The XNA Trio

By Nicholas Radano

Xander, Noah, and Alexis all attend Eastfield Middle School, a school where kids have already found a way to start making money. It is also a school where lots of competition and hate goes on. Xander is an expert liar and rumor-spreader. Noah is a brainiac. Alexis is great at spying. The three of them aren't exactly friends. But when a teacher goes missing, they must put aside their differences and use their skills together to get the teacher back. With twists and turns, conflicts and bonding moments, The XNA Trio is sure to get you turning the page.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Newman Springs Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 19, 2021
• ISBN: 9781648018510

Book preview

1

Xander

I am an assassin. Well, not really. I get paid to spread rumors around the school about people. It’s a fun job. Assassin is one of the three ranks in our school. I know it sounds cold, but that is what happens at Eastfield Middle School. I like my job though, getting paid, and the best part is not getting in trouble.

There are some other ranks too. There are spies that gather information—they have eyes and ears all over, so they are great for the job—and snitches that use that information to tell on people and get them in trouble. Snitches and assassins are always at each other’s throats.

The spies are basically in the middle. Not only do us assassins spread fake rumors, but we also spread embarrassing information we get from spies. And same with snitches—they tell on people with information they get from spies. It’s a pleasure for snitches to see you get in trouble. They are grade A suck-ups, so the teachers always believe what they say.

Nobody likes snitches except for snitches themselves and all the teachers because, hence the name snitches, they are always snitching on people. Nobody wants to get in trouble, but the snitches don’t care. I am one of the, let’s just say, many that hate snitches.

This school is full of bad people: jerks, snitches, assassins, spies, and other random people, such as the people who pay me to do what I do. And honestly, I just try to do whatever I can to try to enjoy it. As I already said, we cannot get in trouble, and there is nothing else better to do at Eastfield Middle School.

Anyway this is not about the stuff that goes on in our school: conflicts, rumors, or anything; this is the story about how, for the very first time in Eastfield Middle School, an assassin, a spy, and a snitch worked together as one.

2

Xander

It all started on a Monday. The worst day of all. All anybody had ever thought about on a Monday was how far away the weekend was. And that was all I was thinking about too. And that was how it started. I was daydreaming about how much fun I would be having on the weekends, playing video games all day.

Xander, said my teacher Ms. Omer. Xander!

Huh? What? I said, finally awaking from my daydream of awesomeness.

You have to pay attention in class, said my angry teacher. The color of her bright blue dress with black polka dots she wears everyday blinded me. She was probably still mad about the argument she lost yesterday against her archnemesis, Mrs. Banes.

Every day went like this at Eastfield Middle School. I mean, most people hated school, like me. It was pointless. Like history and social studies, nobody wanted to learn about a bunch of dead people. But what do the teachers care? It was all about education and stuff. It’s so boring.

Then assassins and spies were made. Snitches were already a thing before assassins and spies. All schools had a couple snitches at their school. Spies were the smart ones though. They were the first people to realize that they could work for both assassins and snitches. But then again, spies were the only people that could work for both, and that was how the ranks in our school were created and how school was like it was today. However, these ranks were super old. They were made maybe twenty years ago. But nobody knew who made them.

Hey, Xander? I need you to spread a rumor for me, said a kid in my social studies class named Zach.

Sure. But why? I said, wondering what the reason he needed me to start a rumor was.

Noah told on me again for passing notes, he said, looking super mad.

Again! I said. That’s the third time this week someone has asked me to spread a rumor about him!

I know he’s like the king of the snitches! said Zach.

All right, I’ll do it but only because it’s Noah. If it was anyone else, I would say they have enough rumors, but Noah deserves it.

Thanks, said Zach. And how much do you want?

Ten dollars, I said.

All right, he said, taking out the money and handing it to me.

Later after school

After the bell rang, and I was walking home, I turned on my phone and went to my friends’ group chat, which had about twelve kids at the school including me. This was where I start most of my rumors. So I went on my phone and told all my friends that Noah cheated on a math test a week ago that he got an A+ on. It’s so easy to break a snitch’s pride because all they cared about was school.

Next thing I knew, a bunch of my friends responded, and then it had begun. The rumor had started, and my work had been done. I turn off my phone and continue walking home. When I got home, I finished my homework, turned on my computer, and when I started playing video games with my friends, I got a notification on my phone.

Hold on a second, I told my friends. I got a message on my phone.

It was from my mom. It said, Have you seen the news?

I did not know why she asked that, so I responded, No, why?

I waited and it took a few seconds for her to respond, but then she said, One of your teachers went missing. I think her name was Ms. Omer.

I quickly typed Brb (Be right back) and quickly darted to the living room and turned on the TV.

So apparently, about an hour after school ended, Ms. Omer’s car was still in the parking lot. This was not so shocking to anyone because teachers usually stay after school about an hour and a half before leaving school. But then a teacher had a question for her and searched almost the whole school and could not find her. He called police, and they searched the whole building. Nothing.

So now I am sitting in my room, playing with my friends, telling them the news I just found out.

3

Noah

It started on a Monday. As usual, somebody was passing notes or doodling on