13. Argument and Hostility
When Alex stumbled to the table, both of the other boys were already sitting there and eating. Luke seemed to be making the conversation- he seemed to be the extroverted one out of the bunch. Alex Meyer, on the other hand, noticed Alex's entrance.
"Morning, Rider. Why don't you help yourself to breakfast?"
"I don't need your help," Alex pleasantly retorted, causing both of the other guys to laugh. He discovered otherwise when he turned the tap on and a tank seemed to explode, dousing him with water. At least this was one of Luke's shirts. He could have fun with the laundry. But Alex certainly was not amused- not at all.
"You were saying?" Luke inquired easily while Alex attempted to shut the water off. Alex glared at him. Alex Meyer had been smart enough to actually get up and help. When the water was finally shut off, Alex turned around and thanked Alex Meyer before lashing out.
"You rigged that on purpose!" Alex indignantly exclaimed.
"I did not! The look on your face was absolutely priceless, Rider, I just had to say it."
Alex cussed. The other two exchanged glances- Alex Meyer a warning one, Luke a let-me-have-my-fun sort of plead.
"Farrior..."
"Sorry," Luke mumbled.
Alex Meyer sighed. "Okay, that's it. Farrior, you are not going to help us, and that is final! Man, you two are so annoying!"
"What? But I want to go!" Luke whined.
"Farrior, you've gotten everything that you ever wanted to in life. Now do us and yourself a favor- bug off. Someone's got to watch Fisher's back."
"I thought that you said it was up to Ange."
"Argh, Farrior, you aggravate me!" Alex Meyer yelled in exasperation.
"Is this where I say, 'Right back at you?'"
"No!" both of them snapped at the same time. Alex Meyer had apparently decided to relent.
"Fine. Farrior, we'll go ask Angela. But she gets the final word. Deal?"
"Meyer!" Alex complained.
"Just go with it." Alex Meyer winked. "Trust me."
Since Alex didn't really have another choice, he did.
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"No- absolutely not."
"Aw, please?" Luke whined in his best little-kid voice. Alex had been victim to it himself plenty of times- he certainly knew it when he heard it.
"I said no, Luke. They can handle it. There's no point in putting yourself in unnecessary danger."
"Aw, why do they get to do it?"
"Luke," she drawled out, smiling coyly. "I'm asking you nicely- very nicely- to behave. Please, for me?"
"Ehh..." he mumbled, obviously well persuaded. "Oh, fine- but only because I love you more than anything else in the world."
Alex couldn't help gagging. Ah, those two were in love, but did they really have to show it that blatantly? It went to show that putting two extroverts together was dangerous. Alex and Vivie had never had that problem.
"I hate to interrupt you guys," Alex sarcastically interjected, "but would you guys mind telling me where Vivie is?"
"There's no need for that, Alex, I'm already here." Vivie was as beautiful as ever with her auburn hair and sweet smile. She was dressed in a turquoise jacket with half-sleeves and jeans. Alex hoped that he didn't look too shabby in his attire. "What did I miss?"
"Nothing of importance- just Ange's seductiveness," Luke quipped. Angela's jaw dropped.
"You did not just go there!"
"Face it, Ange- I did, and there's nothing that you can do about it."
"Do you two have to flirt in my kitchen?" Vivie groaned, giving Alex her reserved, calm smile that was just too cute.
"It's my kitchen too," Angela pointed out. "Besides you shouldn't be in here- you've got other things to do." As soon as she leaned in to kiss Luke, all three of them were out the door fairly quickly.
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"Dang it, what are we doing?" Vivie complained when they made it downtown that night.
"Shouldn't we find the weather station?" Alex suggested.
"That would be great if I could find it."
"You have no sense of direction, Vivie."
"Shush, Alex." She rolled her eyes. "If you wanted a human GPS, you should have brought Lissy along."
"What's the weather station called again?" Alex inquired, taking a good look around.
"WTKM," Vivie replied quickly.
"You would remember that little detail." Alex Meyer chuckled in amusement.
"You little- that's not funny!"
"Sure it is, Viv- but I love you for it."
"Yeah, and you call Farrior and Angela sick," Alex coughed, suddenly spying the four letters. "I think I found it- but it really doesn't look like a weather station. It looks more like a house..."
"You're telling me," Vivie mockingly grumbled. "Do you really think that's it?"
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Alex Rider was right- that was the weather station's headquarters. A huge sign with Andrew's face was plastered to the front of it- it was unmistakable. Alex could see how like Aaron he really was- it was amazing, but not too surprisingly. He really hadn't expected any less from a relative of Aaron's.
"It's got to be it- it's fairly new," Alex pointed out.
"Well, what if we're wrong?" Alex Rider asked.
"Uh, then I guess we're wrong. We've got to deal with this as soon as possible- so how are we going to break in? It's not like we can just walk into the house... weather station... whatever," Vivie mused.
"Give me a moment." Alex Rider fumbled in his pockets, and a grin lit up his face moments later. "Zit cream is great."
"Zit cream? Why would you need zit cream, Rider? You have a really clear face."
"This isn't zit cream."
"Then why did you just call it zit cream?" Vivie pointed out.
"It burns through metal," Alex Rider explained. "It's very helpful, but I don't have a whole lot left. I've used it sparingly in the last four years. It won't be a problem."
"Are you sure, Rider? We can go with paper clips and pen lead."
"Who knows what we'll have to use this for?" Alex Rider shrugged like it didn't really matter to him. "Let's check if he's lurking around first."
The three of them crept to the window, but the blinds were shut. "This sucks," Alex complained.
"Wait." Alex Rider was looking for something again. When he pulled out a Nintendo, Alex truthfully thought that the guy had lost his mind. He decided to quit questioning Alex Rider and let him do whatever he needed to- he seemed to know what he was doing...
