(Alex Rider Fanfiction) Floating in the Dark

Five

So this is Rockshire High School.

Alex stood on the school campus, having just been dropped off by his 'mother.' It looked like an ordinary school to him. In fact, it looked a lot like his old school.

A deep pang struck him.

He would never see his friends again. He could never go back to his old school, and pretend that he was just another, normal boy. It was impossible now.

Slowly, he started forward, forcing his thoughts to go away. Forcing his mind to empty, to become blank. If he thought too much, he'd -

Those eyes, so glassy and wide, the horror, that neat hole -

No! Stop it, Alex, just stop it! Don't think!

For a moment, he nearly stumbled, but quickly regained his footing, and continued on. His face became an unreadable mask, as Alex 'Grohier,' a transfer student from Paris, stepped inside Rockshire High.

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The secretary was a plump, overbearing woman. She meant well, he knew, but it was. . .a bit too much. Too much perfume, too much make-up, too much niceness.

He waited quietly as she checked through his papers, and entered his information into the computer. She checked, and rechecked everything, taking her time. Alex was left to stand there, breathing through his mouth in attempt to hold back the overwhelming smell of her flowery perfume. It permeated throughout the entire room – he'd even smelled it in the hall outside the office.

Finally, she printed something out, and delicately held the paper in an outstretched hand. "There you go, Awex," she boomed out, her voice loud, with a slight lisp. "That is your schedule, so don't lose it, awight?"

He took the paper from her without even looking at it. He already knew where everything was, having already memorized the setup of the entire school.

"Now if you'll just wait, someone will be along to show you awound, Awex. Awight?"

He nodded once. Then silently moved over to a plastic chair along the wall, and eased himself down. For the next four minutes, he sat stiffly, as still as a stone. His mind empty, his expression blank. He closed his eyes, fighting to keep the flood of thoughts from coming.

If he could just manage to . . .not think, then he'd be all right.

"There you are, Cindy!" The secretary's booming voice shattered the silence of the office. "He's just wight there! Awight?"

Alex opened his eyes to see a slender redhead standing in front of him. Her hair was in two short braids, making her look like a young child instead of a teenager. She stared at him boldly for a moment, then put her hands on her hips.

"Are you really from Paris?"

Alex blinked, then nodded. "Yes."

"Then say something in French."

"Why?"

"Because."

Alex sighed, then got to his feet. Why was everyone he met today so annoying? "I don't feel like it." Why couldn't he just go to class and get this whole ordeal over with?

"You don't sound French," she said accusingly. "Your English is too good – there's no accent!"

His head was starting hurt. "Can we just go to my classroom?"

She huffed, and pushed past him to lead the way. Alex followed after her, wearily rubbing his now-aching head. This was going to be a long day.

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