Spy School: Danger is my Middle Name

The Croatoan Leads

It wasn't until I woke with a start that I realized I had fallen asleep in Jade's arms.

Not that I was proud of it- I had let my guard down in front of a stranger. And that's exactly what we spies aren't supposed to be doing. I guess you could call it the power of love- devastating enough to change your course of logical thinking.

Anyway, it was well into the early morning when I finally came too. And the familiar whisp of the wind, the wave of coldness pattering against my face, and the honking of the hundreds of cars below me told me I was in the same place since I had fallen asleep.

Good. So I hadn't been kidnapped.

But something was missing. The familiar warmth of Jade's body wasn't with me anymore.

I shook the crustiness out of my head and looked around. I was still set upon the balcony, in the comfortable position I had been in earlier, but Jade was missing. 

I couldn't hide the fact that I was a bit disappointed. After all, she was the best company I'd ever had in a few weeks (sorry, Ben). Someone like her is all I needed to finally settle down and find what my life really means.

I sighed and picked myself up from the mess I'd gone into. If Erica found out about this, I was going to be dead. 

After brushing off some rubble from my overcoat, I headed back over to Zoe's dorm. According to the clock hung on the wall of the hallway, it was a little past 6:00 AM. Perfect time to sneak back in without notice...

...At least until I found the dorm empty.

"Hello?" I said to the emptiness. "Guys?"

The lack of response told me that I had been abandoned.

All of the sleeping bags were missing, except for mine. The bathroom light was still on, and the sink was still wet, meaning that there was commotion here earlier. But the only thing lacking in this area was life.

I headed back out to the hallway, checking my fellow spy's rooms to see if they were there. 

Still nothing.

I checked my phone. No texts, no missing phone calls, no nothing.

They really had abandoned me, hadn't they?

I headed over to my dorm. Everything was still where they were originally, and nothing had been changed. I didn't detect any signs that the lock had been mangled with, which meant that they hadn't come to search for me in the past hours.

I groaned. One night with Jade, and this is what I get in return? I mean, it was kind of worth it, in retrospect, but still.

I took out my phone and sent Ben a quick message.

🥺where r u guys?

Surprisingly, after a few seconds, a message zoomed back over to my phone.

we're at the dorm erica rented. where u? we thought you took a bathroom break

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. A bathroom break? Geez, this proves these people don't know me well. I never take a bathroom break from anything. The only times I go to the bathroom are at lunch and dusk. After all, doing something like using the toilet is just a waste of time. All humans are perfectly capable are holding in their urge to use the restroom.

Proof? Well, you hold your urge to pee for at least 8 hours per day when you're sleeping. And it doesn't look like any of you have trouble sleeping, so that proves we don't really need to relieve ourselves every time we feel like going to the bathroom.

Well, after that mess, I ran over to the dorm room to find the spy gang crashed onto the couch, (Dylan and Trixie on the ceiling, obv), and they were watching some kind of Netlix show.

"James!" Dylan said, waving me over. "Why don't you join us in watching Avatar: The Last Airbender? There's nothing better left to do."

Yes, there is, I thought, slipping on my sticky gloves and pouncing onto the ceiling. Talking with Jade.

I didn't know what it was, but I felt she was the only person I could understand. I hate this lovestruck feeling though- I've literally only known her for a few hours- but I've been mourning our meeting for a while in my mind. I probably won't be able to see her again in a while, and our only interaction time would be at midnight.

I sighed and gripped the ceiling, trying to focus on Katara practicing her Waterbending. But I couldn't focus. Especially with Jade on my mind.

I took off one glove, slipping my hand into my right overcoat pocket. Hanging from one hand wasn't exactly comfortable, but I wasn't in the mood for comfortable at the moment... at least until my fingertips brushed against the smooth surface of something inside my pocket.

My head tilted in confusion, and I explored further, grabbing the pearl-shaped piece of metal out of my overcoat. When my eyes met it's view, I smiled.

It was one of Jade's earrings, still in perfect condition. Looks like she hadn't abandoned me after all.