Matthew J. Metzger - Spy Stuff

Spy Stuff

By Matthew J. Metzger

Published by Queerteen Press

Visit queerteen-press.com for more information.

Copyright 2016 Matthew J. Metzger

ISBN 9781634860949

Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the authors imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America. Queerteen Press is an imprint of JMS Books LLC.

* * * *

For Kay, my greatest ally when it comes to spy stuff.

* * * *

Spy Stuff

By Matthew J. Metzger

Why dont you tell us a bit about yourself, Anton.

Anton wanted to say, Are you kidding me?

The entire class stared back blandly. There must have been thirty-five of them, all lounging professionally. A red-haired boy by the window was chewing gum and staring right at him. A girl with long brown curls was texting, the phone just lying on the desk in the open like she didnt give a damn. A couple of Asian boys in the back row were playing paper football.

Um, Anton said, glancing at the teacher. Id rather not.

The class sniggered, the noise rippling like wind through long grass.

The teacher sighed and rapped her knuckles on the desk. Quiet! She was short, with black hair in a tight pixie cut, and blue earrings that swung every time she moved. Well, Anton, you wont have much of a choice soon. None of you will! she added loudly when the class sniggered again. This terms PSHE project will hopefully get some of you to buck up your ideas about respecting your fellow classmates

Respect Kalinowski? Not likely, Miss! a scrawny boy with a face like a rat shouted from the back. The boy by the window with the red hair casually turned around and threw a book at him. Oi! Polack!

Detention, Walsh! the teacher barked. She jabbed a finger at the redhead. And not a word, Kalinowski!

Quiet settled again, but an uneasy sort of one. Anton guessed that Miss Name-He-Couldnt-Remember didnt have awesome classroom control.

Right, well, for nowclass, this is Anton Williams. I want you all to make him feel welcomeand no throwing books at him, Kalinowski!

What about paper?

No throwing anything!

Kalinowski pulled a face; Walsh disregarded the order and threw the book back, hitting Kalinowski in the back of the head.

Walsh!

He started it!

Kalinowski would start a war if it amused him, I expect you to be grown up enough to ignore him! she snapped.

Anton shifted on his feet uncertainly, unsure if he was supposed to stay where he was or sit down somewhere. A girl at a nearby table shifted her bag off the spare seat and beckoned. Come on, she whispered, and he slid into it gratefully. Im Emma, she added in a low voice. Was it Anthony?

Anton.

Oops, sorry, she said, and smiled. She was very pretty: huge, round eyes that were either black or brown, a chubby face with sweet dimples when she smiled, and long, dark brown hair that curled lightly at the ends. Dont worry about them, theyre just bored. Its PSHE first thing Mondays, and its really dull.

PSHE?

She blinked. What school did you come from? Personal, social and health education?

Oh, Anton said, and flushed. Um, it was just called form time. We didnt really call it anything.

Well, its so crap here, Emma whispered, as the teacher lost her cool and stomped over to Kalinowski to take the book away. We were doing religions last term, and we totally missed out Hinduism and Sikhism, how exclusive is that, its not like

Ems! a voice shouted across the room. Stop boring the new kid to death, give Miss a chance first!

Emma twisted around in her chair. Walsh, why dont you take your ignorant opinion, and shove it up your wrinkled, hairy

The teacher slammed a book down on a desk deafeningly, and a startled silence shot through the room.

Quiet, she said in a dangerous tone.

Quiet was granted.

Now, she continued softly, we have our PSHE lesson for this period, and if we do not finish the lesson in this period, you will all be back here for lunch. And I will continue teaching you in lunchtimes until the PSHE curriculum is complete if you think Monday morning is playtime. Am I clear?

The chorus of yes, Miss was disgruntled, but grudgingly accepting.

Brown. Emma straightened. You will show Williams around and make sure he gets to all of his lessons until he finds his feet. The door opened, a boy with scruffy brown hair lurching into the room, and the teacher sighed loudly through her nose. Just sit down, Larimer, and dont say a word.

He did. Quiet settled again, albeit a little more tenuously than the first time.

Now, our project for this term is identity. We will be looking at how people can identify with different labels and groups, such as race, gender, sexuality, and so on, and at the protected characteristics in law.

A groan went up.

You will be paired up, she continued, and work together on a project exploring your own identities. At the end of the project, each of you will present your partnerstop smirking, Larimer, for Gods sakeback to the class. The idea is that, in theory, you will have more respect for each other, something sorely lacking in this year group, and a better understanding of the differences between individuals.

A hand shot up. The scruffy-haired boy, Larimer, nearly fell out of his seat, he put it up so quickly.

What, Larimer?

Miss, he said, licking his lips. Er. What if I dont want topresent myselfto my partner?

The class sniggered. Anton, figuring it was safe, joined in.

Larimer, the teacher said dryly, I have it on remarkably good authority that you are quite happy to present yourself to whosoever is amenable to your doing so at any given moment. Now is not the time to get shy about it. The sniggering got louder. In any case, I am not so stupid as to partner you with Walsh or Kalinowski. You will pair up with the person sat next to youwith the exception of you, Anderson and Crabtree. Crabtree, swap seats with Walsh.

There was a general rummaging and shuffling, and the teacher stalked out from around her desk to lean against it, arms folded and staring at the class. She wasnt quite scowling, but she definitely wasnt smiling.

Shall we start with the obvious? Whats an identity? Can someone give me an example of an identity?

Polack! Walsh shouted. Kalinowski flipped him off without even turning round.

Walsh, if you dont stop using that disgusting term, I will write to your parents again.

Walsh pulled a face that meant he didnt much care.

Anyone want to offer an identity that isnt an ethnic slur?

Poles arent an ethnicity, Larimer protested.

Polish, Emma said, rolling her eyes. Someone can identify as Polish.

Thank you, Brown. Anyone else?

British.

Scottish.

Black.

Gay.

Youre gay, Larimer.

Bugger off, yfa

The teacher cleared her throat loudly. The offending boy shut up quickly. Yes, she said tartly, many of those are good examples of identifiers. Any more? Williams?