Spy School - Salvation [3]

08: Desertion

The Box

Academy of Espionage

Washington DC

May 17

600 hours

Since I went to bed so early, I woke up at the ridiculous hour of six in the morning. I closed my eyes, hoping that sleep would take me again, but I couldn't fall asleep. I did find a piece of charcoal on the ground though, so I spent the next half hour doodling on the cement wall until someone came with my breakfast.

I looked at the tray from the cafeteria food. It was oatmeal that had suspicious flecks of something in it and had many lumps tinted green. I had long been accustomed to the cafeteria food, but it didn't make the food anymore appealing.

I grabbed the spoon and pushed the oatmeal around, trying to find some parts of it that looked safe to eat. I finally found a small section that looked edible and lifted it to my mouth. Then, the door to the Box was flung open and I spit out my oatmeal in surprise.

"Unfortunately, you are free to go." It was the principal, and he looked furious.

"What?" I said in surprise.

"I said," the principal ground his teeth, barely getting the words out, "your punishment has ended. For now. Although the expulsion papers are now submitted to the school board. Unfortunately, ever since I expelled you the first time- YOU SHOULD'VE STAYED EXPELLED!- all expulsions have to go through the school board because I was supposedly 'too reckless'."

"Uh, okay," I said. I grabbed my breakfast tray of oatmeal and walked past the principal, not bothering to glance at him. I decided to head out to the cafeteria to throw out my oatmeal- I wasn't that hungry anyway- and go talk to Zoe, Chip and Jawa, because I was wondering whether they followed the Morse Code instructions without me while I was in the Box.

As I entered the cafeteria, I immediately dumped my food into the nearest trashcan and placed my metal tray and spoon in the designated area on the table next to it, and then I lifted my eyes to search the cafeteria.

I glanced over to the table we usually sat at. It had been taken over by Zoe's other friend group, but there wasn't Zoe, Jawa or Chip among them, so I looked at the rest of the tables in the cafeteria. I didn't find them, so I scanned the cafeteria a second time, and then a third time.

Still no Zoe, Jawa and Chip.

I guessed they had finished breakfast already (or had thrown it out as I had) were either in the dorms, library, the quad or another place entirely. I texted the group chat and expected Zoe to answer, since she was a fast texter, but she didn't respond, and neither did Chip or Jawa.

I walked over to the table with Zoe's other friend group, hoping they would have an answer to where Zoe was since I didn't want to run around the campus for the next half hour looking for them.

I steeled my nerves for social interaction with people I barely knew and walked up to their table.

I took a deep breath. "Uh. Ahem. Guys," I said. I was louder than I normally was, but they didn't hear me and continued talking.

"Uh, guys. Guys!" I raised my voice even more. One of the girls finally noticed me and elbowed her friend so she would notice me.

"Oh, hey Ben!" she said.

I immediately felt guilty, because I didn't know the girl's name. She knew my name, probably because of all the rumors surrounding SPYDER and my arrival and Erica- I just realized how much drama I was really in compared to my old public middle school.