A/N: I apologize for the late and slow update…but I ran out of ideas…and also, there had been things going on…so I was really busy but now…I promise to update frequently…
Chapter 3
"Alex, are thinking like what I'm thinking?"
"How am I supposed to know what you're thinking…?"
"Harsh…Fine…I think we have to tell them…"
"You go on…"
"Erm…guys, you see…" Katie took a deep breath and looked at the other two.
"My father wants a son, so he sort of had this dream of sending his son to this school…but you see, I'm a girl, and I wanted to fulfill his dream so I agreed to come to this school as a boy…" Katie lied.
"Huh?" Lucas and Mark raised an eyebrow. Alex just shook his head in a tired way.
"While you guys were out, I did some of my own investigation, and look what I've found." Mark held up a brown folder that was labeled VIPER.
"So, are you guys telling us the truth or do we have to turn you in?" Lucas said in a serious voice, but still smiling as if he enjoyed every moment of it.
"What do you know about VIPER?" Alex asked.
"Not much…Hey! We were asking you a question!" Mark exclaimed. Katie burst out laughing uncontrollably. Alex glared at Katie for laughing at the wrong time.
"Fine…" Alex sighed, "We'll tell…but you have to keep it shut. Clear?"
Mark shrugged while Lucas just smiled.
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"Now, if the angle is blah blah…" the voice was no longer going inside Katie's head.
"Psst…"
"………." No response.
"Psst, Katie!"
"…….." Still no response.
"Ouch! WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR!" Katie shouted in pain, her foot was fully stepped on by Alex Rider.
"Ahem, Mr. Pelt, if you would please work out the question on the board, it would be really good."
"Oh. Erm…x equals to 3?" Katie smiled sheepishly.
The teacher stared at her for a while, and then replied, "Correct."
"How did you do that?" Lucas asked once she sat down.
"I'm a genius" Katie smiled and shrugged.
"Lucky guess." Alex rolled his eyes and cut in.
"Hahaha…okay, you've earn a respect from me, Wilson!" Lucas laughed
"Be careful what you say, Lucas!" Alex glared at Lucas because he said Katie's real name so loudly.
"Chill Rider…hey Katie the new issue is out." Lucas shoved something into Katie's hand.
"Lucas, stop giving her that."
"Shut up Alex." Katie hissed while flipping the pages of "Playboy" magazine.
"Hey, keep it low, you guys, I wanna sleep!" Mark lifted his head from the table and shut them up.
"What's so interesting for you anyway, ya know, you're a girl, please don't tell me you like and you're excited by the photos of half-naked human of the same sex."
"I'm not."
"Thank God!" Alex said exaggeratingly.
"I just like reading the articles in it. It's very interesting…" Katie finished off and continued reading the magazine.
"Okay, so we'll distract the principal, then you go and get as much evidence and clues as possible."
Katie and Alex nodded their heads.
While Lucas and Mark ran off towards the principal's office, Katie and Alex got ready for their first investigation.
Katie pocketed her flash drive, password cracker and some other stuff like pins for opening the locks.
"You are sure very ready…" Alex commented.
"Duh…I've been dying to do this for years." Katie said excitedly.
Alex just rolled his eyes but he couldn't suppress a smile.
"Hey, you smiled!" Hasn't that smile in years. You've been moody lately; don't tell me you're PMS-ing."
"Let's go." Alex didn't answer but instead tried to change the topic. That made Katie laughed even louder.
"Okay, we're in. Keep the distraction." Alex spoke on the microphone connected to his earpiece.
"Okay."
Alex and Katie started searching for any evidence in the principal's office. Alex went towards the laptop sitting on the table while Katie searched in drawers and cupboards.
Alex took out a plastic glove frequently used in operations by the surgeons. He quickly wore the glove and browsed through the computer's database.
"Found anything yet?" Katie asked as she flipped through some files.
"Nope, you?" Alex answered while furiously clicking the mouse.
"Not luck, Rider." Katie turned and walked towards Alex after finished rummaging the drawers and cupboard.
"Hmm…seems to me like a normal principal's desktop."
"Yeah…"
"Hey, check this out!" Katie pointed at the icon blinking on the top-left corner of the screen.
"New mail." Alex answered while clicking to read it. Alex scrolled the page down as his eyes scanned through the content excitedly.
"So?" Katie asked impatiently.
"Wait…insert the flashdrive" Alex ordered.
Katie took out a small rectangular piece of device used for storing memory. Alex quickly saved the email into the flashdrive and remembering to mark that email as unread.
They quickly get rid of any evidence of their presence there.
"Psst. Monkey over to Chimpanzee...Monkey over to Chimpanzee…Target's moving away. Alert. Target's moving away." Mark's voice boomed into the earpiece.
"Awe drop it Mark. We can't hold the principal any longer. So you better get out of that room ASAP."
"We're leaving." Alex answered briefly and was about to step out of the room when he heard footsteps. He quickly pushed Katie against the wall and Alex turned around. Alex and Katie are now facing each other against the wall.
"What the-…" Katie was about to swear when Alex quickly put his hand over her mouth.
The door suddenly burst open. Firm footsteps indicated a strong and well-built man. As the man walked further in the room, Alex quickly grabbed Katie's hand and tiptoed out of the room.
Once they were out of the room, Alex and Katie quickly walk towards their dormitory.
"How was it?" Mark and Lucas asked once they entered the room.
"Not good. We got only one email which might lead to the case. But there's nothing else." Katie reported while handing them the flash drive. Mark quickly opened up the email from the flashdrive.
"Hmm…it seemed like a normal email that doesn't make sense at all…" Mark commented while reading through it.
"Hmm?" Lucas shot an eyebrow up.
"Well, I think it might be some kinda code within the message itself."
"So, how long would you take to crack it?" Alex asked
"Hmm…give me one night." Mark estimated.
"Okay, set." Alex nodded while taking off his earpiece.
"Now, let's celebrate our first accomplished job! Let's go the Blue Space." Lucas suggested.
"Blue Space?" Katie turned towards Lucas.
"It's a pub nearby. Let's go…oh…by the way Katie, you can dress as normally outside…there's no need for you to disguise as a guy 'cos on Friday, there'd be a lot of visitors so you can at least blend in or something."
"Yeah, I'm getting a bit pissed off with this wig anyway." Katie shrugged while taking off the wig.
Katie put on her normal t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. Once she walked out of the bathroom, Lucas shot an eyebrow and muttered (quite loudly), "I was expecting something like this anyway."
"Hey, Wilson, don't think you can get into the pub with this. It makes you look young." Mark commented while typing something furiously on the keyboard of his laptop.
Lucas stood up and handed Katie a black plastic bag.
"There are clothes in there and some make-up. Make sure you put it on…or else…even superman can't get you into Blue Space."
"What!" Katie almost dropped the bag.
Lucas sighed, "Just put on the clothes or do you want me to put it on for you?" Lucas asked slyly while stepping closer to Katie.
Thump
An object flew in between Katie and Lucas, hitting the wall.
Katie, Lucas and Mark all turned to see the culprit.
"What the heck was that for?" Katie asked, pissed, while Lucas merely grinned.
"Quickly go and change…before you won't be able to even step out of this room." Alex glared directly at Lucas but the order was meant for Katie.
"What the ------." Katie mumbled while walking into the bathroom, once again.
As soon as Katie closed the door, Lucas burst out laughing. Alex approached Lucas and stared straight into the eyes.
"Don't mess with her. I know your reputation very well. Well-known playboy…but let me tell, Katie's an off-limit for you." Alex threatened through clenched teeth.
Lucas merely chuckled, "Thank you…for the compliment." Then Lucas turned serious, "At first, I was just playing with her…but after a while now, I think I'm starting to like her…" Lucas looked straight into Alex's eyes.
The sound of the bathroom door cracked opened broke the silence.
"Anti-climax…" Mark heaved a sigh.
"What…" Katie looked at Mark half puzzled and half pissed.
"Whoa…" Mark blurted out, "What have you done to Katie!" He exaggerated.
Katie only rolled her eyes and turned towards Lucas and Alex, who were staring at Katie.
"Oii, what the heck is this?" Katie asked while pointing to herself. She was wearing a dark blue tank top with a white skirt which was about 4 inches above her knee.
"I was going to give you something sexier, but I reckon this would do…and it does!" Lucas stood up and reached out behind Katie's hair.
He pulled a hair band on her hair, letting go of her shoulder-length brown hair. He was about to wrap an arm around Katie but…
"Let's go then." Alex pulled Katie away and out of the room, leaving Mark to burst out laughing while Lucas was grinding his teeth.
"What's up with you?" Katie asked a bit annoyed because she was dragged out of the room involuntarily. Alex continued walking without any sign that he would explain himself.
Katie freed herself from his grip and pushed Alex hard on his shoulder. Then, she nodded in a way that says "you better explain yourself now or you're not going to have any chance to even breathe later."
Alex heaved a sigh, "Don't you get it at all?"
"Get what?"
"That bastard is hitting on you."
It took Katie 3 seconds to generate out what Alex was talking about.
"Okay, so the bastard you're referring to is Lucas, am I right?"
"Who else…"
"Alex, listen to me. I'm not that dense. Of course I know he was interested in me, but well, he's a playboy so if I don't show any interest in him, he'll just go. If I just resist or avoid him, it'll interest him more." Katie explained.
"……."
"But of course, I didn't know you were jealous…" Katie smirked.
Alex's face blushed slightly before regaining his normal self.
"Well…" Alex stepped closer to her.
"Tell me a reason why I shouldn't be jealous…" Alex gently touched her blushed cheek and smiled. He leaned closer.
"Ahem…"
The young couple turned.
"Well, let's go then…" Lucas grinned smugly and victoriously that he managed to interrupt the romantic atmosphere just now.
Alex growled inwardly, while Katie only smiled at Lucas' "perfect" entrance.
"C'mon Rider, let's go…" Katie dragged Alex from Lucas before there might be a third world war.