Spies In Disguise: The Skills and the Spies (#2)

Chapter 6: Spies Get Trained

I'll just tell you briefly about what happens for the next little while:

SATURDAY:

We have our karate class at the agency headquarters. Katrina tells us that we're nearly ready to move on to the next belt level (again). Maddie and I practice our punches and kicks on each other, because Katrina told us to do so. Maddie and I then practice our somersaults, because Katrina told us to do so. Katrina then tests our flexibility, and Maddie and I do okay in it. It makes me really tired and hot, though.

At the end of karate class, Katrina tells us to keep practicing, because we're having an assessment two weeks from now. If we pass the assessment, we get to move onto the next belt level. Yay!

"The class after next class," she reminds us. "Not next class. Get practicing! And you two are lucky, it usually takes several months for karate students to pass to another belt level. It's only taking you one to two months."

Maddie and I are both really excited, because that means we won't have to get stuck on the white belt anymore.

"What colour's the next belt level?" asks Maddie, as we walk over to the main entrance, carrying our drawstring bags and purses.

"I think it's yellow," I answer.

And that's just about it for today.

SUNDAY:

Ryan's asking me what kind of lessons I'm taking today, and why I have to take lessons, and do I enjoy my lessons for the ninety first time. Yes, I counted. Don't ask why.

My response?

"I already told you those ninety one other times, now do me a favour and zip it, you nitwit! And please stop asking me questions, I'm busy, and I have to leave the house in half an hour!"

During Computers and Technology lessons, Maddie and I have to suffer Katrina's lecture as we sit down at two desks while she shows us a slideshow presentation. Guess what that was about?

The title of Katrina's slideshow presentation is "The Extremely and Thoroughly Revised Presentation on How Computers Work". Good enough to bore someone like me to death.

And when Katrina's finished her slideshow, she demonstrates how the computers owned by the agency work. You need to login using a thumbprint scanner, which seems quite...typical. Katrina shows us the program that we use to monitor the locations of spies and other people.

"And there you go...easy as cake!" she beams, when she's finished showing us the program. Easy as cake for her. Not easy for people like Maddie and I, who still don't understand how computers work.

While driving me home, Dad asks me how lessons went, and I tell him that Maddie and I still don't understand how computers work.

"Oh, it's very easy! Let me give you a simplified version of how computers work!" says Dad eagerly.

Should've known, his 'simplified version' is no simpler than the presentation that Katrina gave us earlier. As Dad drones on and on about all the doohickey gadgets that make up a computer, and how the actual computer works, I'm more concerned about staring outside at nothing in particular.

MONDAY:

Mr. Steadman gives us more time to work on our health projects. We're still not getting anywhere. By 'we', I mean Nadia, Serena, and I.

Nadia and Serena still won't talk to each other and they refuse to help me. I'm the one doing all the work right now, and I got two pages of research notes! And by 'two pages of research notes', I mean two sides of one sheet of paper.