The next morning, Sam and I get the details of our next collection from Mum and Dad. Now that I know how dangerous Mum’s mission is, and how bad I made her feel last night, I’m determined to get everything right – even if it does make me turn a hundred shades of green every time I think of the Voice Over gadget and that thing I have to wear under my clothes for the Mum Disguise. The only thing I’m grateful for is that Sam hasn’t seen me in them yet.
Dad picks up a black leather briefcase that’s leaning against the wall, swings it onto the table in Mission Control and flicks the lock combination until it clicks open. ‘The package will be waiting for you at the newsagent’s around the corner from school, you can pick it up straight after your last lesson. Your contact will be a young woman with pink hair.’
‘Pink hair?’ Sam looks over at me and we make a face at each other. One of the things we have in common is that we both can’t stand pink. Sam never wears it, but unfortunately for me, Dad decided it’s a vital part of my ‘girly girl’ cover. I shudder as I remember that in my hair right this second there are four pink sequin hair clips, all in the shape of puppies. And the puppies are smiling.
‘Yes,’ Dad goes on. ‘She’s a spy whose cover is quite well, um, loud – and it actually seems to make her less suspicious. She’s done a lot of undercover work for HQ. Anyway, when you see her, you need to tell her that your parents haven’t received their magazines, Patio Paradise and Celebrity Chatter.’
Sam nods. ‘Got it.’
‘Then she’ll say, “Oh, I’m sorry about that, let me see if I can find them.” And then she’ll bring out the package from under the counter.’
We wait but Dad doesn’t say anything else.
‘That’s it?’ I look from him to Mum.
‘Yes, apart from you having to be quick because the shop shuts soon after school finishes, it should all be very straightforward,’ Mum says. ‘So hopefully you won’t mess it up.’
‘Excuse me! When have we messed things up?’ A second later I wish I hadn’t said it. I’m remembering a few things I slightly messed up. Like when I put my cover in danger by signing up to a swimming gala, or when I accidentally let Sam see my hairy ankles. Or when all the girls in my class got a glimpse of my boxer shorts.
Mum doesn’t say anything, she just raises an eyebrow. My mum can say more with one eyebrow than most people can say with their whole face.
‘It’s good to have an easy mission for once,’ Sam says. ‘It takes the pressure off.’ She grins at Dad and he grins back.
Sam’s a good friend, so I’m going to forgive her for calling our mission easy. Her bit might be easy, but mine is definitely not.
‘If anything does go wrong, don’t take any chances,’ Mum says. ‘Play it safe.’
‘Don’t worry, we will,’ I tell her. ‘I’m too close to taking this skirt off for good to take any chances.’
It’s true. I learned enough about taking risks during our last mission to want to try any this time.
Though what could go wrong with picking up a package from a newsagent’s I don’t know.
As soon as school’s over, Sam and I make our way to the newsagent’s. At first, everything goes to plan. I stand outside pretending to look at all the index card ads up in the window so that I can alert Sam to anyone coming in, while Sam checks to see if it’s safe to get our package from our contact. Although we’ve got the coded cover story, Dad told us to pick it up when the shop is empty to be extra sure we’re not being watched. While I stand there, a woman with a baby in a pushchair comes out. I pretend to examine an advert for a bike. Then Sam buzzes me on my earring phone – the Ring-a-Ring – to say the shop’s empty. I’m about to give her the all clear to make contact with Pink Hair when I catch sight of someone behind me reflected in the window. ‘Hang on,’ I whisper to Sam and drop to my feet, pretending to redo the Velcro on my shoe.
‘Hello, Josie.’
I glance up and catch sight of Curtis looking down at me. ‘Oh. Hello,’ I say flatly. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather not see. I finish fiddling with my shoe and stand up again.
‘Waiting for someone?’ Curtis says. He’s staring at me like I’m going to crumble under his gaze – as if he’s a policeman and I’ve been caught red-handed doing a robbery. What’s his problem?
‘Yeah,’ I say. Not that it’s any business of yours, I add in my head.
Curtis steps past me into the shop. I follow him. There’s something odd about him appearing here at the same time as us. Even if it’s nothing to worry about, I want to keep an eye on him, especially as he’s been nasty to Sam.
Sam’s standing in front of the rack of greetings cards, pretending to examine them.
‘Buying a card for someone’s birthday?’ Curtis gives Sam a snaky smile.
‘That’s right,’ Sam tells him. She doesn’t give any sign of surprise that Curtis is there and that I’m not where I’m supposed to be, keeping a lookout outside. Sam’s really good at keeping calm during missions.
She plucks one from the rack that’s covered in pink rosebuds and says ‘Happy Birthday to My Dear Darling’ on it in gold lettering.
Curtis gives a half smile, half sneer and moves off to the magazine section.
I look over at the counter. A girl with pink hair peeks out from a door at the back and then disappears again. Our contact! I check my watch. We’ve only got two minutes left before the shop shuts! What are we supposed to do? I stare at Curtis’s back, willing him to move, but he’s picked up a Dr Who magazine and is slowly turning its pages. Maybe he’s looking for pictures of his relatives – the Daleks. He’s obviously not going to leave.
The owner of the shop appears and smiles at us. ‘About to close, girls and boys. Make any purchases now, please.’ Behind him I see Pink Hair. She catches my eye and shakes her head slightly.
‘I need an eraser,’ I say to Sam. ‘But maybe I’ll wait until tomorrow.’
‘Eraser’ is our code word for ‘abort mission’.
‘Okay,’ Sam says.
As we leave, I glare at Curtis’s back, as he puts the Dr Who magazine back on the shelf – very slowwwwwllly. I don’t know why he’s being so annoying.
But I’ve got a sneaking suspicion it’s on purpose.
I follow Sam out of the shop. I wait until we’re a safe distance away before I say anything. ‘He’s a real pain, isn’t he?’
‘Maybe he’s lonely and he’s trying to make friends,’ Sam says.
I snort. ‘He’s got a funny way of showing it. And he’s not exactly been nice to you, has he?’
‘True,’ Sam says. ‘But maybe he’s just jealous because I’m so brilliant?’ She laughs but maybe she’s right. I used to be jealous of Sam before I got over it. Maybe Curtis is jealous. Maybe there’s nothing suspicious about him. I should give Curtis a break.
And I will – as long as he gives us a break first.