Barcrow's: Codename K9

Chapter forty four - Spys

'Can we sleep now?' She asked desperately.

'But I'm not tired yet!'

'Me neither!'

They were having a "sleepover" in her room. With ten year old Martin on one side and five year old Rose on the other, Ellie was finding it impossible to sleep.

'Why did I agree to this?' She moaned.

'You were the one who came up with it!' Marty said in a playfully offended tone.

'Ugh.' She groaned. Every time they said something she was brought back from being asleep.

'What are you thinking? What are you thinking?' Rose asked.

It was a game where Ellie told them the first thing that popped into her mind at the moment. It usually had hilarious outcomes.

'A cow eating a lemon. Oh, wait, I was just licking it until I said it was eating it. Now it's basically chomping on it.'

The kids beside her began their high pitched laughing.

'And now?'

'An elephant playing a guitar.'

She reached out for her phone. If I can't get any sleep anyway, I might as well get some stuff done. I've been meaning to research some things (like, if yoghurt is made of bacteria, and hand disinfectant kills bacteria, what would happen if you mixed them? And why is white chocolate white if cocoa beans are brown?).

She unlocked it, half covering the screen so that the other two wouldn't find out the code.

Huh? A message from Zack? "He's found out"?

'Who's found out what?' Marty asked curiously.

'I don't know.' She smiled. I'll deal with whatever that means later on.

'Who's Ash?'

'That's Zack. You remember Zack right?'

'Why's he called Ash then?' Rose asked, snatching the phone away.

Ellie managed to press the power button just as she took it.

'It's a codename.'

'Is he a spy?' Marty asked (his eyes would have been twinkling if they hadn't been in the dark).

'Mhm.' Ellie answered, smiling.

'Really?' Rose asked.

'Yeah, but don't tell anyone. Not even mom and dad, ok?'

'Okay!' She answered.

'Then could that be a secret message or something? Maybe the first letters are a code!'

'Nah, I don't think hufo means anything. Can we sleep now?'

'Nooo!' Rose almost screamed.

'Shhh! Mom and dad are trying to sleep.'

'Just think then, it might be important, who wasn't supposed to find out about what?' Marty changed the subject back.

Ellie thought. Then it came to her. 'Conan!?' She was wide awake now.

'Who's that?' Rose asked with a yawn.

'Some guy who thinks he's my brother. Give me my phone.'

'No.' She held it tight to herself.

'Give it.'

'Rosie! Maybe we'll get to see some action!'

Rose reculuntly let go.

'I'd rather you didn't.' Ellie told him.

'Aww. So is he the bad guy?' Marty gave up suspiciously easily.

'It's not that simple.' She typed:

-What does that mean?

'How come?'

-You're not joking, are you?

'He saves people, but he also kills them. I knew someone who he pretended to love and then killed.'

'Wow. But then he is the villan, right? Will Zack defeat him?'

'That's the thing. He's Zack's brother.' She bluffed. It's not completely false though.

'Huh!? That's a terrible story!'

'It's not a story.'

He stayed quiet for a bit, reading the answer.

-What do you think?

In answer, Ellie sent a gif of a cartoon character hitting its head on a wall over and over.

'Huh?' Asked Marty, confused.

'It means Zack didn't answer. He always writes with caps- capital letters.'

'Then why'd you answer?'

'So that he doesn't realise I realized it's not Zack.'

'Now what?'

'I'll ask someone.' She tapped on "Luna".

-K9 found out

'I wonder if she'll answer. It's pretty late.'

-I don't care.

-I'm sleeping.

Ellie frowned and tapped on the group "Gangstashit".

-I think K9 found out where I am.

-I got a message from Zack

-I don't think he has his phone anymore.

-???

The writing bubble appeared.

(Wildfire [Abigail]) -What? -So?

(Luna [Celeste]) -He's not meant to know

(Wildfire) -Why?

-aren't you sleeping?

(Luna) -Cause she's his sister.

(Wildfire) -so?

(Tremor [Hinata]) -it can't be that bad

-I don't want to live a life like you do

-no offence

-and it would be weird if he found me

-i let all his chickens go...

(Wildfire) -WHAT CHICKENS?😂

-Never mind that!

-What do we do???

'Okay, I've completely lost track of what you guys are talking about.' Marty told her.