The S.H.A.N.E. Game (editing)

Chapter 7: The 'New Girls'

Special mention to @WedadMahmoud for correcting me in a few typographic errors =) thanks!!!

**

|| Nikki ||

"This is going to be your house, which you will share with the Jackets," says the President, motioning to the modern, two-floored house across our car. It's big enough yet simple, and I nod. "How long do you estimate we'll take for this mission? Usually, you'd let us bunk at one of the government buildings."

"Oh. It's because I don't expect the mission to be solved easily. I have a feeling that our suspect has a deeper secret, and it will take more time and effort to uncover," the President informs me. "A week, at the least."

The taxi carrying Hana, Alicia, Sara and Erin pull up behind us. Sara is the first to step out, pays the driver, and they all join me. Hana is the first to speak. "So this is going to be our house?"

"For a week, at the least," I tell her.

"Also, I have found out that this Shane Walker goes to a school called Preston Kennedy University. The five of you will be going undercover there as new students." The President motions for us to follow her into the house, and she opens the door and steps in. I take in the kitchen and dinning room, which shared one room, and the living room, which was separated by a Chinese divider.

"Your rooms are upstairs," she tells us, pointing up the stairs. "It's by alphabetical order of your last name, starting from the stairs."

"When will the mission start?" Erin asks.

"Your 'first day' will be tomorrow. I already entered the address into the GPS and your driver, Luke, has it memorized. You leave first thing tomorrow morning. At seven-thirty, since the bell rings at eight."

"It's been a while since we've attended a real school," Sara says wistfully. It's true. Ever since we joined the Jackets, we had no regular schooling schedule. So we caught up to everything by being homeschooled together.

"Jackets, are you just going to stand there or should I tell your dads that you're lagging on this job?" the President says sharply, snapping all of us out of our trances. What she said about telling our dads is more or less useless since probably half of us have no dads, but it gets our attention anyway. We're all upstairs in less than a second.

**

"Bye! Thanks Luke!" Alicia exclaims, hopping out of the backseat after our friends. I step out of the passengers' seat and nod briskly before walking away. Our driver, a man with blond hair in his late twenties, tips his hat and pulls away from the curb.

"You know, you should really be more polite to people, especially those who are working for you," Alicia suggests innocently. I just shrug and turn to the front doors. 

"When we go in, pretend to be like an average teenager. Remember: we're going undercover on this one," Sara informs the four of us. We all nod and I pushes the door open to our new school.

**

|| Hana ||

We've entered PKU, and saying that I'm feeling shy is an understatement. Everyone is staring at the five 'new' girls who've entered the school, and I can hear whispers everywhere. I bet the others can hear them too.

'Hey, who're the new girls?'

'That brunette looks like she could kill someone...'

'I love the fashion sense of the blonde...'

'I think that girl's gonna be a geek, but she's still so cute...'

'Hey, turns out Shane and Jason aren't the only black-haired guys here...'

That last statement throws me off guard. There are only three people, including me, with black hair in this whole school? Impossible. Jason. Why does that name sound so familiar...?

"Hey there, you must be the new kids!" someone calls from the far end of the hall. The crowd of students part in two to make way for this guy with pitch-black hair and tanned skin. By the way girls oggle him and guys keep their distance, I know that this guy's respected. Shane or Jason, right?

When the guy comes closer, I see a pair of icy blue eyes. Jason. "I think I've met you before," he says, eyeing me.

"Yeah, at the cafè, right?" I say, tilting my head. He thinks for a moment and then nods, smiling. "You're Hana. Fancy seeing you here. Who are your friends?"

"Well, this is Sara, Alicia, Nikki and Erin," I say, pointing to each one. Alicia smiles flirtatiously, but I doubt Jason notices. He has his eyes on Nikki.

"Let me show you around," he says, extending an arm.

"Actually, we're fine. We'll get around by ourselves, but thanks," Nikki tells him. Jason mumbles something unintellgible under his breath, but consents. "At least let me introduce you to my friends."

Nikki is about to object, but then Sara whispers something in her ear and she just nods. The crowd hasn't dissipated yet, but all the eyes are still on us, the whispers never fading away. Jason disappears for a moment, and then walks back to us, three boys in tow.

The first boy I see has dark brown hair and light skin. He avoids eye contact with me, so I don't get to see his eyes. The way he dresses--dark jeans, black shirt--the way he walks and the way he stands suggests that he won't be friendly.

The second guy has tanned skin and blond hair. He gives all of us a friendly smile, showing off his white teeth. He's a surfer or something like that, because he couldn't have gotten that skin from the house, can't he? Plus, between him and the first boy, he seems more confident. Too confident, perhaps, which makes every girl swoon.

The third guy, I immediately know is whom everyone calls Shane, because of his black hair. He also has warm brown eyes and is wearing what I think is a letterman jacket of PKU. If I'm not mistaken, I overheard people calling him the King of Popularity or something like that.

"This is Theo Greeves," Jason says, patting the first guy on the back. Theo flashes us a quick smile and only looks up to scan all of us, which really creeps me out, but I don't show it.

"This is--"

"Hey, nice to see you guys! I'm Mcneil Volks, although my friends just call me Mac," the tanned guy cuts in, flashing us another grin. "But girls call me the Love Doctor." As if on cue, high-pitched squeals erupt from the crowd and he winks at someone.

"And I don't think this guy needs an introduction," Jason says, giving Mcneil an evil look. He tilts his head at Shane's direction.

"Shane Walker, right?" I ask. Jason wiggles his eyebrows and smirks. "Told you. Someone likes him!"

"I do not. I just remember hearing there were only three people with black hair in this school. I'm one, you're one, so I'm guessing he, Shane, is one too," I reason.

"You're an observant one, aren't you?" Jason comments, which I ignore. Shane walks up to us and flashes each of us a bright smile.

"Nice to meet you guys," he says, grinning. It's all I can do to remind myself, Hana, this is our prime murder suspect. It is not good to fall for him.

It's only then that I realize that it's going to be really hard.