I Spy

Chapter 9

Chapter 9 

Oliver

There is an icy glare hitting my back from across the room in Maths. I don't even need to turn around to know that it's from Maddie. She has been doing it all day. Every oppurtunity she gets, she'll barge me or look at me like a piece of something on her shoe. It's not as if I have done anything out of the ordinary or anything which would offend her. 

Who knows? I will never be able to work out girls. One minute they are all friendly and nice and the next they look like they want to rip your head off.

I try to rack my brains and wonder what the hell I've done, but I can't think of anything.

I'm still wondering when she walks up to me when we get out class.

My first instinct is to turn and run in the opposite direction, but I can't do that. She'll hate me forever.

So instead I wave at her and smile and pretend I haven't noticed that her ears are almost fuming, which, I realise, is probably still not the best idea.

She glares at me and bashes into my shoulder harder than ever as she walks past.

"Wait, Mads," I beg, grabbing her wrist so she can't pull free.

She looks at it then back at my face, tears shining in her eyes.

Then she pulls it out my grip and runs down the hallway.

"Mads, wait!" I call after her, but she's either already gone or pretending not to hear me.

I sigh and rub my brow. What am I going to do with her?

Maddie

I can't believe it. I can't believe him.

He's working for the agency that killed my father.

Which means he killed my father.

I can't even say his name anymore. I wonder if he learnt that grip on my wrist in his spy school.

Probably.

"Maddie, we really need to talk."

I look up from my lunch, which I haven't even touched.

He is stood there. He looks concerned and upset, and I feel my stomauch pull, but I ingnore it.

All my friends are looking at me, so I have no choice but to bin my pasta and follow him out the cafeteria.

He leads me out behind the bike sheds, where it smells faintly of smoke but at least it's out the way.

I look at the floor and refuse to look at him.

He puts his hands on my shoulders and forces me to look at him.

'Is that something you learned in spy school?' I want to ask but I bite my tongue.

"What's wrong, Mads?" he whispers.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Just tell me, and I can make it right!" he shouts.. I pull away from him and sit on the floor.

"No, you can't, Oliver. You can't." I say, but the words feel wrong on my lips.

He sits next to me.

"Tell me, Maddie." he says softly, and I start to cry. He wraps his arm around me and pulls me close.

"I can't believe you lied to me." I whisper into his shoulder. He doesn't answer.

"You're a spy, Oliver," I continue.

I daren't look at him.

"H-how did you know?" he stuttered after a considerable silence.

"I was on a mission," I answer, still not looking at him, although I can feel his eyes boring into me. "I saw you while I was escaping."

I don't remember what happened after I saw him, walking down the hallway. My brain just sort of froze and it wasn't until I got outside I knew what I had to do: run.

He's quiet for a long time, or so it feels like.

"But, you have no right to be mad at me, Maddie, because you were lying as well." he whispers softly, so softly it's barely audiable.

"I'm not angry because you lied, Oliver. I'm angry because you work for the agency that killed my dad and you know it."

I stand up, still not looking at him, grab my backpack and start to walk away. He doesn't follow. Just as I'm about to turn the corner, I turn around and look back at him. He's looking at his hands.

"By the way, my name's not Maddie. Or Madeline. And this isn't my choice of backpack." I spit, before spinning on my heel and almost running away.

I know I shouldn't have said that. If NSA knew, they'd kill me in a heartbeat.

I don't care though. And it feels weird. A year, even a few months, ago, I would have given up my whole life to be on a secret mission in England.

But now, all I want is Olly.