"The world is a stage. Play your audience and get them to love you. Life is an investment. It's like buying a satin suit and fabulous shoes. You get what you pay for. Head up, shoulders straight, and remember never buy cheap."

She'd always been a trendsetter, a runway model by age 17 and for the past few years she had become one of the most valued operatives at THORN. Her model figure and fashion sense, along with her catlike ability to land on her feet, had allowed her to infiltrate some of the most dangerous criminal circles in the world. She had exposed the most cunning criminals, foiled terrorists and carried top-secret documents across enemy lines; while entertaining evil in the process. And each time she had managed to keep her identity a secret to play the game another day. She'd always been elusive and her top-notch skills allowed her to haul her butt out of tighter spots than a Gucci leather skirt. She was the best they had and she knew it.

Chapter 1

She had made it back to headquarters just in time to slip into a metallic Soronen that some would consider a bit too risqué to wear to a fundraiser and a pair heels that made her legs look as if they went on for miles. She stepped out of her office and was almost out the door when she heard an all too familiar voice that made her stop dead in her tracks.

"Heidi!"

The voice was loud, high-pitched and could only belong to one person – the boss's secretary. Rebecca was her name and though the girl was ambitious, she was also very annoying and had a habit of sticking her nose in places where it didn't belong. Being that it had been such a long day and the last thing she needed was to cause a scene. Heidi decided to tolerate the girl for a few seconds more – hoping the girl was just stopping her to discuss casual workplace gossip. So she slapped a smile on her face and turned around to greet the out of breathe redhead but was interrupted before she could do so.

"The boss wants to see you . . . Now" she panted. "And he is not happy"

The smile on her face disappeared and was replaced by a cold, hard, mocking stare.

"Why? Hello to you too, Rebecca. Nice to know you're not spending your time sticking your business where it doesn't belong but instead wasting mine. Thanks for the heads up though, sweetheart."

Her response was bitchy and maybe a little uncalled for but that was who she was – bitchy and uncalled for. So when she reached the 76th floor and strolled into her boss's office there was only so much she could help herself from saying.

"This better be good'Lijah. I have places to be and people to see and well, you know the rest but I really don't think we should was waste our time with unnecessary formalities. I'm sure you'd agree, how bout we make this quick?"

His back was turned to her. He stood looking at the marvelous view of New York City that the ridiculously large window behind his desk provided for. When he turned around to face her and his eyes hardened, she couldn't help the curious smile that appeared on her face.

"Shut up and sit down."

His tone was harsh and she sat down and made herself comfortable almost immediately. She couldn't help but to be intrigued at his demeanor.

"What the hell were you thinking!?"

He looked at her, sitting comfortably in the large armchair and though he was shouting in her direction, it seemed to have no effect on her posture. She remained as she always did - calm in the face of conflict and smug in the midst of chaos. She was enjoying this.

"You had specific orders. There was to be no blood! First I get a call saying you shot the poor kid and then I get another call saying you didn't even get debriefed! The CIA is going to be all over this! You sure as hell better have a good reason for this one!"

He stared at her as if he was awaiting an answer. She just stared at him with a mixture of awe and amusement. The room was quiet and his words still hung the air – he broke the silence.

"It wasn't a rhetorical question. I'm expecting an answer."

She sat in silence a few seconds longer, contemplating her response. This was certainly new, clearly unaccustomed to being disciplined for her actions, she responded aloof and unfazed.

"I didn't think it was. But now that you have wasted enough of my time already, I might as well justify this ridiculous conversation with an answer. First of all orders were to have him alive and as far as I'm concerned his ass is still living. Second, since when the hell do I need to get debriefed and by the CIA of all people? And lastly, you'll have my full report on the incident tomorrow morning because right now I have a party to get to."

She had intended on strolling out of the room when he handed her a pamphlet. She stared down at the pamphlet in her hand that read "Spenser Academy" and let it fall back on to his desk before heading for the door. She was not in the mood to be briefed on another mission, she was in the mood for a drink or ten.

"Don't you want to know what your cover will be?"

She stopped right at the door, just like he predicted she would. She had a habit of letting her curiosity get the best of her.

"Something tells me your going to tell anyway."

He smiled now, as her face was still facing the door. She was the most arrogant person on the face of this planet and she was fully aware of it too.

"There is no cover."

A million thoughts went through her mind before she decided he was just playing games with her head. Still she had taken the bait and there was no going back, she would have to play now. It was a good thing she enjoyed games.

"Sounds like a terrible idea," she deadpanned, "Tell me more."

He sat down once more and ushered her to do so as well. It wasn't until she was seated that he began talking.

"I'm sending you to Ipswich, where you will be attending Spenser Academy as yourself."

"You're repeating yourself. I asked you to explain not reiterate. "

He paused for second and sighed before responding to her question.

"Heidi, I'm not sending you to Ipswich on a mission. I'm sending you to attend High School. As of today you will no longer be deployed on any missions and your current position will be terminated. You will attend Spenser Academy as a regular student."

The sudden shock of his words wore off as she came to a realizing sense of what he had just announced. Her response was that of laughter.

"High School, you're sending me to some random High school? She laughed. "Have you lost your mind?"

Her giggles died down as she spoke once more. Though tone of her voice was light the weight behind her words were not forgone.

"And just because I shot a guy?" She rolled eyes dramatically. "Oh, come on now, he is alive isn't he? If I wanted to kill him I would have. I'm privately tutored by the best in the world. Why the hell would you want to send me there? I'm beginning to think that the stress of the job is finally getting to you. "

Leave it to Heidi to shrug off his instruction whilst simultaneously questioning his ability to do his job.

"I'm not asking you Blake. I'm telling you. The decision has already been made. All of your stuff has been packed and moved out of your apartment .You leave for Ipswich in the morning."

She flinched at the use of her middle name, which was once a term of endearment. The entire conversation seemed to be a nightmare – a really bad nightmare. It wasn't a game and it wasn't a joke. The look on his face was serious and as she re-collected her thoughts. She would play one last hand in an act of desperation. Her face hardened and her voice dropped to a dangerously low tone.

"Are you sending me as an operative who failed to comply with the demands of one lousy mission or are you sending me as your niece?"

He was silent; he had seen this coming. He was indeed interested in seeing how she would utilize their relationship in a final plea to change his already made-up mind.

"As far as I'm concerned you shouldn't be mixing business with personal matters. Both you and I know that I'm the best you have and dismissing me on such misdemeanor charges would be an idiotic as well as a stupid move."

His eyes didn't budge nor did his cool expression. He stared at her with the same indifference as he had been before.

"I'm not dismissing you on any charges. As your legal guardian I find it in your best interest to be attending Spenser Academy. Consider this a favor. Your mother did not want this for you. She wanted you to live a normal life as a normal teenager. The last thing she wanted was you to follow in her footsteps. Yeah, you're the best – you've made that very clear over the years but what has that given you?

She cringed inside at the mentioning of her mother. She should have known that he would bring her into the conversation. But before she could respond to his question with a firm "everything", he interrupted once more.

"You're a monster and I am the one who made you. You spend your weekends on cases, at shooting ranges and you don't feel the slightest bit of remorse ripping a bullet through person – a human. We all kill but none of us should ever be content with it. That's not normal and it's definitely not what your mother would have wanted.

She closed her eyes and exhaled. When she opened her eyes, she made sure to look directly into his.

"That's my Job. Do tell Uncle, when was it that you developed a conscious? Or rather an affinity for good parenting?"

His eyes didn't remove themselves from her stare but rather they remained; they saw right through her nasty tone.

"Not anymore it isn't. This discussion is over. Enjoy your party."

She stood up abruptly and before she left the room she made sure to have the last word.

"Oh and by the way, my mother's dead. Next time leave her out of this."

"Madam Adams! It's time for you to wake up!"

She awoke in a sudden jolt as she felt the maid shake her lightly.

"Ugh, where am I and what time is it?"

She squirmed around in the soft silk sheets. Her head was pounding and her vision was still a little blurry. She felt nauseous for a moment.

"Madam Adams, you are currently in your room at Mr. Swade's apartment. I'm sorry to wake you this early but he told me you had a flight to catch at six and I should wake you an hour before. Don't worry, your bath is ready and breakfast will be ready by the time you get out."

She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the maid left the room. She didn't really need to try hard to remember what had happened the night before. Adams had pretty much fired her and decided that it was time she lived a normal life. She laughed aloud at the thought. Mike had offered to spend the night watching movies and eating ice cream but they settled for their usual instead - bar hopping until she was wasted and catching a limo home. Judging by her current physical state and the nausea she felt, that was exactly what had happened. She stopped concerning herself with the issues of yesterday and focused on next mission –making it safely to the bathroom.

She rolled out of bed, stumbled her way to the bathroom, stripped off her clothes and sunk into the cold bath. She was always one to prefer cold water, it gave her a desirably numbing sensation. As she lay in the water, she couldn't help but to think of Adams decision and realized that she had no choice but comply. An uncommon feeling of helplessness overcame her. She came to the conclusion that though she was going to have to attend Spenser, she didn't need to be happy about it.

Her thought than shifted over to Mike. Michael Swade was her best friend or rather her only friend. Now she was being forced to leave him and her entire life behind. Granted she had a handful of "friends" but he was the only person outside of the agency that knew of her true identity and he was seemingly the only person that could tolerate her personality. Everyone else associated with her because of her name and social status. Mike was the privileged son of a prestigious New York lawyer with a heart of gold who she had known since she was in diapers. He maintained her sanity and kept him grounded. How she was going to be able to survive without him?

She had no clue.

When she arrived at Ipswich she was not only exhausted but had determined that as far as hangovers were concerned – this was definitely the worst. She had thrown on whatever she could find in her closet at Mikes, which was an oversized black sweater dress, black flats and a pair of shades that covered almost all of her face. She couldn't help but feel that something was missing as she exited the private jet.

"Anyone wanna tell me where my car is?"

It was then when one of her guards Tommy that answered her.

"Your car is still being transported up here, it is expected to arrive tomorrow morning."

Tommy wasn't a nice guy. He was tall, muscular and had Ranger tattoos up his arms. She refrained from commenting.

It wasn't till 30 minutes later that she arrived in front of a huge gothic style building. She stepped out of the continental and felt the chill in the air as the temperature dropped. She dismissed her entourage and entered the building. When she entered the main office, she looked down at one of the secretaries and introduced herself as rudely as possible.

"Heidi Adams."

. . .

They lady stared at her.

. . .

"Your new student"

The lady just stared at her for another moment then smiled.

"Oh! Heidi, it's nice to meet you. Welcome to Spenser! The provost will see you now."

She walked past the lady and couldn't help but wonder why people were so damn nice. When she entered the office, she saw an old man sitting behind a cluttered desk. He looked up at her and smiled. She didn't return the favor; instead she walked over to the empty chair across from him and made herself comfortable.

"Miss. Adams! It's nice to see you have made it here safely. I trust that you will find your experience here very delightful. The students here are some of the finest in the nation. We are home to some of the finest athletes as well. I've spoken to your uncle and he informed me that you are an excellent student and athlete. I'm sure you won't have any trouble fitting in at all."

Her life was joke. The world could not be this cruel and the old man sitting in front of her could not be serious. However, considering the fact that he ran the place, she decided he was the person, if any, she would have to play nice with. So, she slapped her "one-of-a-kind" smile on her face and nodded in agreement.

"You are absolutely right sir. I'm looking forward to attending classes and I'm even considering trying out for a sport or two!"

Lying, for her, had become a second hand nature. It was no surprise when he stood up enthused.

"Then it looks like we're set. Welcome to Spenser Miss Adams."

She shook his hand when he offered it and responded to his welcome with an equally as enthused attitude before heading for the exit.

"It was nice meeting you sir. I'm looking forward to my experience here."

Just as she was about to leave the provost spoke once more.

"Oh and one more thing miss Adams."

She turned around and wondered why it felt as if the past two days no one was letting her leave without interruption.

"Yes sir?"

"I have organized for you to meet with a fellow student here. She will help you get settled and show you around campus. I trust you two will become friends very fast. She will be waiting for you outside the main building. That will be all, you are dismissed now."

Dismissal? Today was just not her day she thought as she held her tongue. She had already committed herself to be nice the man, even if she wasn't being sincere.

"Yes Sir."

She stepped out the building to see a girl who seemed to be waiting for someone in particular, in this case it was her. As she moved in her direction, she couldn't help but notice how hideous the uniform worn by the girl was or rather how unflattering it would look on someone like herself. Upon further examination she noted that the girl herself was indeed pretty. Her skin was a smooth mocha color and the contrast between her light and dark features gave her a distinct allure. However, the look on her face, the one that seemed a bit to keen to meet her, was instantly a turnoff.

"Hi! I'm Kate Tunney and you must be Heidi! Oh my god it's so nice to meet you!"

Heidi shook the hand that was offered to her by Kate. She didn't like meeting new people but she didn't want to start a problem with someone on her first day, on the second thought – she did. As her grip tightened around Kate's hand, she decided it was time to play a new role.

"Hi. I'm Heidi and Oh .My. God. Guess what? I don't give a shit."

She released her hand, her face no longer smiling and was close to walking away when Kate opened her mouth.

"Excuse you? Listen, your new here and all so I'm just trying to help you out! There's no need to be a bitch about it!"

There are times in life when one needs to decide how to approach an aggressive situation, particularly ones they have created themselves. This was one of those times where she would need to keep a calm demeanor because if there was one thing she had learned over the years, it was that it was far more intimidating to be patient and calm than it was to be a raging lunatic with anger management issues. She kept her facial expression rather relaxed, squared her shoulders, held her held up high and for extra measure she let a small smirk fall on her lips before responding.

"Trust me sweetheart, there is every need to be a bitch about it. Both you and I know you don't want to help me. You're here because the little old man that runs this place wants you to and you're probably gunning for student president. I'm here because I have an uncle who happens to be very generous to this hellhole. How bout we both do each other a favor and drop the act darling? No need to pretend out here. Lets keep that pretty little mouth of yours shut as I walk away and I promise you'll have my vote. Kay?"

Kate stared at the girl before her in awe. She was unable to mouth a response as the girl in question gave her a taunting wave before walking away.

I decided to ramble a bit in the end this time! Moving forward, I won't be updating daily. However, because this is a rewrite and I am trying to move the story along I thought I'd post this up.

Don't forget to review!

Happy Friday!