Me: I am Alex Rider.

Alex: No you're not.

Me: Yes I am.

Alex: (pulls out cell phone with knock out dart) No you're not.

Me: (laugh nervously) How funny, you're right. I'm not…hahaha…

Alex: And…?

Me: I don't own Alex Rider. You little joy kill.

Alex was glad to be back at school. It was not a normal teenager who could think this and not be committed to the psychiatric ward at the nearest hospital as soon as possible. But luckily Alex was no normal boy. But we already knew that.

Currently, Alex was heading to lunch after taking an extremely difficult history test the previous period. He kept his eyes straight ahead as he entered the lunch room, his expressionless mask sliding into place. He needed it to ignore all of the insidious whispers that immediately erupted from poisonous mouths at his appearance.

"Look, it's the druggie. Bet he just came from the bathroom after shooting himself up."

"Why does he even bother to come to school? It's been a week since he came back. Shouldn't he go away now?"

"God. Can't believe druggie Rider is back. Is this school really putting up with that?!"

And of course the remark that was the closest to the truth ever uttered, "Why is he wearing long sleeves? It's like 100 degrees out!"

"Don't you know? It's to hide his emo scars."

"Oooh. Finally ran out of room on his thighs, eh?"

Alex just tightened his jaw and went to sit with his only friend left, Tom Harris. Tom knew about Alex, but Alex suspected that he didn't really know. Sure Tom knew about his missions, but part of the ark haired boy would probably always think that being a spy was the coolest thing in the world. But at least he was there for Alex. The only one left who was.

Tom hadn't heard about Alex's latest mission though. The one where Scorpia bit back for the last time. And no doubt the reason why Tom was barely holding back excitement was because he wanted to know about Alex's latest accomplishment at saving the world.

Sure enough, as soon as Alex sat down, the bombardment began. "Hey Alex! So where'd you go? Who was it? Did you get to shoot someone? When can I come over? Do you think Jack would mind if I came over today?"

Before this mission, Alex may have smiled at his friends antics. But every mission scraped him raw and peeled away pieces of his humanity, slowly but surely. Lately he had found that he had to always put up the act for the world, nothing was genuine. But he had promised Tom that he would never pretend in front of Tom.

So it was with a dead face set with dead eyes that Alex said, "Tom, Jack went back to America. She-"

But Tom had only taken a second to choose a side. Sure, he loved Jack like his own sister, but Alex was his best friend. And a true mate would stick with his best friend. "So she left you?" He said angrily "How could she that-"

Alex actually smiled a little at his friend's indignation. "No," he gently corrected him, "Her Dad is dying. She has to be there. And I decided to stay here while she's in America for a month. I need to catch up on school. Besides," He added face darkening, "I have to keep a low profile right now. My last mission…let's just say that it caused a lot of fuss in the crime world."

Now knowing that Alex wasn't alone and ignoring the ominous way his spy-friend had said the last bit, Tom was excited again. "So tell me! Where'd you go?"

Alex allowed himself a small grin at his friend's enthusiasm. Tom always made him feel better after a particularly bad mission.

"India, it was a pain. I had to learn Hindi."

"Cool! So who'd you go against?"

"Scorpia, hopefully for the last time."

"Awesome! So did you shoot anybody?"

"No, I'm not allowed a gun, remember?"

Tom scowled at the reminder. "But what if you need to protect yourself?" And then Tom frowned some more at Alex's non-committal shrug. Just as quickly, he brightened up.

"So how bad are you hurt?"

"Not too bad," Alex lied lightly, subconsciously tugging his sleeves down even lower. Tom, in his excitement didn't notice the action. Alex decided that it was time to change the subject.

"What's been happening at school? I saw that I have a new math teacher." Alex always noticed a new face, and he couldn't help the paranoia that crept into his voice at the mention of the new math teacher. He hadn't had a chance to observe the guy but he would next period. Due to his long absences he had been put in remedial maths, much to Alex's anger. The school just wouldn't give him a chance to prove that, this time, Alex had actually managed to keep up while out of school. Being in the hospital for a month just gives you that type of time.

Tom didn't catch the conversation switch or the slight paranoia and he chatted happily about Kristina breaking up with Roger, Alex's biggest tormentor, effectively destroying his heart, and how the lunch ladies had been caught spitting in the food (Which made Alex eternally grateful that he always brought his own lunch.) for the rest of the time till the get-to-class bell.

When the bell finally rang, Tom dashed off to his class; he had to, it was all the way on the other side of campus. Alex took his time putting the remnants of his bagged lunch away. He hadn't eaten much, he had to regulate how much he ate. A month of almost being starved to death just couldn't be rectified after a month in the hospital on a liquid diet. Too much and he would puke.

He got up slowly, not enjoying the way his new scars on his back and the two one his abs stretched as he stood fully upright. Ignored the way his fractured shoulder didn't like the weight of his bag. Hated the way his head spun as he took his first step. Grinned grimly as the spinning went away and he was able to walk tall to his remedial maths class.

Cursed MI6 as he reached the classroom, out of breath.

Thanked his ability to hide the weakness from the new teacher and his fellow students. Maybe he would get through the day after all.