• Chapter 1

    Much like my last day of school (in May a couple months ago), everything was normal, well, as normal as it could be. I was on the train, talking to my friends about summer, lying about all the trips I took, and fun times I'd had. I had really been at a training camp, but that'll come later. When we arrived, I walked, still talking, and as we got to school, I got prepared for the day. Now, unlike school policy, I could carry a phone (my job demanded it), and much to my delight, the teachers were constantly asking for it, so I could get a detention. I told them that if they had a problem, to talk to my supervisor, or Mr. Hamblet (the vice principal).
    Anyway, during my third class, Chinese, my friends go a big surprise. Now, I had been pretty good in Chinese before, getting A's. Now, I was fluent. I needed it, for, I don't know, stuff. I also knew German, French, and Arabic. It was kind of random to learn all four, but it was cool too, now that I can talk to a lot more people than I could before. Of course, I couldn't tell everyone I knew this. It was a secret thing, you know? So, I had to "fake" my Chinese. I think the teacher knew, as she started to ask me a question about my summer exploits, in Chinese. But, to her dismay, my phone rang.
    “对不起，杨老师，” I told her. It means, "sorry". She nodded, and I picked up.
    "We have a case in the greater Boston area, in Jamaica Plains," my friend Bruno told me. I had helped him in the "camp" I was talking about. By the way, Jamaica Plains is a black community in North Boston. A couple of my friends live there.
    "I'll be there a.s.a.p.," I told him. "Is anyone waiting for me?"
    "Yeah," he responded, "me. I'm in the SUV. Hurry up, I'm itching to break some doors, bang some heads, and of course, interrogation."
    I laughed, and told him I'd be there in a second. I told my teacher, in English, that I'd have to go, I had a case. Whispers started to circulate. I told my friend I'd fill him in later, because he would want to know. Carrying my books, I went to my locker, in a different building, put my stuff away, and went to the office, the floor above the locker basement. Ms. Galvin, the lady who runs the office, nodded to me when I pointed to the door to outside. I walked out, pushing the door and descending the stairs to the black SUV waiting. Bruno unlocked the car as I got in.
    "How's school, kid?" He used to call me "kid" to make fun of me, but it soon was a title, I guess, after what happened in the camp.
    "Fine, thanks," I said, sarcasm dripping from my mouth. He laughed.
    "Well, kid, it's your first case. How do you feel? You get your badge and gun, finally."
    "If I were you, " I told him with mock seriousness,"I would shut up so I don't get any ideas with that gun."
    "If you even touch the trigger," Bruno responded, "the director'll have your badge, and you'll go back to your old life." I grinned.
    "Won't stop me," I told him.
    "Never has."