Spy School: Old Becomes New

Chapter 1

May 9th, 2029

CIA Academy of Espionage

1345 hours

Now, before I start the chapter, I want to say thank you to @MoofBall for giving me the idea on how to start this book. Thanks for reaching out with this idea because I think it really fits well with what the rest of the story will be about.

Ok, now on to the chapter:

Erica's POV

I sat behind my desk as students filled up the classroom. The bell had just rung, so I waited a few minutes for the stragglers that might be late. I watched as the rest of my class had filed in. I silently counted the students and knew that I had everyone. I quickly submitted the attendance and headed up to the board.

"Welcome back students, how was your day?" I asked.

I got a few goods, oks and fines.

I looked around the room, which was fairly big. There were the seats and desks at the back while there was a wrestling circle in between the board and the desks.

"Today in Self Defense, we will be learning basic counters to attacks enemies might throw at you. As this is Self Defense 1, which is one of the newer courses, we will not be using any weapons. Even though we are quite far into the year, we will save that for later.

"You have already learned theory and basic attacks, but counters are more difficult. They require perfect timing as well as a knowledge of the opponent's strength and capability."

I wrote all of this down on the board.

Most of the students copied this down, while a few just glanced on. I was guessing they had written down what I was saying. I saw a student in the back talking to someone else.

"Mr. Pearce, is there something you would like to say to the class?" I asked. To my surprise, he came down to the mat.

"Well, I think all of us are wondering why YOU are teaching us in combat. You are just a pretty face, after all."

I lined up with him on the mat.

"So you want to try and reverse me?" The boy asked. "Ha, so be it."

He swung a fist at me and I ducked, grabbed his arm, and twisted it, then pulled it behind his back and lightly shoved him to the mat.

"As I was saying, you cannot let your own cockiness get in the way of learning new techniques," I said, as the kid scrambled back up to his desk.

The rest of the class went by normally. Kids paired up and tried doing simple reversals on each other and then switching roles.

"Class dismissed," I said, just before the bell rang.

I finished up some outlying paperwork and then left the class as well. I skirted around the edges of the building, ending up outside, and then walked over to the parking lot. Ben was sitting in the car.

"How was class today?" He asked as I stepped into the passenger seat.

"Oh you know, same old, same old," I said. "What about you?"

"Some kids in my class don't seem to like math," He said. "If only they knew how important it was."

He started the car and then drove out of the parking lot of the school. Technically, all teachers were supposed to stay on campus, but since we only lived 5 minutes away, it really didn't matter.

Ben turned left onto the road and headed into the suburbs near the Academy. After a few turns, he ended up on a road lined with older houses, and then, the school.

He pulled into the parking lot of Sunnyside Daycare, and I got out to head inside the building. I walked past the office and into the first classroom I saw. There was Kerry, the supervisor who watched over the kids.

"Emma," Kerry called out. I looked around and found her drawing on the chalkboard. When I walked over, I realized she was writing out math problems.

9x8. Emma thought for a second, then instead of carrying the numbers, simply wrote underneath.

72.

"Emma," I said as I grabbed her from behind. She squealed in laughter.

"Hi Mama."

"What did I tell you about doing math? You're here to have fun."

"Math is fun," she said, smiling back at me as I shifted her into my arms.

Wow. She sounds like Ben.

"I'll keep telling you, that girl is special," Kerry said to me. "I don't know how she is so smart."

"She gets it from her dad," I said, laughing. I went over to the clipboard near the door and signed Emma out, then carried her outside.

"I can walk Mama," she said to me.

"You don't have too. Mama is here for you."

I brought her into the front of the car. I just sat with her as I was too lazy to put her in the back with the proper seat. Chances were that we would not get pulled over.

"Was she doing math again?" Ben asked.

"Yes," I said. "I'm starting to think you were the wrong person to have a baby with."

"Mhm," he said as he made a left turn. "Why don't you try, I don't know, Joshua Hallal?" 

I laughed. I had gotten over him a long time ago. 

"Who Josh?" Emma asked.

"Don't worry about it little Hale," I said.

Ben pulled up to our house and I brought Emma inside. 

"What would Emma like to eat?" I said out loud, hoping she would give me an answer.

"Salad!" she said.

"See, she's not all me," Ben said, as he was grabbing a slice of cake from the fridge. 

"Whatever dork," I responded. I got the salad out of the fridge and began to feed Emma.

"Will I be big and strong like ... like dad if I eat salad," she said in between bites.

"Like him? Maybe. But you should try and be like me."

"But I love you both equally."

"That's a good thing. Now come on, eat up."

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Comment anything you like :)