August 21
Spy School

I looked around the room in complete shock. There were bombs on all of the tables. Not my fake wooden bombs that I play with at home. These were actual time-ticking bombs that could most possibly blow up.

Mason noticed my shocked expression. " What's wrong?" She asked.

" They're bombs." I said.

" Well yeah. It's called bomb defusal for a reason. We're defusing bombs." She said.

" No. They're real bombs. The ones that actually blow up." I said.

" Yeah. That's what a bomb is. Don't worry, they changed the bomb rules this year. First and second years get to use the fake bombs. If one of these things go off, the most it'll do is produce a lot of smoke. The older years get to use the real bombs." Mason said. She seemed a little disappointed that we wouldn't be able to use the real bombs.

We sat down next to each other. Everyone glanced at us as they walked by. I mean everyone glanced at me as they walked by.

I looked at the bomb on my table. It looked like a giant metal box. It had four bolts. One for each corner. Beside the bomb was a bolt remover. Dad has one of these.

A girl sat beside me. She had blonde hair and green eyes. Her voice was very high pitched too. Kind of like Zoe's. She looked a little older than me and Mason. She also spoke really fast.

" Oh my gosh! You're the Aurora Hale. Sweet! I'm Kaylie. Nice to meet you!" She yelled. She held out her hand for me to shake it.

" Um, hi." I said as I shook her hand. She shook it vigorously. I was afraid she was going to yank my arm off.

" Have you ever defused a bomb before?" Kaylie asked. Excitement was showing in her eyes. The other students gathered around me to hear my answer. They started pestering me with their own questions too.

" Can you fight three enemy agents at the same time?" " Is it true that you can hit a target blindfolded?" " How many missions have you been on?"

I sighed. Everyone thinks that I'm some super spy even though I'm only ten with no experience at all. But I guess I'm just gonna have to live with it.

" No. I have never defused a bomb, or shot a gun, or gone on any missions. I don't know how to do any of those things. And if I did go on a mission, I wouldn't tell you about it because it would be classified." I said.

Everyone was disappointed at my response. They all went back to their seats grumbling.

" Some spy she is. What Hale doesn't know how to shoot a gun?" I heard someone say. I looked down thinking about that. I am the only one in my family that doesn't know how to shoot a gun.

" Nice one tiger." I heard Erica say into my ear. " Don't dwell on it that much. You'll learn how to shoot soon enough. And I bet you'll be better than all of them combined." She said. " You'll be better than me."

" I don't think that will be happening any time soon." I said. I made sure to speak quietly so that Mason or anyone else couldn't hear me.

There was a long pause. I think Erica might've left the chat. I didn't have time to think about it though. Class was starting.

" Today we will be learning the parts of a bomb. We'll start with the inner tube. Could everyone please unscrew the bolts with the bolt remover?" The teacher asked.

Everyone did what she said. I picked up the bolt remover, and began unscrewing the bolts. Dad taught me how to use one of these.

I started with the top right bolt. I got it out in ten seconds. I went on to the next bolt and the next bolt until finally, I unscrewed all of the bolts. I looked around the room. To my surprise, some people haven't even gotten the first bolt out yet.

And they criticized me for not being able to shoot, defuse a bomb, and fight. People. Always criticizing things.

" Stupid criticizers. Can't even get a single bolt out of a bomb." I mumbled under my breath. Which was a mistake because one person heard me.

" Aurora Hale we do not criticize other people on their wrong doings. And we most certainly do not call other people stupid. That's not how you're supposed to act. You know better." Erica said. So she didn't leave the chat.

I felt bad after she said that. Not just because I know what I said was wrong, but because Erica scolded me. Erica never scolds me. She never calls me by my full name either.

" O-ok. S-sorry." I mumbled out quietly. My voice was drowned out by the sounds of all the bolt removers. Erica didn't say anything for a minute. She sighed.

" Look Aurora, I know you don't like being criticized for who you are. I get it. I was famous there too you know. You just gotta suck it up. You're going to be living there for a while so you're gonna have to get used to it." Erica said.

" Ok." I said.

It took another five minutes for everyone to get their bombs unscrewed.

" Everyone look at the heart of the bomb. That is the inner tube. It is where the blue and red wires collide. In other words, that's where the bomb explodes. The red and blue wires have two different purposes. The blue wires blow out a flammable gas while the red wires ignite it causing the bomb to explode." The teacher said. She went on and on like that for the rest of the class.

I felt someone tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Mason. She had a troubled expression on her face. She leaned in and whispered, " I need help." She pointed to her bomb. She didn't unscrew it yet. The bolts were all still in place.

" Oh. Um, sure." I said. I reached over and grabbed the bolt remover. I unscrewed the first bolt, then the second, then the third. The fourth bolt however, wouldn't budge. I tried turning it as hard as I could.

" Here, let me help." Mason whispered. She put her hands on top of mine, and we turned the bolt remover together. Her hands were warm and soft. I tired not to focus on them too much. The bolt still wouldn't budge.

" I think it's broken." Mason said. " Maybe it's stuck on something." I nodded. She looked a little upset about it. Maybe she really did want to see the inside of the bomb.

So I gave her mine.

" What are you doing?" Mason asked.

" I'm giving you mine." I replied.

" Awwwww! That's so sweet of you!" Erica said into my ear. I was glad she wasn't with me right now. My face must be tomato red right now. Mason blushed for some reason. Was she embarrassed? Or was she just being shy all over again? I don't know. Mason is a confusing person.

" T-Thanks." She said. She took my bomb, and I took hers. I tried getting the bolt unscrewed again. Come on Aurora, you got this. I pushed with all of my might.

The bolt popped out. I celebrated in my head. Take that bolt. Who's stronger now?

There was strange ticking sound. It grew louder and louder. Mason looked to me alarmed. Her eyes went wide.

" What's wro-" I began. But Erica cut me off.

" Aurora, get down NOW!" She yelled. I did what she said. Mason did too.

" EVERYONE GET DOWN!" She yelled. Then to my surprise, Mason grabbed the bomb, and tossed it out the window. It didn't get very far, but it was far enough.

She got down on the ground as soon as she threw it. The students looked panicked. Some began screaming. Others began running out of the room. The teacher tried in vain to calm everyone down.

There was a moment of silence. Everyone was expecting the bomb to go off. I know I was. We waited for a while.

Nothing happened. Did the bomb disarm itself or was it really not going to blow up? I think it might be the first one. Erica wouldn't have yelled, 'get down' in my ear if it wasn't going to blow. We waited for a good five minutes before the teacher gave the all clear.

I looked out the window. Mason got up and looked too. The bomb was just sitting there in the grass. It still looked like the way it was before Mason threw it. Save for a few patches of dirt on the sides.

" Maybe she might have a mental disorder too. Her and her friend." I heard someone say. Mason climbed out of the window. It was something I wouldn't have done if there was a ticking bomb outside that was likely going to blow up. But I didn't want Mason to be alone with a ticking bomb either. So I followed her.

We carefully walked towards the bomb. We could hear the ticking still going on inside of it. When we finally reached the bomb, Mason crouched down and began to study it.

" A-Are you sure that's safe?" I asked her.

" No." She replied calmly. How can she be this calm beside a ticking bomb!? She studied it for a few more minutes. Then she stood up.

" I don't know what's wrong with it. Maybe it's just another stupid prank." She said. I was about to agree with her. I was about to agree that someone had probably put a clock in it or something just to make it sound like it was about to go off. Maybe someone just wanted to scare other people.

Then the bomb really went off.

Author's Note:

Man what a cliffhanger! Can't wait to see what happens next. I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far.

I'm also sorry that I haven't been updating like I'm supposed to. I've been very busy lately with school and all. So I apologize.

On the bright side, I will be posting a new story. It is called Middle School. It's based off of my experience of middle school so far. I only posted the author's note. I will be posting the first chapter soon.

Thank you all for your patience with this story. You guys are truly the best.

- MSORAR