My name is Kaira Storm. I'm sixteen years old. And I'm one of the deadliest spies in the entire world. It sounds like I'm bragging but really it's just a fact. I had no choice. The moment my parents died a few days after my fifth birthday, and my ma...
I wriggled in my sleeping bag. I was pretending to sleep. But Eva wasn't buying it. Either that or she just enjoyed talking to herself.
Six months undercover in Moscow. And Uncle Adam's death. They're both for nothing if Eva doesn't go to sleep soon.
But who invites their friend to a sleepover and expects them to actually sleep? Let alone before 10pm. I wondered how frank I could be with Eva. Shut up and go to sleep, Eva. You're annoying me. Would that work? Or maybe I could be more direct than that. Shut up and go to sleep, Eva. Your father's a wanted terrorist who wants to blow up half the world and I need to spy on him. Maybe not. Maybe I could just keep making my breathing deeper and make a few snoring sounds.
'Kaira!' Eva said. 'Wake up.'
I felt a balled up sock hit the back of my head.
'What is with you?' she asked. 'You've been acting strange all day.'
Technically speaking, I had been acting strange for the last six months. Pretending I was born in Russia. Speaking Russian. Fake last name. Fake passport. Fake birth certificate. That's all pretty strange.
It was only then, wrapped up in my pink sleeping bag, preparing to finally complete the mission, that I was beginning to act like the real Kaira.
'Sorry, Eva,' I said. 'I'm so sleepy. I don't know why.'
I'm a damn good liar. I even stifled a fake yawn to seal the deal. In actual fact, I couldn't have been more awake. It felt like my blood had been replaced by caffeine. I live for that feeling.
'Am I boring you?' Eva asked.
She used the sickening baby voice that I hate. You're sixteen, for goodness sake, stop speaking like a five year old. I love Eva. I'm definitely going to miss her after I bust her father. But I'm not going to miss that voice.
'You're not boring me.' I turned over on my side and faced Eva. 'I'm listening.'
Eva had her head propped up on her hand. She bit her bottom lip and looked deep into my eyes. I knew that look. She was trying to figure out if she could trust me. The answer is no, unfortunately, and I really don't want to hear about your secret crush or whatever you're about to say.
Eva huffed a few times. She eventually decided she could trust me. I tried to look interested and pretended to yawn at the same time. Hopefully I could win friend points and unconsciously influence her to go to sleep.
'Kaira, I have to tell you something I haven't told anybody,' Eva said. 'I'm going to go crazy if I don't let it out.'
'I don't know, Eva,' I said. 'I'm not good with secrets. You know me. Complete insensitive blabbermouth. The moment you tell me, the whole world will know.'
'Oh, shush, you!' Eva threw another balled up sock at me. Did she have a store of them or something?
'Go on,' I said. 'Tell me what's bugging you.'
Maybe the sooner she got it off her chest, the sooner she would go to sleep. Then I could sneak off and plant the bug in her father's home office.
'Kaira,' she said. 'I'm pregnant.'
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