Chapter 4
Sonya huddled down under her covers, and knew perfectly well that her cheeks were not red because she was warm. I kissed him! She shrieked to herself in panic. I kissed a boy! She pulled the blankets over her head and tried to block out the embarrassing memory, but the event replayed itself over and over again inside her head.
"Ugh!" Sonya threw off the covers in frustration. This was impossible; she was obsessing over kissing him. It was no big deal. She scolded herself mentally. You don't care. It's just Lee. It's just Numbuh 84. It's just…She remembered how he had protected her identity once he found out. She hung her head. I hope he doesn't hate me.
Numbuh 83 made sure she avoided him for the rest of the day; she knew she couldn't handle seeing him so soon. But she didn't have to worry. For the rest of the day, Numbuh 84 holed himself up in his room in fear he would have to face her. We're friends, we're just friends. Stay calm, stay cool. And then he would instantly remember the kiss, and his panicking would begin all over again. When it was time for dinner, and Numbuh T came up to his room to convince him to come out and eat, Lee dragged him in instead.
"Tommy, I have to talk to you." Alarm bells rang inside Lee's head. He had sorta kinda of an unspoken agreement with Sonya not to tell anyone she was a girl. But she kissed him. If he didn't tell anyone about it, he would explode. It was her fault. "Numbuh 83's a girl," he blurted before he could change his mind.
"What?" Tommy looked at Lee uncertainly, trying to gauge his friend's sanity. Lee spoke slowly, clearly, softly.
"Numbuh 83's a girl." He blushed hard. "And she kissed me."
"Wha-" began Tommy, "Wha-wha-WHAT!?" finished Tommy. "Numbuh 83's not a girl. Impossible! He beat me in arm wrestling!
"She."
"What?"
"She beat you in arm wrestling." Tommy chose to ignore that a girl had beaten him in arm wrestling.
"And if Numbuh 83 is a girl, why would she kiss you?"
"She attempted to stop me from giving her the medicine." Lee ducked his head. "She succeeded." Boy, had she succeeded…she had stopped him cold. She kissed him. She kissed him. Numbuh 84 began to feel a little faint, but he heard Tommy lecturing him anyway.
"Numbuh 363's going to freak out! When'd you find out about this? We've got to tell him - right now!" Wait. Lee froze. He can't! Tommy was about to run out of the room, but Lee used his yo-yo, coincidentally the same one that had also stopped Sonya in her tracks, on Tommy.
"Whoa!" Tommy fell to the ground with a thud. "Are you crazy, Numbuh 84? What are you doing?" He stopped for a second as he thought of something. He pointed a finger accusingly at Numbuh 84. "You aren't planning to tell Numbuh 363, are you, Numbuh 84?"
"Well, I," Lee sighed. "No." He looked at Tommy pleadingly. "Tell me you won't tell him, Numbuh T." Tommy grinned slyly.
"No…" He looked pointedly at Lee.
"What?" Lee said in exasperation. "There has to be a reason. Especially 'cause you're looking at me like that!"
"I won't tell him since I want to see how this whole you, Numbuh 83, and the kiss, will work out. It's going to be so funny!" Tommy chortled.
"Numbuh T!" Lee growled, annoyed at Tommy, and annoyed at himself for turning pink. But he wasn't so much as angry as he was relieved. Tommy wouldn't tell.
--
The next day, when the entire sector was called for a meeting at the main floor, Lee and Sonya could no longer avoid each other. Tommy laughed silently at his friends' predicament during Numbuh 363's lecture.
"Basically, what I'm trying to tell you guys is that we need to be better organized. I'm obviously the leader, so I'll tell you guys what to do."
"Numbuh 83. You're our Boy-Girl Relations Officer…"
"I'm sure he'll do a great job." Tommy emphasized gleefully. "Right, Num-buh Eight-y-three?" Sonya froze, but turned in time to see Numbuh 84 smacking his forehead. Um…what's going on here? Sonya felt slightly nervous. Numbuh 363 continued as if he had not just been interrupted.
"Numbuh 84, you're our tactical yo-yo specialist. Numbuh 85, you're the freak-show/head of diversionary tactics, and Numbuh T, you are our 2x4 technology officer. Everyone got it? Good. We need to get our team better prepared. As in what exactly we need to do in an emergency. We are going to implement Exit Strategy B123. He showed how it would be carried out on the big screen.
Anyway, our mission today -" Numbuh 363 stopped when he heard a groan. "Look, you guys better shape up; we've got to complete the mission this time! We can't make fools out of ourselves, not again!
Okay - there's a cranky old geezer that lives across the street. I've been monitoring his actions, and in the past three days, he's taken every kid's toy that gets on his lawn. If your ball rolls onto his property, you can consider it lost. That's why we, as the best sector in the Kids Next Door, have to stop the basketball-snatching thief!" Numbuh 363 eyes burned in anger.
"Um, Numbuh 363," Paddy ventured. "Did he take your basketball?"
"We are getting my basketball back, and all the other kids' stuff, but especially my basketball. And maybe this time we can do this without calling Sector V for help. Especially Nigel Uno."
Sonya raised her hand. "Excuse me, Numbuh 363, but what do you have against Nigel Uno?"
Sector W instantly quieted. Lee shot Sonya a warning look, she looked at him, he turned quickly away, his cheeks bright red. Crud. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Numbuh T laughing silently.
--
"Go Sector W!" At his cry, the team fanned out as they left the S.C.O.O.T.E.R., carefully scanned their surroundings, ducked behind the trashcans, crawled across the lawn, and as they reached the house, listened for the sound of the old geezer, wherever he was.
Carefully, they sneaked past the windows…"What are you dang kids doing on my property!"
Tommy began to tremble. "Oh no! It's the old geezer! Run!"
"No! Stay in your positions!" Numbuh 363 aimed his mustard gun at the villain. He smirked. "You better give up you Old Geezer, give us our toys back! Or else." When the old man began to cackle gleefully, Numbuh 363 began to get worried. "Guys, be careful, the Old Geezer is off his rocker."
"Off my rocker, am I?" The Old Geezer took out a remote control that had yellow knobs, and a green button. "You kids are going to get it!" He pressed the green button. Seconds later, his house uprooted itself from the ground, and began to attack Sector W.
"Numbuh 363! What do we do?"
"Exit Strategy B123! B123!"
Paddy translated. "Split up and run!" He took off toward the woods. Tommy ran toward the S.C.O.O.T.E.R Harvey sprinted across the lawn. Sonya jumped over the fence. Lee tore down the street.
Unfortunately for Numbuh 84, the monster house decided to follow him down the street. The Old Geezer rode on the chimney of the house. "Get him, house! Get him!" He moved the yellow knob, and the house lurched forward, nearly catching up with the unlucky member of Sector W. Lee began to panic.
"Crud, crud, crud!" He ran as fast as he could, and looked back at the villain. Could he fight it? The house loomed high above him, menacing and dangerous. Um…maybe not. He sprinted around the corner of a house, and used his yo-yo to swing into the branches of a tree. He was relatively hidden, although…Lee eyed the gaps between the branches uneasily. He didn't feel safe at all.
The monster house appeared. It drew closer to his hiding place, but it hadn't found him, yet. Lee backed as far as he could into the tree's shadows, and crossed his fingers. The house passed him. Lee let out a shaky breath. That was close.
Footsteps. They ran by the tree. "Numbuh 84?" A voice called out quietly. "Numbuh 84?" A yo-yo shot down from the tree, and swiftly pulled her up. Sonya let out a startled sound. The house that was moving down the street, stopped.
Lee clamped a hand on her mouth quickly. In the midst of the tense silence, Lee was very aware that he was reddening, but this was quickly forgotten the moment the house started moving again. Relief flooded their nerves, and the two operatives wiped their brows exaggeratedly.
"Numbuh 84, where are you?" The emergency radio crackled and hissed with static. Lee and Sonya froze mid-wipe. "And is Numbuh 83 with you? The rest of Sector W is here at the treehouse." The house turned around, its windows open, as if it were listening.
"Cork it, Harvey!" Lee hissed angrily.
"There he is, house, there he is! In the tree!" The Old Geezer cackled gleefully. "And there's another one! Get them! Get them! Get them!" Lee grabbed the radio.
"Sector W, we need help ASAP, we're being chased by a monster house ridden by the Old Geezer -" Pipes were fired from the house in rapid succession. "Dangerous projectiles -" Electrical wires shot out of the house. "And electrical holding devices -" While Lee was preoccupied with dodging household appliances, and telling Sector W to get the S.C.O.O.T.E.R. so they could retreat, Sonya was having troubles of her own.
The house's red carpet had unfurled out the door, down the porch steps, and toward her. "Numbuh…84!" In panic, she sped away from what was supposed to be an inanimate object. "I'm getting chased by a carpet that's supposed to stay on the floor!" Lee glanced at Sonya. His eyes widened.
"Watch out!" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the red carpet snaking around her sides. She tried to run.
"Numbuh 84! Ack!" The red carpet cut off her path, circled around, and bound her up effectively. She couldn't move. The carpet turned her around to face the villain and his accomplice. Sonya gulped. She cautiously stepped on her shoelace, effectively untying it. An emergency radio system booted up. "This is Numbuh 83, requesting immediate backup, prisoner of war, held by the Old Geezer's carpet, mmph!"
The red carpet furiously wound around to muffle her mouth tightly. "Leave Numbuh 83 alone!" Lee sprinted toward her aid, his yo-yo swinging…and then he was hit from behind by a toaster.
"Ugh. Not cool!" Three electrical wires went after him. Two for his arms, and one for his yo-yo.
"Mm, mrm, mmph!" Sonya ineffectively struggled against the carpet's hold. Seconds later, the electrical wires had wrapped around Lee, and carried him forward, next to Sonya. Sonya looked up at the Old Geezer. We are sitting ducks. Lee looked up at the old geezer. Okay. Sector W is probably on their way. We'll be all right.
The radio came to life. "Numbuh 84, come on, do something, retreating is not an option. He sounded agitated. We can't fail a mission again!" Sonya started. Sector W wasn't coming? Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no - Sonya began to panic. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no!
Lee grimaced. "I'm kind of tied up at the moment! Where are you guys?" The monster house smashed the radio, its pieces scattered all over the asphalt. Lee cringed. Sonya paled. I'm a goner. I'm going to be crushed, and all that's left of me will be Sonya pulp.
The Old Geezer floated down on his chimney throne. It had detached from the house.
"You know what I'm going to do with you pesky kids? I'm going to make an example of you so that kids and their toys will stop getting on my property! I'm going to lock you up in my house's dark basement until the Kids Nest Door offer me a deal. He grinned at them sadistically. "Now, how about that for an idea?"
"Da-dark b-basement?" Sonya began to shake. The Old Geezer cackled.
"You're afraid of the dark? Even better! I want to make you kids miserable! I'm going to stick you guys down there…" The Old Geezer made his voice sound as threatening as he could. "For a long, long time."
"I don't like the dark!" Sonya began to shake violently. Lee glanced at her worriedly, remembering the time she had told the sector her fear.
"Maybe, even forever!" Forever, forever, forever…The Old Geezer's words echoed in her head. No, no…no! No! NO!
"I don't like the dark! Yah!" Her anger blasted the red carpet to pieces. "Don't put me in the dark you meanie!" Sonya dealt the Old Geezer a punishing blow. "I don't want to go in the dark basement!" Sonya began attacking the house furiously, and although the monster house tried to stop its assailer, nothing could stop her now.
The wires holding Lee shook and weakened, and eventually dropped him onto the ground. Lee stood up in a daze as he watched Sonya chase the Old Geezer up a tree, before resuming her attack on the house.
"Yahhh!!" It was over. Sonya panted heavily, her feet in the middle of a pile of splintered wood, shattered brick, and dented shingles. Her pointy teeth began to resemble their normal shape. Her fiery eyes disappeared into a pool of green.
Sonya smiled happily.Yay! No monster house no dark basement! Yay! She skipped out from the destruction she had caused, and stopped short in front of the Old Geezer, who was clutching the tree. "Bye, mister!" She skipped to a white-faced Lee. "Let's go, Numbuh 84!" She grabbed his hand, and pulled him along. Lee stumbled after her, jerkily.
"Numbuh…Numbuh 83.." Sonya whirled around to find three, white-faced, boys.
She chirped happily. "Numbuh 85, Numbuh T, Numbuh 363! I thought you guys would never get here!"
Numbuh T was the first to recover from the shock. He laughed shakily. "Do you guys even know that you're holding hands?" Sonya and Lee let go as if they'd been burned.
"It wasn't like that!" They both protested, so embarrassed that their faces resembled huge tomatoes. "Besides," Sonya added with emphasis, "I'm a boy!" Tommy winked at her subtly. It wasn't as subtle as he thought.
Lee hit him with his yo-yo, Paddy asked if there was something in his eye, and Harvey watched the exchange with suspicious eyes. He knew something was off, that something wasn't right. But what?
Obviously, I got the Monster House idea from the cartoon...Monster House.