Hiding Pandora by Mercy Amare Page B

pocket of my jeans. As long as he doesn’t see my back, I should be good. I’m pretty sure the school would frown upon a minor carrying a loaded gun on campus. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s illegal.
    “Hey,” he says.
    I open the door wider.
    “I noticed you weren’t at orientation,” he says, stepping inside. I shut the door behind him, careful to keep my back turned away from him.
    My face grows warm as I realize I’m in the room alone with a guy. This is normal for American teenagers, but Korean teenagers don’t spend time alone with the opposite sex. I don’t like the American way. It’s just... weird.
    “Are you okay?” Winston asks, noticing my discomfort.
    “Yeah. I’m just not used to being alone with guys,” I say, deciding to answer honestly. “I’ve never had a guy in my room before.”
    He looks at me, as if trying to gage if I’m serious. “But you’re... really beautiful.”
    “No, I’m not,” I say, then remember Agent Kim told me that in America, you’re supposed to say thank you when somebody compliments you. “I mean, thank you.”
    In Korea, if you say thank you to somebody after they compliment you, it means that you’re agreeing with him, which makes you seem arrogant. Humility is kind of a big deal there. From what I understand about American culture, if you disagree with somebody who calls you beautiful, it makes you seem self-conscience, which is a bad thing here.
    “You really don’t believe you’re hot?” he asks.
    “Hot?” I ask. “No, it’s a bit cold in here, actually.”
    He laughs.
    I just look at him, trying to figure out why he’s laughing.
    “Oh, you were serious?” he asks.
    “Serious about what?” I ask. “What’s funny?”
    Winston looks at me... reallylooks at me.
    “Were you homeschooled?” he asks.
    “Nope. I went to a private school in Malibu,” I answer, remembering my cover story.
    “Oh. Okay,” he says, still looking at me cautiously.
    “What did I say?” I ask, wondering what is making him act like this.
    “The hot/cold comment.”
    “You asked if I was hot. I answered. What is weird about that?” I ask.
    “Hot is a word used to describe a beautiful girl,” he says.
    My face warms. “Oh. I didn’t know.”
    “How do you not know that?” he asks.
    “ Haji ,” I reply, shrugging my shoulders.
    He looks at me.
    “What?” I ask.
    “I have no idea what you just said. My Korean isn’t that advanced,” he says.
    “I was speaking Korean?”
    He nods.
    Crap.
    How did I spend four months training? I’m going to blow my cover on the first day here.
    “I’m trying to figure you out,” Winston says. “Your accent sounds American and your English is perfect, but sometimes you say things that make me think you’re not from around here.”
    I turn around and walk towards my desk to grab my phone. I’m going to have to call Agent Kim and tell her I need a new identity. Less than five hours and I’ve already completely screwed up.
    “Is that a gun?” Winston asks, reminding me that there is a gun in my back pocket.
    I turn around quickly. “Umm... yes.”
    “Why do you have a gun on a high school campus?” he asks.
    “It’s... complicated,” I answer.
    “Try me.”
    “Well, a group of terrorist are after me,” I say, going with the truth. I’ve already blown my cover, so I may as well tell him. Agent Kim will have me out of here within the hour anyway, and I will never see this boy again.
    “Are you really American?” he asks.
    “Yes.”
    “Have you always lived here?”
    “No,” I answer.
    “Are you really Pandora Hart?” he asks.
    I shake my head.
    “Will you tell me your real name?”
    “It’s safer for you if I don’t,” I answer.
    “Are you honestly a legal US citizen?” he asks.
    “Yes,” I answer. “I was born in California. I moved to South Korea when I was four. I haven’t been in America since, until four months ago.”
    “But your accent...”
    “Taught to me by one of the best