Day one of School in America.

Wake up, little Alex.

My eyes opened to the dull grey of my room and looked at the alarm clock beside my bed. 630. Damn.

I sighed and a slight frown appeared on my face. School was here. Did they know about me back in Brookland? Did they know about my 'illnesses'? About me? … I didn't want them to. It'd be better if they knew nothing of me, nothing at all. But how much had Sabina told her friends about me?

I swallowed the worry and sat up in my bed, rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes. Yawning, I stood up and an unexpected shiver ran through me. I looked down to find I had taken off my shirt sometime during the night. The blanket was on the floor and my sheets were messed up. I pressed my lips into a thin line, I moved too much in my sleep.

Grimacing, I couldn't help myself as I stopped in front of the wardrobe mirror. Minuscule scars criss-crossed all along and around my abdomen, and to be honest, they all looked quite poetically laid there. Thin, white – and strategically placed – short lines. Each had their own story and purpose for being there.

Taking in a deep breath, the sheen of new skin caught the soft light to reflect back at me. Slightly concave from the rest of my skin, the bullet wound stared out at me from where my heart lay behind it. Well, technically above by a centimetre or so, but who'd notice the difference?

I tentatively touched the spot as the reminder of who I was and why I was still alive today, there were other experiences that would remind me but weren't as obvious –JACKKCAJJACKAJKJCJAKCJJACKJKACJ – I slamedm the door on the disastrous path those thoughts led to and bit the inside of my cheek, drawing some blood.

Pain. Don't think about it. Don't think about it.

I let the breath I'd been holding expel out of me before I picked up my clothes and proceeded to the bathroom. Yep. I had my own bathroom. Sabina's family was sorta kinda, like, loaded. Okay, maybe not as much as my family, but then again, Ian earned a lot from his… bank job – at least more than the average middle-class citizen, I bet.

Finally penetrating through the last tendrils of sleep as I splashed cold water onto my face, I thought about the day ahead.

High school. The thought of starting new – literally new – had a little anticipation running through me. No one knew me, no one had heard of the rumours, and no one knew me. I could be any kind of person I'd want to be and they'd have no idea. Unless of course, Sabina had told them about me, which she obviously would have. I sighed as I finished waking up and got out of the bathroom.

I took a seat on the bed and rubbed at my forehead. If she did tell them things about me, then I'd have to be British with a British accent of course. Did she mention that I played sports? Did she talk about me, personality-wise? Was I quiet and brooding, or playful and flirty?

Shaking my head in amusement, I pulled on a pair of dark jeans and a plain, simple tee. No need for flashy stuff or showing off at school; I could do that during missions, where no one could see me. I hesitated when I saw my bag but I took it, alongside my laptop and phone. It was my first day, I was bound to get some books from administration and work from the teachers.

It seemed that no matter which school I was at, I'd always need to catch up. Smiling, I took my time getting down the stairs, my mood suspiciously good today, and even though I didn't know why, I'd like to keep it that way.

Whistling softly, I made for the door when I caught a glimpse of someone in the corner of my eye. Bristling inside, I fought the instinct to catch the person by surprise and knock them out while they were off guard. Logic took over as I noticed the dark tresses and lavender scent in the air. Sabina.

All this happened in a second, and by the time I turn to her, I already had a smile on my face. "Morning, Sabina."

She was almost bursting with excitement as she quickly pounceed on me. "Are you ready for your first day, Alex?"

I shrugged and grinned, "Nothing can happen that'll be worse than anything I've been through." My smile frose in place at my carelessly spoken words, and whatever Sabina says next, I didn't hear it. They'll never know what's really been done to you, what you've done and how you feel. Never.

At that moment I brought my attention back to her and she looked at the watch on her wrist.

"Shi – Shoot! We're late and I've got Mrs Micallef for first period!" I chuckled at her apparent cover up for swear words as she latched onto my arm and rushed us out the door.

After lightly jogging for two blocks (we both felt bloody awkward with our bags on our backs) we slow down to a walk. Sabina, having given up on trying to not be late, groaned and dragged her feet along the pavement. "I know she's going to try and take a bite out me when I get to class. I swear the woman hates me or something." She grumbled like this the rest of our walk to her school.

Blankly absorbing information about entrances and exits for the front of the school and first couple buildings, I warily said, "What do I do now?" A sudden burst of laughter from her startled me and I gave her a weird expression.

A smile flirted at her lips. Beaming at me, she answered to my unspoken question. "You, Alex, make the perfect excuse. I'll just tell her that you had gotten lost and I was redirecting you. Teachers just turn into… I don't know… soft, squishy things with any new students. Always, 'are you doing okay with your classes?' this or 'I won't give you work because you're the new kid' that. And all that other shi – stuff in between."

Laughing, I slid up to her as she waved me along. "Come on, Alex. I'll give you the official tour of this school – as soon as you tell me which class you're in." Shaking my head, I followed her as she walked and talked beside me in animated chatter.

It was a bright and sunny day in San Francisco. Stray people here and there gave me curious looks, but that was it. They only wanted to know who I was, not why I was back here, or why I was gone. So far, so good.

I said good bye to Sabina before stepping into my homeroom class. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled and anger seemed to explode inside me. Not here. Fuck, no. Nothing to do with espionage is going to happen here. Not over my fucking dead body.

I wanted to punch someone and scream that spying was in the past. It had no place here. Not that anyone knew how I was feeling, my face was the careful, happy/nervous face of a student starting at a new school. The sense of being a target, that someone was watching me, was burning a hole at my back. Wanting to growl, I greeted the teacher and turned to the face the class, trying to detect where this maliciousness had come from.

Lo and behold. In the far left corner (at least from where I stood, in front of the class) sat a boy. There was a sneer on his face and a gleam in his eyes - the boys around him were smirking at me too – this all told me one thing.

I was fresh meat.

Concealing the frown on my face as I made my way to an empty seat, I dismissed the need to turn around and put them all in their places.

They would have to make the first move. No way was I going to be the antagoniser this time round.