I smiled as I saw Abbey Glass in the hallway before school started. I hurried to catch her. She and I were friends, but not very close. We were in two different social groups, I guess you could say.

    “Hi, Abbey.” I could tell she was excited about something.

    “Hello, Lia.”

    “How are you?”

    “Good.”

    “That’s nice.” I smiled. “I couldn’t find any of my friends, so I decided to walk with you.”

    Abbey started to reply, but the warning bell rang. “Bye. I’d better get to first hour.”

    “Bye.” I turned around and hurried to art, my first hour.

    The day rushed by in a blur. Nothing weird happened except in my seventh hour math. Our teacher, Mrs. Krider, was acting odd.

    “Mrs. Krider?” I said.

My teacher shook her head, waking herself out of a daze. “Yes?”

“Are you okay? You’ve been spacing off.”

“Oh, yes. I’m fine. Something from my old job came up, that’s all.”

My friend and I exchanged a glance. Our teacher never let us in on her personal life, except to tell us her former job. We both knew her former job was the same as my mom’s current job: working in the AGO, the Ateimdale Government Offices. What could possibly be going on with AGO that would come back to affect a former member?