Author's Note: It's chapter three, at last! Eep, I'm sorry. I didn't die--I just got writer's block and tons of homework. Thank you for the reviews. I appreciated all of the comments. ^.^
Disclaimer: I *sniffle* don't own Codename: Kids Next Door.
CHAPTER 3—Reason to Worry
---12:15 P.M., June 19th: Chad's house---
There was low hum as the garage door slid open. Mega Mom and Destructo Dad's car drove slowly into the garage and stopped. The car's engine shut off and Chad's parents emerged from the car a few seconds later, carrying their purchase: a new bass guitar.
"Chad! We're back!" Destructo Dad called when they had opened the door. "Chad, get down here. We'd like to show you something we bought."
Chad descended the staircase and stared at the black guitar case that his mother was holding in her hands. "Er... What's that?"
"It's a bass guitar!"
Chad stared blankly.
"For the band, you know?" his father added.
Chad continued to stare blankly.
"You know, that one called the Skunky Buckets or something," Mega Mom said.
Chad's blank stare turned into a confused one.
"I think it was the Scumbucket Punks," Destructo Dad corrected.
"Oh!" Chad spoke at last. "Oh, I completely forgot about that! Wait—" He paused to look at the bass. "Wait, wait, you bought a bass so that I could play in the band?" he asked incredulously.
His parents nodded and smiled.
Chad was completely confused about his parents' change of heart. "But—but—"
"A small band would be a good, musical extracurricular activity to participate in, wouldn't it?"
"But—" Chad was going to say, "But I already have enough extracurricular activities!" but he immediately caught himself-his parents would never accept that as an excuse. He chose to instead say, "But I don't know how to play a bass at all."
"Well, it's just like a violin, isn't it?" Mega Mom said. "Well, except for the fact that it's on its side. And lower. And you don't use a bow. And it's bigger. And—-"
"I think that's enough, honey. Don't worry, Chad. You still have two more hours to learn. In the meantime..." Destructo Dad turned to Mega Mom, "let's cook lunch!"
Chad stood over the guitar pensively. It was strange. Concerning the band, his parents had gone from "punched in the stomach" to "enthusiastically buying basses." And what about him? What were his feelings?
After what seemed like a minute he slowly opened the case, but didn't touch the guitar. Finally, he spoke. "Mom? Don't I have a violin lesson at one o' clock?"
"What? Violin—OHH! Violin lesson! I forgot!"
"I'll go practice my violin then."
"You haven't practiced your violin today?" Destructo Dad asked.
"No."
"Oh, well then go do it."
Chad went back upstairs, and within half a minute, the clear sounds of the violin could be heard from the cozy kitchen.
"Our son!" Destructo Dad said proudly.
*~*~*
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A young girl sat on a beanbag chair with a L.A.P.T.O.P. [which stood for Light And Portable Typing-On Place (I bet you didn't know that L.A.P.T.O.P. was secretly an acronym, did you?)] on her lap. She looked at her watch. 12:53. It had only taken her thirty minutes to type up her teammate's report. Not too bad. The girl had brown hair tied into pigtails. She took down her left pigtail, redid it, and tied it up again. "Hey, Numbuh 298! I finished!" she said after she had fixed her pigtail.
"Good," Numbuh 298 replied. Numbuh 298 was a short girl with blonde hair tied in a ponytail-braid. She was staring intently at what looked like feed from a live camera.
"Do I have to put in the part about Numbuh 274 eating lunch and going to the violin lesson?"
"No, it's fine." Numbuh 298 took a break from staring at the input of the camera. In a very serious tone, she asked, "How goes the 'character investigation'?"
The pigtailed girl laughed nervously. "Well... Still haven't found anything. I'm working on it, but I told ya before, I'm 99% sure that we have good reason to worry-"
Numbuh 298 tsked. "Numbuh 167, you always rush things. You've got to start using more professional methods."
Numbuh 167 merely shrugged as an answer. She ran her hand over her hair to check for bumps. Then she took down her right pigtail this time, redid it, and tied it up again. Suddenly, the door to the small room Numbuhs 167 and 298 were in burst open and yet another young girl (this one with dark skin and hair) came in, carrying a booklet.
"I got it!" she said, tucking her short, black hair behind her ear. "Remember how Numbuh 274 told his mom to look up 'Alvace' in the school directory? Well, look what I have!" She held out the booklet she was carrying, which was marked with the words, "Roosevelt Middle School Directory".
"Ooh, did you find her name?" Numbuh 167 asked eagerly.
"Yep." The third girl held out the book and pointed to the name. Pointed, but did not say anything.
Pyggwrölithvapolymera Alvace. That was the name.
"I, er... I don't know how to pronounce that," Numbuh 167 commented.
"Neither do I. Hey, Numbuh 298! We found out Piggy's real name, but we don't know how to pronounce it."
Numbuh 298 turned. "Oh, you did? Good work, 318. Let me see it." Numbuh 298 took the directory and looked at the name. After a while of staring at it with her brow furrowed, she said, "It matters not. Just keep going."
"Yeah, you'd better update the report," Numbuh 318, the third girl suggested.
"Okay, if ya say so." Numbuh 167 took her right pigtail down and redid it once again. She scrolled up and down her document, looking for the section she had written about Piggy's name. "I'll just add it to the bottom," she said, not wanting to read it thoroughly to find the right section.
Suddenly, Numbuh 298 gasped. "No time for that!"
"What do you mean?" Numbuh 318 asked.
Numbuh 298 didn't answer immediately. Instead, she put on a "cordless" phone headset and adjusted the mouthpiece. Then she began to speak into it urgently. "Code Red. I repeat, we have a Code Red. I have detected an RUPC, which requires emergency action. Do you copy?"
Numbuhs 167 and 318 stared at Numbuh 298. "Er... The headset communication system is for times when you want to contact us and we're not in the same room."
Numbuh 298 turned around. "Well, I knew that. I was just going for a professional look, you know?"
"Uh... okay..."
"Anyway, we have an emergency on our hands. It turns out that Numbuh 167's intuition was correct. This girl, Piggy, is definitely up to no good. Into the aircraft!"
Numbuhs 167, 298, and 318 quickly boarded a wooden plane and prepared for takeoff. Numbuh 167 sat in the pilot's seat, Numbuh 298 took the commander's chair, and Numbuh 318 stood in front of several green panels of unknown purpose.
"Are we ready for takeoff?" Numbuh 298 asked grimly.
"Yeah, I think so," Numbuh 318 replied.
"Please, say, 'All systems go' instead."
Numbuh 318 sighed. "All systems go."
Numbuh 167 started the plane, and before they knew it, the town was spread below their feet.
To be continued.
A/N: I hope the changing perspective wasn't too confusing. Isn't it strange how the last chapter was called "What's in a Name?" but you didn't find out Piggy's name, and this chapter is called "Reason to Worry" but you don't find out what the reason to worry is? Bad naming skills. ¯_¯;;; Well, anyway, please review! I appreciate it! ^_^