A Teenage Spy Story

Chapter 20: Nattie

Nattie

After Janey practically pushed me out of the elevator, I was really confused.  Why couldn't I help Janey?  I was her sister, after all.  Maybe I could help her remember other things that could help.

 Instead I was stuck going to join everyone else in the cafeteria.  I didn't even know we had a cafeteria.  I assumed so, but the only time I saw other people eating was in their rooms or in the mall level.

I quickly found April, May, June, Biz, Matt and Zach sitting together at a round table in the corner near the dessert bar.  I walked across the room and sat down with them.

"Hey guys!  Why are we eating in here?" I asked.

"We normally do.  The food here isn't as good as anywhere else in the A1, but it doesn't cost points," May said, not even looking up from her book.

"Where's the other girl, um," dammit, I couldn't remember her name.  Then it came to me. "Liz?"

"Working in control. She'll be coming soon," Biz replied, sneaking one of the cookies of June's plate while she wasn't looking.  It made sense now why they were sitting near the desserts table.

"Hey!" June shouted as she saw Biz eating her cookie.

"What?" Biz responded.  "You have plenty and the table of them is right over there."

"Then how come you couldn't get one yourself?"

"Real creative.  Where'd you come up with that comeback, every movie that you've ever seen?"

Then Gabby walked in and looked around. I waved to her and she came over towards us.

"You don't mind if she sits here, right?"  I asked.

"Sure!  As long as she gets me a cookie," June said.

"June!  The table is literally a step away.  Get one yourself," April added.

June rolled her eyes, but got up herself to get another cookie, even though she still had a whole plate full.

"Hi!  I'm Gabby!"  Everyone said hi and she sat down next to me.  "This place is so cool!  The A2 was big, but this place has everything!"

"Yeah, it does," April said, carving her initials into the table with a knife.

"I'm guessing you were cleared?" I asked.

"Yep!  I'm healthy and not an Ishithian spy."

"That's good," I said.

"Where were you, Nattie?" Zach asked.

"Janey took me to the basements.  I had to help with an interrogation.  Ava, the other girl who came from the A2 is an Ishithian."

Gabby spat out her soda, spraying April.  "What?!"

"Yeah, I was right."

"But ... how was she caught?"

"Lie detector."

"Wow.  And she was at the A2 for a while, longer than we have.  Who knows what she knows!"

Gabby was always a loud person.  That was not exception today.  Everyone else at the table was quiet, and I didn't know why.  Then Zach looked at his watch.

"It's time for training."

"But I didn't eat," Gabby said.

"You can stay and eat.  We don't have to babysit you," April responded as she pulled her knife out of the table.