chpter 009

I was over the moon.
Why, you may ask?

Oh, it just so happened that I've hooked up with possibly the greatest guy ever.
Okay, sure, he may be the guy I used to despise the most.

& yea, he's my co-spy.
But that's just the con. You haven't heard the pro.

He's the sweetest, smartest gentleman I know (who happens to be my age, for once).
& maybe saving my life was a possible bonus.
It also doesn't hurt that he's the most sought-out guy in my school. He is, after all, six foot two, blue-eyed, dark-haired & has the cutest British accent I've ever heard.

Yes. I was with Grant Fend.
& I plan to bask in each & every moment of it.

"Kath? Kathy?" I heard him say.
"Hm?"
"Sorry. You were just staring with a smile on your face." he paused. "Your food's getting cold."

See? Do you see how perfect we are together?
I'm the one with my head in the clouds & he's the practical one!
We're destined for each other.

It's already three days since he saved my life & we finally admitted the truth - he claimed that he fell for me since Day One & I said that I fell for him the minute he made that sarcastic comment for being the new kid.

After finishing up our hot dogs, we got up from the bench & strolled around the park.
It was pretty cold, which was kind of odd since spring evenings were usually just right.

"Are you cold?" Grant asked me.
I looked up - I mean, I may be taller than average for a girl but Grant's just... So tall.

"You're shivering," he explained.
"Oh." I said.

I didn't say much at the time because I just didn't want to ruin it.
It felt so perfect, strolling there in the park.

Then, he gently tugged at my left hand out of my pocket & kept it in his.
Pocket, I mean.

He was wearing that brown jacket. The one he wore when we first met.

I looked up at him but he was just looking ahead, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary's happening.
Which (shall I be the one to point out?) was very far from the truth because he just did something so romantic - something Jane Austen would approve of. Then I remembered how guys hated it when the girls coo over how romantic the gesture was so maybe I shouldn't push it.

Really. I honestly couldn't believe that he's the pompous ass I thought him to be.
Now I just understand better. He acts all macho but the truth is, he's not that big-headed on the inside.

"Hey, Grant," I said softly.
"Yeah?" he said.
"What did your fortune actually read last time?" I asked him.

Don't ask me how that question got in my head.
I mean, I was just loving the feel of his warm hand on mine in his pocket, how gentle he held it yet how rough his skin felt (probably from all the butt-kicking action he gets).

Suddenly, poof! There came the question. I just blurted it out.
Way to kill the romance. You know, right under the starry sky & the hand-in-my-boyfriend's-pocket thing.

"We-ll..." Grant stalled, rocking on his heels back & forth.
"What is it? It can't be embarrassing or anything," I said with a smile.
He looked down at me, blocking the moonlight from my view which just blocks my view of his face when he said, "'Choose between two for righteous justice or for righteous love.'"

Our eyes locked for a while &, I swear, something passed between us.
That is, until I burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" he asked, bewildered... & maybe a little irritated.

Can't blame him, really. I mean, I wouldn't like it if someone laughed hysterically when I told something embarrassing.
But that fortune was no where near embarrassing! It didn't even make sense!

I informeds him that after my maniac chuckles came to a halt.
He kept quiet. I looked up at him.

"Hey. I didn't mean to laugh. Are you alright?" I asked him when he looked down at me & I caught a glimpse of his face.
An expression was on his face. It was as fathomable just as much as his fortune cookie.

Desperate to change the subject, I quickly said, "Uh... Two more days till mother's day, huh?"
To be honest, I just realised it myself. Another thing I realised, he had never talked about his parents before.
Except that one time at camp, I guess.

"So how's your mom? I mean, how's she doing?"
God, I sound like a nut. No wonder he's staring at me as if I grew another head.

All of a sudden, his lips came down on mine.
Not that I'm complaining. Who wouldn't like being kissed by their boyfriend?

He tasted like... Grant.
& mustard.

"Wow." I whispered softly when I caught my breath.
He smiled & said, "We're here."

How does he do that? was the first thought that entered my brain.
I mean, really. Intense making out session & all of a sudden, he puts on that macho act of his? How am I supposed to keep up?

I looked at the door of my house & my face fell.
"I know you'd miss me. I miss you, too." he said & dropped a kiss on my cheek, knocked the door & walked off, whistling all the way.

My brother opened the door, his hair sticking up to make him resemble a porcupine.
"Had a good date?" he yawned.
"Close your mouth," I automatically said & paused. "Definitely a good date."








"You know, I've been wondering..." I said.
"Hmm?" Grant said as he chewed on his french fries.
"Do you still have all these part-time jobs, even after, you know, you're certain about my safety?" I asked him, my voice decreasing in volume.
"Um..." he swallowed his food (with a loud gulp. I know. The man's British & was raised as a gentleman yet his eating manners were just as good as my brother's. Which worried me) & washed it down with his bottled water. "I do it anyway. Why?"
'I just want to ask you out! On a date. Why is it so hard just to do that?' was what I wanted to yell.
Instead, I murmured a "Nothing,"

Wow. My food sure was interesting.
Did you know, broccoli & carrots give super nutrition?
Yum!
& look at that? The canteen lady arranged it as a smiley face. How creative!

"Kath, what's wrong?" he asked but I knew he wasn't asking out of concern.
He knew why I asked good & well. He wanted me to say it aloud just to tease me.

I guess there are some cons to dating your co-spy.
Especially if he happened to be the top of our agency.
He knows too much.

"Well. It's because... I don't see you... Enough &... Um, hey! I think we're running late!" & looked at my watch.
Well, where my watch was supposed to be, that is.

'Dammit!' I thought to myself.
I forgot to wore it, which is a real big no-no for the Chief.
Also, it really killed my 'Escape Plan'.

Grant smiled at me & I narrowed my eyes.
You could tell he's trying really hard not to laugh at me, which I guess was payback from last night.
& I bet my Spy Employment that if even a chortle leaks out of the guy, he's going to say that he's laughing with me.

But I guess that was nice of him. You know, to try to restrain from laughing... Even if he wasn't doing a good job of it.

By then, we were already walking to my locker. As I opened the locker door, I glimpsed at Grant, who was stretching in a (supposedly) bored manner.
It was very, very distracting.
'God. Get a grip. He may be your guy but stop with the ogling! Have some dignity.' a shrill, little feminist voice shrieked at the back of my brain.

I blinked.

"Well... I guess I could cut down on the work." Grant said behind my locker door.
I didn't say anything. I know he's waiting for it. He was just dangling the bait in front of my face, waiting for me to nip.

Well. Forget it, buster. I ain't saying it out loud.
'Have some dignity!' that annoying voice echoed.

I took in a deep breath & waited for Grant to keep talking - which wasn't very long.

"Aren't you going to ask me why?" he asked & already I could tell he was smiling.
I sighed & said in an extremely polite voice, "Why are you cutting down on your work, Grant?"
"What? No eye fluttering?"

I closed my locker door. Dammit, why did he have to look so good? Why, why, why, why, why, why?
Why must he have those blue eyes?

I shot him a dirty look & he laughed. "Well, I suppose that's worth much more than the eye batting."
Despite myself, I laughed too.

& we were like that until this niggling thought popped into my head.
Honestly, I've been thinking about this & I'm not even sure why.
But it was bothering me so I just had to had it out.

"So Grant, tomorrow's mother's day." I said lightly.
He kept quiet, his smile dimming, I noticed.
"It's just, you never talk abut your mom & I just want to kno-"

R-ing! The dismissal bell was off.

"I've gotta go to my class. Well, see you." he said.
Before I even saw it coming, Grant bent down & dropped a light-feather kiss on my cheek. With that, he walked off.

Light-feather though it may be, my cheek was still tingling. I put a hand on it to see if what just happened was... Real.












"I can't believe I signed up for this..." I muttered to myself.
I mean, I really couldn't. Personally, I put the blame on Grant.
No, that's not fair.

It was my fault for sitting next to him two weeks ago. But could you blame me for being so distracted to the point that I accidentally signed myself up for this dumb mini golf trainer thing?
Well, it's not that bad. They do give extra credit for whatever subject that manages to give me credit in this area. & the money I earn would be donated to a children's charity.

I was stuck sitting at the back of a booth, waiting for people to hire a trainer - which would probably never happen.
I mean, come on! Who needs a trainer for mini golf?

You do not need training to get the golf ball past the windmill & into the hole (Lane One). Plus, this spot - this Mini Golf Castle - was mainly a major date attraction.
All I see are couples & the occassional party of toddlers.

Which made me want to cry since I wanted to be the one on a date. Not chaperoning, let alone training, one.
"Hey, cheer up. It's not that bad." a girl's voice said from behind.

I turned around (to look up) & saw a girl, who looked probably early 20s.
She was pretty, like those natural pretty types who would still look pretty even without make up... & pretty darn tall - five foot ten? Gray eyes & short, dark hair.

She looked like one of those models for sports' wear.

"Sorry. You heard what I said?" I asked, embarrassed.
I always had a bad habit of saying things aloud when I don't realise it.
"Yea. Like I said, it's not that bad. Oh, I'm Nina Dime, by the way."

Nina Dime... That name sounded familiar.

"Yea, I probably sound familiar." Nina said, reading my thoughts. "I'm usually on the sports' page."
"Oh! Cool. I'm Kathleen Hally - but, you know, my friends call me Kat."
"You go to O.H.?"
"Yea. You've just graduated?"
"I wish!" she laughed. "One more year until I'm outta there."
"You're 18? Oh God, sorry! You kinda look-"
"Older? Yea, don't worry. I get that a lot."

I smiled. Suddenly, the customer bell rang.
"I'll get that." Nina rushed to the counter. A few minutes later, she came back, smiling.
"Hey. Some guy's personally requested for you. He is cute!" she winked & sat on my seat as I got up.

Man. I really hope it's not Dave (I know. Tons of girls refer to my brother as 'cute'. They wouldn't call him that if they actually witnessed how fast he could devour a whole KFC bucket). I told him not to come unless it's an emergency.
Oh God, what if it is?

"Dave," I began, glaring at Nina for stealing my seat. "I told you not to bug me unless it's an em..." my voice trailed off.
It wasn't Dave. It was Grant.

May I just say that I think it should be illegal for a guy to look that good?
Why must he wear that collared, black polo of his?

"Heya, Kathy," he smiled.
"Hey. What're you doing here?" A thousand questions aside that one were flooding in my brain, including 'Why do my insides keep flip-flopping? Why can't I stop it? Is anything stuck in my teeth? Did I eat anything just now?'
"Seeing you, of course. Don't you remember the date we made just now?"
"Uh..."
"I promised that I'd cut down on my work, didn't I? Anyway. I'm helping you with your job. Clearly you're not busy." he added, casually looking around him.
"Yeah s-"
"So I thought I should help you with your job. It would be very... 'Ungenltemanly' of me."

I laughed. "I think that's the first time your English went off."
He raised an eyebrow. "Was my English off?" he said, deliberately laying the British accent thick.

That's not helping. Not helping with the flip-flopping heart. Not helping.

"Here's a twenty. Keep the change. Now hurry up. I didn't pay you to stand there & be pretty, you know." he said & with that, he turned around & walked off, whistling away.
My head's spinning. Why the heavy tip? He's practically paying me for a date - with a $15 tip! & he called me pretty!
Okay. Now I just sound like Leia.

Seriously. Could I have a better boyfriend?
I doubt it.












"You paid me to train you, not the other way around." I protested to a yawning Grant.
"Well, yes. But it's just that, I enjoy mini golf-" (I raised my eyebrow at that.) "-& having someone - especially if that someone is a very attractive someone -to tell me how to play the game. So how about I tell that very attractive someone the real way to get a hole-in-one?" Grant reasoned.

I swear. He's the only one I knew who made pick-up lines ending with lame pun-jokes & actually get away with it.

"But..." He paid for my services. Not the other way around. "At least get your money back."
"& draw the money from charity? Anyway, I really should be paying for moments like these." he winked at me.

I blushed, not even knowing why.

"Okay, lets start, shall we?" I said, trying to change the subject.
"Sure," he shrugged, resting the golf club on his shoulder.

After setting the golf ball in front of me, I moved to the starting position - my right hand above my left as I grip the golf club, which was placed an inch away from between my feet.
I shuffled my feet, testing the ground. The moment was just right. I could feel it.
So I lifted my golf club, closed my eyes shut & swung.

Bop!

I opened & tried not to die from embarrassment right there & then - the ball was only a few feet away from me.
I heard a strangled noise from behind.

"Don't." I warned him. "Don't even say a word."
"I-I-I," Grant managed between (silent) chortles. "Okay."

I turned around for a glare but before I knew what was about to happen, he reached out for me & spun me around again.
"Okay. This is where I come in." he said haughtily.
I fixed my glare on him - although, to be honest, I couldn't stay angry at him at all. Not when he was just standing in front of me, looking down at me with that annoyingly crooked grin of his, his blue eyes smiling along.

"Come on. Go into position." he said gently.
Giving up, I did as I was told.
"No, no. See? There's the problem. You just move your hands further..." he pushed my right hand higher. "& tighten your grip-" his hands closed around mine.
"Now you bend a little."

O-kay, I could handle that. (Because I was a little afraid of what he was about to do to make me bend down)
"Focus." Grant said. I blinked. He smiled.
"& when you swing, just move to the back-" his arms encircled me. "Arch." I did. "-& open your eyes." he whispered in my ear.

My eyes flew open. His breath was hot, tickling my cheek.
"& swing."
He moved my arms gently to & fro & suddenly...

Bop!

We watched the golf ball go past the windmill
& over the bridge
& into the crocodile's mouth!

"Hole-in-one!" someone yelled.
I started jumping up & down, cheering (because, hey, this was my first time ever I had a hole-in-one! Or two, actually. But never mind). Then I hugged Grant & he just lifted me up.

At that moment, I felt as if I was invincible. As if I could just get away with anything.
Like I was at the top of the world.

He put me back down, blushed (blushed? Can I just say that he looked adorable blushing?) & scratched the back of his head.
"Uh... That didn't... Um..."
But he stopped stalling because I tip-toed & kissed him on the lips.

He was a little surprised at first, but I guess he got over it because a second later, he pulled me towards him & kissed me like there was no tomorrow.
Or he would have kissed me like there was no tomorrow if his phone hadn't rung.

Grant checked the caller ID & muttered, "Shit."
"Sorry, Kathy. I have to take this."
"S'alright." I said but he probably didn't hear me because he had walked off by then.








We were quiet en route to my house. It felt perfect - it was perfect, walking there under the stars with him at the park.
I mean, it wasn't a corny moment where we felt as if this day could last forever, holding each other's hands while the sun set.

Geesh. That would be too perfect & a little cheesy.
Okay. Very cheesy.

It was a comfortable kind of quiet. The breeze was nice, the spring perfume filling through the air.
"Thanks for the training, Grant." I said, wanting to make another moment.
"No, thank you." he smiled.

My heart did that familiar somersault. I was starting to... Like it.

A silence hushed over us as we walked. I took the opportunity to glance at Grant.
I couldn't believe that I was fortunate enough to be with him. Six foot one, funny, cute...

Then I realised that that were the few things I know about him.
Sure, everyone knows he's cute. Most of us know his sarcastic humour, arrogance & stubbornness (well, okay, just the Chief & I).
But what do I know - really know - about Grant Fend?

I don't know what's his mother's name, nor his father's. I don't know whether he has siblings or some sort of disorder that he has been hiding.
I don't even know when's his birthday! Or his favourite colour.

"Grant," I said.
"Mmm?"
"How's your mom?"

He kept silent but I felt his body stiffen.

"Grant?" I asked, getting slightly nervous.
Grant finally spoke. "Why the hell do you keep asking about my mother."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement, a demand.
Something about his quiet, flat tone made me even more nervous.

"B-because..."
"She's dead." he said.
"Grant." The pain etched in his face, that darkness that hooded his eyes...

At that moment, that vulnerable five year old was standing right in front of me, instead of a cocky sixteen year old.
What else was I supposed to do? When you see a five year old who dropped his ice cream, you'd comfort him.
That's what I tried to do - comfort him.

My hand reached out for Grant but he dodged it away.
He was shuttered. Completely.
You don't need to be a trained agent to tell - from the hunched shoulders to the sad frown on his face.

"Leave me alone." he muttered.
"Grant." I took a step forward.
"I said leave me alone!" he yelled. "Get the hell out of here."

I ran.











Today's Mother's Day.
Dave & I usually spend this day visiting Mom at the cemetery, leaving her presents & telling her stories of the latest world news.
Dave would get out of the house four days every year since his fiancée's death. Today was one of those days.

I pulled at the growing shrubs around her headstone & my fingertips lingered at the carvings (Amelia Jones-Hally 1961 - 2006 ; A good wife, a good mother, a good sister & a good friend).
I felt Dave's hand on my shoulder. He slowly knelt in front of her grave & laid a bouquet of daisies on it.

It was my mom's favourite flower. When we were small, she told us that daisies are actually twins of sunflowers, seperated by birth. She told us that I was the sunflower & Dave was the daisy.

I know that the story wasn't true. I checked.
But I still believe in it. I really do.








It was lunch time.
I haven't seen Grant anywhere but I had a feeling I was about to.
See him, I mean.

He's too proud to just diss on me. He won't let anything get in the way.
That's the type of person he is.

Then again, it's not as if I know who the real Grant is.
Take yesterday for example.
Grant didn't seem like the yelling type. Sarcastic, sure. Pompous, definitely.
But a yeller?

I guess I was wrong.

As I sat down at my usual table, a voice behind me said, "Rough day, huh?"
I looked up to see Nina Dime from the mini golf course, grinning down at me.

"Oh, hey." I said while playing around with the cafeteria salad.
"Didn't answer my question," she said in mouthfuls.

I stared at her. She was as fit as a girl could get yet she could eat like a horse!
The minute she sat down she began to gobble down her lunch, which was a healthy-looking hamburger.

Not the McDonald's kind but the cafeteria kind, which was just plalin wrong.
The cafeteria hamburger looked normal but when inspected carefully, you may notice the grease oozing from underneath the sesamee seed bun.

Ugh.

"Don't talk with your mouthfuls." I said.
She smiled.

"Hey," someone said from behind.
My heart instantly did a loop-dee-loop. For a second there, me, being the stupid one, even though I had been trained for over 3 years now, thinking that it was Grant.

Fat chance.

"Hey," I said, trying not to show my disappointment.
"So," Chaz said as he shuffled his feet, looking downwards. "Just wanted to say sorry."
"S'alright." I smiled a small smile.

It was kind of sweet of him. We'd been hanging out for over a year now & even though we're exes (God knows what exes are supposed to act around each other), he still remembered what today was.

Well, that's stupid. I mean, everyone knows what occassion it was.
They just don't know what the real sentiment is to me.

"Thanks." I said.
He nodded his head & walked away, sitting beside Leia, who gave me a sharp glare.

"Who," Nina said between chomps (I never realised how similar she is to my brother), "was that?"
"Oh. That's just Chaz."
"He's kinda cute."

I raised my eyebrows.

"I'm just saying," she shrugged & quickly focused on her already halfway eaten burger.
"What was that all about anyway? Why's he sorry?"
"You're a bundle of questions."
"& you look like your goldfish just died."
"Hey, that was 3 years ago." I said defensively.

She laughed.

"& where's your boyfriend? You know, the flirty guy who asked specifically for you at the Hole-In-One, whom I presume is your boyfriend?"
I muttered something incomprehensible as I chewed on my salad.

"Ah. Lovers' quarrel."
"It is- No, I- We're n-!" I spluttered.
"Uh, uh, uh!" she wagged her finger at me. "Don't talk when your mouth is full. It's not polite."

We laughed.
Then, I realised I was the only one laughing & looked at Nina, who was looking behind her.

So I looked & found myself looking at a guy's stomach.
Woah.

Looked up, up, up...
"We need to talk."

My eyes met his green ones.
There was no smile on his face nor on his eyes.

I considered sitting stubbornly on my seat.
Unfortunately, Grant must have figured out my plan & just dragged me from my seat right out the cafeteria door.












"Grant, what the hell are yo-"
"Firstly, don't expect an apology from me. It was your fault. You should've known better." he said, his voice flat.

I stared at him. Then, I had this image of me strangling him in my brain.
It wouldn't be hard. There must be some sort of cloth somewhere.

Then I realised I couldn't do that.
Because it's morally wrong, illegal & murder.
Plus killing your boyfriend-slash-partner isn't something you'd want to brag about.

He had the... Audacity to just blame everything on me?
He was the one who bit my head off & just spat it back out.
He was the one who dragged me from the cafeteria, as if I'm this punished kid.

He's the one to get the blame. Not me.

I told him that.
Then, he sighed & ran his fingers through his hair.

I've learnt that that wasn't necessarily a good sign.
Grant does it when he's frustrated & doesn't know what to do next.

"Look. Why is it so important for you to know about my mother?"
I took in a deep breath & counted to 10. "Because I don't know you."
"& so you think that knowing my maternal figure will help you figure me out?" he said a little whimsically.

I could see the Grant I knew abit clearly now.

"Yes." I said, dead serious.
It's true. You are genetically related to your mother.
There's a piece of your mother inside of you.

I told him that, too.

"I wouldn't want that." he muttered.
"Grant," I said, appalled.
He looked at me. "Why would I want her to reflect on me? Fine. You wanna know my mother. Here's what it is. Her name is Cecilia J. Davies. Don't ask me what the 'J' stands for. I don't know what it is, either. She met my father in a bakery store along Oxford Street. I was born. That's when the arguing started."

He went silent & looked down.
There was something so... Broken. That's one word to put it nicely.
He looked so broken & I just wanted to fix him - help him.

"Three years later, she left us. So my dad had to take care of me alone. A single parent. It was hard of him, sure. When I turned 12, I got a letter from her, telling me that she got married again. Three years later, she changed her name to Lily Davies & got engaged to a banker. That's the last I've heard from her eversince."

"Grant," I said after a moment of silence.
He kept quiet.
"I'm sorry." I slowly walked to him, tip-toed & wrapped my arms around him.

He rested his cheek on my hair & planted a kiss on my head.

It must've looked weird, this tall guy being hugged by a girl on tip-toes behind the World Civ. section.
Slowly, his hands crept up my back & hugged me.

I could feel him hesitating but he finally hugged me back & squeezed the life out of me.
"I'm so sorry," I said.

The top of my head felt wet.
My vision was blurred, my cheeks were moist.

We hugged tighter.

"Oh God, get a room." a familiar voice said.
We immediately pulled away.

Trust Leia & her drones to ruin my Hallmark moment with Grant.

"I'm sorry, too." he said, his voice sounding strangely rough.
"No secrets from each other, alright?" I asked him, looking up.
He nodded.

But I couldn't help but notice how careful his nod was.
Yet I didn't care.

I didn't wonder - not that much, anyway - why.
I should've, though.

I realise that only now.

chpter 008

A few days passed from the survival training camp & here I am, back to the classroom, behind the cramp desk, doing nothing while Mrs. Low marks a few essays.

Due to the free time, I decided to recap since the (falling-into-Grant's-arm-near-to-doing-God-knows-what) Incident in my head.

1. My ex-boyfriend dumped me for my ex-best friend thanks to hypnotism
   
2. I was stranded on a man-made island with my co-spy for two days
3. Within those two days, I started liking him - as a close friend - & saw the real side of his
4. On the last day, I was about to kiss him (or vice-versa)
5. My boss caught us but was oblivious & sent us to Paris to stop some criminal mastermind from turning the land into cheese
6. Co-spy has been ignoring me till now

It could be worse, I guess. I could've been turned into a bleu cheese statue.

"Ms Hally? Ms Hally!" a voice half-shrieked.
I blinked & saw a frustrated-looking Mrs. Low hovering over me.

I quickly stood up & gulped, "Um, yes?"
I could feel it already - in fact, I can already picture it.

The pink slip that was so thin (& evil) that it could give you a paper cut.

I opened my eyes & saw one on my desk.
"Detention, Ms Hally. Half an hour after school." Mrs Low said as she walked to her desk.

The class gave a hushed snicker.
"Class dismissed."








I spotted Grant at his locker - which was, unfortunately next to Leia's - & rushed to him.
I didn't say a word to him, just hung around until he got his stuff & we walked together to the cafeteria, gathering our lunch.

It's been like that ever since the Incident.
I wasn't quited used to it but I figured that I had no choice.

Just as we sat down with our meals - him with his lasagne & me with my cheese burger - our watches begin to flash like mad.
We looked at each other, rushed to our respective toilets & seconds later, we found ourselves seated on the couch in the Headquarters.

"So, Chief, who's our villainous villain now?" I asked.
"The Snake Snatcher strikes again." The Chief said grimly.

I kept quiet. Normally, this would be where I make a lame pun such as, "Ooh, try saying that five times fast."
But the issue was too serious.

The Snake Snatcher was the most notorious villains of all.
The Headquarter hasn't captured the guy yet because, frankly, nobody knows who he is.

Not one of the authorities - myself included - have managed to unmask the mysterious villain yet.
During my partnership with Grant, which is at least a month, we haven't faced the Snake Snatcher - or Double (As)S, as I call him.
It was kind of suspicious, Double S laying low.

But it was a relief to the whole world.
He was kind of a male version of Carmen Sandiego - whenever the hero arrives, she'd - or in this case, he'd - disappear & head off to their next destination.

Mainly, this guy is a thief - but only for trying to conquer the world.
We've managed to stop him for the time being but he'd always find a new devious plot.

"You will find your gadgets in the compartments. I am certain that the two of you would know how to handle these." The Chief said as he tossed two small bags to Grant, who silently passed one to me.

I stared at the bag with disbelief. The velvet compartment was as big as my fist.

"Are you sure this isn't just one of the gadgets, Chief?" I asked.
The Chief gave me a skeptic look & I quickly remembered that this was, after all, the Headquarter.

Any thing's possible.

"Your first destination is Mawangdui, China." The Chief said.








As we sat in our seats in our exclusive jet (provided by the agency, of course), I asked Grant what Mawangdui is.
"Mawangdui's in China."
"Yes, that's what the Chief said." I said through gritted teeth. "I mean, what's in Mawangdui that the Double (As)S wants?"
"You make it sound like you're saying Double Arse." Grant said amusedly, his British accent censoring the intended word.
"Well..." I stalled, trying to decide whether I should let in about my secret nickname for The Snake Snatcher.

Finally, I gave in & everything came pouring out.
Well, not everything.

But, you know, everything I knew about the Snake Snatcher.

"So, it's true, then? The Snake Snatcher remains unmasked & always leaves mysterious snake figurines?" Grant asked after I finished talking.
"Well, yea." I was a little taken aback when I heard the awe in Grant's voice. He sounded like he was no more than twelve.
Which was kind of...

Cute.

Woah, woah. Did I just call Grant cute?

"Kathy? Yoo hoo?"
I snapped out of my (shocked) trance & blinked at Grant.

"Huh? Oh, sorry. You were saying?"
"I was informing you about our trip to Mawangdui." he said, irritated.
"Oh. Erm, could you repeat that again please?" I said sheepishly.
"I said..." he sighed wearily, "Mawangdui is an archaeological place. A tourist trap, really. I went there with my fa- Erm, parents."

Was he about to say 'father'?
Why didn't he say it?

"It's nothing." Grant mumbled when I raised an eyebrow.
"So..." It was obvious that he didn't want to say anything else so I might as well change the subject. "The Chief thinks that's where the Double (As)S is going to strike next?"
"Most definitely. There's going to be a display of a new batch of antique vases. It was recently found & is worth more than this private jet we're riding on."

& that's saying something, considering the plasma TV & the professional pilot.

"We're here."






One of the main highlights of being a secret agent is not just the fact that you get to save the world from total peril & evil.
& also besides the fact that we get to kick villainous butt.

No, one of the main highlights of working for a secret agency is that we get a free trip to wherever we get assigned to - which was usually some hot (or cool. Whatever. I mean, slang-wise) destination.
That was what I thought of when I looked around the Andaiman hotel, looking like a tourist with a luggage in my hand.

"Hi, miss. Welcome to Andaiman. How may I help you?" the pretty receptionist said behind the desk.
"Oh, hi." I said, zooming back to planet Earth from my thoughts. I flashed her a smile. "Well, yes. I've already booked a room, you see. Miss-"

The bummer of the glamorous 'jet-setting' spy life I lead is that you'd have to remember the right code name for your mission.
The Headquarter doesn't want anyone to keep track on any certain individuals.

"Miss Catherine." Grant said, saving me from blowing my cover.
I shot him a peeved look when the receptionist wasn't looking. "& you must be her boyfriend, Mr Fence?"

My mouth dropped open. No way was he going to-

"Why, yes, I am."

Those were the words I heard, which sounded like his deep voice, with that muffled British accent.
But I refused to believe that he actually said it.
I mean, come on. I gave him more credit for his intelligence.

I couldn't do anything, such as protest, deny, glare or hit Grant - since that would be suspicious & the number one rule was that spies must never be suspicious.
So all I did was smile at the receptionist, hoping that the message I'm Gonna Kill Him didn't show on my face.

"So, would you like to share a room or...?" The receptionist trailed off, cautious not to offend the supposed 'Couple'.

Hmm... The word 'couple' which equals to 'Grant & I'.
It sounds odd but...

How come I'm not gagging?

"... Sweetie? Dear?" I heard Grant calling - erm, me.
"Hm? Oh, right. Yes?"
"Well, yes or no?"

I can't possibly let him know that I wasn't listening to him because... Well, because...
It's normally the guys who doesn't listen to the girls.

I'd just disgrace my kind by admitting the mistake!
So instead of saying, "Could you repeat that?" like I was supposed to, I said, "Oh. Well, sure, then. If you think it's fine, then I'm fine with me."

I should've known something bad had happened when Grant just gaped at me - which was very un-Grant-like.
Or maybe even when he & the receptionist kept clearing his throat repeatedly, the thought 'Hey, what's wrong with them?' should have entered my brain.

Yet all I did was just stand there, hoping with all my might that Grant didn't realize that I wasn't listening to him.

"Well, if that's your final decision..." the receptionist said, throwing me a hopeful look.
"Yes, yes! Definitely!" I gushed.

I was that desperate to not get Grant all high & mighty.

But as soon as the receptionist said, "Okay then." & began typing furiously on the keyboard, Grant quickly said to me (a little angrily, in my opinion), "Sweetheart. Relax."
He turns to the receptionist & said, "It's okay, miss. I'd rather have seperate rooms."

The receptionist blinked & looked at me then at Grant.
"Is that alright, miss?" the receptionist said to me.

I blinked & glanced at Grant. Clearly, he'd kill me if I said the wrong thing.
Might as well follow whatever he just said.

"Yes, I'm fine." I said sheepishly.

She continues typing with alarming speed & said, "Your room is Room 135 & 136. The rooms are both connected... For emergencies, of course."
She gave a smile to me that I usually receive when my mom buys my feminine hygene products.
"& here's the key cards & the spare for each of your rooms." she passed four cards to a very red-looking Grant. "Happy holidays!"
"Thank you." Grant said, his British accent crystal clear.

We walked away & I felt as confused as ever.
After reading the signs, we found the elevator hall & went into an empty elevator.

As we got in, I could feel the empty silence seeping into the atmosphere, so thick that I felt if I didn't say something, I'd suffocate.
"So..." I said, stalling to think. "What did I, you know, nearly agree to?"
He gave me a glare so cold yet filled with hot anger, making me look down.

"You nearly agreed to share a room with me." he said quietly but I can tell that he'd rather shout it.
I could feel my face going beet-red.
God, was that why he quickly went against me? For my - but most likely his - own good?

Okay, that was rather gross. I can't believe I was that stupid! Sharing a room with a co.-spy who probably hates my guts & ironically, has to disguise himself as my boyfriend.
Really. Sometimes I think the Chief has a sick sense of humor.

We remained silent until we reached our floor (it's the first) & went to our respective rooms, which were painfully next to each other.

Great. Just great.
I'm definitely looking forward to this mission.







As I flipped through the channels mindlessly, my watch began flashing like mad.
Oh, it's a message from the Chief.

It read :

Agent Z27,
Source came in. Z27 & ZX12 report at
Caves. Newfound artifacts said
to be target.

I instantly got up, pulled back my hair into a scruffy ponytail, put on a tourist-y type blouse & pants (can't wear skirt for obvious reasons).
Then, I knocked on Grant's door practically a hundred times.
As I raised my fist for the last time - before just kicking the door down - he opened the door & said, "Lets go."









I was still fuming at that guy.
No. At all guys.
How could they pull that macho & cool act, when being so oblivious to what's really going on?

God.

We were at the Caves, one of Mawangdui's famous landscapes.
It was nice & all - if you liked bats hanging above your heads, resembling like upside-down velvet umbrellas.
I mean, I wasn't scared. Much.
I knew those bats (fruit bats) were herbivores.

But those horror movies which feature vampires didn't do me any good, let me tell you.

Grant probably saw the stricken expression on my face, which must be why he said, "Don't worry, 'Catherine',"
Yes, we still had to use code names in public unless you're 100% sure that the coast is clear.
We were trained to do that. "It's only-"
"Herbivorous, I know," I cut him off.

I looked at him & he had the most inscrutable expression I had ever seen on is face - part amused, part irritated & part impatient.

Something caught my eye - it was a colorful mini tour bus with bold Chinese words written on it & small words written beneath it ("Tour Bus of Caves!").
"Lets get up there," I said & dragged Grant to the bus.

We found a spot next to the window & sat there.

Suddenly, a woman's voice boomed in loudly.
"Good evening, ladies & gentlemen! I, Mei Ling, am your tour guide for the day at the Caves. Now, who could tell me why the Caves are so well-known for?" a woman with heavy make up said.

The audience remained their stony silence, causing Mei Ling to drone, "Well, not only is it a habitat for such beautiful creatures, like bats, & that it is 100% rock & minerals, it is also because of our newfound collection of artifacts. Scientists have managed to prove that it is, indeed, a hundred years old."
After that was just a blur of camera flashes & a headache of excited murmurs from the tourists. I couldn't remember much.

Except when Grant gave seats to the elderly & his thigh was practically brushing against mine.
I mean, come on! I may be a spy & all, but I'm not dead.
I am, after all, a healthy, red-blooded American teenage girl who is officially single. Of course I'd be physically aware of an above-average looking guy.

No. Bad Kathleen.
No thinking of boys.

"You are on a mission," I reminded myself.
"A mission to do what, dearie?" an old lady beside me wheezed with a smile.

Shoot! I looked back at Grant to check whether he heard me.
No, he didn't. He's deeply engrossed in some conversation with this cute 5 year old girl.
Good.

"Um, I said I was on a mission-"
Not good. I felt Grant turn around.
"-for some... Serious souvenir shopping!" I said enthusiastically.

The old woman believed me as her smile grew even wider.
I mean, what's not to believe? Me having time (much less care) to souvenir shopping or going on a 'mission' to buy little clay pots for the Chief & my brother?

Then, the nice lady leaned in & whispered, "Is that one yours?"
She must be referring to Grant & not the cute little 5 year old. I hope.

I linked my arm with his & nodded.
Grant, oblivious to the whisper conversation, tried to cover up for me. "Darling, you shouldn't be on a mission for anything."

Excuse me, buster! I already covered myself up, thanks.
Geesh. He really could be like Dave sometimes.

"Yes, but your uncle asked for a new teapot for his collection, remember?"
I felt him shaking - well, I just hope that he's laughing. He should know that I was referring to the Chief.

The bus stopped & the lady patted me on the knee. "Well, goodbye, dearie. Come on, LeAnn. We must leave."
She grabbed LeAnn, the five year old who Grant was talking to, & left.
But as she passed me, she whispered, "He's a keeper."

As soon as the bus moved once more, I heard Grant say, "Catherine," I'm betting he came to his senses to apologize for treating me like I was 8. "Is it me or have you gone perpetually daft?"
I know. A girl could dream.
"It's you," I said.
"OK, you're back to normal."

I shot him a glance (which he ignored).

"What did the woman say just now?" he asked.
"Nothing," I said, feigning ignorance.
"Catherine-"

But before he could nag me like an old woman (which I'm starting to think that he really is one. An old woman, I mean), Mei Ling interrupted him.
"& here is our latest exhibition, the New Age Artifacts," she said proudly. "Follow me & please mind your step."

The hordes of tourists followed her lead, leaving Grant & I way at the back.

The place where Mei Ling led us to was, apparently, at the edge of a cliff with fences bordering around it. The exhibition was also further up.
All in all, a pretty normal tourist spot. Definitely homey - the bats-above-our-heads thing along with all the exhibitions being held at the peak of a cliff & the thousands of security guards armed with friendly-looking weapons covering them.
Beside me, Grant squinted his eyes for a better view of the exhibit. Giving up, he took out his velvet compartment from his jeans' pocket & searched for something.
It was so weird to see a guy ransacking a fist-sized bag, as if it was his luggage bag or something!

I know I should get used to this stuff (being a spy & watching one too many shows of Kim Possible with my little cousins) but I'm not, OK?
So sue me.

Finally, he took out a camera.
Imagine my disappointment. I mean, hello Headquarters?
You could do better than that! A camera. Please. We could just stop by a gadget shop for that.

Anyway, I focused back on Mei Ling, who was gesturing at the rocky pedestal in the northern direction, "So here they are, the awaited-"
But before she could finish her sentence, the lights went out & havoc broke out.

My ears were banging thanks to the thousands of tourists screaming & the security guards yelling, "Code Red! Code Red!"
It also helped that we were in a cave - meaning that all the sounds just bounced off the rocky walls & echoed.

Suddenly, someone gripped my upper arm. Before I could even scream (not that anyone could hear me), Grant said in my ear, "Grab your goggles."
I dug inside my fist-sized(!) bag & put on a pair of tortoise shell sunglasses.
Deciding best not to be such a skeptic, I put it on & realized that it was tinted for night vision.

Never knew that the Chief had such humor - first the deserting-me-on-an-unknown-island-with-my-partner thing.
Now night-vision sunglasses.

Everything was clearer, sharper now. I could see that nice lady yelling her head off & LeAnn crying hard & a lot more.
Including a certain co-spy running to the edge of the cliff with his camera (which was already turned into a grappling hook from the lens).

& about three things happened by then.

1. I was about to yell, "Are you crazy?" for not waiting for me. That's what partners are for.
2. But before I could do that, the lights went back on
3. Causing people to stare at us like mad.

I mean, they really ought to. He & I had Ray-Bans on in the dark.
Plus, he was standing on the iron fence with his camera (he already put back the grappling hook), aiming at the ceiling.

"OK, dear! You can take pictures of bats down here," I said, nodding at him to get his butt on the floor.
(Thank God) he listened & obeyed, returning by my side sheepishly.

As if the whole scenario didn't happen, everyone remained calm except for the security guards who were now calling for 'Back-up' (um, we're right here).
Mei Ling cleared her throat & made a crack about bats & cable wires.
Then, she continued her sentence. "As I was saying before, behold! The latest exhibition to the Caves!"
"Um, what artifacts?" a man yelled.

Normally, the people in charge would either call for security or smack the guy for being rude or... Well, something.
Anything besides what Mei Ling did - which was laugh hysterically at the guy, as if he was telling a very cute foreign joke.

"Why, it is right..." Her voice trailed off as she (finally) realized that the man was not joking.
A whole minute passed until she faced us with a composure I had to admire, "Well, it seems that we are facing...." she paused for the right word. "Minor difficulties. Now, if you move on to there..."

The tourists accepted her somewhat lame excuse & followed her once more except for Grant & I.
Grant was still staring at the rocky pedestal.
"'Minor difficulties'," he murmured to himself.

I get what he meant.

"Understatement of the year," I told him.
"We better report this to the Chief," he said & focused all his attention on his watch.

I turned around & scanned the scene.
It seemed weird - I mean, asides the whole Harry Potter wannabe scene (like in the Half-Blood Prince where Dumbledore had to drink that poison water thing to retrieve the Horcrux?) & the spooky bats.
There were no signs of intrusion. No one (& I do mean no one) could pass those security guards, even with a bulldozer.

But that wasn't it. Something was out of place... Something I just couldn't put my finger on...

"Grant," I said, still staring at the New Age exhibition.
"Hm?" he said, still typing furiously on his watch.
"Isn't this place 100% rock & minerals?"

This was when he tore his eyes off of his watch & gave me a look, which clearly read, "Yes, oh insane one. It is a cave, isn't it?"
But since he was too polite (pompous ass, though he may be), the British gentleman that he was, he said, "Yes...?"
"Then why does that spot have a marble floor?" I asked.

Grant raised an eyebrow. Wordlessly, he took out the camera from the fist-sized compartment (!) & muttered to himself, "Hmm... Interesting..."
"Um, what's interesting?" I asked politely, to point out that he's not alone in this.
"Oh, right. What do you see?" he asked me as he handed me the camera.

I zoomed in & saw what I could see without the camera.
"What I'm seeing right now," I told him.
"You haven't zoomed it in!" he laughed.
"I did! Look? It's at the max, see?" I showed him at the corner of a screen which read, 150%.

He got closer. Grant was practically breathing down my neck.
I was tempted to say "Hey, give me some room here!" but a bigger part of me didn't want to.

OK, too weird.
Never mind. I've got to focus.

He gave me a sardonic look & said quietly, "Oh naive Catherine, this isn't an ordinary camera."
I shrugged. "Oh naive," I paused & decided, hey, the coast is clear. "Grant, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck & quacks like a duck, then it's a duck."

Grant smiled & said, "You're using animal philosophy to contradict me?"
Now it was my turn to give him the Glare.

"Just zoom in," he said, still smiling.
I muttered something about where he could 'zoom in' but I did it anyway.

Surprisingly, it actually did zoom in - it zoomed in till 250% yet the image was clearer than ever.
"Look at the floor," Grant urged. I tried not to flush when I felt his breath on my neck.

I pressed the 'down' button & noticed something. Not only was it marble but there was a border line right around the pedestal.
Meaning it could only be...

"A trapdoor!" I said.
"Exactly," Grant said.

So. That was how Double Ass got in.
Wait. So if he got in, that means there's always the snake.

"Should we get it?" I asked Grant.
"Get what?"
"The snake."
"Oh."
"For fingerprints."
"Oh."
"Well? Should we?"
"Um. Well. I don't think it's a good idea. Too much security, too much eye-witnesses."
"We could just say what we really are... What we are."

He raised an eyebrow at me but I could see the hesitation.
What's up with that?

"It's just.... Too risky." he concluded.
I decided that this conversation was going nowhere & we were wasting time so I had no choice but to side with him on this.
"Fine." I said.
"Let's call it a night."
"Night?"
"Well, five in the evening is already what you call a night, Catherine."
"Fine."






We went back to our respective rooms quietly.
I had a swell time in China - I did had to catch up on bad TV.
There was that Ellen Degenneras show, when she interviewed T.R. Knight & right after that was Grey's Anatomy (It's the episode where Meredith had those dates between McVet & McDreamy. In the end, she just told them that she wanted a normal date, one of them trying to feel her up).
Well, don't blame me. I mean, Dave's been hogging it since forever.

Until 8p.m., I literally thought that my head would explode from all those movies like Ocean's Eleven & even Nanny McPhee (OK, those twins from Oceans Eleven did not even bear a single resemblance! & how can someone's warts go away from other people's good deeds? The mind boggles)!
Which was why I bought a few junkie food from the convenience store downstairs & thought I'd go to Grant's room for a while - you known, just for a girl chat. No big.

But I stopped short when I heard voices.
No, not in my head. In Grant's room.
There were two of them in there : Grant &... A girl?

From what I can hear, she sounds like a really... Well, a girl you'd expect Grant to be with if you get my drift.
I couldn't hear what they were saying exactly but they were hushed.

It was all against my morales for eavesdropping which was why I turned around to my room.
Hah!

Not until I could hear at least what they were talking about.
I put my ear to the door but all I heard was this :

Grant : Stop it.
Girl : Why?
Grant : (something something) like it.
Girl : (purrs something)

Me : (gagging)

Girl : Do you hear that?
Grant : (something something)
Girl : Ooooh! I always love a man who knows how to use his words.
Grant : (groaning)

Suddenly, the conversation was just, as Leia always say, TMI - Too Much Information.
I stood up but being the graceful athlete I always dreamt of being, I may have hit the neighbors' tray of the past morning's breakfast.
The door clicked.

I quickly ran back in my room but stood at my door, suspicious.
After being stranded on an island with that guy, I knew that he couldn't be that bad.

I mean, Grant was... So not the pompous ass I thought of him to be.
So what's up with the hooker?

The curiosity getting even more intense, I looked into the peephole.
Instantly I regretted it. I just knew that the image would scar my brain for the rest of my life.
& maybe even my heart.

God! No! What am I saying?
'Even my heart'?
OK, too much bad TV. Too much of those "Pick me. Choose me. Love me." lines (even though those were probably the greatest lines ever written on TV Drama).
I don't even like the guy.

No no no no no no no.
You, Kathy, are not that type of girl who falls in love with her co-spy.
No no no no no no no.
You, Kathy, would never ever fall in love with a pompous ass.
'But he wasn't such a pompous ass at the island...' a voice said at the back of my brain.
No no no no no no no.
Maybe, I thought back. But he's being one right now, kissing some stripper... Right in front of my door.

Yea. That's right.
That's better. You, Kathy, do not fall in love with a guy who hooks up with tramps.
I should feel better.

So why were the tears still streaming?












I woke up in the morning, finding a soggy pillow beneath my head - or face, to be more precise.
I felt like hell. I probably sound like hell. But I'm positive that I look like hell.

Suddenly, something in me just snapped.
What was I doing, moping around in my room because my co-spy had a stripper in his room?
I'm Kathleen Hally, Agent Z27 of the Headquarter. I was on a mission.

So I followed my instincts.

After cleaning up, I took a pair of cute blue sneakers from the fist-sized compartment & went outside the room. I quickly hid behind a pole when I heard a quiet click of the door.

I looked around & saw Grant quietly sneaking out to the lift.
Something was up.

I followed Grant all the way, until we ended up at the outside of the Caves.

'What is he doing?' was my first thought.

Being the top spy, I did expect him to cover his tracks first. He kept looking around casually, checking out the scene & he stopped walking every ten seconds, to hear whether anyone was trailing him.
But he forgot one thing.

I'm a top spy, too.

I dodged his every precaution - hiding somewhere the minute Grant's breathing started to get faster. I stopped walking when he squared his (broad) shoulders.

Oh, God.

No no no no no. I could not just admire the guy's shoulders just then.

Then, I realized we weren't at the Caves.
We were at the Caves' area, but not the Caves.

Grant peered around & when he finally decided that the coast was clear, he tapped his foot against a huge stone, which was covering the entrance to a cave.
Suddenly, the stone moved sideways, giving a clear entrance.
Grant walked in as he was greeted by some bald, stocky man.

Things had gone from 'suspicious' to 'sneaky & freaky'.

But the stone - or door. Or whatever - was slowly sliding back into place so I quickly sneaked inside, squeezing in.

My sweater was a sacrifice but I guess it was okay. The thread was coming loose anyway.

It was like a warehouse on the inside. There were crates & cranes everywhere but only a few men were there - some big & bulky, some tall & lanky... Only the bald guy was the odd one out.

I heard some grunting noises so instead of standing there, gaping, I quickly hid behind the stack of boxes closest to Grant & Baldie.

They stopped walking & were right in the middle of the warehouse cave. Grant was saying something that must've been pretty urgent by the look on his face.
Only Baldie didn't think it was urgent - he looked like he was having a fun time. Like he made one of his opponents on Monopoly have a bankruptcy.
Like a cat who just ate a canary.

(I know. Too much of those 40s swing movies - I blame it on Moulin Rouge.)

I couldn't hear a word Grant & Baldie were saying. I quickly went over the pros & cons to sneaking maybe a few crates ahead.

Suddenly, before I could even move a muscle, someone grabbed me from behind.

Hard.

I screamed as loud as my lungs could but it was useless - I'm in the middle of the baddies' lair, right in their plan.

Only... What was Grant doing?

All the men in the warehouse cave stopped what they were doing & stared at me.

In my hopeless & naive moment of being the damsel in distress, I actually thought that... Well, you know, one of those warehouse guys would turn a new leaf & save me.

Once again, I blame it on the movies because the next thing I knew, the men started chuckling.

Yea, that's right. Chuckling.
Like having a screaming girl (who was bound to get laryngitis the next few days) captured is a joke.

The only person who didn't think it was funny - asides me, of course - was Grant.
It was so weird. He didn't put on that arrogant face or anything that I'm so used to.
No. It was a mix of anger & frustration but his face was just pale like a sheet.

The Baldie laughed along with his little cronies but after a while, the humor seemed to evaporate & they realized that things weren't funny as it seemed.
He turned around & started yelling at Grant, so loudly that I could hear him.

"What is this? You had promise to secrecy!" Ouch. Some grammar. Mrs. Low would be appalled. "You says that you no back-up! Is this trap? We have been tricked!" That was what he yelled at his cronies.
They all cheered - or hissed? - aloud & started chanting, "Traitors are venom. But venom returns. Venom brings death. Death brings venom.

"Let the girl go," Grant said in a tone of voice that clearly said he wasn't fooling around.
But I saw. He put his arms behind his back & slyly clicked a little red button on his watch.

Baldie laughed & said at his crew, "We have the boy's little girlfriend!"
This was when everyone found amusing including the guy holding me.

I decided to take advantage of the opportunity. In a split second, I twisted his wrist, causing his right arm to loosen his grip on me.

I swung & kicked him. Yes, you know where.
In a southerly direction men would find painful.

He yelped in pain, which caught the other men's attention.
"Get her!" the men yelled all at once.

Uh-oh.

But as soon as the men started heading towards me, I heard a big smack!
Everyone - including me - turned around & saw Grant standing triumphantly on top of Baldie.
"Who's next?" he said, smiling.

I swear that's what he said! You could just tell that he watched that James' Bond re-run (Die Another Day).

So half of the angry men mob went to him & the other half came to me.
& I was all ready.

A guy lunged at me. I ducked, causing the man to hit the guy behind me.
Then they started playing dirty.

I was surrounded. Out of frustration, I clicked my shoes together & suddenly, I bounced over those guys' heads & next to Grant.

If I had a camera, I would capture that moment - Grant looking so brave even though he was defenseless, his broad shoulders & height intimidating others while we're being surrounded by a mob of gangsters in China.

Later, it was just a blur of us kicking the bad guys' butts. I did a roundhouse as Grant carried me back to back, knocking probably two-thirds of the people.

Suddenly, a helicopter burst inside the cave right after the bald guy laughed while running away.

"Let him go, Kat," Grant said as he gripped my elbow to stop me from chasing him.
"B-but-" I stuttered.
"Agent ZX12 is right. We shall catch the fiend another day" the Chief said as he came by my side.
"Thanks for coming, Chief." Grant said.
"Your welcome. It was quick thinking for doing so. Another fine job, Agent ZX12 & Z27," the Chief said & with a nod, he left us to surround one of the knocked-out guys.

Leaving me with Grant.

Alone.

"Kathleen," Grant said as he turned around to face me.
Uh-oh. That didn't sound so promising - he never called me Kathleen. & there's that tone of voice which was telling me that he'd like to kill me.

"Kathleen," he said again to get my attention.
I gulped.
"Just what," I couldn't believe that his voice was this low & gravelly. "-in hell did you think you were doing?"

It felt like he was yelling at me. But he wasn't. He was speaking so softly, that it could've been a whisper.
Yet I was still scared of him. Just at that passing moment, I was not only afraid of him, but I realized that I respected him &...

Loved him.

It was so weird to have that realization strike you when the object of your affections was yelling-whispering at you.

But that was what happened.
& I did nothing but gape at the thought.

I loved Grant? Grant Fend?
Pompous, British ass who was a big know-it-all Grant Fend?

"Kathleen, are you even listening to me?" he said, his breathing uneven.
I blinked. That wasn't a good sign. He didn't sound all that happy.

"Um. No?" I said.
I might as well not lie. I was about to get it anyway.

He stomped his foot hard & ran his fingers through his hair. I found myself wondering what it'd be like if I ran my fingers through his hair...

"You are the most- Damn it, Kat! You could've gotten yourself killed! What were you thinking? Do you know- I-" he kept sputtering & finally, after taking in a deep breath, he said in that same gravelly tone, "I am going to talk to the Chief & make sure that you will be on probation."

That got my attention. I stiffened & said, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. Probation. Until you can prove yourself worthy of being responsible."

I felt my blood temperature rising. "Since when were you this pompous?"
He crossed the line. Grant was really pushing it. If he knew that I just realized my feelings for the guy, he's got another think coming.

"When I fell in love with you!" he practically roared.
The whole cave was, by then, already deserted.

The Chief had the agents to wait outside while he made a few calls.

"What?" I said, blinking.
"It would be the death of me but yes. I love you. So don't you ever dare to try-"
He didn't get to say a word for a while after that. I was walking - no, running - on Cloud Nine that I forgot about everything - the stripper, Grant meeting up with some foreign Mafia...

I was way up there.

Because the guy who I happened to love loves me back. So who could blame me when I just swung my arms around his neck & kissed him like there was no tomorrow?

So that was my first kiss with Grant Fend - in a cave at China. He was surprised at first but he got over it because by then, he was kissing me back.

& I'm never going to forget that moment.

chpter 007

I hate Algebra.

I mean, sure. I'm a spy working for a world wide organisation.
& yes, I may have to ditch school so that I could train for any of my missions like karate, tae kwan do, fencing - you name it.

& sometimes I even have to sit down with professors from colleges or just plain ol' brainiacs so that I could learn about that diabolical machine some whacko invented or about how things work.

Whatever. You get the picture.

But that does not mean I should enjoy Algebra.

I mean, it's just a bunch of math calculations. Was I ever going to use this in one of my missions?

No. No, I was not.

As we were dismissed, I tried to catch up with Chaz - the real Chaz, thank God - but to no avail. He was still ignoring me & even though he just got back to his proper body, he was still hanging out with Leia.

It was vomitous to see my ex-boyfriend hanging out with my ex-best friend.
I mean, seriously. I could just feel the breakfast coming up my throat.

There was another thing I could think of which was even more vomitous than seeing my arch nemesis dig her claws into my ex-boyfriend.

& that was the guy standing behind me, smirking.

Seriously. I still couldn't believe that he was the only one I had to hang out with - my now official 24/7 best friend, also on account that he's my co-worker/spy.

I also couldn't believe that he had the guts to smirk at me when he fainted in front of me.
Guess that proves something here?

"So... Chaz is still avoiding you, eh?" he said casually as he put his arms behind his head as if he was lying on the ground.
"Mm." I said & slammed my locker door.
"Well, why you still mad? I mean, he clearly broke up with you-"
"Because of you!" I said loudly & cleared my throat as I notied the suspicious looks I received from the pass-byers.

"Because of you!" I said again, only softer.

He looked at me with this amused face.
"He didn't even know it was me. & I was merely teaching you how to play golf." he whispered back.
"Well... Still!" I protested.

Just as we were heading towards the cafeteria, my watch began to flash like mad with this tiny beeping sound.
At the same time, Grant's Rolex went off too.

We glared at each other because we just knew that the Chief was watching & he just loves to break us up.
From the fights, I mean.

Not the, you know, couple-y break up like Chaz & I.
Because we're both diligent spies whose loyalties lie with the Organisation.

& also because we know how to kick butt & I'm pretty sure that if the Chief hadn't rung - or beep - us, we'd probably be having a fist fight by now.
& believe me, I'd win hands down.

Anyawy, we went to our respectful toilets (mine females' & him males'). I looked around to make sure that the coast was clear, flipped open a special tile & pressed the red button like you'd normally see Dee Dee pressing in Dexter's Laboratory.

& in a blink of an eye, I found myself plopped onto the comfy leather couch next to - ugh - Grant, across the Chief.

"So... What's up, Chief?" I said casually, trying to inch away from Grant & sat at the farthest end of the couch - which was something to say since the couch was a two-seater.

"Nothing is up, Agent Z27." the Chief growled.

Ooooh, I could already tell that it was bad. The Chief calls us by our agent code names when he's really not happy with us.
Which, you know, was fairly obvious with his growling & what not.

"You two have gone to numerous missions - many! Tons! Yet, you two still cannot get along. Really, partnership is just an equal with teamwork. Without teamwork, there's just you. & yes, we know that..."

I couldn't bear to listen to him. He just droned on & on about teamwork & all that. Technically, he's trying to say, "Stop this stupid feud, forgive each other & just do your mission already!"


"... And as a conclusion, I have come to decide that you two shall go through the Organization's survival training." the Chief said & sat back down in his big boss-like chair.
"Chief, at times, you're very funny. Now is one of those times." Grant chuckled.
"This is no joke, Agent ZX12. I am completely serious about this matter. You two shall go through the survival training to learn about the key importance that you two both lack of - teamwork."

For once, Grant's face didn't have that trademark smirk of his. It was the first time I saw just a blank expression on his face.
Seriously.

& I didn't even know what the heck was happening.
I mean, what's this about survival training? What is that?

"Dismissed." the Chief said with a wave of his hand & we were sent back to school.








"Hey, Grant! Grant!" I called out as he was walking back to his house or one of his many 'jobs'.
He turned around & said, "Yea? What?"
"What was that all about? I mean, you looked... Well, totally drained out or something." I said.
He gave me the familiar amused look & said, "You'd care?"

I felt my face going all hot - & it was an autumn day that day, I remember - for no apparent reason & said, "Still. What was that all about? What survival training? What, are we going to be stranded on an island filled with cannibals & surrounded by shark-infested waters?"
"Some imagination you've got there, Kathy." he smirked.

People call me 'Kat' & the adults just call me by my full name. I think he's the only guy who calls me 'Kathy', even though I've told him for a million times to just call me 'Kat'.

"Then what is survival training?" I said exasperatedly.

I was so busy bugging him about the survival training that I didn't realize that we were standing right in front of Moonbucks.
"Coffee?" he asked.








Like I've guessed the first time, he was on his way to one of his many odd jobs.
He was busy waiting on customers so I was just sitting by myself, next to the window, sipping my favorite Mocha latte.

That was when I caught sight of Chaz talking to a giggling Leia.
It seemed so odd that she was with Chaz & her fellow drones were not glued by her side, like I thought they were.

'Huh. Whatever. We broke up.' I thought to myself & kept sipping my latte, turning my back to the window.
So why did I feel like he stabbed me from the back?





"Okay, I've got a 10 minute break. So... What'd you wanna talk about?" he said as he casually slipped onto the chair across me.
"The survival training." I said through gritted teeth.

Yup, I was still in a bad mood at the time thanks to that unwanted vision. & also because he made it sound that I was the one who wanted to talk to him so urgently.
Could someone please take the guy off his mighty high horse?

"Bad mood, Kat. You were mild-tempered a few moments ago." he said, taken aback.
I looked down at my nails & said, "Sorry. Just saw... Something I didn't wanna see."

He looked around & said, "Chaz, eh?"
"Chaz." I nodded.

"Back to business." he cleared his throat. "Survival training. It's... Well, have you watched those 'Fear Factor' shows? Wait. Don't answer that. Your suggestion of cannibal-infested islands were a hint enough."
I laughed.

Well, the guy could be pretty okay when he puts his mind to it, I thought.

"Survival training... It's, well, something like that. Only not as extreme. I thought you were there since you were a kid? I mean, you still are, but-"
"Look, if you wanna be high & mighty, fine, be my guest. But when I'm being really nice here, you have no rights to be this high & mighty. Seriously!" I said, got up & stormed off.











'... Thought you were there since you were a kid? You still are.'
His words kept echoing in my had & it really didn't help with my blood pressure.

"I'm back!" I yelled as I unlocked the door to my house.
"Yea, I heard you, I heard you!" my brother said from the living room.

As usual, he was being the typical couch potato he was, flicking through the channels slumped on the couch.

Lately, I've been trying to persuade him to find for a job.
Yes, my brother, who's already in his early twenties, does not have a job. You're probably still wondering how we still could live in the beautiful mansion our parents left us - I mean, what, with all the bills to pay.

Nobody knows about this - except the Chief & I - but technically, I'm the one who pays for the bills.
My agent contract may have said I worked free-lance but the Chief managed to find out that my brother & I are orphans.

Which is seriously nice but I felt guilty for mooching off the Chief.
I mean hello?
Do heroes like, I don't know, Phoenix get paid for saving the world?

No. & I was stuck letting my boss pay for the electricity bills for the sake of living.
So, my brother should really find a job.

He was applying for accounts but ever since his late fiancee past away - she was strangled to death. The murderer's nowhere to be found - he just upped & left college & his true love, he was convinced, was the television.

"So... Any good jobs?" I said casually, trying to cool off from the Grant thing.
"Nope." he said as he watched a couple making out passionately.

Ew. My brother really needs to stop going through during the Women's Hour on HBO channel.

As I headed for the stairs, my brother called me.

"Yea?" I asked as I turned around.
"About that camp your school's having, well... Where are you guys going exactly?" he asked as he flipped through the letters & picked an odd-looking one out.
"Huh? School camp?" I said, dumb.

At the side, the stamp looked a little odd but I noticed that it was glazing the letters A. Z27.

"Oh, right. School camp!" I said, recovering. "Um, well... We're going to... Um... The Evergreen Reserve Park!"
"The Evergreens? Isn't that place filled with wildlife creatures? Like... Bears?"
"Um, well, yea! That's why we're going! To observe wildlife & appreciate it. To understand that we must stop the extinction of animals like these." I said.

Woah. Where did all those lies come from?

"Hm. Okay, you can go. You better get packing." he said & turned around, returning to his tv session.
"Um, Dave?" I asked.
"Mm?"
"When is the camp exactly? I, heh, kinda forgot. Things slip my mind sometimes." I said, thankfully not stammering.

He tore his eyes away from the TV - which is a feat for him, I'd know - & looked at me.
"Uh, tomorrow, Kat." he said & continued with the TV-athon.



I didn't know what to pack for the survival training camp.
I mean, hello? I don't even know what there is to it.
So I decided to throw in a few jumpsuits, shorts, pajamas & one nice outfit, just in case.

I went downstairs & bought KFC for dinner, since Dave couldn't go out or anything.
It was amazing, I thought, that my brother can be so fit when he doesn't exercise alot & managed to finish a whole bucket of fried chicken, leaving me a piece.

Anyway, the next day, I looked for Grant since it was the first day of the survival training camp (which I still didn't know what it was).
My first stop was, of course, Moonbucks.

& yes, I found him behind the cashier, looking unusually tight.
I mean, he wasn't smiling, smirking or looking all 'cool'.
He actually looked... Well, stressed.

I walked up to the cashier & said, "I'd like one latte grande, please."
"sure," he said, turned around & went to the espresso machine.

I was so surprised. Normally, he'd annoy me outta my skull but today he actually...
Treated me like a normal being.

Or maybe... Ignoring me.
Like Chaz.

Great. Now I have two guys were mad at me.

When Grant came back with my espresso, I kept silent, hoping that my imaginary daggers which were shooting from my eyes get to stab him or something.

I couldn't take it anymore. As he turned around, I grabbed the cuff of his sleeve & whispered - a little too harshly - "Grant, what's up with you? Can't you just talk instead of acting so childish?"

He blinked at me & woke up from his trance.
"Huh? Oh, Kathy? Hey." he said, noticing me for the first time.

Which just made me even more annoyed.

"Seriously, Grant! What's up with you? You're spacing out." I said.
"Do you know what day it is today?" he asked me, pretending not to hear me.

You know, I bet he wasn't even pretending.

"Uh... That weird survival training camp thing?"
"yes. And do you know where the 'weird survival training camp thing' is?" he asked, his British accent growing stronger.
"Um.... No..." I said, wondering why he was getting so freaked out.

God, I didn't know he loathed me that much.

At that moment, both our watches began to flash like crazy.
& no, it was not the reflection of the morning sunlight.

"Well, you'll see..." he said mysteriously, his British accent evaporated & went back to his normal voice.

"You two shall be on this man-made island for three days, two nights. The aim of this survival training camp is to-"
"Work together." Grant & I chimed, cutting off Chief's long, looooong lecture.

"Very good. I can already see the two of you getting off well already." he said & with that, he got up the helicopter & flew off, leaving us on the island with our suitcases by our sides.

"So, this is why you're so spaced out just now." I said.

Who would've guessed that I'd be stranded on a man-made island with my co-agent?

He grunted.

We stared out at the wide ocean in front of us & squinted at the harsh sunlight.

"Well, I'm hungry. So... Lets get some food." he said & took two twigs, two thorns & two palm leaves.

"This is a fishing rod?" I said skeptically.
"Yes, Kathy. Whether you like it or not, this is our ticket from starvation." he said defensively.
"Hey! No need to get so touchy. It's just that I've never really liked fishing, let alone a DIY fishing rods."

I know it sounded mean but it's true.
I mean, you just take a glance at the fishing rods he made & you'd go, "Pffft."

He handed one to me & went to the seaside, on a big boulder.

I followed him & sat down next to him, swinging my legs back & forth.
"So... How do we do this?" I asked.

He smiled & swung his fishing rod over his head & tossed it into the sea.
Then, he just sat stonily.

"That's it?" I asked.

He kept quiet.

I shrugged the anger & irritant off & did whatever he did.

I managed to toss it in the sea & waited quietly like him.

It felt like eons had passed since we said a word. I decided that I should be the first one to make a move.
But as soon as I opened my mouth, I felt my fishing rod tug & I jumped up in excitement.

"I've got something!" I said.
He looked up sharply & looked at the fishing rod, which was nearly bending, as close to breaking, i swear.

"Must be big!" he said & jumped up to help me pull.

I swear, the excitement was so contagious.
I pulled & pulled but I could just feel the fishing rod about to break.

My hands got all sweaty & the fishing rod was slipping beneath my grip.
It was so close from dropping over the big boulder, nearly a cliff, I realised.

Suddenly, I felt someone's arms enveloping me, grabbing the fishing rod & pulling.

The sensation felt familiar, just like it did at the golf course.

Finally, we both tugged at the same time & I fell back, on top of him, the fishing rod a few inches away from my feet.

I turned around & saw a flustered-looking Grant.
& I wasn't any better.

I looked down & jumped up & gaped at the size of the fish.
It was as big as my arm.

I couldn't believe that I caught it.

"I can't believe that I caught it!" I said, jumping up & down.
I turned around for Grant's expression & all he did was smile.











"Mmm... This fish's great! Where did you learn to cook like this?" I said, hoping that I wouldn't reek of fish after the meal.
"My dad." he said quietly.
"Oh."

Good job, Kat. Didn't you remember?
He has no family.

"So... British, huh?" I smirked.
He smiled back.
"Yup, mom's British, dad's from good ol' America. I was in custody of mom's." he said, not bothering to cover his British accent anymore.
"Why can't you just let people know that you are one? British, I mean."
"Well... Then I'd be the odd one out. I just want to fit in."
"You're doing a pretty good job, with all the females swooning around."

He raised an eyebrow at me.
"Hey, I'm just saying."

& it was like that till the rest of the night.

We went back into our respective tents, giving a nod as a goodnight instead.





The next day, I checked on Grant.
He wasn't in his tent.

Panic started to boil inside of me.
Don't ask me why, I didn't know why.

Well, okay, actually I do.
We were just friends.

Friends, capische?

Before I ran everywhere, including the jungle, I told myself to calm down.
It wasn't as if he wa scaptured by hooligans living in said jungle seeing as the Chief had clearly emphasised that the island was deserted.

So, I thought to myself, where would Grant be right now before daylight had struck?

& it came to me.

I ran to the boulder. The one where it was overlooking the sea, the blue, blue sea.

I was right. He was sitting there, looking far, far away, even farther than from our planet to Pluto, I was beginning to suspect.

"Hey." I said.
"Hey." he said.
"Mind if I...?"
"Yea, sure." he said.

I didn't know why that I felt a little tingle up my spine when I heard his British accent clearer than ever.
Maybe I'm just not used to it yet?

We were sitting there in silence - the good silence. Not the awkward kind - staring out at the sun, wondering & thinking.

"Do you still love Chaz?" he asked, not looking at me but at his shoes.
I gaped at him.

Seriously. We were enjoying the serenity of it all on a deserted island, stuck with him & surprisingly, not arguing.
Yet, he had to bring up that topic.

That topic?

I kept silent because a million questions were rushing in the inside of my head.

Why was he asking this? Why now? & if anything, why was it his business? Why wouldn't he look me in the eye? Why...

But he just took it the wrong way.
He just took a good look at me & glanced back down at the sole of his shoe.

"I take that as a yes." he said.
I looked at him incredulously.

Yet, the incredulousness inside of me melted away as soon I looked at his face.
It was so... I don't know how to describe it.

His hair was covering his eyes due to the lack of hair gel, which looked better than his normally spikey head.
Why did I had the urge to push his hair away from his eye?

But his lips were set in a straight line, as if he was pressing it together.
He looked so... Vulnerable.

He didn't look at all like the Grant I was expecting.
For once, he looked... Incredibly exposed the world, unarmed.

"I'm not in love with Chaz! I never was!" I sad hotly.
"I don't believe that. Eversince you broke up with him, you had been sulking as if it was the end of the world!" he shot back.
"Well, that's what normal people do, Grant. They get angry at their exes for hooking up with their ex-best friends! God!" I said.

"Look, if you're just going to be all weird on me, I'll leave. Get your own space. Whatever." I said, cutting him off as soon as he had opened his mouth.

i stood up quickly.
Too quickly.

It was either because I had tripped on my apparently untied shoelaces or that I was the mere edge of a cliff-like boulder, beneath me probably a gazillion sharp rocks shaped by the harsh waves of the ocean.

I nearly fell of it. The edge of the boulder, I mean.

If it wasn't for Grant, who had snaked his arm behind mine & me grabbing onto him for my dear life, I would've been crushed by the sharp rocks & the ferocious waves.

We looked at each other.
Finally, his eyes were looking into mine.

It was so blue - usually, it would've been the colour of crystal. Light crystal blue.
But at that moment, it was a darker shade.

So dark that it was a marine blue.

"Grant." I breathed.

We stayed like that for what seemed like forever.
We could've eventually be doing something else, such as hugging tightly, or me crying because I was nearly about to die, or even, I don't know...

Kiss?

Pfft. Haha, what a laugh.

We could've been doing any of those things if the Chief didn't come back in his helicopter & told us that the survival camp had been a success through his big megaphone.

& that was it.

chpter 006

Is there anything more embarrassing than fainting at your agency & in front of your boss & sworn enemy?
To me, I guess not.

"Kathleen. Good God, Kathleen! Do not ever do that again, you hear me?" the Chief said.
"Guess she was excited to see me. Seems I have that effect." he said with a wink.

If the situation wasn't so embarrasing, I'd have barfed right there & then.
I stood up, brushing the Chief & Grant or Agent Z-something's assistance (How come his code name is cooler? I mean, it starts with a Z) & faced the Chief.
I couldn't face Grant, of course.
His predictable smirk'd be planted on his face, along with that stupid stand of his.

"Well, Chief. What's the mission?" I said, trying to sound as cool as I can.
"It was you who had requested my presence, Kathleen. Not the other way around."

So much for the "cool" image.

"Oh. Yea."

Someone. Shoot me now.

"Um... Well, L&C are acting kinda funny. I mean, they haven't been showing off their clothes to me like they usually do. Something's not right." I said.
"I thought you hated Leia & her clique?" Grant queried.
I primly ignored him & waited for the Chief's opinion.

"Well, Kathleen. This is not a worldly issue nor is it disrupting anything on the planet. I do not have any rights to investigate in this field. I'm sorry, Kathleen."

You know what, just hand me the gun.

"Oh. Sure. Well, bye Chief." I headed for the door & hope that Grant'd just stop smirking already.









"Kat, I'm warning you. Don't make me go all Mom on you." he said in a warning tone.
I rolled my eyes & decided to put up with it. I've been through alot in just one day - what's the harm of having someone to nag at you?

He opened his mouth - I could tell. He sucked in his breath so loudly - but got immediately cut off when the doorbell rang.
'Saved by the bell!' I thought & ran towards the door.

"Y-yes?" I panted, because, believe me. I ran.
I wished that I didn't open the door because... Guess who was grinning at my front porch?

"May I help you?" I said, trying really hard not to show that I had this urge to punch him in the snoot.
How dare he show up here?
Again?

"Well... My car needed a little spin so I thought, what better way than to invite one of my dearest friends?" he said casually, leaning against the doorway frame.
"Oh. Look at the time! It's past my curfew!"
"At 7 in the evening?" he replied skeptically.
"Yea, my brother's tough that way."

"I'm not tough! Go ahead & take her!" a voice called out behind me.
'Traitor!' I screamed in my head as I grabbed my coat & followed Grant, grudgingly.

"Nice car." I hesitated to say, but I did anyway.
"I know." & got in.

The engine purred like a kitten.
'Sweet.' I thought & strapped myself in.

"So where're we going?" I asked as he pulled down the top.
"Somewhere..." he said with another one of his grins.









"Oh my God. You're actually taking me to Soul Swap?" I said, trying not to sound so aghast.
"Well. Yea. It's cool. There's this lady who reads your-"
"Fortunes. Yea, I've heard. But it's kind of... Fake. Why bother knowing of your future? I don't want my fortune to be told."
"Okay, fair enough. But they make a mean cup of Chinese tea. So we're going in."

I smiled before I realised what I was doing.
'No, Kat! He's the enemy.' I thought, trying to sound scathing.
Not scathingly enough, though.

Grant showed two fingers to the waitresses & she gave him a nod - & a wink (gag!).
I didn't know whether he winked back because I was a little too grossed out... & weirded out.
What was I doing at a place where some lady tells me when I die & sip leaf tea or something with GRANT?

"Look. I just wanted to tell you... The whole deal with the odd jobs? The Chief wanted you to get to know me better." he said while doing the hand gestures of the inverted comas.

Oh. He's explaining. I guess that's good of him.

"But I already told him there's no need since obviously you'd instantly like me." he said with another one of his trademark winks.

Like I said.
Once a pompous ass, always a pompous ass.

Our knees brushed together under the table. I don't know whether that was accidental or on purpose but for some unfathomable reason, my face suddenly felt a little hot.
& out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grant smiling.

Ew.

One of the Chinese waitresses came over & gave us a plate of two complimentary fortune cookies.
"Hey, c'mon. Shall your fortune be told?" he said, doing a good immitation of a mind-reader.
I rolled my eyes as I laughed inwardly.

We broke our fortune cookies at the same time. I read my fortune quietly.

Two appears, you are confused. Make a decision and watch one with a heavy heart while having another in hand.

Sure. That made sense.
Not.

Grant looked at me with an intense gaze at the corner of my eye.
I looked up & he quickly looked down at his fortune cookie, pretending that he still hasn't finished reading his fortune yet.

"Hey, what does yours say?" I said, trying to make conversation for a reason I shall never know.
"Kinda dumb, really. But it's-"

I never did get to find out what he wanted to say because at the exact moment a loud voice boomed in the tent-like building, "Ladies & gentlemen! Presenting... Madame Vista!"

My table was probably the only table who didn't cheer for Madame Vista. If it wasn't for the fact that she was standing up there on the stage, distracting everyone with her dazzling (fake) gems, the audience would probably be throwing rotten vegetables at Grant & I for not cheering.

"Now. Who would like their future to be told?" the woman - most likely in her early 50s. Or was that just the Botox? - said, pushing the furry scarf behind her neck.
Millions of hands shot up into the air, as if we were in a classroom & all of them were show-off students.
"How about you, young man?" she said, pointing to a guy way back at a corner, sitting with a blonde.

'Why does he seem so familiar...?' I thought to myself.
"Hey, isn't that Chaz?" Grant said, sitting up a little straighter.
"No!" I gasped, not being sarcastic for once.
It is! He was walking up onto the stage, the spotlight following him.
& the blonde he was hanging out with?

It was Leia, who was bouncing up & down, probably cheering the loudest for him.

"I do need another person, please. Any volunteers?" Madame Vista said as Chaz sat down.
"You there, boy! The one sitting next to the brunette there. Come, come, come! Madame Vista awaits!”
Was it me or was she pointing at Grant?
Because that’d be funny, seeing as he was sitting next to me & I am, after all, a brunette.

Grant also had a problem swallowing this - he looked around & pointed at himself, just to make sure to not make himself look like a bigger idiot than he already is.
When Madame Vista nodded, he came up & walked onto the stage. The audience began to cheer so loudly (majority are girls) when he began to do that confident strut of his.

Chaz & Grant looked at each other & gave a nod of acknowledgement to each other as they both sat down at the three-seated table on the stage, a crystal ball on the table.
Madame Vista sat down in between the two - tons of girls would have died in her place. I could tell - & linked with each other's hands.
Then, she closed her heavily-made up eyes & started to hum.
I saw that the duo upstage didn’t know what to do, so they just hummed along with her.
Soon, everyone started humming & the whole building began to sound like my phone on silent-mode.

Finally, she looked up & opened her eyes. She began to form her words into a chant, a plea, even.
‘To the spirits,’ I thought whimsically.

“O’ Spirits, dear,
Listen to my plea.
I sense a disturbance ‘tween the two,
So listen my chant here.
I beg of switching souls,
A thing I know unheard.
But if it works, shall it last ‘till mid of the night,
24 hours from now, no fear."

The lights began to flicker & I felt a cold air pass by.
No… It must be my imagination.
Maybe some big window opened somewhere.

Suddenly, the room went dark. The lights went off & instead of the audience going mad as if some winged-monkey was running somewhere, they gasped excitedly & astonishingly.

Which was pretty stupid, even more stupid than screaming like babies, to me.

A few seconds later, the lights came back on again. I looked at the main-power switch box, expecting someone to stand there but no one was there.

‘Huh. Burnt fuse.’ I guessed in my head.

I looked back on the stage & saw the guys & Madame Vista sitting at the exact same position, only that the other two had a blank expression on their faces, as if they’ve just woken up from a deep sleep or something equally abrupt.

“Give a big hand to them, ladies & gentlemen!” Madame Vista said, somehow loudly & wispy at the same time.
The audience went wild with adoration & the lady with the turban just stood on the stage, clearly absorbing every single moment of it & loving it.
The guys both went down the stage at the same time, but headed in different directions.

I was expecting Grant coming towards me - not like I was looking forward to it, but I was expecting for it - but instead, he went the other way & headed towards the blonde. The same blonde which Chaz was hanging out with before the show.

Men. All the same. Attracted to the same hot chicks.
Hmm, maybe he was after the girls Chaz was hanging out with. That’d explain everything.
Um, except for two things, though.

One - Why attack Chaz’s girls (or whatever) when he could attract girls just as well - or even better?
Two - That’d mean he likes me - which would never happen.

Anyway, I just sat there, couldn’t help gaping at the scene when all of a sudden, Chaz came towards me casually - as if we had no big fight, thanks to the guy before.
“Hey, some show, right? I mean, who was she trying to kid?” Chaz said to me as he sat down across me.
“Um. Yea. Who was she trying to kid?” I echoed, clearly stupified that my ex-boyfriend/boyfriend/whatever was still talking to me. Even though none of it was my fault.
But still.

“There something wrong? It‘s like you’ve seen a ghost or something.” Chaz said.
“Well. You know, I guess it’s great that you’re speaking to me but. You know, it’s kinda all of a sudden kinda thing.”
“What? I wasn’t speaking to you? But I was talking to you before the show, remember?” he said, clearly oblivious that we were still in a fight.

Wait… What? He spoke to me before the show?
The only person who was talking to me before the show was…

“Grant?!” I said, nearly shouting out loud
“Duh. Who do I look like - Chaz?” he said, looking a little irritated, as if I was playing a game on him or something.
When truly, it was the other way around.
“Um.” I said intelligently & handed him my compact mirror.

He flicked it open, deciding to just play along with my game & looked at his reflection.
At first he was grinning, that grin Grant'd usually give.
Only this time, when he saw his reflection at the compact mirror, that smirk was washed off his face & his face became as pale as mine.

"Wh-what?" I heard, for the first time in my life, I actually heard Grant - or in this case, Chaz - being...
Well, scared.

"Yea, I know. Look, we better grab Grant - I mean, Chaz - before he does anymore damage." I said, nodding in Grant's - ugh! Chaz's - direction.
Grant nodded & we both began to walk over towards Chaz, just when the Chinese tea & complimentary fortune cookies arrived.

He left his fortune on the table, I realised & I quickly grabbed it, along with mine, & stuffed it in my pocket.






"Maybe we should call the Chief?" I panted as we gave up in our vain attempt to chase Chaz & Leia.
"That'd be... A good idea." Grant panted back.

I tapped a button on the side of my watch & saw a hologram of the Chief.
"Chief." I said, trying to hide my exhaustion. "Look, something weird just happened &-"
"Good Lord, Kathleen! Why call at this time of night?!" Chief said, looking outraged.
"No, this is important! Really. Look."
I passed my watch to Grant & the Chief practically screamed at me.

"Agent AZ27! What in God's name do you think you're doing?! You could have your head in suspension, young lady! I am warning you, we must immediately take him down to the memory-clearance centre! Do you hear me?! Immediately! & if he's-"
"Chief!" I nearly screamed back, but quickly got a sharp nudge from Grant, reminding me that he is my boss.
"I mean... Uh... Chief. This is..."
"Agent ZX12, reporting for duty, Chief." Chaz-lookalike said.

The hologram projected the vision of a very, very pale-looking boss sitting behind his desk, on the verge of passing out.
Of course, he can't do that because... Well, next to passing out in front of your boss, the most embarrassing thing is passing out in front of your employees.

"What the blazes is going on?" the Chief exclaimed, looking so surprised like we just gave him a stripper in a birthday cake or something.
"We-ll, sir. It's like this..." Grant was already starting to rattle of but I quickly cut him off.
"We're in deep trouble, Chief. Cut short? Grant & Chaz went up to some whack-job fortune teller & voila! A Chaz knock-off." I said, presenting Grant like a showgirl.

The Chief opened his mouth to say something but suddenly, his face wore this grim expression.
His hand raised up eerily & dropped down on his table, his fist landing on a button, I think.

5 seconds later, a helicopter was hovering above our heads & a rope ladder appeared.

"After you." Grant/Chaz said courteously, with a mock bow.









“So. Do let me understand this.” the Chief said while rubbing his temples, a sign that I know so well - he’s stressed-slash-confused.

Hey, I have been with him for a long time.

“This fortune teller happened to switch one of my best agent’s…?” he trailed off, not knowing what to say.
“Soul.” I said.
“Right. Grant’s soul.” he said unbelievingly.
A little whimsically, even.

“With your boyfriend, who is currently running off with a… A tramp, was what you said, Agent AZ27?” the Chief asked.
“One - he’s not my boyfriend.”

“He’s not?” Grant butted in, looking very amused.

Man, even though he’s practically in another body, he still can give me that look.
The one where I’d always want to slap off his face - in this case, my ex’s face.

Oh wait.
Slapping an ex’s face is normal, right?

“& two - yea, tramp. Remember, Chief? She’s Leia. Only… She’s not. Like she’s being nice or something.” I said, ignoring Grant as usual.

The Chief was looking really tired, like he wished he was back in his bed with his wife or something, instead of being stuck here with his two agents - one who just got dumped & was probably taking her anger out on him. The other swapped with one’s body.

I can’t say I blame the guy, really.

“Agent AZ27, how many times must I inquire this to you? Perhaps by chance, this tramp of yours must have decided to turn over a new leaf, make a fresh start, seeing as how many of your girls loathed her.” the Chief said - okay, ranting. He was ranting.

“Look, if Grant turned over a new leaf, then, maybe that’s believable enough. Or even me. I mean, hello? My longest - & first - boyfriend whom I’ve known since birth has officially dumped me thanks to someone.” I tossed a murderous glance to Grant, who looked dubious to his surroundings.

“But Leia? Leia turning over? Hah. That’s like having a tiger changing its stripes.” I spat & turned around to fume.
I could already tell the scenario behind my back - the men in the room were just exchanging glances, thinking What’s up with her?.

Only, I don’t think the Chief says anything that doesn’t sound posh, being a British & all.

& yea, Grant’s a British too - he managed to hide his accent alot when he was in school, but in real life - spy life, he’s a true British-blooded teen.

I kinda found that out when he tried to make small talk with me.

Well, buddy, I know the whole "Hi-I'm-gonna-be-your-lazy-ass-partner-Glad-to-be-here!" routine.

I turned aroud & said, "So?"
A little too Leia-ish.
I cleared my throat & murmured, "Sorry."

The Chief gave a nod to me & paused. "I'm sorry, Kathleen. But this matter is simply not world-endangering. There is nothing I can do here. Now carry on with your date."

With that wave of his hand, I knew I was dismissed. But I opened my mouth to protest that I was not on a date with Grant.
Ew.

Before I even had the chance, Grant spun me around by the shoulder & walked with me towards the door.










"It's not fair! I mean, you're in Chaz's body, for crying out loud!" I said as we walked in the park.
"Not quite a good look for me, is it?" Grant joked.

I couldn't help but laugh.

Woah. He had humour?
Impressive.

Suddenly, we went quiet.
Just the sound of dry leaves being blown by the autumn wind.

"So... At least now you'd be a little comfortable. You wouldn't have to look at my face." he said quietly.

I kept quiet & looked up at him.
Why would he say that?
He had a nice face & all.

It's just the look he gives me, I can do without.

"Why would I be comfortable seeing Chaz everywhere? We did break up, you know." I said.
He opened his mouth to say something but didn't have time to say whatever he wanted to say because we had already reached at my doorstep.

"Night." he said instead & walked off, the fog making his figure look like a shadow.










I still couldn't help thinking it's that Madame Vista who's behind this. I mean, think about it.
What was her chant?

"I beg of switching souls"?

That's it! It was her!
Some weird voodoo thing she put on Chaz & Grant!

I was wondering though how Chaz was handling this, looking like Grant situation.

I found out when he called me the next day.

"Hello?" I said groggily, because, hey. Being called up at 6 in the morn in something that no girl - or guy - is ever used to.
"Kath?"
It was Chaz.

& that was how I was waiting for him & Grant at the Cough for Coff cafe 5 minutes later.

"Hey." Chaz - I mean, Grant - said as he slipped into the chair across me.
"Hey." I said, sipping my hot Mocha.

When you stand in front of a cafe for even more than a minute during an autumn season here, you'd probably freeze your toes off. The best cure?
The cup of coffee I was drinking.

"So why the important call? Has Chaz found out?" Grant asked as he blew the steam off his cup of coffee - black.

I couldn't put my finger on what he was talking about - Chaz finding out that the dude who was "hugging" me was Grant or about being turned into Grant.

"Yup." I said, just picking option number two.
"Oh."

I filled him in on my suspicions of Madame Vista.

He nodded his head & said, "It makes sense. Wish I could help but I didn't hear the chant. At that time, everything was just a blur. The woman must be a witch.”

I thought about that.
If I’d been that 7-year old kid, I’d bounce up & down because all kids were all about magic, thanks to the hit version of Do you believe in magic? by Aly & AJ.

But now… I’m a little cynical on magic.
& love, it seemed.

The bell chimed & everyone in the cafe looked at the doorway - it was Grant - I mean, Chaz.
I waved my hand at him & walked towards our direction.

“Hi.” he said.

It was just a hi. Chaz had never said hi to me since the 6th grade - a year before we were together.

But what do I care? We weren’t even “together” in the first place.

“Hi.” I said back - that was my first hi to him.
We’re even.

Grant - being very oblivious for such a grand spy - just looked at him & gave him a nod.
Chaz just stared at Grant in horror as he sat down next to him.

“Y-you… You’re me.” Chaz managed to say.
His face looked like the kind you’d see in those horror movies when they saw a vampire or something - drained.

It's not his fault.
It must have felt like seeing your own reflection, only it's not mirroring you.

Although, I couldn't help admiring how Grant took it, comparing to Chaz.
He was just talking to Chaz coolly like some long-time acquaintance instead of some guy who happens to be in your body.

Seriously.
He's got that whole James-Bond-coolness thing on the pat, as much as I'd hate to admit.

We explained to Chaz the matter in a calm manner, trying to calm the guy down - no piece of cake.
But Chaz decided it was better to just keep quiet & nod his head instead of screaming & swearing like a maniac, which was good.







"Ya, hello?" the wispy voice said - the same voice which announced my spy partner & ex's name when they were on her stage.
"Hi, Madam Vista. It's Kathleen here. I'm just a really big fan of yours. I was really impressed with those t-"

I couldn't believe that I could lie so fast - & that much.
It's like I had no control of my own mouth.

Thankfully, the fortune teller opened her mouldy door of her trailer & let us in.
I kinda had to hold back my gasp of astonishment when I saw the inside of her trailer - it looked way bigger than it did on the outside.
The stench of the trailer, I couldn't say much.

I tore my eyes off the starry ceiling & looked at Madame Vista - she didn't look so vista at the time. She was smoking a cigarette & had on a worn-out robe & a rag instead of her glittery turban.

Although, the cheap rhinestones on her fingers were still in place.

"I brought along a friend. I hope you don't mind." I said as Grant entered the trailer.
He - or Chaz. Whatever - looked out of place.

The trailer seemed to shrunk when he entered - his tall frame just happened to do that to the environment.

Madame Vista's bored eyes went explicably wide when she saw him, but she kept quiet.

"Seems that... He's had a problem." I said, getting a little impatient that she hasn't cracked yet.

Grant put a hand on my shoulder & I could already hear his message : 'Easy there, slugger.'

"Oh? A problem, you say?" she said, sounding convincingly uninterested.
"Yes. A problem." Grant said.

She looked startled & I couldn't help noticing that she seemed to sweat a little.
& I don't think it's because of the lack of air-conditiong, either.

I don't blame her.

Chaz has a tall frame so he can easily scare anyone - but he's not like that.
Come to think of it, I don't know what he's like anymore.

"You see, I think that... I don't know, something's changed." he continued, pacing up & down in that tiny trailer.
"Reely?" she said with her heavy accent.
Grant nodded his head vigorously.

"& so was that guy with me that night. What was his name, Kath?"
"Chaz." I said sweetly.
"Right. Chaz. He has a problem too. & I don't know what it is. Just can't figure out what."

He pronounced "can't" as "cahn't" unlike us - "caaayn't".
Intriguing.

The clock was ticking & she was still looking at her glued-on rhinestones.
Were all fortune tellers like this? Be all psychotic on switching teen souls into different bodies & act like nothing happened & jewellery-blind?

She looked up from her rhinestones & finally said in a bored voice, "Fine. Fine. You keeds are making too big offa deal from zis. I am doing favour to you. I sensed great distress between two gentlemen & I help. Iz zere grattitude for Vista? No! Complain, complain, complain!"

Add touchy to the fortune teller list.

Then, she pointed her finger at me.
"You girl... No clue! No clue what happening between you. So many people loves you & you take for granted. You are blind! Zere so many people loving you - that boy & this. So I settle with it."

What? What the heck was she talking about?
"That boy & this"? Please!
She makes me sound like some... Some social butterfly or whatever.

Believe me. I'm no social butterfly.
More like a caterpillar. Something there.

You get the idea.

I looked at Grant, wonderng what he thought about her delusional rants.

He, for some weird reason, kept looking at his feet & his face was a little red around the ears.

Huh. The room must be too stuffy for this guy - poor dude.

I decided to say something, because the silence was too deafening. “Why? Why switch their bodies? I mean, they haven’t done anythi-”
“You stupid girl!” she bursted, flinging her arms everywhere. “You no understand? They are fighting! You blind. You-”

She started saying some weird words in some language - & I think it’s safe to guess that she’s swearing at me with her home language.

Great.
Some foreign fortune teller who wears glued-on rhinestones was swearing at me in some language that I didn't learn in school.

I seriously think that I should get paid for this job or something.

I kept quiet & said in a small voice, after she stopped her foreign swearing tantrum, "So when're they going to go back?"
She looked at her watch & gave a small smile.
"Right... Now."

Like the day before, the lights in her trailer started to flicker.
Then, I knew it was the real thing - no illusion, no guy standing near the lights.

The only thing that I could see was Grant - or Chaz. I didn't know who.
He was glowing & suddenly, the lights went back on.

Right on the dot, he passed out.

Well. At least we're even.