I AM

1

Who are you?

Good question. I thought. I stared at the blank page on my computer. I know who I am. I am Maggie. Top CIA operative in Princeton, New Jersey. Yes, I know “Jersey.” I’ve heard alll the jokes about being from New Jersey. From my coworkers, from my family who live in Russia. Yes, I’m a Russian CIA operative who lives in New Jersey. Don’t judge. But I’m not going to write that on my 8th grade essay about myself, so I wrote the shallow lies I have been told to tell.

“My name is Madeline Foster and I am thirteen.” Nope, I’m fourteen, and my name is Maggie. Not Margaret, not Magda and definitely not Madeline. I was born Maggie Delilah Pavlov. But not here. Also I have an American accent that is 100% fake. Seven years in this country and I still have a Russian accent.

“I just moved from Savannah, Georgia. This is my first year at Salina Middle.” No one asks questions about Georgia. No offense to the Georgians out there.

“I love math and math is my favorite class because it is simple and never lies.” Not a lie.

“I live with my two parents, Angie and Jerry, twenty minutes away from school.” Another lie. My parents were both killed by the pogroms when I was seven, the last time I was in Russia. Angie and Jerry are operatives posing as foster parents for the year I am undercover at this stupid school.

“I have an older brother and a younger sister, who I love very much.” Another lie. I have a younger sister who wants nothing to do with me and ran away when she was seven. I was ten. I haven’t seen her since she left. I’m pretty sure she’s dead. My fake siblings are just colleagues, Ellery and James. They live with me and my “parents”. They are in 6th and 9th grade at this school.

“I play soccer outside of school on a club team, and I have played on different teams since I was eight.” More lies. I am a full-time operative. No time for sports. I am pretty decent at soccer though.

“I have blue eyes and brown hair, and I wear glasses on weekends and contacts at school. I am a hard worker, but school has never been my first priority.” This is actually true. Why school when I already have a job that educates me and trains me?