"Isabeeeelle, let's explore!" Trista whined, almost jumping with glee about the secret passage she had discovered in her room that led to the kitchen. "I bet there's more hidden passages in this old place, we just need to find them!"
Isabelle rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You know what happened last time, need I remind you of Operation Cookie?" She said raising her eyebrow at her best friend who was now giving her the puppy dog eyes. "Nononono, you are not giving me the puppy dog eyes." Isabelle said. Turning away, she felt compelled to look back. When she did, she was bombarded with puppy dog eyes level two, a level that only Trista and little kids could manage.
Isabelle groaned. "Fine. We can explore." She muttered. Trista gave a little squeal and shot off down the hall, grabbing Isabelle's arm on the way past and dragging her along with her. Honestly Trista, it's like you're 5 years old, Isabelle thought before being pulled to a halt in front of her Uncle Vlad's office.
"I have a feeling that there's another one in there." Trista declared, eyes bright with a tinge of stubbornness.
"You think there's a passage in Uncle Vlad's office?" Isabelle asked staring at the door.
"Nope, I know there's a secret passage in your Uncle Vlad's office." Trista declared. Isabelle facepalmed. This was the sort of thing that got them booted out of a relative's house. They had been lucky Isabelle's uncle had offered to take them for the summer. They had been booted out by the rest of her relatives. It was the same with Trista, but she had gotten herself banned from her relative's homes ages ago. Isabelle was banned from bringing Trista along to any social family gatherings. When they were both together they created more mischief than grownups could deal with, and so when it was the holidays they both got booted out to a relative's or friend's house that would still take them.
"Just how do you know?" Isabelle asked skeptically. If they got booted out they would have to go home and spend another summer stuck with their siblings. "I have a feeling. Y'know, the weird feeling?" Trista replied grinning like a maniac. Isabelle sighed. You do NOT mess with one of Trista's weird feelings, because they're almost always right.
"Alright, why the hell not?" Isabelle said, a smile beginning to form on her face.
"We need our espionage outfits!" Trista suddenly said, grabbing Isabelle's arm and dragging her to their rooms. "Okay, wear the gold and black one. I'll wear my red and black one, kay?" She said, racing into her room.
"Kay!" Isabelle answered and shot into her room to pull on her espionage outfit. Isabelle and Trista had bought them for a random Mission. Mission Car Wash, Isabelle thought, grinning at the memory. Mud pie-ing their least-favorite teacher's car had been a blast, especially with the giant catapult they had used.
Isabelle shook off the memory and zipped up her suit. It was a black and gold one piece with matching boots and gloves. Isabelle raced out of her room and nearly ran over Trista who had just opened the door. "Operation SP is a go, I repeat Operation SP is a go!" Trista said grinning.
"SP?" Isabelle asked.
"Secret Passages." Trista replied and snuck down the hall humming to Mission Impossible. Isabelle grinned and joined Trista, sneaking down the hall to her Uncle's office.
"Okay, so we make sure he's not in there, we sneak in, find the secret passages and follow them. Operation SP is a go!" Trista whispered to Isabelle as they awkwardly hung from the ceiling using the suckercups the Isabelle had modified to be used as a wall climbing device. Isabelle had modified them to hold their weight and unstick and stick quietly. Plus they had a laserpen that worked, most of the time. Their missions and operations worked most of the time, unless the laserpen failed at the most crucial moment. Isabelle created the gear, Trista made the plans, and together they were Team Geek: the geeks who made use of their inventions and created awesome plans that normally went wrong and got them kicked out.
Isabelle quietly unstuck her hands from the ceiling and swung upside-down, only being stuck to the roof by her knees and tops of her boots. She grinned and pulled out a glass cup, slowly crawling along the roof to the wall and placing the glass against it. She pressed her ear against the glass and listened for anything, then gave a thumbs up to Trista. Trista unstuck herself and dropped down to the floor, then pressed a small button the the side of her glove, making the sucker cups shrink. Isabelle did the same and put the cup on the ground; they gently pushed the door to the office open and walked in. The began searching the walls for a hidden passage.
"Anything yet?" Trista asked, her ear against the right wall and she was tapping it.
Isabelle was doing the same to the left. "No...yes!" Isabelle said suddenly, and turned around. She grinned. Isabelle reached up and pulled on a lamp the was next to her head, and it opened a passage tall enough to stand in but only wide enough for one person.
"I was right! There is a secret passage here!" Trista exclaimed and walked over to the passage. Isabelle stepped into it and Trista followed her. The door to the hall slid closed behind them.
"Luckily I brought a torch." Isabelle said, flicking the said item on and walking forwards.
"I brought snacks!" Trista said, not to be outdone.
"Why would we need snacks?" Isabelle asked, looking behind her to Trista who was holding up a bag of beef jerky. "You do know I don't like beef jerky, right?" Isabelle said, turning back around with a small smirk on her face.
"You don't? But last time you said you did! I'm confused." Trista said shaking her head.
"I'm kidding, you nutter." Isabelle said laughing.
A moment later Trista joined her. "You're gonna pay for that." She said with an evil smirk on her face as she opened the jerky and tipped it on Isabelle's head.
"Hey! I know I deserved it, but really?!" Isabelle exclaimed, giggling slightly as she brushed the pieces caught in her hair onto the floor.
"Yeah, really." Trista replied smirking. "Hey, is it just me or is this curving downwards?" She asked after a few moments, changing the subject suddenly.
"I think it is." Isabelle answered, stopping and feeling for a lever or button on the wall as they reached the end of the passage. She found and pulled down a smallish lever that opened the door out. They were both surprised to find that they were in the living room. "I wonder if there's another passage in here?" Trista mused, stepping out behind Isabelle and closing the passage.
"I wonder if it's as cliche as a moving fireplace." Isabelle said with a half-joking tone, standing beside said fireplace.
"Your Uncle is very cliche," Trista stated and hurried over to her friend, who was pressing the bricks that surrounded it.
"Yes, he is very cliche." Isabelle replied, turning to her friend and grinning. She continued to press on the bricks.
"I wonder if he's cliche enough to use the torch brackets?" Trista asked. She tried a bracket, but it didn't move. She tried the other one, and it smoothly swung downwards. The fireplace slid upwards, revealing a dimly lit passage leading down.
"Okay, my Uncle is very, very cliche." Isabelle admitted, smirking.
"Yep! Now downwards we go!" Trista said grinning, and both friends headed down into the depths of Vlad Masters' mansion.