Chapter 12- Bailey, the alliance, and spying

It was the first day without Steve, and Tibby was feeling really lonely. She didn't have Steve, she didn't have Carmen, Lena, or Bridget, she didn't have Brian, and especially she didn't have Bailey or Mimi. She decided today that she would go to the cemetery and go see Bailey. She drove down to a grocery store first and bought her a box of cereal. Then she continued to the cemetery. She placed the box onto the grave. She sat there and cried for about half an hour. Then there was a sudden stop.

"Bailey," she said, "I'm sorry I hesitated for you. I'm sorry I haven't come to see you lately. I'm sorry for a lot of things, but I really need your help. I really want Steve, can you help me?"

Tibby imagined Bailey's voice to say, "I'm pretty sure I can, but what about Brian? Brian is really nice, I mean, I met him before. But if Steve is who you chose, you better try hard to get him! Those other girls are pretty determined."

At that point Tibby decided to call Steve. It rang. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Steve?"

"Yes it is."

"Hi this is Tibby, and I know about your little secret. We found out last night. I really just want to say, you need to chose which one of us you'd like to be your girlfriend, and please don't make us suffer through it because we are all best friends since birth."

"Okay, I'll decide when I get back next week."

"Okay." They hung up and Tibby felt better, just hearing the sound of his voice. She got up and drove away. When she got home, she realized, there was something in her mailbox. A very large something. She pulled it out. It was the pants! Lena had sent her the pants, even during their big fight! There was a note that went with them. It read:

Here, take the pants. Let's be allies against Carmen and Bee. We will so win. Maybe we can split Steve. We've got the pants on our side!

Love Lennyk162

Tibby was so happy Lena had chosen her! It was probably because of the pants but, still, she had beautiful Lena on her side. She immediately called Lena on her cell phone. "Hello?"

"Lena!"

"What? Who is this?"

"Lenny, this is Tibby!"

"Oh hey TIb! What's up?"

"I found the pants! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Well, your welcome, but Tibby, did you decide to take up my offer?"

"Yes I did! Thank you so much, you're so right, we're gonna win!"

"Cool, now we have to be seen together a lot, so Carmen and Bridget will know that we're friends. Let's go shopping right now!"

"Alright! I'll pick you up."

"Great." They hung up, only to see each other again in a few minutes. They drove to the mall. They went to the dress shop that they got the first dresses in. Carmen was there. Tibby and Lena walked in. The door made a loud BING! Carmen stared right at them. Lena started laughing, as if they were having a hilarious conversation. C'mon Tibby, join in any time. Then Tibby also started laughing hysterically. That's much better. Everyone stopped staring at them and they stopped laughing. They found a few dresses and bought them.

They headed for the coffee shop, because they knew Carmen had to be there. They walked in and there was Carmen. They both ordered the same thing. They sat down and talked and laughed and talked, just for Carmen's sake. Over her shoulder, Lena could see that Carmen was staring enviously at them. Lena started whispering in Tibby's ear, just to make Carmen more jealous. Finally they were done with their drinks. They got up, tossed their cups into the trash, and walked out, arm in arm.

It was about noon, when Bridget heard the doorbell ring. She answered the door, knowing that she was the only one who could. It was Carmen. She looked mad. Bridget opened the door and let Carmen in. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Well, it's all Tibby and Lena's fault. They were together at the mall, acting like the bestest friends in the world. I'm disgusted," she replied.

"What? Oh, and you do know that bestest is not a word?" Bridget asked.

"Yes, they were together, laughing and having the best time in the world, and don't mock me," Carmen answered.

"Okay, well, then we have to act like better friends. But why? What is the purpose of acting like friends, when no one needs to point out that we're in a major fight?" Bridget said.

"I don't know: we have to find out."

So Bridget took Tibby's house and Carmen, Lena's, and they hid in the bushes to find out why they were such good friends all of the sudden. They both took their cell phones to keep in contact with one another. Tibby's car came zooming in the driveway of Lena's house. "Bye Tibby, call me!" Lena shouted joyfully. Carmen quickly whisked around to the back of the house. She needed Effie to help her. No one was a better nosy nose than Effie. I mean, she goes through Lena's closet! Carmen lightly knocked on the backdoor, realizing that Effie was close. Effie went to the backdoor.

"Effie, you have to help me!" Carmen whispered.

"Do what?"

"I need you to find out why Lena is, all of the sudden, friends with Tibby. Don't act suspicious though."

"Carmen, you're acting like you're teaching a dog how to dance, when really, you're teaching a bunny to hop. Easy peezy, Carmen. But you do have to pay a price. I want to wear the pants. I've been dying to wear the pants since I've seen them."

"You can't wear the pants!" Carmen cried.

"No pants, no spy."

"Fine, but I don't have them right now. Tibby should have them. I'll get them to you by tomorrow."

"I have a date tonight!"

"Fine, what time?"

"seven' o'clock sharp."

"They'll be here at 6:30."

"Deal." With that, Carmen went back to her house to figure out a way to get the pants. Tibby couldn't be home at the time that she would take them. Tibby would need a date. It couldn't be a double-date with Effie, because Tibby would see the pants. Hmmm. She pondered that thought for quite a while.

Meanwhile, at Tibby's house, Bee was hiding in the bushes. Tibby's car pulled up. She was talking on her phone. Tibby walked inside, oblivious to the sneaky Bridget in the bushes. While the door was still open, Bee slipped in. She followed Tibby up the stairs, without making a noise.

As Tibby entered the bathroom, B entered her bedroom. She found a great place to hide; there was just enough room under the bed to hear Tibby's conversation, and to see without being seen. Tibby had just then entered the room. Bridget was looking around when she noticed that the pants were on Tibby's dresser. The pants! That's why Lena chose her. She had the pants. And of course, Lena had the pants before her, so that means that she was Tibby's only choice. Ha! I have to call Carmen. But I can't call her now! I'll call her as soon as I can breathe. An hour later, Bee slipped out of Tibby's house as Tibby was in the bathroom. She made no sound and slipped out successfully. She called Carmen as soon as she got out of the house.

"Carma!" she said as she answered the phone.

"Yes?"

"Tibby has the pants!"

"I know."

"Lena chose her because she had the pants next, and Lena was Tibby's only choice."

"Yep. But we have something else to figure out."

"What?"

"I told Effie that I needed help spying on Lena, and she said the only price is for her to wear the pants tonight."

"Tonight? Did you try talking it out with money?"

"Bridget! Do you know how much money she would want? It's Effie!"

"Fine, but Tibby has the pants, how are we going to get them?"

"Well, Effie's date is at 7 tonight. We have to get them to her by 6:30. This means Tibby has to go on an early date. Obviously she doesn't have Brian or Steve. This means we have to make a Steve or Brian. Of course it has to be a real human; someone we both know would be willing to do it. So I was thinking…"

"Thinking what?"

"Maybe you could dress up as Steve?" Carmen said in a little voice.

"ME? Why me? Besides, Tibby knows that Steve is in Boston."

"Well because you look the most like Steve. And I know that Tibby called Steve this morning, so you could say that you came back to see her, or something.

"Yeah, but Tibby's going to recognize that I don't really look like Steve. And I sure don't sound like him either."

"Well for sound, I have computer help, and for looks, Lydia."

"Fine, I'll come over in just a sec."

Bridget first drove by the Starbucks, just so she didn't start throwing things in Carmen's apartment. She drove to Carmen's house, and Carmen was standing outside. "C'mon, we got lots of work to do. First you have to call Tibby from a blocked cell number." She handed Bridget the phone. "Let me get my dad's laptop." She ran inside and came back out with a silver laptop. "Here, just hook this on to your head." She gave Bridget a wiry microphone to be worn like a headband. She then clicked a few buttons on the laptop. "Speak," she said.

"Hello?" Bridget said in Steve's voice. "Amazing, how do you do it? And why am I doing this?"

"You just have to mix together a few voices to make one perfect one, and I already told you. This is for Steve. Now call Tibby on this. I already dialed the number, don't worry, it's blocked."

The phone rang. Tibby picked up. "Hello?" asked Tibby.

"Hi, Tibby, it's Steve." Bee said, in Steve's voice.

"Hi Steve!"

"Hey Tibby, I'm heading back into town for a night, do you want to grab something to eat?"

"I'd love to! What time?"

"6."

"Great. Where are we going?"

Bridget looked at Carmen with a questioning look. "Applebee's," Carmen whispered. "Tell her you'll meet her there."

"Applebee's. But I'll have to meet you there; my car is full of junk from my traveling." Bridget said cleverly. Carmen gave her a thumbs-up sign.

"Sure. Meet you there at 6, bye."

"Bye."

Phew, that was awkward. Bridget thought. She took off the microphone and they headed inside. When they got inside Lydia was staring at her. "You must be Bridget. So, let's get started," she said.

They went to the mall first, to pick out an outfit for Bridget to wear. Steve was a formal guy. So she picked out a black turtle-neck, a black coat, black pants, and black shoes. No tie. They went to the wig store next. They made a custom wig, to look exactly like Steve's hair. Then they went to a packaging/mailing store and bought some cardboard boxes to make a man's figure, so Tibby wouldn't be suspicious. They went back to Carmen's apartment, and they all started putting it together. Bridget took care of the wig, Carmen the clothes, and Lydia the boxes. When they were done, they all put it on Bee.

Wow, she thought, now I really look like Steve. She looked at herself in the mirror. If she had a full-body picture of Steve, she bet she would've looked just like him. She was ready to be Steve.

I know, it's a little weird, but it gets to being funny. Just follow along. Thanks to a SPECIAL request, I have changed B to Bee. (Ahemm coolmarauders!) Anyways, there's a few more chapters left, hang in there.