Citrine Goldstone: Sword of Ice (#1)

Chapter Two (#2); The Note

CITRUS TAPPED HER PENCIL AGAINST HER FOREHEAD, PRETENDING TO BE STUCK. The problem was (89×61)+(96×19)÷10−9.96. Without even thinking, Citrus knew the answer was 5,601.44. But alas, the whole class knew that she was the child star, and she would get bullied if she didn’t at least pretend to be stuck on one problem. In fact, that was why Citrus sat in the very back, with no one near her. Citrus was way too smart. If anyone copied her, the teacher (Mrs. Raggedy - Not one to be messed with. She could adopt a look of deep anger) knew that they would get the answers correct. Today was test day. Everyone was taking the midterm test. Citrus moved to the next problem, which was again, easy as cake for her.

Lilian has 8,543.87 green apples. She has 7,065.59 yellow apples. And at last, she has 11,765.34 red apples. How many apples should she give to each guest at her party if she is expecting 109 guests?

Citrus knew the answer. But, just so she wouldn’t be teased, Citrus wrote a sloppy 45.432. Citrus could hear the groan of some student, probably around the middle area. She bit her lip, stopping herself from snapping, “Could you be quiet?!” Citrus hadn’t realized she had finished the test until she actually focused and realized she was scribbling random answers to nonexistent problems. Citrus flipped over her pencil and erased. Citrus raised her hand and in a matter of seconds, Mrs. Raggedy was over at her desk.

“Stuck?” She asked with a smirk. Citrus frowned up at her face.

“Finished,” Citrus corrected. She handed Mrs. Raggedy the test and Mrs. Raggedy adopted a face of extreme pride.

“Great! You can hang out in the halls. You know, get your stuff from your locker. You have around… 20 MINUTES!” Mrs. Raggedy said the last part out loud, so the whole class could hear. Citrus nodded and slipped out of her seat. She grabbed her Math stuff and left her test on her desk, her name signed on the front. Citrus soon arrived at her locker (#810) and filled in her password. Citrus’ lock was one where you had to fill in the word. There were ten letters and it was impossible to guess. Citrus had made the code ENDANGERED. Probably because she, herself, felt endangered. Citrus stuffed her Math stuff in her neat locker and grabbed her Science stuff. Across the front of Citrus’ Science notebook was cut out magazine words that, together, made the words, H 2 0, N O T H 2 S 0 4. But that’s not what Citrus saw. She saw a note, written in sloppy handwriting, as if the person was in a hurry.

Dear Citrine,

We know of your smarts and abilities. We, a secret agency, request your immediate audience. Meet us at Drapes at 16:57. Don't be a minute early or a minute late. Come alone. If you do not arrive, then you may be placed in extreme danger.

What? Citrus thought, Extreme danger? And how do they know my first name? And then the note was simply signed,

-A Person You Will Get To Know

Citrus was snapped out of her thoughts as her books fell to the floor with a loud clatter. Citrus shook her head and grabbed her books. She checked her watch, and realized that she had 10 minutes until the bells rung. Citrus thought about where this place called, “Drapes” could be. Citrus had never heard the name before. The only place she had seen it was on carpets or the name of a magazine. Drapes: The Whole Curtain. It was a boring magazine with tips for curtains and stuff. Ruby’s mother, obsessed scientist, Coral Goldstone, read it sometimes when she needed help rearranging the curtains or deciding what curtain color she needed. Besides that, Citrus had never before seen the magazine. Citrus thought about the different places in her mind until the bells chimed to signal 4th period. Citrus shook her head again, and headed for Science class, hoping she would figure things out before 4:57.