MY BEST FRIEND IS A SECRET AGENT, Book 3: How C.H.I.P. Took on C.H.I.M.P. and...

Chapter 20: "Gadget Boy"

That night, Carla made us a fruit salad dinner.

But this wasn't just any fruit salad. Sure, there were plenty of mangos and bananas around to choose from, but Carla was somehow able to find kiwis, papayas and guavas too! And she cut all the pieces into delicate star shapes and flower shapes using the biggest Bowie knife you ever saw. "I didn't take five years of knife-handling classes for nothing," she said.

Now that Carla knew the secret of how I created the C.H.I.P. microthingies, and that Chip was the actual hero guy, I felt she was now part of our team. I also felt a huge weight lifted off my chest. I mean, the girl I loved finally knew that I was the creator of the guy she loved, the hero guy. So, ipso facto, she must now love me!

For some reason, though, she didn't see it that way. I tried explaining my logic using a complex set of equations and charts, but it didn't .

I think Carla still held it against me that I also created C.H.I.M.P., who was still dangerous and on the loose. "Well, if you have to get nitpicky about things!" I huffed, throwing down my chalk. I mean, some people are just impossible to please!

But I tried to put my hurt feelings aside as we all discussed what to do next about C.H.I.M.P. The fact was, we didn't know what to do next because we didn't know what he was going to do next. Also, what if he was still getting stronger and smarter every day? What if he actually learned to talk? What if he figured out a way to turn the whole WORLD into a jungle?!

Okay, I was probably getting a little extreme. But I did then manage to get a great idea. Maybe it was all the jungle fruit in me talking, but I thought, hey, I had designed lots of gadgets for C.H.I.P. to use as a human secret agent. But few of those gadgets were of any use to C.H.I.P. with his animal skills.

The solution was obvious: Invent animal secret agent gadgets!

Carla wasn't too happy about the idea. In spite of her taekwondo and knife-handling skills, she seemed to think we could subdue the chimp by appealing to his love of the earth and nature.

But I knew that the solution to technology run amuck was more technology run amuck!

I asked Chip his opinion on the subject. He said that guavas were his new favorite fruit. I took that as a vote for my idea.

Chip, Carla and I hopped into the C.H.I.P.-mobile and headed back to my house. We found Mom in the kitchen teaching Stella all about jungle creatures. But Stella was having a hard time concentrating. "Could we please just turn on the air conditioning?" she whined.

Mom explained that the power had been out for days. "And besides, what's wrong with a little sweat? It's natural!"

Then Stella saw us and jumped up. "Look, Nort's here! I gotta go to the basement with him and Chip and that girl in the leopard-print dress. Bye!"

But before we could all head downstairs, Mom stopped us. "Nort, introduce me to your new friend!"

"I'm Carla Mawhinney, Mrs. McKrakken. How are you?" Carla said.

"Why, I'm fine," Mom said with a smile. "Nice to meet you, dear." I thought we could finally make a clean getaway, but then Mom asked, "Oh, are you the Carla that Nort always talks about in his sleep?"

"Uh, we gotta go!" I said to Mom as Carla turned to look at me. Turning beet red, I grabbed Carla by the arm and pulled her downstairs along with Chip and Stella. Boy, how come moms never know when to stop asking questions?

But, down in the basement, I felt something was weird. I had this tingling feeling in my hand, the hand I'd used to grab Carla's arm. It made me smile and feel kind of dopey.

But I shook my head and forced myself to focus. This was no time for arm-holding. We needed some animal secret agent gadgets fast, and they weren't going to build themselves!