Author's Note: Thank you for all my reviewers! I especially want to thank Star Breacher who reviewed "Mayhem Squared" for me. I didn't think anyone would review it anymore but you proved me wrong! Thanks! And many thanks for all the rest of you that are reviewing this story. Since this is a long chapter, let's get on with it. Enjoy!
I emerged shamefully from Sissy's room complete with pink eye shadow (to match my outfit), black mascara, a slight touch of blush, and reddish-pink long-lasting lipstick (she insisted on using the long-lasting because she was afraid I would rub it off by "accident"). "Now go out there and strut your stuff," she had cooed and slammed her door in my face. I had stared at it a bit stupidly, but recovered when I realized I had to formulate a plan to not show my face for the rest of the day.
I was about to run to my room when I heard voices coming from that direction. I paused to listen.
"Where is she?" a voice I distinctly recognized as Ulrich asked. "A trip to the principal's office my ass. I bet Sissy abducted her or something."
"Let's go talk to her then," it was Odd this time.
Shoot, I thought quickly and glanced around. Bathroom. In a flash, with my heels clicking, I ran to the girls' bathroom that wasn't too far from Sissy's dorm. I closed the door just as Ulrich and Odd's footsteps grew louder as they rounded the bend. I leaned close against the bathroom door to try and hear what was going on.
Two knocks and then the sound of the door opening. "Ulrich, dear! What a surprise? What are you doing here?" That was Sissy, obviously.
"Where's Yumi? What have you done with her?" Ulrich's voice was angry and annoyed.
"Nothing!" she squealed in fake innocence.
"Really, now Sissy," Odd chipped in, "as if we'll fall for that one. We haven't seen her since you led her away."
"Well, okay, I'll tell you. I did do something to her, but it's for the best! I swear! I let her go only moments ago. I truly don't know where she is now."
"Okay," Ulrich said, his voice becoming dangerously low. "What did you do to her?"
"I gave her a makeover." After a pause, Sissy added, "It's a girl thing; guys, obviously, do not understand." I imagined that Ulrich and Odd had probably looked at each other in puzzlement. "Oh well. See you in class!" With that, she slammed her door again.
"I guess you could always call her and see where she is," Odd suggested. I dug through my pile of clothes trying to find my cell phone.
"Good idea," Ulrich said and there was silence at the other side of the door. Suddenly, my cell phone started vibrating underneath a sleeve of my black shirt and started peeping its ring tune. I winced at the loud sound and tried to shut my cell phone off in a panicked grab. Too late.
"Yumi? Are you in there?" Ulrich asked. Then he paused, "Dumb question. I know you're in there."
"Yes?" I asked shakily, leaning against the door to make sure he wouldn't try opening it.
"Come out, Yumi. We thought Sissy had killed you or something."
I shook my head. "No, I'd rather stay in here thanks."
"Come on, Yumi! Is this a game?"
"No, really! I would rather stay in here!"
Odd joined in. "Come on Yumi! You still have classes and besides, Ulrich here would be bored without you."
The bell gave off a loud clanging sound. I clamped my hands over my ears until the bell stopped ringing. It was time to go to class.
Ulrich rattled the doorknob anxiously. "Come out, Yumi!" he shouted at the door angrily.
I was about to open my mouth to yell, "No!" at him when the ground beneath me dropped open. I looked down and saw a slick, metal tunnel that twisted away until out of view. Then with a scream, I fell down into the tunnel with my clothes right beside me.
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I slid on my bottom through the tube, screaming the whole way. It twisted and turned for quite sometime. Finally I saw dead end up front. Without thinking, I shielded my face with my arms as I hit the dead end. Suddenly, I felt a tumbling sensation and I was landing on my stomach on a soft mat. I looked up tentatively and saw that I hadn't landed on a mat, but a circular pink couch that had dropped open when I hit the end of the tunnel. I glanced about wonderingly and saw that I was in some sort of office that looked quite high tech and official. There was a dark red carpet that led to five stairs and a blue couch right in front of me. Then beyond that, I spotted a desk. The chair to the desk swiveled to face me, then, as if it knew I was looking at it.
"Good morning, Yumi," said the man sitting in the chair. I gaped at him, partly because he knew my name and partly because he was so calm. His head was almost bald except for three hairs that were brushed back to the side. He wore a customary suit with a black tie that he tugged on now to get into place. His face was gentle and trustworthy but I leaned back a bit just the same.
"Who are you?" I asked tentatively.
"Oh yes, of course, you must be petrified. My name is Jerry, and I am to be your new guardian."
"New guardian? I already have a mom and dad, thanks."
He shook his head in amusement. "No, no, no. I'm your new WOOHP guardian."
"WOOHP guardian," I repeated. "Right."
"You see, WOOHP is an secret organization of spies and technology to ensure the safety of this world. And I'm making you our newest and youngest WOOHP agent as of today."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, all his words tumbling around in my brain. "I'm going to be a spy?"
"Not just any spy. A WOOHP spy. You'll be teaming up in your first missions with Sam, Alex, and Clover, three high school teenagers from Beverly Hills. They are my top agents and should ensure you quick and effective training for becoming a spy." He stood up and placed his hands on his desk. "But of course, you can't tell anyone you're a spy, or else the organization wouldn't be secret anymore."
I raised my eyebrows. "And why am I going to be a WOOHP spy?"
Jerry sat down and gazed at me critically. Then he held up a hand and started tipping off reasons on his fingers. "Your quick on your feet, your quick in your mind, and you have a knack for stopping evil plots to take over the world. Am I right?"
I froze. "Um..." I started. How much did this guy know? I twisted my fingers and shifted my position so that I was sitting on the edge of the circular pink couch. "I think your close enough," I said finally, smiling a little.
"No matter, all these are excellent qualities to possess in order to become a WOOHP spy."
"And what if I don't want to be a WOOHP spy?"
Jerry sighed. "I get this question every time I brief new agents," he said, more to himself than to me. Then he turned to really address me. "If you insist on not becoming an agent, I will have to erase your memory of this encounter entirely. That isn't a pleasant experience, I assure you."
"Enough said," I said in revulsion.
"All right," Jerry said delightedly. "You'll start your training immediately." A little part of his desk slid back to reveal a red button. "Would you kindly step over to sit in the blue couch in front of me?"
I got up and did so, the sound of Sissy's high-heeled boots muffled on the red carpet. "But, Jerry," I said, trying out the new name, "I have classes right now. I can't have training."
"Well," he said, pressing the button, "Sam, Alex, and Clover have classes now too, but you all are top students and I'm sure you'll make up the work." I opened my mouth to say something more but then closed it as I heard the sound of screaming behind me. I turned around to see three high school girls drop out of a hole that had opened up in the ceiling in a flurry of color. They each bounced once on the pink couch and then landed in an irritable heap with one on top of the other.
"Jerry, what in the world are you trying to do? Kill us?" the blonde haired girl said angrily, brushing back her bangs and straightening up to regain composure. She wore a blue top that had a thin stripe of purple at the bottom and it ended before her belly button. Then she wore a purple mini- skirt with a thin stripe of blue at the bottom and around the waist. Blue high-heeled boots completed the ensemble and she walked over importantly to the couch I was sitting on. "Who are you?" she asked a bit rudely. Suddenly her eyes started sparkling and she rushed to plop down beside me.
"Oh my god!" she gasped, pointing at the boots I was wearing. "Those are so cute! Was there, like, a sale at the mall I didn't know about?"
I gaped at her in astonishment. "You actually like these clothes?" I asked, a bit harshly.
She stopped drooling and looked at me seriously. "Well of course! And that is the cutest outfit I've seen in a while, with what Mandy wears and all."
I dismissed her words with a wave of my hand. "All I know is, anyone who thinks Sissy's clothes are cute is a idiot and a sissy themselves."
The blonde haired girl got up in an angry huff and pointed at me with a daintily manicured finger. "I'll have you know that I have the best fashion taste you've ever seen, pal. And if you don't like those clothes, then why are you wearing them?"
I stood up as well. "Well, I'll have you know that I was forced to wear them!"
"Oh really?" she said, stomping her foot. "Don't be ridiculous. Forcing someone to wear something is, like, so 1970s!"
"GIRLS, FOCUS!" Jerry and the red haired girl yelled at the same time. The blonde girl and I stopped bickering and looked at Jerry and the red haired girl, blinking stupidly. "Now," Jerry said, tugging at his tie again. The red haired girl sat down next to me and pulled the blonde haired girl down next to her. Then a third girl, this one with black hair sat on the other side of the blonde. "If I have everyone's full attention," he began, giving the blonde haired girl and me a stern glance. "This is Yumi, our newest, and youngest WOOHP agent."
"Nice to meet you," the red haired girl said, waving at me. "I'm Sam." She had on a light lime green dress that ended above her knees with a pink ribbon tied in a bow in the front, making it look like she had a high waistline. She was completed with high-heeled ankle shoes that were green and pink, like her dress.
"Nice to meet you too," I said pleasantly, cooling off a bit.
The black haired girl leaned out so I could see her. "I'm Alex," she stated with a big smile. She had on a butterfly spaghetti strap and jean capris with a sprinkle of pink flowers to match her pink top at the bottom. She had on blue sneakers with pink shoelaces.
The blonde girl still looked straight ahead. Sam elbowed her but only got a, "Humph!"
Alex looked at the girl a bit nervously then smiled widely at me again. "This is Clover." She glanced at Clover's face then went on hurriedly, "I believe you've already met."
"Indeed," Jerry said, hurrying on himself. "Now I know you all have classes right now, but I'm sure you can make up the work. Right now we have an important mission on ours hands."
"Lay it on us, Jer," Sam said, sounding businesslike and official.
Jerry nodded. "I need you three to train Yumi." The girls looked at Jerry oddly, then looked at me the same way.
"Okay," Sam said skeptically, "any gadgets?"
Jerry smiled. "They will already be there. Ta ta, girls."
With a push of a button, our couch flipped over, depositing us in various random positions in a shuttle with four pink seats. We barely had time to get ourselves seated before the shuttle zoomed forward at tremendous speeds.
"First thing," Sam said between screams. "If you're going to be a successful WOOHP spy, you have to get used to Jerry's weird methods of getting us to places!"
Alex gave Sam a disbelieving look. "You're not serious," she said loudly over our yells. "I'm still not used to them!"
"Hang on!" Clover bellowed as our shuttle got an extra boost of speed.
