Toilet ambushes are the best kind of ambushes.
‘Hey, you guys!’ Pip calls out. ‘Dad’s going to introduce me to Spencer Daniels. Want to come?’
We’ve arrived back at the studio the next afternoon because I’ve been working on something all day. Something Spencer Daniels probably won’t want to see.
We see Pip and her dad, George Khan (also known as Hammerhead), walking across the carpark towards Spencer Daniels’ trailer. Yes, that’s right. He’s got a trailer. All the kids were talking about it at school today. Apparently it’s got gaming consoles, an air-hockey table and an ice-cream machine inside.
‘Nah, it’s all right,’ I call back. ‘We’ve already met him.’
Tyson looks at me. He really wants to go, I can tell by the look on his face. His eyes are pleading with me. He’s desperate for the chance to see The Fridge in action again. Tyson hasn’t stopped talking about his favourite human appliance all day long.
‘Go on then,’ I say to him. Hopefully I won’t need a bodyguard to help me deliver my little creation to Rhonda Anderson Delaney. The only thing Hugo and I will need to do is get by Parakeet.
We find him near the bathrooms. Actually, he seems to be going into the bathroom, so we follow him and wait patiently right outside his cubicle. When he flushes the toilet and opens the door, we’re right there.
‘Hello, Mr Assistant Director,’ I say. ‘How are you today?’
Parakeet doesn’t look too thrilled to see us.
‘We just need to see the director,’ Hugo explains. ‘Can you tell us where she is?’
‘I need to wash my hands,’ he says, but we block his way to the sink.
‘Just tell us where we can find RAD and we’ll let you wash your hands,’ I say, with a grin.
‘That’s disgusting.’ Parakeet grimaces. ‘You can’t stop me washing my hands!’
‘Where is she, Para . . . Mr Assistant Director?’
‘She’s directing a movie. You can’t see her. What are you holding?’ He edges to the right, trying to get around us. We shuffle across so he can’t.
‘Something to help her see the light,’ I explain.
‘Why don’t you show me and then I’ll take it to her?’ he says and scampers across to the left. We block him that way too.
‘Promise?’ Hugo asks. He nods.
‘You wouldn’t lie to a kid, would you?’
‘Of course not,’ Parakeet replies.
Hmmm . . . this is a tricky situation. How do I know he’s not lying about not lying? I guess I don’t have a lot of choice.
‘We made her a poster,’ I say and show it to him. ‘Miss Sweet always gets us to make posters for class assignments so we thought we’d make a poster about why I should be young Captain Kickbutt and not Spencer What’s-His-Face.’
‘Wow! This is excellent!’ Parakeet says.
‘Really?’ I ask. I must admit, I’m a little surprised. I thought he might not be so keen on it.
‘It’s genius,’ he says. ‘I’ll give this to RAD and let you know. I really think this could change her mind.’
I look at Hugo and smile.
‘Well you, sir, are free to wash your hands!’ I move out of his way. He uses the sink and then turns back to us.
‘So can I take this to her?’
‘Of course,’ I reply and hand him the poster.
He rips it in half. And then rips it in half again.
Our mouths drop open.
Then he throws the four bits in the bathroom bin. He sticks his tongue out at us, blows a raspberry and leaves.
Well, that last bit was a little immature.
