Chapter 2

When school's done for the day, what do you do? Something normal, unlike me. My afternoon found me unsccessfully trying to get info from HQ.

Well, they don't call themselves HQ, they call themselves HIVE (which stands for something, although I don't know what). HIVE has been training and schooling anomalies for the government for many years now, but they just recently started taking in child anomlies, which previously wasn't allowed.

So most of my life, I'd been being trained for when I was legally old enough to do jobs for the government. Though, because the government makes laws, they think they can break them--afterall, no one's stopped them yet--and I've gone on a few, uh, jobs already,

"Gryfter, that you?"

"The one and only," I said.

"Thank heavens for that," the agent on the other end said.

"Oh, ha ha. You wanna tell me why HIVE dropped me here?"

"I'd like to help you, kiddo, but that file is marked classified, so I can't read it," he said.

Kiddo?! I bit back a smart comment, saying instead,"Can you put me in touch with someone who can? Because they sent me on a mission, blind."

"I'll see what I can do, but honestly, HIVE will only let you know when they feel the timing's right."

"Wow, I certainly do feel so much better."

He sighed. "I know it can be frustrating because I've been there myself. Just hang in there."

"Yeah, thanks." I echoed his sigh.

"Good luck."

The ensuing click let me know that he'd hung up.

I waited several seconds before calling back.

"You again?"

"Yeah, do I at least have a contact?"

"Let me check..." the agent said. A few moments later, he said, "Yes, but this file doesn't say who."

"At the school?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Thanks!" This time I hung up.

So I had a contact, and if I talked to them, I'd find out what I needed to know. The question was, who was my contact?

Was it Arianna?

Well, I was going to find out tomorrow. It shouldn't be too hard. Granted, I didn't have a codeword but I was smart. I'd figure out a way.

I looked out the window once before checking the time on my phone. With a heavy sigh, I pulled out the folder marked Algebra 2 and got to work.