BERYL

CHAPTER TEN

"I didn't have a choice Jade, I didn't run I was forced to." I was shaking I had never seen Jade this angry before.  "you forgot all about me just ran off to Beryl. You forgot that I gave you the life you had, I made life easier for you in school and this is how you thank me!?" she yelled clapping me again.  I tumbled onto the hardwood floor.

"Darn it Sam did you really think Johnathan liked you did you really think that was all you nobody would love a scumbag like you!" she grinned "Oh you thought you could do it all by yourself I gave you the life you had I dealt with all the bullies gave you a the fantasy you lived".  "What are talking about?"  i asked.  "gosh you are so slow!" she  laughed hysterically " the letters? Who do you think sent you those huh? " 

I felt a sharp pain in my chest . " You were my best friend! How could you ?" 

She hovered above me like a vulture but, before she could strike I slid my feet knocking her off balance.  She winced as her head hit hard on the floor.  I brought myself to my feet and made my way to the door. "April" I breathed as I shut the door behind me. "what is going on!? Who is in there? We don't have time for this I need to end this" she pushed me aside. All I heard where a fed thuds and a muffled scream before April emerged and dragged me with her . 

"April the antique" I huffed as we neared the exit. "while you were having your little reunion  I managed to snatch it" she whispered in irritation.

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I spent the rest of the day drowning in feelings of guilt and confusion. Sure we made it out of the museum just in time but my heart felt so heavy. It hurt me having to leave without saying goodbye but  seeing how hurt Jade was hurt me even more. I thought that she of all people would understand after finding out that she too was an agent, and moreover she was my 'protector' in school, she lied to me about her identity.
If anyone should be angry it should be me! She hid the truth about herself from me for years! Still I can't help but feel like there was more to her anger than my disappearance.  Whatever it was i don't like it that was not the Jade i grew up with , it's not the Jade i know and love. 

I glanced down at my vibrating cellphone.

'Hey, it's April you still on for tonight?🙃'

'uhh, cant we postpone?'

"no I'm sorry, 8 pm sharp meet you in the shower room."

arh April why are you so persistent!? I sighed.

I dragged myself out of bed and changed into my black jeans and a grey polo neck shirt not wanting to look too sketchy. "Sam, most of the girls are going to watch a movie in dorm 34 wanna come with?" she asked while adding the final touches to her makeup. "no thanks Molly today was a bit hectic for me I just want to rest."

"you poor thing I understand it's going to take a while to adjust you just get some rest," she said pinching my cheeks.

"I promise i'll tag along next time" I smiled gently. Molly had always been nice to me, I wouldn't want her to feel bad especially after she has tried so hard to make me feel comfortable.

I still had two hours to go before I meet up with April, already the panic was slowly starting to settle in. I have no idea what to bring with me. I mean sure I had watched a lot of detectives in movies but I had no gear, no car and definitely no experience when it comes to stakeouts

Snacks! that's it everybody eats on a stakeout or at least that's what I saw in the movies. I quickly grabbed my backpack and threw in the cheese crisps I had been hiding from Molly (if she can find it she will eat it!)  along with a packet of jelly babies and a can of soda. I neatly braided my hair and charged my phone imagining I was about to be in some sort of action movie.

knock knock knock  wait didn't she say 8 pm? I was relieved to find a junior at the door with a parcel in her hands. "this is for you" she shoved the box into my hands. "Woah, ok who is it from?"

"I don't know I was sent to give it to you it's been at the reception for a day now" she replied in a deep southern accent while  aggressively chewing on her bubblegum. " mail is delivered every Wednesday so you should always check since you don't have a mailbox"

"uh ok, thanks!" I yelled, she simply waved her hand as she walked off.  i shut the door and ripped the box open. Inside where a million paper hearts with a letter in the middle, it read;

sending you love from home to let you know you are never alone❤~ J  

J? Johnathan! I nearly cried  just thinking of all the effort it took to cut out so many hearts. I closed the box and shoved it under my bed, i couldn't help but blush at the gesture , no i wasn't blushing because i like him , it just happened because i was overwhelmed that's all.

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"don't you think the bathroom is not the best place to meet? I mean the cottage is on the other side of the school, you know the west side?"

I said as I closed the door behind me.

"lock it" she replied.

"April, shouldn't we be at the grounds or in some bushes?" I gestured crouching on the floor.

" don't tell me you believe in all that movie bullshit do you?" she laughed "close the toilet seat and hand me the screwdriver".

I pouted. isn't that what spies really do? I watched silently as she unscrewed the grille to the air vent and got off the seat. "are we not climbing up there?"

she smirked, " you sure do have a lot to learn, don't you? well that's what we want them to think "

She led me out of the bathroom window and onto the school roof. we made our way down a few hallways and soon later we were in the last classroom on the west side of the building.

My throat felt dry my tummy was in a knot. What on earth was I doing! I can't go back even if I wanted to, I was so excited I couldn't remember how I even got here. "now we wait" April smirked pulling out a pair of binoculars and handing it to me. "so what's the plan ? how will we ever get a peek inside when it's so heavily guarded?"

"mmm here's the plan," she said sending crumbs of chips flying all over the place, "so the guards they switch shifts every two hours at that time we kill the cameras and sensors then boom we in!"

"Okay, okay, wait are you sure you can do this I mean if they are hiding something they gonna pull out all the stops to hide well whatever it is "

"well, I'll just have to try. I've been studying this place since I got here so yeah I'm pretty sure we can do this" she huffed as she climbed out the classroom window.

"what do I do?"

"Just follow my lead trust me it will be fun!"

"fun!? April we could get punished or killed!"

"shh don't speak till we make it inside"

April pulled out her signal jammer clearing the path for us all the way to a small bush not too far from the entrance of the cottage. we waited patiently for the guards to leave their posts preparing to switch shifts before we moved to closer and crouched beside one of the walls of the place. My heart was racing. this felt more like a robbery than a "curious mission" and it was definitely not stakeout.

April moved like a machine as she quickly located the air vent and unscrewed the grille . "quick, climb in after me and pull in the latch as much as you can" she whispered. I nodded anxiously. The air vent wasn't as small as I imagined but it wasn't too big either, I tried my best to catch up to April as quickly and silently as I could. " we have to act soon Tom we can't let them use this opportunity!" yelled a man from the room below. " they haven't done anything yet if we act first and it happens that they aren't planing anything we will be starting another bloody mess" responded Tom.

" oh for fuck's sake Thomas wake up be professional for once and put your feelings aside. they won't just sit still and wait these people are smart and we need to make sure they catch us off-guard!" the man yelled again.

'Wait, Thomas, dad!?'