Disclaimer. I don't own it, nor do I make a profit.
:}
Robbie was just finishing his homework when he heard a knock on the door. His sister was with her rare butterfly collection, so she couldn't be bothered, and his mother didn't like spending too much time in the house, so she probably had his father take her out. It meant that he was going to have to answer the door. Peeking through the spyhole, he saw a Sunshine Girl selling cookies. He opened the door, expecting to acquire something for Rex, and maybe Cat. "Cat, there's a Sunshine Girl at my door. What kind of cookies do you want?"
The second the door was opened, a bluring figure in black pushed past him, almost slamming him to the wall. The girl at the door just shrugged, and waited patently for them to finish. "Okay Robbie, tell me where the bugs are, and we can get on to the cookie orders." Jade sounded unnaturally calm.
"What bugs?" he said. "If you mean my sisters rare butterflies, then in her room."
"Try again. And think about this. We don't want this impressionable young girl to see something that would scar her psyche for life, would we?" Jade said.
"It'll take a lot to do that. I'm a Sunshine Girl after all" The girl mumbled. "You wo0uldn't believe the horrors I've seen selling cookies." Robbie saw Jade's eyebrow go up at that statement, almost as if the black belt was taking it as a challenge.
"I'll write you a list." He said. He then proceeded to look around his home for paper, a pen, and a surface to write on. As he was searching, Jade found all three in his backpack.
"You guys done yet?" The Sunshine Girl asked.
"Yea." Jade said. She moved to close the door.
"Not so fast." The girl said. "I had to watch whatever you two were doing, and I expect hush purchases from the both of you."
"WHAT?" Jade asked. For the first time, she seemed upset.
"How much?" Robbie asked.
"Five boxes each." The girl said.
"You have that many cookies?" Jade asked.
"Modern cookie sales. We take orders and deliver later." The girl said. "I have brochures." She handed both of them a brochure. "I'll need those back when we're done. If you notice, in addition to the cookies and Fudge Balls, we sell cookie dough, and for the price, that's a better deal than the cookies. Also, we have scented candles, arts and crafts projects, and we're thinking of branching into other areas. Any suggestions?"
"I'll have the..." Robbie started his order, and Jade was amazed at how much the boy spent on that one order.
"I think he covered my part of the blackmail." The black belt said.
"Nope. I don't care what the order makeup is, you need to order at least twenty dollars worth." The girl said. "And don't think I won't tell all his neighbors about what I saw. He ordered, so you know I'm on his side."
"You think I care what his neighbors say?" Jade asked.
"Yep. Rumors start, and I'll bet they get to your school real quick." The girl smiled. Jade grumbled as she made her orders, going for the cookie dough and scented candles. "Don't forget to give me your address, so I can deliver the stuff." Jade reluctantly gave her address. "Good. Now boy, you were giving her a complete list of all the bugs you put in her stuff?"
"I bought almost sixty dollars worth of stuff from you." he said. "I thought you were on my side."
"Yea, but the whole bugging her thing is real creepy." The girl said. "Thank you for your orders." With that, she reached in and pulled the door closed.
"I like her." Jade smiled. "The list?"
"Here you go." He said. Jade looked at the list. "Wait. How'd you get a listening device into my underwear drawer?"
"Your brother helped. He has no idea what this stuff is, and it only cost me a few dollars." The nerdy boy said.
"And this list is complete?" The goth asked.
"Yep." He replied. "I know you'll be angry if I leave anything out, so it's all there." Jade's eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"All of it?" She watched him nod his head. "Even the stuff at Vega's house?" The nodding stopped. "List whats at Vega's house. NOW!"
"Robbie, would you tell your girlfriend to keep it down." Robbie's sisters voice drifted from the back of the duplex. "My butterfly doesn't like it when she screams."
"I'M! NOT! HIS! GIRLFRIEND!" Jade shouted back towards the girl. Robbie's sister walked out to see who was being so mean to her butterflies.
"Wait, are you the girl I saw kissing my brother on Pearmaps?" The girl asked.
"Be nice little girl, or I'll show you what I do to butterflies." Jade said through gritted teeth.
"What do you do to butterflies?" Robbie asked.
"You've seen it, my collection hanging on my wall. Dead, preserved butterflies." Jade's voice was low enough that Robbie was the only one likely to have heard it.
"Okay, Jade and I were just rehearsing for a play. Why don't you go and play with your butterflies while we finish up outside." He then ushered the goth out of his house and onto the porch. Since the Shapero home was on top in the duplex, the porch was also a balcony.
'This is all the bugs you placed?" Jade asked.
"Yep." He replied. "Jade, could you please leave the one in the lining of your bag there? It's just a tracker, and Cat likes knowing where you are at school."
"How?" Jade asked, not responding to his question. "How'd you get so many devices around Tori and me?"
"In my defense, some of those are to watch Trina." He said. Jade grabbed him, pushing him to the wall.
"-" Jade opened her mouth, but couldn't think of a thing to say.
"Look Jade, Cat worries about you." Robbie said. "I know this is an invasion of privacy, but we didn't mean anything by it. Cat just worries, cause she's your oldest friend and had no idea how bad it'd gotten. I think the whole game she's playing is her way of compensating, you know, for how long she felt she'd been ignoring your problems." Jade was ready to say something, but Robbie continued when she still couldn't form words. "She cares about you, almost like a sister, and you go and change on her. She feels left out, and isn't sure who you are any more. You gotta admit, you've changed so much."
"Like?" Jade asked.
"Like abandoning your obsession with Beck to fall for Tori. Cat never saw that coming. She loved it when it happened, but never saw it coming. You know she's unhappy when you're alone." He managed to move her hand so she wasn't holding him against the wall. "Then the whole MMA thing. That scared her far more than anything else. You could have died. You almost did. I mean, you stopped breathing. Jade, please don't do that to Cat again. She's crazy enough without having to worry that you might be doing something stupid behind her back."
"Okay..." Jade relented. "The next time I do something stupid, I'll tell her first. If there's time."
"Fair enough." He smiled. "So who's this Andrew guy and what's this about him training on Sunday?"
"He goes by Andy, and he's going to get extra training so he'll advance faster, and maybe with any luck, be able to help run the program at the community center when me and Trina move on." Jade said.
"So who is he?" Robbie asked.
"Someone who the program can help." Jade said. "Someone who's about to find another way to make his living, so he can leave the gang life behind. I don't know, maybe I can help him, get him started on the road to being a personal trainer. You know, paid to help other people get in better shape?"
"And that's what Tori was thanking you for." He said. "Thinking about others."
"Okay, you gave me ALL the bugs?' Jade asked again.
"Yes already. Just drop it and take a compliment." He said. "And maybe, if you have time, I could start to study with you?'
"You want to learn how to fight?" Jade asked.
"No, I want to learn how to sneak. I'm pretty good at it, but I could get better. The whole Showlin 'Look for, he cannot be seen' chiz." The boy moved his hands like he was in some Kung Fu movie.
"Let me guess, they play 'Kung Fu' on the old time network?" Jade asked.
"Yea." He replied.
"I don't have much time, but if you and I can make some, I'll teach what I can." Jade smiled. "And Robbie?" He looked at her, suddenly concerned. "This is the longest you've ever gone without annoying me."
As Jade was walking away, Robbie was smiling, enjoying what was probably as close to a compliment as he'd get from the goth. "Cat, were you listening?"
"Yep." Came the reply in his earpiece. "You really gave away all our devices?"
"No choice. I was caught." He replied. "But don't worry. Just means we need to step up with the mobile devices. Maybe acquire new assets."
"Robbie!" Cat squealed. "I'm happy with the assets I have."
"I mean...what?" Robbie's mind spun into the gutter, and he was having a hard time pulling himself out. "People. We need some other people that they wouldn't expect. People who won't get us seriously dead."
"Then why did you mention my assets?" Cat asked.
"That's what spy's call their field agents in all the movies." He said, feeling embarrassed.
"Oh." Came the reply. "Good night Robbie. I'm unplugging to recharge. See you in class tomorrow."
"Good night." He said, not sure if she'd heard him. He spent the next few minutes gathering himself up before going back inside to calm his sister down.
Jade drove straight to Tori's house. She had a lot of work to do, removing the three dozen plus devices hidden around the Vega household. When she got there, Tori was sitting in the back, soaking in the jacuzzi, with headphones in her ears. Trina's singing could be heard vibrating through the glass of the sliding door. Jade decided that she's lave the devised in for a little longer, and braving Trina's current musical talents, slipped in to change into her bikini.
As Tori was enjoying her soak, she could feel someone sliding into the Hot Tub. Opening her eyes, she saw her girlfriend getting in for a soak. "You'll want something to kill the noise." Tori said without shifting. 'If I keep my eyes only slightly open, I'll get a great look at her from the side.'
"Way ahead of you, but do you think we could talk a bit first?" Jade asked, showing her in ear headphones, as well as her phone.
"Of course." Tori said. "So how'd your visit with Robbie go?" Jade took a deep breath and proceeded to tell her girlfriend about the plethora of bugs that the nerdy boy had managed to hide throughout both of their homes. Tori put her arm around her girlfriend and enjoyed cuddling with the black belt. Once Jade finished explaining what she'd had to do, including the Sunshine Girl blackmailer, Tori kissed her on the forehead. "Boys been busy. I wonder what they'll do now?"
"Simple." Jade replied. "We just have to watch out for Sunshine Girls. Little grunches will do anything to make quota." Tori laughed at the thought. Deep inside, however, she knew she couldn't put it past Cat to try recruiting from the mobile cookie sales forces.
'Great, now I have to worry about being spy'd on.' Tori thought. It was strangely helpful. That suit Jade was wearing was making it hard for her to keep her thoughts G rated.
:}
Cat the spymaster. Now I know why she does it. (I think.)