The main hall was packed. Girls and boys, all ranging from an estimated age of fourteen to eighteen, littered the walkways with their chatter and light, expensive perfume. They were all dressed in uniform. The boys wore a white shirt, blue and burgundy striped tie, and dark blue blazer, the school's crest emblazoned on the breast. The girls milled about in pristine white shirts, the same blue and burgundy striped tie, a blue blazer with a burgundy lining, and a matching pleated blue skirt.

All the girls chose to wear their socks up to their knees, though Anna couldn't understand why . No one paid her any mind, seemingly unaware of her presence as she unknowingly hid behind the bulky bodies of the men accompanying her. All Anna could do was stare.

Staring was the only reaction reasonable to such a sight. Laughter tickled her throat, but it felt out of place in an environment like this, where she'd never felt so out of place. She was not used to deal with...normal teenagers. Not assassins, not accomplices, not loose ends that knew a little too much. Just teenagers living their regular lives. And not once did it cross her mind that she would have to wear a uniform.

The men before her stopped when they noticed she wasn't walking. They looked over their shoulder at her. Anna didn't have to look at them to know they wore impatient expressions but she didn't care. An uncomfortable layer of overwhelming bewilderment settled on her body. She simply stood there, staring out into the wide hall.

"Agent," one of them called, his voice tight. Anna lifted her gaze to his. He motioned with his head, indicating that they get a move on and Anna nodded, swallowing. There was no use standing here. She only needed to give herself some time to get accustomed, is all. For someone who'd braved minefields for the sake of a mission, this should nothing.

This time, when they started walking again, Anna realized that people were beginning to stare at her. Their eyes were filled with curiosity and judgment, running their gazes from head to toe. Anna didn't care to hide her own curious stares and a few girls looked away, whispering furiously to their friends. Anna didn't mind. She was a little awed, in fact. The students all carried themselves with an upright dignity, a trait Anna knew she lacked. She looked down on her attire, just as she turned the corner, wondering if she might have to change her wardrobe for this mission.

It was clear they weren't a fan of her attire. That was the only reasonable explanation for the disdain Anna saw in the eyes of many she passed. They were judging her, practically screaming at her that she didn't belong here. Anna silently agreed, even as she ignored them. She belonged in a gun range or on top of her motorcycle, not in this preppy school with rich and snobby elites. She was only here because she was told to be here.

Even so, Anna didn't like the idea of being in the spotlight for to long. The less people that took notice of her, the better. So, she pulled at the hair tie holding her hair up, making her thick blanket of black locks fall around her face. Still, her whiskey brown eyes scanned her surroundings to satisfying her curiousity.

The men were walking faster than her, now far ahead of her. Anna had slowed her pace, giving her time to take in as much as she could. She didn't have to skirt around anyone, or push through crowds. Everyone she passed skirted her, as if she had the plague. A voice in her head told her it had everything to do with her being the newcomer. These people didn't look like the sort to like outsider.

A ball collided into the back of her head. Anna's head snapped forward, the force triggering a sudden ache to spread. A soccer ball fell to her feet, coming to stop at her toes. The air around her seemed to go still. If everyone hadn't been looking at her before, they certainly were now. Anna slowly reached her hand to touch the sore spot, turning around to find the culprit.

She didn't have to look very long. A boy, about her age, ran up to her. He had bright blue eyes and blond hair, cut stylishly close to his head. He was well built physique and broad shoulders betrayed the time he'd clearly spent on his body. His mouth, surrounded by laugh lines, was turned down in apology, a frown marring his forehead. He picked up the ball.

"Oh, damn!" he exclaimed, looking at her worriedly. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to kick it that high and my friend was supposed to catch it." He turned around, addressing someone behind him. "Dude, you were supposed to catch it."

"You kicked the ball too high. What am I? Superman?" The voice was deep and had an obvious accent. Anna looked over at the newcomer, lifting a brow.

She didn't think she would meet him so soon. She didn't think she'd have to meet him at all. Unless, for some reason or other, they were forced to communicate if they ever ended up in the same space. The most she'd been planning to do was follow behind him all day, every day, watching him closely. It hadn't even occurred to her that she might meet him on her first day, like this.

He was much better looking in person.

Jessime Beaumont walked up behind his friend, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "You okay?" he asked her.

Anna nodded. All those years away from France did nothing dull his accent. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" asked the other boy. He looked much guiltier than Jessi, his eyes running her up and down with concern. Anna got the distinct impression he was truly worried, and not using it as an excuse to take her in.

She rubbed the back of her head. "Gave me a bit of a headache but I'm fine," she assured. She held her hand up. "Look, no blood or anything."

The boy chuckled, but her eyes were on Jessi. And his eyes weren't on her. He didn't seem to even realize that she was still standing here. He was busy hailing his friend who stood at the other side of the hallway. After a while, he returned his attention back to Anna, a bit absentmindedly.

"Hey, sorry about that again," he apologized, distracted. "Hope your head's okay."

Anna watched as he walked away from her and towards his friends, whom he greeted in a loud voice. She didn't even hear Jessi's blond friend say goodbye to her. Her eyes were still on her target, watching him, sizing him up.

He wore a sweater vest, his tie tucked underneath it. Instead of buttoning his blazer like most male students did, he wore it open. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his pants, casually. Anna watched as he blew some unruly black locks of hair out of his face before his lips stretched apart in a wide smile at whatever his friend said. Judging by the amount of people that surrounded him, he was popular. That would be a problem. The more people around him, the harder it would be to keep her eyes on him.

Still, her mission may have started but now wasn't the time to start protecting him. She had to at least register in the school before anything else could get done. Fortunately for her, Anna saw the two men standing at the end of the hallway, waiting for her. She hurried over to them.

"I just saw my target," she said to them as explanation.

They didn't answer her. The most she got was a barely audible grunt and their backs turned to her. She followed behind them, not caring. With one last glance at Jessi, she rounded the corner.

***

"Yes, I'm Annabelle Ferguson. I'm the new transfer."

"Oh, Annabelle!" The receptionist behind the main desk jumped at the sound of her name. "Oh, yes, yes! We have been expecting you. Just one moment while I get your admittance papers."

Anna watched the bustling woman wedged her way from behind her seat and tittered along into another room. She was a short little thing, barely scraping five feet, but the high heels she wore made up some of that height. Her hair was held in a tight bun on the top of her head and her skirt was incredibly tight. Combined with her terribly high heels, she could hardly walk. Still, she managed to make it into the room where Anna could hear her fumbling around to find what she was looking for.

The main office was unnecessarily huge. The desk she approached seemed to be the only functioning one since, looking around, she saw everyone else who occupied the room was either slacking off behind their desks or pretending to be working. Anna wasn't fooled. What work could a staple manager possibly find to do? Go around asking anyone if they needed their papers stapled?

Anna watched the man struggle to stay awake at his desk. With his chin resting in his hand, he forced his eyes open, but it didn't last very long before it drooped close once more. The office's air conditioning was undoubtedly making it worse for the poor man. His chin slid off his hand and it jolted him awake. It was just time, because the same receptionist came rushing out of the room, papers in her hand. She approached the man and smile excitedly, mumbling something to him. The man didn't seem as excited. He slowly picked up his stapler and squeezed it on the papers she held out to him. Then he rested his chin again when she turned away.

"Here you go!" Anna accepted the papers with a small thanks. "I hope you have a wonderful time staying here at Middleton."

Anna hadn't planned to respond, but then she saw something usual. "This is my timetable?" Anna asked, holding it up.

The woman nodded, two, three, four times. "Yep! And the one behind that is your extra-curricular sheet and the one behind that is your chore timetable."

Frowning, Anna flipped the paper over. "You've already chosen my extra-curricular activity?"

"Yes, but don't worry. If you decide you don't like it, you can change it later."

"Then why bother giving me one in the first place?"

"To get you acquainted. You see –"

"Nevermind." Anna waved her off, cutting off whatever it is she was going to say. The receptionist's bottom lip poked out and she blinked in shock. Anna paid attention her no mind. She busied herself by scanning the back paper. "What's this?"

The bubbly receptionist's face lit up again. "That's the chore timetable. After classes and before light's out in the dorms, everyone has an assigned chore they need to complete."

"And this accomplishes what exactly?"

It wasn't until the woman opened her mouth that Anna realized she didn't care enough to listen to the answer. "Nevermind," she said again and this time was rewarded with an angry frown.

The woman sighed and closed her eyes, visibly collecting herself. After a moment she opened them again and smiled forcibly. "If you and your ..." she glanced behind Anna at the men carrying her things, "...bodyguards would like to follow me. The headmistress would like to see you."

Anna motioned with her hands, telling her that she should lead the way. The woman squeezed her way out of her chair again, unlocked the tiny door that separated Anna from the office workers, stiffly turned, and began walking. Anna held her hands out to the men behind her. They nodded curtly, standing stiff and unmoving at the entrance of the main office. By herself, she followed the short woman to the door situated at the very back. On it were the words Headmistress Office.

The woman knocked and waited. After a few second, someone from the other side called for them to enter. The receptionist entered, Anna following closely behind.

The headmistress' office was relatively large and well furnished. She sat behind a decent-sized oak desk, her glasses resting on the tip of her nose as she read the papers before her. Upon their entrance, her eyes shifted upwards, and she watched as the receptionist approached the desk.

"This is Annabelle Ferguson, the new transfer student," the receptionist introduced.

The headmistress lifted her head and leaned back in her chair. Her eyes were like a hawk's, staring Anna down. Her mouth was lined and drawn together, almost disappearing if it wasn't for that thin line of red lipstick. Anna said nothing. She casually looked about the room, taking in everything, aware that the domineering lady sitting in the chair before her was threatening to burn through her with her eyes.

"Annabelle Ferguson?" the headmistress asked at last.

Anna looked at her and nodded. The headmistress narrowed her eyes. Leaning forward, she folded her arms on the desk. Suddenly, she smiled. "Welcome to Middleton Academy," she greeted.

Anna didn't return the smile, feeling a bit of sudden mistrust. She waggled her fingers in a sad excuse of a wave.

"My name is Dahlia," the headmistress continued with that unnerving smile, "but you'll call me Ms. Trymp or Headmistress. I will tolerate no other address."

Seemed simple enough.

"Now," Dahlia rose from her chair and circled the desk, coming to a stop in front of Anna. "You're new here so I don't expect you to know the rules in full detail. Although you should have some idea. But don't worry. Once you've reached your dorm room, the school handbook will be sitting on your bed. Don't worry about uniforms, either. Your closet is already half full with them. You will have to do your own laundry. I've assigned a student to show you around the school, to get you acquainted and such."

Anna blinked but the woman didn't look like she was easing up any time soon. She clasped her hands behind her back and began pacing back and forth. "Tomorrow, you will officially begin your classes. You've arrived during the middle of the first semester so you aren't too far behind but there is still some catching up to do. I expect you to clock in for your chores after classes and make sure that, by ten o'clock, you are present in your dorm room for checkups. If you are not there, prepare to face the consequences. On weekends, you are allowed to leave the compound but only on weekends."

Dahlia stopped and swiftly faced Anna. Moving fast for an old lady, Dahlia came up to Anna, stopping right in front of her. "Am I clear?" she asked. The smile was gone.

"Crystal," Anna replied.

"Hmph." She leaned back but her eye was still on her. "You may go now. I'd rather not see you in this office again unless you are receiving praise. Now, go."

Gladly, Anna thought. She could already tell this woman was going to be hell to deal with. The best thing she could do was not come in contact with that woman unless it was required.

Anna followed the receptionist back to the entrance of the main office, where she collected the men and continued following the preppy office worker towards her dorm.