I've already started the next chapter so I should update soon, unless you guys hate it!
Disclaimer- Although I don't pay much attention in Biology, I am certain I am not a boy, therefore I am not Anthony Horowitz which means I can't own the books. Shame.
"NO WAY! I am not going!"
"Alex, we're just trying to make you seem like a normal teenager!"
"I DON'T CARE! I am not going back to the SAS training ground to look like a freak in front of my friends because everyone in the Brecon Beacons already knows me and I know the assault course like the back of my hand when I should be seeing it for the first ever time!" Alex looked at Alan Blunt and Mrs Jones and just registered he was standing. His legs suddenly seemed very weak and he collapsed into the chair in front of Blunt's desk.
Why did stuff like this always happen to him?
"Alex, you're school contacted us as we're your legal guardians." Alex looked up, wondering what could be so important that they could have contacted MI6 or, as the school knew it, the Royal and General Bank. " They said because you have been missing so much school…"
"And whose fault is that?" Alex whispered under his breath.
"…that you should go on this trip. If you were at school you wouldn't do any work anyway and they think you should try and rebuild the bonds between your friends that you've lost," Mrs Jones said. Blunt looked blank, as usual.
Alex sighed. Almost two weeks ago their year had been given a letter to go and visit the Brecon Beacon's SAS training ground for a school trip. It was an event that happened every year and everyone from the year group always went, as the trip was free. Alex hadn't wanted to go. He'd thrown the letter in the bin the second he'd got home without showing it to Jack and had been happy with his decision. Apparently, Alan Blunt wasn't.
"It will be strange if you don't go Alex. People will start to suspect something's strange about you."
"A little late for that, Mrs Jones."
"Alex!" This time it was Alan Blunt who spoke. Alex's head snapped in his direction because, for a tenth of a second, he was sure he had just heard emotion in his voice. Even Mrs Jones looked startled. But his face had again been replaced by the grey, emotionless mask. "You are going to the SAS trip. No arguing! You will do this because we are your legal guardians. And we've already said yes. Anyway, you'll be able to use the time to get back in shape." Alex stared at him and Mrs Jones gave him an odd glace.
"Mr Blunt, I've never been in better shape! I just spent last month being chased around Flamingo Bay and fighting in space, for fu…!"
"Fine," Blunt interrupted. "You can always improve your fitness further. Either way, you are going on that trip."
Alex knew he'd been defeated. He picked himself up of his seat and started to go home.
The day they were leaving for the SAS training ground came a lot faster than Alex would have liked. True, he didn't want the day to come at all but before he'd just been dreading it. Now he was terrified.
Why am I so scared, he thought to himself as he loaded his stuff up into the coach. He turned around to see people whispering and staring at him, averting their eyes when he saw them. That's why.
He said goodbye to Jack who told him to take care of himself. He turned around to now see the parents doing what their children had been moments before. Isn't there anything more interesting to gossip about that me? He found Tom in the crowd and they got onto the bus together. There were no double seats left so Tom took a seat by Michael, a tall, friendly boy who was always a good laugh and Alex sat next to Colin who had got back his old personality now he didn't take the drugs Skoda had been selling. But even Colin seemed wary of Alex and, for what seemed the millionth time, Alex found himself silently cursing Alan Blunt, Mrs Jones and MI6.
They arrive four and a half hours later. Most people were asleep but Alex was wide-awake. After all the journeys he'd been on, travelling usually meant he'd be shot at or something similar. It's difficult to sleep if you think you're died at the end of the trip. For Alex, that's what it seemed like.
It was midday and they'd been sent to meet their officers (who would think of them as children to baby-sit, Alex thought bitterly, remembering the K-unit when they had first met) who would lead them during the week. Alex kept his head down, staring at the floor hoping a hole would open and eat him alive. The 'baby-sitters' arrived and stood in a straight line in front of the classes. Everything went quiet and Alex quickly glanced up to see the sergeant who had been in charge before and the man who had made his life hell the fist time he had been here – Wolf - as one of the officers. Shit, thought Alex, shit, shit, shit! Although they got along better now Wolf and him wouldn't be described as friends, even Alex didn't know how he felt about Wolf, never mind the other way round!
The sergeant started talking but Alex didn't pay attention, he already had a very good idea what he would be saying, he'd already been through this once before, after all.
"You!" Alex looked up automatically to see the sergeant and almost all of his year staring at him; the others were looking at the other man. The second the sergeant and the officers, including Wolf, saw it was Alex, they did a double take. The sergeant looked at him, his mouth open but no words coming out. Now Alex could see the 'baby-sitters' he saw that Fox, Eagle and Snake were also there along with another unit who had been there when he was – maybe the C-unit? he wondered. Wolf's jaw dropped, Snake and Fox eyes widened and Eagle looked at him in pure disbelief. The other unit stared to whisper and point at him. The sergeant was still trying to talk.
"N…Name?" he asked, his voice weak as he stuttered, amazement still written all over his face.
"Alex Rider, sir," said Alex, trying to keep a straight face although it was proving very difficult. To a man who had only ever know him as Cub his real name would sound foreign and unreal, just as it would for Alex to hear any of the SAS to refer to him as 'Alex' or 'Rider'.
The other student's were watching this exchange and were also starting to whisper, which seemed to bring the sergeant out of his revive.
"Silence!" he roared and everyone quickly stopped talking. He turned back to Alex. "When I speak to you, Cu… Rider, I expect you to look at me. Is that clear?"
"Yes sir."
"Good! Stay behind, I'll need to talk to you." Alex nodded his head and saw people turning to face each other giving 'those' looks, the ones you gave when you knew someone was going to be in trouble.
"You need to go and change into your uniforms and then come back here in 20 minutes. Dismissed," he said and everyone left apart from Alex.
"Cub! I mean Rider. What should I call you?" the sergeant asked, for once looking out of his depth.
"Cub please, sir."
"Not worried about standing out?"
"It would be strange if you called me anything else."
The sergeant nodded, smiling slightly, and looked round, signalling for the others to come forward. "Your group is to be lead by Wolf." Alex suppressed a small moan. "We're doing a fitness test after, to sort groups. You're going to be in the top. Just so you know, I am expecting you to come top in everything because I know you can. This isn't about fitting in, this is about excelling." There was a hint of menace in his voice. "Dismissed."
Alex nodded and walked to his cabin that he would be staying in for the next two weeks.
Well? Please tell me what you think. Thanks!