t's the holiday season, and Ash is looking forward to a great Christmas with the Grays, a non-spy related Christmas. But when Ash wants the prisoners of the G.R.A.Y prison hold to have a good Christmas too, she comes up with another crazy plan, in which Nate will be dragged into. In a side story, the group has to work on a float for the Christmas Parade and Aiden is decorating the 'greatest' Christmas Tree.

CHAPTER 35: SPECIAL-Christmas Breakout Pt1

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la, la la," I sang as I got my books from my locker with Nate. "Can you believe Christmas is almost here?"

"I know, hard to believe isn't it," Nate said at my happy personality this morning.

"You think the school does anything for Christmas with the students?" I asked, shutting my locker closed.

He thought for a minute. "I don't know. We're only freshman. If the school will be doing anything I don't think we'll be included."

"Oh, you're right. Might be a junior senior thing," I said, seeing Nate's point.

"Nope, wrong," Shane said, walking over with Ember and Jason. "The school's a snore-fest for Christmas."

"Really?" Nate asked. "With so many students I thought that we'd be doing something big."

Jason shook his head. "Just some really bad play with really bad acting."

Ember made a small smile. "Well, it can't be that bad."

"It is," Jason and Shane said, making me, Nate, and Ember give them strange looks.

"Oh well. Better get home now," Shane said.

As we all walked down the hallway and to the gym for P.E. Surprisingly, we heard a lot of noise from inside. Nate and I exchanged confused glanes before entering. Inside the gym was a bunch of students surrounding a table with some clipboards. And three people there, I never thought I'd see.

"Hey, is that Principal Koel and Ms. Autumn?" Jason asked, trying to see through the crowd.

Nate squinted his eyes. "And.... is that Ash's mom?"

"Is who my what now?" I said with a face. We walked up to the table and got a clearer view of everything.

"Oh, hello Ashley," Principal Koel greeted with a smile.

I smiled back. "Hi. Um, are these sign up sheets for?"

"I think your mother can explain this," Ms. Autumn said to me with the same look in her eye. Yup, still hates our group.

Mom smiled. "You know how each Christmas you and I always travel to your grandparent's place?"

I nodded, remembering the yearly trip. "What about it?"

"Well you remember the parades don't you? The one that your grandparents' are in charge of each Christmas?"

Nate made a confused face. "Parades?"

I grinned. "Oh yeah! I remember those! Gosh there were so many floats and performers. It was so amazing!"

Mom nodded. "But since your grandparents are in retirement now, all the performers are coming here this year to Wyckoff."

My eyebrows rose. "All the who are what to where now?"

Principal Koel. "You have an amusing daughter, Ms. Drame."

Mom nodded. "Thank you. Anyway, since I'll be in charge of everything, I thought that Wyckoff should be part of the parade as well. And where better to find great talent than here at your high school?"

"So everyone here is signing up for participation in the parade?" Ember asked, looking through all the papers filled with signatures of students.

Principal Koel nodded. "Yes. With Ms. Autumn in charge of the school's float."

Nate's and my eyes widened. "What?"

Ms. Autumn smirked. "This way I can keep all the trouble making students grounded, the those students being you five."

"Told you she hates us," I whispered to Mom, making her chuckle and roll her eyes.

"Would you guys like to sign up as well?" Principal Koel asked, handing Shane a pen and clipboard.

"You bet," Shane said, signing his name. "Finally something interesting this Christmas."

Jason smiled. "With this many students, makes me wonder how we're all gonna manage being in one act in the parade."

I nodded sternly. "Jason's absolutely right, Principal Koel. Don't you think we're all gonna be a bit too much for Ms. Autumn to handle?" I asked, trying to get Ms. Autumn out of the picture. Knowing her, she'd just let us ride a cardboard box on a red wagon for the parade.

Principal Koel pondered. "Hm, you do have a point, Ashely."

"She does?" Ms. Autumn asked in surprise.

"She does?" Mom repeated.

Shane caught onto my idea and rushed up, hanging his arm over my shoulders. "Yeah! Ash is totally right! We need a much more suitable supervisor."

Principal Koel shook his head. "No no. Ms. Autum is definitly supervising since I won't be able to do so. But, I suppose you should have another supervisor. And I know the perfect person."

I grinned. "Who?"

"William!" Principal Koel called. And behind another door came a man in a button down shirt and jeans.

"Yes?" the stranger asked.

"Would you mind helping supervise our school's Christmas activity with Ms. Autumn?

"Sure no prob," William agreed, placing an oil stained towel over his shoulder. He looked at us. Nate and I noticed William, Shane, and Jason looking at eachother.

'Eh?

"A-Are there any more suitable supervisors?" Shane asked nervously.

Principal Koel laughed. "I'll be in my office."

"And we'll be gone," Jason said in a rush as he and Sane dragged me, Nate, and Ember out the gym, practically running.

"Hey let go!" Ember shouted, being draged by Shane. Jason had Nate and me.

"Not till we get one-million feet away from the school!" Shane exaggerated, us stopping in their fire house living room.

I slapped Jason's arm and he let Nate and me go. And I slapped Shane's arm who let go of Ember. Then somehow I got into this hand slap fight with Shane until Nate broke us up.

"Ok!" Nate shouted, getting everyone quiet. "Now, Shane, Jason, what was that all about?"

"That William guy is supposed to be in our G.R.A.Y prison!" Shane shouted slowly, exaggerating every word.

I lifted my eyebrow. "So what's he doing at school?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out!" Shane panicked, until Ember slapped him upside the head.

"Jeez, quit panicking. The man doesn't look that bad," she said with a slight glare at Shane.

"How come Ash and I don't know him?" Nate asked.

"We caught him from when it was just me and Shane as a spy squad," Jason explained. "Maybe he was let out some time ago. And by the looks of things, he might have recognized me and Shane."

"He might want revenge," Shane groaned, holding his head.

I pouted. "Great, the best Christmas ever ruined by an ex-con of G.R.A.Y and the worst teacher that could ever live."

"Like Ember said, he can't be that bad," Nate said. "And all of us will be there to keep an eye on him. We're safe."

"You better be right," Shane glared.

"Welcome back guys," said, walking into the room. "I've got a mission for you-"

"What's William doing out-!"

Jason, Ember, Nate, and I covered Shane's mouth. "Shut it."

Mr. Gray blinked. "Speaking of William, I want you guys to keep an eye on him for your mission."

"So you know about him?" Nate asked.

Mr. Gray laughed. "Well duh, I'm supposed to know. We let him out, but I didn't let him know we were keeping an eye on him. And, you guys know about William why?"

"We saw him at school!" Shane shouted, removing our hands.

Mr. Gray made a worried expression. "Did he do anything?"

"Nothing, except he's a supervisor of our school's Christmas float project," Ember said with crossed arms. "Why'd he end up in in G.R.A.Y prison anyway?"

"Something about trying to take over earth with technology or some of that other world domination nonsense," Mr. Gray said with a shake of his head. "Did he see you guys?"

"I think he saw Jason and Shane," I said, my hand on the back of my neck. "Boy will this be weird."

--

I looked out the back door, seeing a giant tree there, as tall as the fire house. And that was tall. "Gosh when you said you guys were making the greatest Christmas Tree ever you weren't kidding."

Nate looked out the door with me and his eyes widened. "Wow how'd that get there?"

Aiden ran out from behind the tree, holding a ladder. "Hi Nate, Ash."

"Aiden what are you doing?" I asked with a laugh, looking up to try and see the tree.

"Preparing to make the greatest Christmas Tree ever," Aiden said, settling down the ladder. I noticed a bunch of cardboard boxes around. "Those are the decorations."

My head dropped forward. "All of those are tree decorations?"

"Nah, just some of the decorations. I'm getting more later."

"Ok...?" Nate said unsurely. "Christmas is coming soon though. Will you be able to finish this in time?"

"Sure I'm sure. I got Jason, Shane, and Ember helping me later," Aiden said, opening a few of the boxes. "What about you two?"

"I think I'll pass," Nate said, looking up. "How you even get a tree this big?"

"No further questions," Aiden said, walking back inside. Nate and I looked at eachother with the same face. Ok...

--

We were at school now in the gym, discussing what we would be doing for the parade.

"Now," Ms. Autumn said into the microphone. "We all know we will have a float, band, and dancers. Now, we have sign up sheets at the table for which category you want to work into. Ms. Drame will be in charge of dancing, William will be in charge of the float, and I will, of course, be in charge of band," she said proudly, making Nate and I look at eachother. "Now go on."

"Well, now what?" Ember asked as we gathered into our usual group.

"Well obviously Shane and I can't go into William's group," Jason said.

"Yeah. I think Jason and I will join Dance with your Mom," Shane nodded. "You and Nate can handle him."

I made a face. "Weren't you just panicking about this William guy yesterday?"

"I said you and Nate can handle him," Shane gritted through his teeth with a scary face, scaring me and Nate a little.

"You'll join us right Ember?" Jason said in the same manner.

Ember looked at the two Grays in confusement then caught onto their plan. "Ohhh, right! Yeah of course I'll join Dance with you guys!"

"So, um, we'll go, over there, um, sign the sheets," Shane said walking backwards before running with Ember and Jason.

Nate starred in their direction. "That was weird."

"Couldn't have said it better myself. Come on, we better sign up too."

We walked over to the table to sign up. And there we saw a bunch of girls, all probably joining the Float's group because they liked William. After they gone, Nate signed, then handed the clipboard and pen to me. Before I could sign my name, Sharmane took the pen. "Hey."

"Move it Ashley, you're holding up the line," Sharmane said, grabbing the clipboard too.

"There is no line," I said back. Even durring the Christmas Season she's a mean person.

"Well, you're holding up me," she said rudely, dropping the pen and clipboard onto the table as I glared at her. But of course Nate was dazing at her. Again I have no idea how it's even possibe.

"Hello," William said, catching my attention. "Are you joining my group? I'll sign your name for you."

I smiled at his politeness. "Yeah. Ash Drame."

"Drame?" he repeated, writing my name on the clipboard. "Daughter?"

"Yeah, she's my mom," I said, looking at the dancers gathered across the gym.

While Mom's and Ms. Autumn's groups walked out of the gym for different classrooms, our group stayed here in the gym. Nate and I stayed together like the best friends we were, not to get lost.

"So," William said, getting all our attention from the stage. "Now, first priority, we'll be making a float, obviously. But, we need a theme for it. Any suggestions?"

"What about a Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus theme?" shouted out one of the girls.

"Yeah! One person can be Santa Claus and the other Mrs. Claus!" yelled out another girl.

William smiled. "Good suggestion. And, I think I know who to pick to be Santa Claus."

"You?!" shouted another fagirl.

William laughed nervously. "Um, thank you, but no." That got everyone whispering. "One obvious hint, he's the only guy in here besides me."

Almost automatically, all eyes went to Nate, who looked around confused. "Who me?"

I chuckled with my arms crossed. "Well aren't you a quick thinker."

"No, it's that I just realised I'm the only guy here."

"I volunteer to be Mrs. Clause!" Sharmane shouted raising her arm with a huge grin. I glared at her with daggers in my eyes.

William smiled apolegetically. "Sorry but I have already chosen someone to be Mrs. Clause. Ash?"

Again, all eyes went to one person, me. "... Who me?"

Nate laughed. "Yeah, quick thinking."

--

"So tomorrow after school we'll bring in our materials to build the float. Then we can move onto more important things. Goodbye everyone, good job today," William said as all the girls quickly left. And again, Nate and I were the only normal slow moving people.

"I can not believe I have to be Santa for the float," Nate said in disbelief as we walked to the bleachers.

I gave a hopeful smile. "Oh come on. Can't be that bad. I mean, I think you're perfect for the job!"

He looked at me. "What resemblance do I have to Santa Claus? Do you see me with a white beard?"

I starred at him. "Not yet. But you have similar names. Saint Nick, Nate, what's the difference?"

We laughed and grabbed our bags and jackets from the bleachers. Meanwhile, William walked over to us. "Hello Ash, Nate."

I looked back up from my bag. "Oh, hi William. Uh, is something the matter?"

"You two G.R.A.Y agents?"

Nate and I starred at William with wide eyes. We so did not see that coming. Immediately, Nate went in front of me protectively. "Why do you ask? And don't you dare try anything while we're-"

"Calm down calm down," he said with his hand his picket as his other hand went through his blonde hair. "Man, even now all G.R.A.Y agents are so tense."

"Wait," I said, coming out from behind Nate. "You aren't gonna try and kill us or anything a usual bad guy would do?"

William laughed. "No, no I'm not. So Nate you don't have to act all overprotective for your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Nate said almost automatically while blushing with a serious face. Of course I couldn't see it since I was behind him.

William nodded. "Oh. Ok. That was the only reason I made you two Santa and the Mrs."

"So we don't have to be them anymore?" I asked with a smile.

"No you two are still them," he answered, making Nate and me frown. "But you two know about me right?"

"Yeah, my brothers wouldn't stop warning us about you all night," Nate said. "You don't seem all that dangerous."

"That's because I'm not," William said, packing his papers into his suitcase. "I may be a genius, but I'm not dangerous."

"You're a genius?" I asked curiously, zipping up my jacket.

He nodded. "Yes. Why do you think I agreed to be the supervisor for the float group. I'm probably the only one who knows how to get it moving."

Nate looked at William. "Out of curiosity, how did you end up in our jail? You seem too nice to be a bad guy."

He smiled at us. "I'll explain another time. We'll have more time to talk. I have to get home now." He put on his jacket. "It was nice meeting you two," he said, shaking our hands.

"Bye," Nate and I said as he walked out of the gym.

"Why can't the world have more evil villains like that?" I asked, making Nate laugh, us walking out of the gym too.