Remembrance Day with Alex Rider

Remebrance Day Chapter 5

After registering, the school intercom system announced that any students who had volunteered to help with the parade had to meet the headmaster at the front gate. Quite reluctantly, Alex stood up and amidst the sniggers of Joe and the glares of some other students, he picked up his bag, gave Tom a wave of good luck, and left to find Mr Bray. As he walked through the door, he could already hear the rumours going around the room about him, saying how his 'counsellor' must have made him volunteer to get rid of his drug habits, and to be honest they weren't far from the truth. Blunt was always doing what he thought best for the country, at the risk of a few innocent lives and one teenage boy's health.

There were also comments about his peculiar uniform, because although it was similar to the cadet's baggy green camouflage suits, Alex's was in two parts, and his was green, beige, brown and black, much better suited to the actual colours of the welsh landscape, because unbelievable as it sounds, in a forest a bright green camo outfit wouldn't get you anywhere, the permanent layer of dead vegetation on the ground and the black and brown shadows would completely reveal you to anyone who was looking. The combat boots also looked different, like they were made for thick mud or water, not gravel paths or dirt tracks. These subtle differences were obvious when put together, and no one else in the school had been seen in gear similar, leaving the students moderately confused and even more curious about the mysterious Alex Rider.

Alex had yet to put on his holsters and weapons, thinking he could at least wait until K-unit arrived to back him up, and double checked that everything was in his bag and he hadn't left a Steel Eagle on his desk when he got his homework out.

He finally arrived at the gate, and met with the headmaster and several other students for a brief meeting before setting everything up for the parade. "Thank you everyone for volunteering to help with today's remembrance parade, I, um, I'm sure you all just want to help with the organisation and the school thanks you for that" Mr Bray glances momentarily at Alex, hesitating before continuing almost as if he was confused as to Alex's motive behind volunteering, he had received an email to volunteer him, and Alex didn't look at all happy to be there.

"We actually have some special guests I didn't mention yesterday, because I was unsure if they could make it, but now I know they will be here in just under an hour, so several soldiers from the SAS will be marching with us, as a special gesture from the Prime Minister to involve more active military in the Remembrance Day parades. Anyway, we will need to distribute high visibility jackets between each class and organise students into their respective cadet or scout groups. Each student will be assigned a year group to organise, so I need you all to go and collect the jackets from the sports sheds." Mr Bray started looking back at his files for a moment whilst the students left to collect the equipment, but quickly looked back up as Alex left.

"Actually, Alex, I was hoping I could have a word with you," It didn't sound good, but it was probably something mundane about his grades or behaviour, but still Alex's heart pounded in his chest as he stepped towards the waiting teacher. "I have received information that you will be leaving school shortly, and that today will be your last day attending public education. According to the message I received you will be privately tutored from now on. Is this true? Why?" Oh. Not so normal then.

"Well, as you know my father was in the military, and I talked to my Guardian about it and we both agree that I would do better out of school with a private tutor, so I will be attending a military training camp from now on, to pursue a career in the Army." Word for word, he recited from the cover story MI6 had given him. It wasn't all lies, they were technically his Guardians, and Brecon Beacons was technically a training camp, but of the secret service kind.

Mr Bray didn't exactly look surprised. He had probably received similar information but hoped to learn more from the teenager himself, but he couldn't exactly deny that Alex didn't get on well at school, aside from the absences, he was a complete social outcast, except for Tom Harris, who he had never quite managed to understand. "Okay then, I have also been told you are marching with an unusual group, though I have not been informed which group, would you care to inform me?"