm her and drag her away from her current life.
