Chapter Eight: Roadblocks
“So are we going to hunt Andy down and defeat him? Like in a real adventure?” Harlow marveled at the thought of fighting crime like Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, and Kim Possible.
“That would be so awesome! If only we had like, weapons,” Kymberlie frowned at her thin fingers. “I don’t think I’m very good at kung-fu, either…”
“I have plenty of weapons we can use,” Scout said. Every looked at her funny. “What? I’m a super spy, remember?” she said casually.
“Yeah, we remember,” Hayden said, glancing at me. I shrugged it off, not seeing anything suspicious about it.
“So yeah, I’ll go through my stuff and find the best weaponry. We can easily defeat Andy with the stuff I have.”
“I’m so excited about this! I can feel the adrenaline rush,” Kymberlie kicked off her heels. “Do you think we have time to change our outfits?”
Harlow nodded. “We need something spy-sheek.”
“In black. So we won’t get caught easy,” Kymberlie continued.
“You guys are so… girly.” Hayden grimaced.
“Well, I’m not changing.” We were sitting in my room in the guesthouse as I was looking around, stuffing objects into a large brown tote. “But I might change my shoes…” I said looking from my bronze gladiators to a comfy pair of Converse sitting at the foot of my bed.
“Then might as well change your whole outfit then!” Harlow complained.
“Yeah, those Converse won’t look hot with that dress, Stevie,” Kymberlie pressed.
I rolled my eyes. “No, I’m gonna keep these shoes on.” I swung the tote over my shoulder. “You guys ready?”
Scout came back into the room, holding the same sleek briefcase she had when we first encountered her in this realm. “Got the goods,” she said with a smile.
“Alright, then let’s head downstairs. Jeffery said his driver would take us.” I filed out of the room after the twins, but Hayden grabbed my wrist and pulled me back into the bedroom.
“What, Hayden?” My voice was coated with annoyance.
“I’m telling you, this isn’t a good idea!”
“Why not? We have weapons, intelligence, and about a 5 inch advantage over Andy, so…”
“Well Andy has more intelligence, better weapons, and not to mention tons of security and helpers, like, oh, I don’t know, Scout!” His eyes blazed. There was a part of me that wanted to believe his craziness. “You need to trust me on this one, Steph. Because if all of you guys get dumped in a dungeon or something, I am going to stand outside your cell and laugh because I was right.”
“Uhm, that’s just a little cynical, don’t you think?” I cocked my head, smiling.
“Okay, yeah, but just wait and see.” I walked out the door. “We’re not heroes, Steph!” he called after me. “We’re just normal teenagers.” His last sentence was muttered to himself.
Jeffery stopped us as we tried to quickly and unnoticeably pass him as we walked through the main house.
“Hey,” Jeffery said in a smiley tone, emerging from the dining room. “Why don’t you guys come join me for dinner? Well, a late dinner, rather,” He gestured to the door of the dining room. “I’m having spaghetti!”
“Okay,” Harlow and Kymberlie responded in unison. They smiled flirtatiously. Hayden rolled his eyes. I shook my head at the twins.
“We’re kind of in a rush, Jeff,” I explained.
“Haste makes waste,” said Sara, stepping through the doorway. “We have plenty of food, and plenty of time, too.” She smiled.
“You know,” Hayden began, “She’s right. And my tank is starting to drop to low, so I’m going to help myself to…” His voice trailed off as he walked to the long table and grabbed a drumstick.
Harlow and Kymberlie followed Hayden to the table and began loading up their own plates. I put my hand on my forehead and sighed. Do you remember what happened last time these people outnumbered me in an illogical decision?
Jeffery smiled and held out a plate. “Come on, Steph, help yourself.”
Hayden’s head shot up from his plate, his eyes flaming with rage, nearly burning a hole in the back of Jeffery’s tee shirt.
“No one,” Hayden growled. “No one calls her Steph except for me.”
“Oh brother.” I could sense that we wouldn’t be out of here anytime soon.
Jeffery cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at Hayden. “Oh, really? What, did you copyright it or something?”
Hayden was steamed. “It’s the principle of the matter, Waller.”
“I think you’re just jealous, Charles.”
Kymberlie and Harlow stared.
Scout said, “Oh, I hate it when they use last names. It means they’re really angry.” The twins nodded in agreement.
“Me, jealous of you?” Hayden asked, infuriated.
“What’s not to be jealous of? I’m rich, handsome, smart…” He trailed off, marveling at his own greatness.
“Psh!” Hayden said, waving his hand carelessly, almost smacking Sara in the forehead. “Last time I checked I was the hot male model and you were just the stuck up kid with a rich daddy.”
“Ooh,” Sara perked up. “I have a rich daddy! I love him!”
Scout shook her head. “Ditz…” she muttered. Sara didn’t hear the jab.
Jeffery glared at Hayden even harder, if that could be possible. “We both know this isn’t about money or looks. Why don’t we just ask Steph,” he emphasized my nickname, “choose who is the better man.”
I was shocked to be suddenly sucked into the argument. “Me?” I asked in disbelief. These idiots were honestly arguing about who would end up with me? Well, none of them are going to live to even go on a date with me if they keep this up.
The twins rolled their eyes together. “Duh,” they said in unison, as well.
“Do you not pay attention, Stevie?” asked Kymberlie, handing her cleaned plate to a butler.
I pay attention! I just didn’t realize that that’s why Jeffery and Hayden decided to be mortal enemies.
“Well?” Asked Hayden impatiently.
“Yeah, Steph, who’s it gonna be?” Jeffery pressed.
I let out an agitated breath. “I have a boyfriend, remember?” Good Stevie, nice save.
Hayden rolled his eyes with the practice of a high school drama queen. “Come on.”
“Come on what? He’s my boyfriend. And I never expressed any interest for either of you! So I don’t know what put it in your heads that you must fight over me!!” I was starting to get angry. “So, stop acting like immature babies. I believe we have a study party to crash.” With that, I walked out of the dining room and straight out the front door.
There sat the Hummer, gleaming in all its gas-guzzling glory. But of course, when something you are yearning for is so close, you are bound to hit a few obstacles.
Unfortunately, as I approached the back door, it swung open from the inside and out stepped a well-dressed, curly haired, baby-faced Jonas Brother. Obstacle.
“Nick?” I sighed.
“Hey,” he said, grinning that rare smile that knocked crazy fans off their Converse-clad feet. It had the same effect on me. “Is the party already over?”
I nodded, regaining my breath. “Yeah, this little nerd crashed it, and now I’m about to crash through his security gates and go home.”
Nick stared blankly, not comprehending.
“Oh, it’s a long story…” I ran my fingers through my hair, loosing patience, even for the hottest teen musician in the world.
Nick remained in a smiley state. “Well, you are gonna have to get there somehow.” He held out his guitar-playing right hand.
Having Nick tag along would be quite comforting and all, but kind of an inconvenience. He wasn’t, well, one of us. You know what I mean. It would be much harder.
“Uh, Nick…” This was going to be tough. “I’m not sure if it would be a good idea if you came.”
The rest of the group emerged from Jeffery’s house. The twins were giggling with Scout as Hayden shouted some unintelligible words at Jeffery before slamming the door shut, rattling the frame.
Nick raised an eyebrow. “I’d be there to protect you. I mean, would you rather have that as your only male hero?” He looked at Hayden, who through a rock at the closed door.
“I hope your stupid coconut scented shack gets swallowed by a TSUNAMI!” Hayden shouted psychotically, a crazed look in his green eyes.
It was hard not to giggle at the sight. Hayden is a mildly jealous creature. He did something similar to this one kid, James in the fourth grade after he asked me to be his Valentine. Hayden didn’t take it so well, even though I didn’t say yes. Of course he didn’t act like a freak throwing rocks at James’s vacation home, but he did sit on James’s Ninja Turtle lunch box.
I turned back to Nick, to say no again, but his pleading brown eyes made it very difficult. “Nick.”
He half smiled. “Yes?”
His cute innocence got to me. “Fine.”
Nick smiled in triumph as I took his hand and he helped me into the limousine. As if things weren’t going wrong already, I’m not sure we could even make it to Andy’s lair without something else ridiculous occurring to stop us.
Everyone else loaded themselves into the car, Hayden still fuming. Scout cranked up ‘Smile’ by McFly. I hummed along to the upbeat melody. Maybe I was overreacting. I smiled, as if I were the girl that Danny and Tom were singing to and hoped that I was just overreacting.
Then we pulled up to the thick-looking black marble wall surrounding Andy’s lair. Everyone eagerly stepped out of the car, with the taste of adventure on the tip of their tongues.
Scout professionally walked up to the keypad, hardly noticeable on the wall and pressed a button. She opened her mouth to say something when a voice spoke first.
“I’ve been expecting you.”
Then I knew I wasn’t overreacting.
