Spies in Disguise: Passports and Protection (#1)

Chapter 9: Spies Distract and Disguise

After wasting a lot of time in the practice room, all our questions have been asked, and all the posters have been signed. I pull my right sleeve up to my elbow so that I can see my spy watch, and in a hidden compartment under the watch, I pull out my headset and stick it in my left ear. 

"Distract them, I'm going to check on our moms," I mutter, and I walk out of the practice room and walk into the bathroom. I lock myself up in a stall, and I voice call Mom. I hear a beep, indicating Mom received the call.

"Mom. How far are you guys? Need more time?" I whisper.

"We may need another five minutes or so, and then we're done. Don't forget, if you're going to alert us that someone's coming, or anything happened, you have to say 'Alert, Alert, blah blah blah blah...' It's spy protocol," whispers back Mom. "See you around!"

"You too," I say, and end the call. I walk back to the practice room and sit down, but unfortunately, Michael announces that they're heading back to the lounge. What? No, no, no, Mom and Aunt Alicia aren't even ready! 

"Our moms aren't ready yet!" I hiss through gritted teeth to Maddie.

"Uh, hey...wait a second!" exclaims Maddie nervously, faking a smile and rushing over to the piano. Awake In Me turn around to face Maddie. "You wanna hear a piano solo I've been practicing for AGES? It's a really fast and loud piano solo...I'm sure you'll enjoy it, right?"

"Oh, sure!" says Dan enthusiastically. Maddie begins playing a loud and fast piano solo. She is a very good piano player, much better than me. 

You know that Maddie plays piano, and I play drums. Well, Maddie showed me how to play piano, and I can play really simple piano pieces. I showed Maddie how to play drums, and she can play really simple drum pieces. Maddie called my piano playing 'too slow', and I called her drum playing 'painfully quiet', since most drum pieces are fast and loud (in my opinion). 

When Maddie's finished her piano solo, I offer to play a drum solo. I sit at the drum kit, holding my drumsticks and in my 'ready' position, and then I start banging on the drums.

My drum playing is so loud that when I start playing, Awake In Me jumps back in shock. Maddie just stays in her seat at the piano, since she's used to my loud drum playing. I end the drum solo with a BANG, quite literally. I banged on the crash cymbal and ride cymbal so loudly that Awake In Me jumped five inches into the air, and Maddie even jumped back in shock! 

"That was really good, Emilia...but really loud," says Michael weakly, rubbing his ears. 

"Fast and loud. That's the key to good drum playing," I emphasize. 

"Yeah!" adds Maddie. "Wait, did I just agree with you?" Maddie looks at me, and covers her mouth. She lowers her voice and says, "Are they ready?" I shrug in response.

"Well, thank you very much, Emilia and Olivia, let's go to the lounge," says Owen. We have no choice but to follow them to the lounge. Maddie and I walk behind them, carrying the signed posters, and I voice call Mom and say, "Alert. Alert. The band's coming." 

"Already? It's okay, though, should be okay...thanks," says Mom quickly, and ends the call. 

As Awake In Me walk to the lounge, Maddie and I run ahead of them so that we arrive at the lounge before them. I hear a sound coming from a corner of the room, and Aunt Alicia runs over and quickly fixes the security camera, so that it'll stay secure. 

Awake In Me approach the lounge just as Aunt Alicia finishes adjusting the camera (it gave me a mini heart attack), and Preston says, "Hi Mrs. de Costa, hi Mrs. Crawley. Sorry if we interrupted you."