August woke before the alarm.
She lay still for a moment, listening to the soft creaks of the house settling, the distant hum of the fridge downstairs. The sky outside was still grey-blue, the kind of early morning that felt like a held breath.
She got dressed slowly, brushing her hair back into a neat ponytail.The uniform felt less stiff today. The shoes didn't pinch as much. She even remembered to pack her own lunch-peanut butter and banana, just the way Evelyne had shown her.
Downstairs, Mark was already dressed, sipping coffee and reading something on his tablet. He looked up and smiled.
"Morning, Agent August."
She blinked. "Agent?"
He leaned in, voice low. "You're clearly undercover. No one that small should be that smart."
August smirked. "Don't blow my cover."
Although her heart was beating, for a moment there she thought he knew something.
Evelyne appeared with a thermos and a kiss for Mark's cheek. "You two are ridiculous."
—
At school, Lilay was waiting by the gate.
"You came back," she said, grinning.
"I live here now," August replied.
Lilay linked their arms like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Good. I saved you a seat."
—
In class, Miss Patel handed out a group project - designing a miniature city using recycled materials. August was paired with Lilay, a boy named Yusuf who talked too fast, and a quiet girl named Pearl who only spoke when she had something important to say.
"We should build a floating city," August said.
Yusuf blinked. "Like… in the sky?"
"No," August said. "On water. Like a raft. But with solar panels."
Lilay's eyes lit up. "That's so cool."
They spent the morning sketching plans, arguing over where to put the gardens and how to make the buildings stable. August didn't say much, but when she did, everyone listened.
At break, they sat under the jacaranda tree, purple petals drifting down like confetti.
Lilay pulled out a pack of sour worms. "Want one?"
August took the green one. "Thanks."
Yusuf was telling a story about his little brother flushing a toy car down the toilet when Lilay leaned over and whispered, "You're not like the other kids."
August tensed. "Because I'm younger?"
"No," Lilay said. "Because you don't try to be liked. People just… like you anyway."
August didn't know what to say to that.
So she just nodded.
Compliments were somehow weird to her
.....
After the break , Miss Patel gave them a logic puzzle in order to make the noise levels low. But well... August finished it in three minutes. And stood up to hand it in, her teacher raised an eyebrow.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Miss Patel checked the answers. All correct.
She looked up, smiling. "You're going to keep me on my toes, aren't you?"
August shrugged. "I don't mean to."
—
At the end of the day, Evelyne was waiting outside the gate, leaning against the car with her sunglasses on and a smoothie in each hand.
"Strawberry or mango?" she asked.
"Mango," August said, sliding into the passenger seat.
Evelyne handed it over. "How was today?"
August took a sip. "We're building a floating city."
Evelyn blinked. "Of course you are."
"ofcourse.. It was my was idea"
—
after dinner, August sat at her desk, sketching out the city plan in more detail. She labeled the solar panels, the water filtration system, the emergency escape pods. This was going to be so cool.
Her phone buzzed.
The burner.
She stared at it for a moment before picking it up.
> RAFEL: "You're quiet."
She didn't reply.
Another message came through.
> RAFE: "You think I don't know what happened?
> You think I don't know who fed us the wrong codes?
> Careful, little ghost.
> Even queens can bleed."
August stared at the screen.
Then she turned it off.
And slid it under her pillow.
Tomorrow, she'd laugh again.
But
Tf he means by queens can bleed.
August wanted to dwell on it but she had a project to focus on.. As for Rafel he's another dog with no teeth...all it does is bark..