I'm used to the dark halls of the school, but tonight they feel creepier than usual as if someone is watching me. It's probably crazy old me thinking about a particular story Mr. Castor told us two days ago. Something about it just made me feel like something was following me, or someone was watching me most of the time. Sam says it's only my imagination, and he's probably right. I sneak out a lot, mostly because I don't want to wake Ally with my nightmares that make me yell. Sometimes the floor creaks under the thick carpets, but I've been here two years so I know which floorboards not to step on. The headmaster has ears that hear everything, it's incredible. Last year, Ally got punished because she tried to sneak out to the kitchen, and stepped on the floorboards that creaked.

I was accepted into HBSS when I was twelve and had to go into hiding with my six siblings and my dad. Everyone had to change their names, and I went with Grace, or as Sam and Ally call me, Gracie. I think Ally's real name is Josephine, and Sam's is Stanley or something. We talked about it once, but the headmaster got us in trouble, and we had detention for a week. Detention isn't too bad here, Ally and I only have to hack into a system, and Sam has to get a bunch of weapons past a few dozen guards (It's an HBSS thing). Someday I want to become a professional spy, but my sisters think it's too risky. When I was accepted here, I was told it was a school for gifted students, but it turned out to be this top-secret school of spy and smuggling. Spying used to be for only boys, but then Isabella Harkin became the first female Spy, and converted spying to be a feminine activity. And Smuggling has always been a masculine activity. I learned that in my spy history class, and Sam told me about the smuggling in his class. Now, back to me sneaking out. I often go to the top of the school, where there are telescopes, but they aren't the normal ones. They magnify what the enemy school, SSA, is doing. Walking there is easy, but of course, this time, I forget to step over the creaky step, and it squeaks under my foot. The only thing to do is run, I turn around and take the "secret" passage. It's not secret because the headmaster knows about it, but he acts like he doesn't. Sprinting through there, I hear my name, my new name, being called "Gracie! Grace!" It whisper-shouts, and I turn around, then I realize I was fooled. The headmaster knows that I'm called Gracie, and has an incredible skill for mimicking people. I weigh my options, I could run and suffer whatever later, or I could face him now and face whatever he has in store for me now, which, hopefully, it's not too bad, because then I'll have to get detention, and receive two shoutings. I promised to both my dad, and Sam that I'd stay out of trouble, and I have so far this year, but I have to sneak out, and there are no promises that I wouldn't be caught. I decide to stay in the case, maybe the headmaster won't call my dad, this time if I beg. I stand still and wait for him to turn the corner. When he turns the corner I bite my lip and he sighs, "Grace, you're breaking your record. You haven't gotten in trouble this year, what will your father say now?" He asked, rubbing his chin and I groan, "Please don't tell him, he'll say something stupid! He'll say awful things he don’t- doesn't mean!" I say, correcting my mistake. I've known English my whole life, but my first language is Italian. Headmaster sighed, "Grace, I can't keep quiet about you sneaking out again. You have done it multiple times, yes, I know. Grace, tell me, what is it you want to see?" He asked me, and I raised my eyebrows. How does he know? Did Ally tell him? I sigh and shake my head, "My best friend from my childhood goes to SSA, and I watch her… see how she’s doing." I bite my lip, because I know we are only supposed to look for hints about any danger that SSA will cause. He looks at me and smiles an old, wise smile, as if he’d heard my story a million times, and had a rehearsed speech. "Grace, I understand, but why can’t you do that during the day? Why can’t you do it during your free hour or lunch?" He put his hand on my shoulder and I sighed, knowing I had to tell him the truth. "Sam and Ally don’t know about it. They are my new best friends, and they’d feel betrayed because, one, she goes to SSA the "enemy" school, and two, they know that they are my best friends, and to think how they would feel if they knew I still cared about a best friend I had before I came here- In my old life? When I was the old me, and she was Natasha? They’d be heartbroken, and I could never do that to them!" I tell him, thinking how I said Natasha, her real name who is now Leigha Hall. I remember the fun we used to have together, playing in the grassy fields by her house, her red soft hair bouncing up and down. I remember when I got accepted into a gifted school, her sadness…. "Tash! Tash, look, it’s a school for gifted students! I’m gifted!" I smile a toothless grin at my best friend, and she sighs and says "But you’re going to a different one than I am, I’m going to a school called SSA.." My grin faded and I ran to hug her- The memory faded, and I looked back up at the headmaster, and he smiled a sad smile. "What happens when we have to face SSA? You know what they’ve done to some of us, and your friend Leigha probably changed. She’s with them now, and they are the enemy." He says, looking regretful. "I’ll let you go, but only today. Next time, you are getting the usual punishment, and a call." He turns away, and I smile. "Oh, thank you very much, headmaster! It won’t happen again, I promise!" Well, we both know that’s not true, but I don’t give him time to say anything, and I run as fast as I can back to my room. Once I get back, I lay on my bed and look at my ceiling. "Stella, we’ll always be friends, right? Even if we have to be indifferent schools?" Tash looked at me, and I nodded, not sharing what I knew about the rivalry between our schools. "Of course Tash, I’ll always love you, you’re my best friend!" We giggled and went out to play, then the day came… We were both crying, and we didn’t want to go... "Stella, I’ll call you every day! We can share what we learn!" I smiled, but I didn’t tell her… Why didn’t I tell her? Does she remember me? Am I forgotten? Will she kill me if she gets the chance? Will she be on their side now…? Who is she now? I wake up, blinking, and Ally standing over me, "You ok? You were crying last night, then you slept in." I sit up and groan, "How many classes did I miss? How much homework was there?" And Ally smiled, "How can you be smiling right now! I’m in dead trouble!" I groan, throwing a pillow at her, and she giggles, "Headmaster Gates covered for you... Said you had a meeting with him! Sam is mad, though. He knows you were caught sneaking out last night, and how you bribed the Headmaster to let you go." She smiled, throwing the pillow at me, "Come on, it’s lunchtime, and I’m hungry." She said turning away and throwing some clothes at me. I scowl, and get up, slowly putting them on. I brush out to try my black curly hair and hold it back with some clips. I make my way downstairs, but as I turn the corner to get to the food house, I see Sam watching me from a cracked door, and I shout his name, "Sam, come to lunch with u-" he closes the door, and I hear the click of it locking. I'm honestly frazzled, then I remember. He's mad at me for sneaking out. I sigh, and turn back, running down the hallway to get to the Food House. I open the doors and feel the rain on my face and I smile, running to the Food House, and swinging the doors open. I spot Ally, and slide in next to her, "Is Sam actually mad?" I asked, pulling my foot forward. She nods, and sighs "Yeah, he started yelling when I told him what Headmaster Gates said." I groan, but I'm used to it. Every little thing sets Sam off. He's like a ticking bomb, ready to explode any moment. Tick tock, tick-tock. My thoughts were interrupted by Ally’s voice, "When we were doing pick-locking in advanced spy skills, the girl named Nathalie, actually got the door to the staff room’s closet, and found that Professor Marlin and Professor Anita are having an affair and they hide the letters they send to each other in that closet!" Ally says grinning, and then takes a bite of her food. I chuckle, but I’m still far away, thinking about Sam. Why did he lock the door? Was he afraid that I’d come in? Is there a girl? I told him I didn’t have feelings for him, and it's true. “Look… It’s Sam, he’s coming to sit, move over!” Ally said, shaking me and pointing. Sure enough, Sam comes over and sits down, without saying anything. “Are you ok?” Ally asked, looking at him, biting her lip, with wide eyes. He nodded and turned to me. “Why do you always have to go and get into trouble? Hm? Can’t you behave for once? Can’t you? Don’t you understand that I’m worried about you? That you’ll get kicked out of the school?” Sam says, glaring into my eyes. I was not expecting this, and it comes as a shock. Why was he so angry? What was he hiding? I roll my eyes at him, then stand up, “Sorry dad didn't mean to disobey you.” And I turn and leave. I hear Sam scoff, and Ally whimper. Tick tock, tick tock….. boom. He’s an idiot, that's what I have to say. I go out into the rain, which is coming down harder now. I sit on a small bench and sigh. Why did Sam have to be like this? Couldn’t he leave me alone sometimes? I see Ally and Sam come out, and I hear Sam yelling; “Why don’t you ever get mad? Why are you scared she’ll hurt you? WHAT???” He yelled. Tick. “She is being stupid, don’t you understand? She doesn’t get that she can cause trouble for the entire school!! Tock. “She is a stupid girl, and doesn’t belong at this school!!” Boom. But that “boom” isn’t Sam exploding, it’s Ally punching Sam- our Sam- right in the nose.