Please play the video on the Media when you see * below. :3

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Chapter 17: The Spies of Denver

| KENZIE |

While taking a shower, I heard my phone ringing from my room. Who could it be? I wondered as I wrung my hair, dried myself a bit before covering my body with a towel, and got out of the bathroom. When I reached my phone and saw Cindy was the one who was calling, I slid the screen to unlock it and pressed the gadget beside my ear. "Hey, Dee," I began cheerfully. "What's --"

"MACKENZIE!" her voice shrieked on the other line, and I couldn't help flinching and moving the phone away from me. The tone of her voice seemed like she was on the verge of death.

I grew alert, placing the phone beside my ear again. "Dee, has something happened?"

"Yes!" she responded, then paused. "Say, you're free later, right?"

"Um, yeah," I answered hesitantly. "Why--"

"Fix yourself," she cut me off.

My mind blanked for a second. "Huh? Come again?"

"Fix yourself," Cindy repeated, and she seemed impatient now. "Spencer and I will be waiting for you in front of Music Zone."

"H-hey! Slow down!" I told her, making wild gestures with my free hand. "What--"

"Mackenzie," she said seriously, causing me to gulp nervously, "where you're going is very important. I'm sorry that I'm acting this way, but I can't help it. The situation Spencer and I are currently in is giving me the heebie-jeebies! We need your help."

"Heebie-jeebies?"

"I mean--whatever. Just fix yourself, okay? Please?" Cindy pleaded. "And no questions asked."

My right eye twitched. How dare she pull that card on me?

"I swear," I said eventually, "if this is about networking, then I'm gonna tell you now that I'm not interested."

"Networking? What on earth are you talking about?" she asked, confused. "Anyway, you're coming, right?"

As if you're giving me a choice!

"Fine," I conceded in defeat a moment later. "I'll finish showering, and after a few minutes of preparing myself, I'm good to go. Just wait for me there."

"Mackenzie was taking a shower?" I heard a faint voice squeak on the opposite line: Spencer's.

"Don't you dare think about it, Spence," warned Cindy, and I couldn't help blushing a little. I'd forgotten he was currently with her. "Anyway, thank you so much, Mackenzie!" She was beaming now. "I seriously owe you big time. See ya later!" And then the call ended.

I stared at the screen, sighing again. Why was I getting a feeling that what I'd agreed to wasn't a good idea?

🎹 🎹 🎹

After getting out of the taxi, I scanned my surroundings to see where Spencer and Cindy were, but I couldn't find them. Hmm, maybe they're inside the music store.

I was about to enter Music Zone, but then suddenly someone grabbed my right arm and I yelped in surprise as I was pulled into a black car that was parked in front of the music store. Before I could cry for help, a hand covered my mouth and a voice assured me, "It's just us, Mackenzie."

My eyes widened. That voice!

When my mouth had been released, I let out a sigh of relief and turned my head to the right, seeing Spencer smile at me. We were sitting in the backseat of the car. "Seriously," I told him, frowning in a joking way, "you could've given me a heart attack back there."

"I'm sorry, and I'm sorry you have to be with us for the duration," he apologized, looking troubled. "But this is all Evil Woman's fault, I tell you. I was dragged into this nonsense, too!"

Speaking of Cindy...

I looked past him and saw Evil Woman gazing out the rolled-down window by using a pair of binoculars. There was a digital camera in her left hand. From her stance, it was obvious she was pissed off.

"What's she doing, Spence?" I asked in a whisper.

"Spying," he whispered back conspiratorially.

I gave him a baffled look. "Spying on who?" Then, out of nowhere, I could hear music playing in the background.

*

"Mackenzie." Cindy finally acknowledged my presence, turning slowly to me with a joyful face. "Did you know that I was always wishing for Lance to go out on a date because he always says he can't fall in love and all that crap?"

I shook my head. "No. You hadn't shared with me that before. So why are you telling me this now?"

She put a hand on her cheek with a dreamy look. "Because now, my wish has been fulfilled!"

"R-really?" I blinked my eyes repeatedly, unsure of what I'd heard was correct or not. And then it hit me like I'd been punched in the gut. "H-hey, you don't mean...why we're here...you're...we're...oh gods."

I don't think she even heard my flustered stammering, because she just continued talking. "But!" Cindy's face was now gloomy, and her eyes looked like they were close to crying. "His first date is with Hamilton. HAMILTON!" she wailed dramatically.

Wha-a-a-a-a-a-at? Lance is on a date? And it's with Alice?

"And he didn't even tell his best friends about it!" she spat in an insulted manner.

"Of course he didn't tell us about his date," Spencer shot back. "If he had, you'd have strongly objected to it."

"Duh," Cindy replied simply.

"Dee, are you sure Lance is having a date with Alice right now?" I clarified when a minute had passed with apprehension. "And who told you that, anyway?"

"Yes, and they're now having lunch inside Larry's Restaurant. And I have a reliable source," she proudly said.

No wonder Lance was reading that stupid dating advice book when we were in the library yesterday, I thought, scowling. I knew it was for himself and not for some so-called "friend."

"My source was the one who told me that I should keep an eye on Lance, take pictures, and report back to her what he did on his date," Cindy continued.

"Who is Mrs. C," Spencer deadpanned. "She called you a while ago to inform you Lance was going out on a date."

"Well, yeah. She's my reliable source."

"Mrs. C?" I questioned.

"Lance's mom. Dee, Nis and I address her that way because she insisted," Spencer shared. "She said it makes her feel younger."

I chuckled. "Ah, I see. I can't believe Lance told his mom that he was going out on a date, though."

Cindy shook her head. "Mrs. C told me that she caught Lance sneaking silently toward the front door, and, because of the way he was dressed, she knew something was up. She guessed he was going on a date."

"So he was busted, huh? He couldn't lie to his mom, so he told her the truth."

"Exactly!" Cindy exclaimed. "But Lance wouldn't tell her who his date was, so Mrs. C called me and asked that I spy on him."

"That kind of mother, though..." I couldn't help but chortle awkwardly. Thank God my mom wasn't like that when I'd had dates with Brandon before. Or maybe I just didn't know about it...? Oh, the horror if she'd done that to me, and Rachel had been her secret spy agent!

"Mrs. C didn't call me," Spencer told Cindy with a scowl, "so why am I involved in this crap? I was having a Shingeki no Kyojin marathon, but you ruined it--"

"Are you complaining, Spence?" she interrupted with a deadly edge in her voice while giving him a glare. "I hope I just imagined what you said."

He flinched under her gaze and voice. "N-no, ma'am!"

Cindy turned her attention back to me. "And his first date is with Hamilton--the girl who makes my life miserable almost every single day. I hate her to the Pluto and back." I noticed her grip on the binoculars tighten. "I bet she made Lance drink a love potion so that he'd agree to have a date with her."

Spencer was mortified. "Where the heck did you get that idea?"

"Aren't you worried for Lance's welfare?" Cindy asked him instead.

Spencer thought it for a moment before saying, "Um, no?"

"Spencer, you idiot!" screamed Cindy. "Ferocious Eater!"

"I'm not an idiot!" he rebutted, his eyes flashing in anger. "You're the one who's an idiot, Evil Woman!"

"My, my," a voice from the front seat said, turning to me with a warm smile while ignoring the "couple" who were verbally fighting beside me. "A lively noon, isn't it, Ma'am Mackenzie?"

"S-Sebastian! Hello," I greeted in shock. "I'm sorry I didn't notice you earlier. And you don't have to call me 'ma'am.' It's so...formal."

Cindy's butler waved a dismissive hand. "No, don't worry about it. And please let me call you that way; Lady Cindy's friends are also important to me, and I should respect them."

"Oh. Um, okay. If that's what you want. He-he." My gaze landed on the music player in the dashboard. "So that's where the music is coming from. I take it you love listening to classical music."

"Yes." Sebastian nodded. "The piece currently playing is 'Dance of the Knights' by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. He composed it to use for his 1935 ballet Romeo and Juliet. Anyway, Sir Lance was the one who introduced me to classical music ten years ago. Ever since, I listen to it every day. How about you, Ma'am Mackenzie?"

I shook my head. "I'm not that a big fan of classical music, but I have some favorites, and one of them is Pachelbel's 'Canon.'" Especially how Lance played it, I thought, remembering the night when I'd woken up hugging him. My eyes widened suddenly, and I felt my cheeks flushing. Erase that memory, Kenzie! Erase!

"Well, I believe it's time to stop their 'sweet' time," said Sebastian, indicating to Spencer and Cindy, and I couldn't tell if he'd noticed my split reaction or not. I hoped he hadn't. He coughed loudly and said, "Lady Cindy, what's the next part of the plan?"

That stopped their arguing and Cindy cried, "We shall sabotage their date and--ouch!" She bit her tongue accidentally, then growled. "Okay, I'm sure they're currently talking about me. We really should go inside the restaurant and take pictures of them eating lunch together and then sabotage their date!"

Spencer turned to Sebastian when Cindy started using her binoculars again, checking the restaurant. "Sebastian, I still can't believe you're into this."

Sebastian laughed freely. "Well, Sir Spencer, I'm quite curious as to what Sir Lance will do on a date because, as we all know, he hasn't had very many experiences with girls. I believe you also feel the same way but just don't want to admit it...?"

Spencer cracked his knuckles and a sigh escaped his lips. "Fine, you got me."

"You're worried for Lady Cindy," he whispered. "I know you'll stop her if she does anything rash."

Spencer blushed and nodded at this, and the kind butler just smiled.

"I'm also curious about what Lance will do on a date," I admitted. "But what if we get caught spying by the would-be couple?"

"No worries, Ma'am Mackenzie. Since Sir Lance knows all of the Blaire's owned cars, Lady Cindy borrowed this car, a Bentley Flying Spur, from one of her dad's friends, and it has privacy glass," Sebastian assured me. "People outside won't get to see who the people are inside of the car. Perfect for spying, don't you think so?"

"Y-yeah," I said sheepishly while thinking, The things rich people can do...

"Too bad Rachel can't join us," Cindy said sadly.

"Yeah," I agreed. "Ricochet has an interview for a sports program this afternoon in New York." I paused. "Say, did you invite Eunice, too?"

"Noooooo," she scoffed. "If Nis finds out about this, she'll surely tell us that what we're doing is wrong and inform Lance about it. I'm sure you're not like her."

"But it is wrong," I told her matter-of-factly, even though Rachel and I had done spying three years ago--on Richard, her older brother. Chel had told me that he went to the mall but didn't tell his reason why. The two of us had grown curious if he had a date, so we followed him to the mall. Turns out he'd only bought a book in a bookstore about law and justice and then headed home immediately. Nonetheless, that mission had been a success, because we hadn't been caught by Chard and the Adamsters.

"No, it's not. This is a matter of national importance," said Cindy, jerking me back to reality.

Then I realized something. "W-wait a second!" I cried, panicking. "If we're gonna spy on their date, then shouldn't disguise ourselves? I can't let the public know what I'll be doing!" I hoped no one had taken notice of me when I'd gotten out of the taxi a while ago. My parents and my manager would freak out if they found out about this.

Cindy wagged a finger in the air with a smug look on her face. "It seems you've underestimated my planning skills, Mackenzie. I've already thought of a solution for that." She gestured to the seat beside her butler. "Sebastian bought disguises before the two of us went to Spencer's house." She got said disguises and handed them to us.

I whistled and gave her a mischievous smile as I accepted mine: a flu mask, Yankees cap, and a pair of sunglasses.

Spencer was wearing big-nose glasses, and I couldn't resist laughing out loud. He glared at Cindy, who was covering her mouth with her hand, and complained, "Why did you give me this disguise?"

Cindy gave him a sorry-not-sorry look after composing herself. "You should be thankful, 'cause you look like Harry Potter now, except for the mustache."

"I have blue eyes, not green!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." She put on a blonde wig and sunglasses.

"This is unfair," Spencer hissed at Cindy, who was fixing her wig while looking in the rearview mirror. "I'm wearing an ugly disguise while you two look normal."

"Hey, Spence," I told him while clamping a sympathetic hand on his shoulder before Cindy could comment. "At least you don't look recognizable to the public. You just look weird."

He looked defeated, and I squeezed his shoulder. "Your last sentence, though. But you do have a point there, Mackenzie."

After tying my hair in a ponytail and putting on my disguise, I pulled the cap down further over my forehead, peeking out through the rearview window of the car, and I wished I was invisible. I should've worn my Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, I thought, giggling inwardly.

"Let's do this!" Cindy opened the side of the door, beaming. "We have to go inside and take pictures of those fools while they're eating lunch."

"Are you insane?" Spencer shouted, pulling her back into the car. "I don't want to enter enemy territory!"

"But you play Defense of the Ancients and League of Legends," Cindy deadpanned. "Don't you enter your enemy's territory to destroy their base or something like that?"

"That's different!" he protested. "This is real life!"

"Life is a game," she said, staring straight into his eyes seriously. "You should learn how to play it. If not, then you'll surely lose and die."

He gaped at her. "What did you drink earlier?"

"Water, duh!"

"That was actually a rhetorical question."

"By the way, how did you guys know Lance would end up here?" I questioned, cutting them off before Cindy could give a sarcastic remark. "Did Lance tell Mrs. Collins that he'd take his date to Larry's Restaurant?"

"No. Since Lance didn't tell her," said Spencer, turning his gaze to me, "I thought about where he'd go. I bet he wouldn't take his date to Royal Crown 'cause the staff there knows him. Even if he requested they didn't tell me he brought a girl there, some would surely still inform me about it because, well, they're loyal to me. Knowing Lance, I figured he'd want to impress his date and choose the second most famous restaurant in Denver, which is Larry's Restaurant. And I was right."

I clapped at his deduction, grinning. "That was amazing, Spence!"

He did a bow. "Watching those detective shows really paid off."

"And detectives do spying." Cindy looked terrifyingly excited now, her hazel eyes bulging while gazing at Larry's Restaurant. "Hamilton, you piece of crap. I'll make sure this will be your last date with my best friend." Then she laughed out loud evilly, making some of the people passing by stare at her like she just lost her mind. I could imagine an evil aura emanating not just around her, but all around the car.

Spencer scooted nearer to me, whimpering. "We're all gonna die."

Sebastian and I chuckled awkwardly, but the moment was ruined when Cindy started coughing continuously. The three of us got a little sheepish, but all of a sudden Cindy bellowed, "WHAT'S THIS? NOW THEY'RE LEAVING THE RESTAURANT!"

"That means they finished eating lunch..." I faltered.

Cindy furiously grabbed Spencer's T-shirt with both of her hands (it was a good thing for me he was the one sitting in the middle. Sorry, Spence!) and snarled, "This is all your fault, Ferocious Eater!"

"M-m-my fault?" he stuttered, eyes widening in fear. "How c-c-come?"

"If we had gone inside earlier like I'd wanted to, then we could've taken plenty of pictures of them eating lunch and sabotaged their date already," she said darkly. "But you're the one who was holding up the plan!"

"That's because I'm the one who's thinking straight here!"

Sweat was starting to form on my forehead, despite the air conditioning of the car blowing in my direction. "Um, maybe we should follow where they're going," I started hesitantly. "Isn't that right, Sebastian?"

"Yes, Ma'am Mackenzie," the butler answered with a nod, backing me up. "They're still waiting for an unoccupied taxi. Lady Cindy, do you have an idea where they're going next?"

Cindy finally released her grip on Spencer. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then glowered at her while she answered. "Well, Mrs. C also told me that maybe Lance would take his date to the movies," said Cindy, scowling heavily while staring daggers at Lance and Alice. She pushed a button to slide up the side window, but not before taking a picture of them.

"There are many cinemas in Denver," Sebastian said, buckling his seatbelt and revving the engine, "but their destination should not be a problem if we follow them."

Lance had already hailed a taxi, so Sebastian put the car on drive and started following them.

"Please don't lose sight of the taxi, Sebastian," Cindy said, even though we were just behind the taxi Lance and Alice were occupying. "We have to know where they're going next."

"Of course, Lady Cindy," Sebastian responded.

Spencer crossed his arms over his chest, sighing. Another piece of classical music was playing, and it sounded familiar.

I wracked my brain trying to remember where I'd heard it before. "Hey, isn't that what Lance played in the Elgar Community's Violin Solo Competition?"

"Yeah. 'Andante 2nd Solo Sonata' by Johann Sebastian Bach," Spencer answered.

"He's my number one favorite composer," Sebastian said, "because we have the same name."

Cindy, Spencer and I let out a short laugh.

"Come to think of it," Cindy said a few seconds later, deep in thought, "there was something different in Lance's music in that competition."

Spencer pondered this. "Now that you've mentioned it, you're right, Dee." He snapped a finger. "It was like...it was filled with emotions, or something like that."

"Really?" I asked, baffled at their statements.

Cindy nodded. "Before, whenever he played mellow music or anything of that sort, it was...unnatural, like he was playing it like a robot. But how he played in that contest...it changed."

I thought of what Lance had told me before--about his dad's comment: He said it lacked...something special.

"But that's a good thing, right?" I told them. "He'll enjoy playing the violin more and win lots of contests that way."

"Yeah," Cindy agreed. "But what caused the change in his playing?"

"I have no idea."

Spencer stole a glance at me. "Maybe...just maybe..." Then the two of them shared a knowing look.

I frowned at them suspiciously. "Are you guys implying something?"

They gazed at me with innocent smiles, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Whatevs," I said as I stared out the side window, watching buildings blur past, ignoring their snickering and not pressing the issue at hand. But still, I felt excitement stirring inside of me as I was going to spy on someone for the second time in my life.

🎹 🎹 🎹

Spencer, Cindy and I were a few feet away from Lance and Alice, making sure they didn't notice us. We were at the UA Denver Pavilions Stadium 15, and people of all ages were lining up to buy movie tickets.

Most people in the area looked at us in confusion, and half of the people were staring at us weirdly, especially at Spencer because of his big-nose glasses. But he just ignored them.

Alice was talking to Lance while they were looking at the movie posters on the side, clearly deciding on what film to watch. All of a sudden the three of us saw Alice staring into Lance's eyes seductively while moving her index finger on his chest, and Lance cried, "Wh-what? Y-y-you don't mean--!"

"That good-for-nothing--" Cindy was about to run in their direction to break them up, but Spencer stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"Don't be stupid," he firmly whispered. "We're spying, remember? We should be careful; Lance is very observant."

She just huffed in annoyance, knowing Spencer was right, and he let go of her gently. "They're holding hands," Cindy informed us instead, still staring poison daggers at Lance and Alice. "I want them dead."

I was about to acknowledge the Catching Fire reference when Spencer exclaimed, "What the heck, Dee!"

"They're holding hands. I want Hamilton dead," Cindy rephrased.

"Cindy!" he scolded.

"They're holding hands. I want Hamilton to get hit by a bus," she tried again, giving him an innocent smile.

Spencer threw his hands in the air, giving up, while I just chuckled awkwardly, unsure of what else to do.

Meanwhile, Alice put Lance's hand on her waist, and I couldn't help gawking at the sight. That was very bold of her to make a move like that. Then again, judging from Lance's actions, she was just helping him to be comfortable around her.

But for me, it was the other way around.

Of course, this extremely forward physical action didn't pass by Cindy's sharp eyes unnoticed--once again, Spencer had to restrain her--harder this time--to keep her from literally ripping Lance away from her rival.

After Alice and Lance had bought their tickets, food and drinks, they started walking into cinema number four.

"The Black Lady in the Woods, huh?" Spencer mused after buying our tickets. "Thank God they chose a horror film."

"Well, duh," Cindy deadpanned. She had three tubs of popcorn in her arms, and I was the one who'd bought the soft drinks. "Lance hates romance films to the core." She paused. "Oh, I forgot--you also hate romance films to the core."

He grinned at her cheekily. "It's not that I hate them. They're just not my cup of tea." Then his eyes widened, looking at me. "I'm sorry, Mackenzie. I mean, like Cindy, you also like that kind of film, right?"

I froze, and after a few seconds I did my best to keep the tone of my voice natural. "Yeah, before."

"Before?" Spencer echoed, curiosity lacing his voice.

I felt Cindy's gaze on me, and it was clear she knew why. I avoided staring at her eyes. "C'mon, you two." I chuckled instead, walking past them into cinema number four. "We're spies, remember? If we keep standing here, then we'll lose sight of our targets."

I grew up watching and reading romance movies/books before. Thus, I'd ended up desiring a romantic relationship, daydreaming my lover and me having adventures together and living happily forever after. But after Brandon had broken my heart, I couldn't stand pop culture romance anymore; it just deceived you that those things would happen in real life. I had to admit I'd been stupid and ignorant.

Maybe...maybe there really was no forever in this world.

🎹 🎹 🎹

Alice and most of the audience started screaming when the black lady appeared in front of Paolo, the main protagonist of the film. Scary background music was playing.

Actually, the three of us shouldn't be sitting behind her and Lance--there had been a couple who'd seated here before us, but Cindy had given them her scary treatment (you don't want to know what she really did), causing them to hurriedly transfer to seats far away from us.

Meanwhile, we were getting a scary treatment of our own: my scream was muffled by the flu mask I was wearing, and beside me, Cindy was biting her trimmed fingernails like she was eating corn-on-the-cob.

Spencer looked positively giddy while watching the film.

"The effects are amazing!" he told us, his eyes filled with mirth. Paolo was now escaping the forbidden forest, the black lady just behind him by a few meters. "And how they made the black lady look like...she's a treasure."

"Uh, y-yeah," was my only comment, taking hold of Cindy's free hand with shaking fingers.

She squeezed my hand, still biting her fingernails and staring at the big screen with scared eyes. "Wh-why are we w-watching this ag-gain?"

"To spy on Alice and Lance," answered Spencer happily. There were screams erupting again, and he cackled out loud. "Hearing these shrieks of fear...they're music to my ears."

I remembered Cindy had told me that Spencer was a big horror fanatic, and I just said, Oh, cool! But now, as I was witnessing him watching a horror film, I grew terrified of him. How could people like him exist? I envied horror film fans so much at how they weren't even the slightest bit terrified while watching one. Also, I was wondering why Spencer wasn't affected by horror movies and books, but was deathly scared of Cindy. I was sure there was a story behind it.

I need a distraction, I thought, then looked in front of me, my eyes bulging. "Cindy," I hissed instantly, nudging her hand.

"What?" she replied, her eyes still transfixed on the screen.

"Lance and Alice!"

Her head snapped up so fast, I thought it'd fall off. Alice was wrapping her arms around Lance's neck while screaming, and I felt sorry for him.

"Alice," Lance said, clearly surprised, "h-hey--"

Cindy kicked their chairs violently.

Alice stopped hugging Lance and exclaimed, "What on earth was that?"

"The fudge--" Spencer immediately stopped his sentence when Lance was turning his head to look behind him; there was a newspaper lying on the floor, and Cindy picked it up as fast as lightning and covered her face with it; I put on my sunglasses before Lance could fully take a look at us, and I did my best to look innocent.

"Sorry. I got really scared and I accidentally kicked your chairs," Cindy apologized in a...Russian accent? I wasn't entirely sure.

"It's all right," Lance responded. Since I was wearing sunglasses, I could look at him without worry. Even though my view was partially dark, I could still see he was furrowing his brows at Cindy. "But why are you reading a newspaper here?"

I couldn't blame him for asking that question.

"Ah, I just found something interesting," was Cindy's reply.

I wanted to bang my head on a wall.

Lance was frowning now. "You can read in a place like this?"

"I have good eyesight," she said. I was doing everything in my power not to facepalm at her answers.

I could hear Spencer cracking his knuckles. Maybe he feared it was the end for the three of us--that Lance would find out who we were.

Doubt crossed Lance's face for a second and shook his head. Just when I thought he'd go back to watching the film, he turned to me and said, "And why are you wearing shades?"

I couldn't help but jump a little in my seat, and felt Cindy freeze. "I have a sore eye," I squeaked eventually.

I'm sure Lance was thinking we were weirdos. When he finally turned back to watch the movie, Cindy whisper-hissed at me, "Seriously, Mackenzie? 'I have a sore eye'?"

"You can't blame me!" I whisper-hissed back at her. "I couldn't think of a better answer. 'Sides, your replies were more absurd than mine!"

"You can't blame me, either! I'm the one who was in the hotter seat!"

As the movie went on, Cindy would continue to kick their chairs whenever her rival tried to hug Lance. After the thirteenth kick (yeah, I was counting), Alice lost it.

"Would you please stop kicking our chairs?" she screamed at Cindy, clearly annoyed. "You're ruining the moment!"

That's when I knew that her hugging Lance every time she screamed had been intentional. I'm sure Cindy knew this the moment Alice started doing that.

"But the movie is very scary," Cindy said in a terrifying calm voice. "I can't help kicking what's in front of me."

Alice sat down in her seat, but not before shouting, "Then get the hell out of here!"

Cindy made wacky faces behind her back.

The three of us were surprised when Lance put his arm around Alice's shoulders minutes later, then she snuggled into his chest, contented.

Cindy instantly stood up, about to whack their heads with her rolled-up newspaper, but Spencer and I quickly stopped her by covering her mouth with our hands and forcing her to sit down. She was struggling with all of her might, so we all sat like this until the film ended.

🎹 🎹 🎹

As the three of us exited the cinema, Lance and Alice were a few steps in front of us, and we were being careful not to get too close just in case they turned back to see us in the daylight. We heard Alice say, "...If only the girl behind me hadn't been kicking the chairs. Do you think she had ADHD?"

Lance shrugged, but we couldn't hear what his reply was.

Spencer snickered while turning to Cindy. "'Do you think she had ADHD?'" he repeated Alice's last sentence and stuck his tongue out.

Cindy punched his arm, causing in him to groan in pain. "If only you two had let me whack their heads back there--" But she suddenly cut off her own thought and pulled Spencer and me behind the Pitch Perfect 2 cardboard cutout with her when Alice stopped and stood in front of Lance. Then he put his arm around her while saying something to her.

"I feel betrayed," Cindy said without emotion while taking a peek behind the cutout. Her hands were clutching at it, itching to throw all those beautiful, talented girls on it at them.

"C'mon, Dee. Maybe Lance just wants Alice to have fun," Spencer reasoned, trying to cheer her up. "You know how he is. He likes to challenge himself."

"Guys like it when they know their date is having fun rather than the other way around," I added, and I once again remembered when Brandon and I had dated: he'd make goofy faces and crack jokes all the time to make me laugh heartily.

I shook my head inwardly. Seriously, Kenzie, stop thinking about him! You've already moved on, haven't you?

But I really couldn't help it while seeing Lance and Alice on a date having fun--it brought back all those good times I'd had with my ex-boyfriend. It took all of my willpower to push down those emotions that were stirring in my chest.

I loved you, Brandon. I really did, but you only played with my feelings. I thought you felt the same way. It...it still hurts--the scar you've left on my heart...

I guess I wasn't pushing hard enough.

"You okay, Mackenzie?" I was snapped out of my reverie when a hand landed softly on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Spencer gazing at me, and worry was evident on his face. "You've been staring at them for a while."

While Cindy was calling Sebastian to prepare the car and pick us up, I smiled at Spencer. "I was just thinking where they'd go next. Maybe to a park...?" I felt bad lying to Spencer, but he didn't need to know what had been really on my mind.

"Ah." He smiled back while patting my head. "I thought you were thinking how scary the black lady was, and that maybe she'd haunt you later tonight at midnight."

"Gee, Spence, great job reminding me 'bout that!"

He grinned widely. "But on a serious note, I like your hunch. I was thinking they'd go to a music store."

"Sebastian's already parked in front of the stadium," Cindy said while putting back her BlackBerry inside her jeans pocket. "He also informed me that those two fools just hailed a taxi. We should hurry." Then she dashed toward the large exit doors of the stadium like she was being chased by the black lady.

Spencer and I just shrugged, then followed her out of the stadium like we were her faithful bodyguards.

I really hoped they'd go to a park.

🎹 🎹 🎹

"I can't believe Lance would bring Hamilton here," Cindy began when Sebastian stopped the car in front of Lakeside Amusement Park. "Their date is getting real." She ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "NOOOOOOO!"

"Chillax, Dee," said Spencer when we got out of the car and walked toward the entrance to pay for the admittance fee. "Maybe it was Alice who suggested that they go here." He turned to me, giving me a thumbs-up. "By the way, nice guess, Mackenzie."

"Um, thanks, Spence," I replied with a nervous laugh, but I don't think any of them noticed it.

"No. I have a strong feeling it was Lance who opened up the idea." Cindy was looking pointedly at her surroundings and snarled, "Where? Where is my best friend?"

"Should we split up to look for them?" I suggested while checking the map of the park a staff member had given us. "It'd save us more time that way."

My friends nodded in agreement, and then we parted ways. I decided to go to the Crystal Palace first, but when I got there and looked at the line, I didn't see the two young violinists.

My attention landed back on the map again, my brows furrowing. "Where could they be?" I mumbled to myself, then heard my phone ringing. I saw on the screen it was Spencer. Answering the call immediately, I said, "Did you find them, Spence?"

"Yeah. They're in the line of Auto Skooters," was his response. "Hurry, Mackenzie!"

"I'll be there in a jiffy." I ended the call and started running in the direction of the bumper cars as fast as I could. Party music could be heard booming from the arena when I arrived. Cindy was already there by Spencer's side, and she was wearing a...Pikachu mask.

LOL.

"What's with the mask?" I asked when I stood in front of them, placing my flu mask under my chin. "Lance and Alice didn't see your face at the cinema, thanks to the innocent newspaper, so what's the use?"

"This is to make sure that my plan will be completely foolproof," she replied, her voice slightly muffled by the mask.

"Er, 'kay."

Spencer counted the bumper cars inside the arena and the people in line. "Uh-oh. There are only twenty cars, and there are nineteen people waiting in line. Only one of us could join that round."

"Why is there only one seat, anyway? Shouldn't there be two seats in one car?" Cindy complained. "So, who wants to sabotage their bumper-car moment?"

Spencer and I just stared at her blankly.

"Fine. That would be me." She gave him the digital camera.

When the bumper cars came to life, Spencer stood near the arena to take pictures of the pair for Mrs. C, while I decided to sit on a bench. After a moment he sat beside me, and I scooted nearer to him so that we could check the pictures he'd taken together. Lance and Alice were surely having a good time...

Then I stole a glance at Spencer. He was the easy-to-get-along-with guy in the group--the innocent type. (Well, except when it comes to anything horror-related.) This could be one of those little times where I could ask him a personal question.

"Hey, Spence," I started casually, crossing my legs.

"Yeah?" he replied, turning to me with a kind smile.

I gulped. "Um...er...can I ask you a question? A p-personal one..."

He shrugged. "Sure thing."

"Why--er, why does Lance speak formally? This has been bugging my mind ever since the first day of classes," I said, playing with my fingers. "I'm too shy to ask him that, and you're the most approachable one in this group that I can talk to about it. Y-you and Lance have been best of friends since childhood, so..." I faltered, keeping my gaze on the ground. "But...but if the answer's confidential, then just ignore what I said..."

I was surprised when he chortled. "Oh, no," he assured me. "The answer's not that confidential." There was a moment of silence, like he was thinking how to answer me. "Hmm...well, when Lance was a kid, he usually went over to his grandpa's house." He paused. "His, um, his grandpa was his violin teacher. He was strict, a perfectionist, and a very formal person, even with the way he talked."

Was? Past tense? I thought, now looking at Spencer, and he was smiling sadly. So Lance's grandpa is already dead?

"Lance's dad is a famous pianist, and he has concerts all over the world, so he usually wasn't home when Lance was growing up. He's actually not home that much now. So you could say Grandpa Collins had been a big influence on Lance," he continued. "Oh, and I should add that kid Lance also liked to read books in his grandpa's library. But the books there were the ones written in the 1800s, like the ones by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, etc. You know how formal people were in that era.

"And Lance liked impersonating the characters in the books he read, especially Sherlock Holmes. When we were kids, Cindy and I usually called him 'Old Man.'" He lightly chuckled. "Actually, he's the one who got me into watching detective stories. Read them? Nah, I'll pass. But I watched all I could find. Anyway, little Lance became a little emulator, and he's spoken formally ever since. So, there ya go."

"So that's why." I gave him a smile when his words finally sunk in, which he returned in kind. "Thanks, Spence."

"You're welcome, Mackenzie. I wanted to tell you more about...Lance and his grandfather, but I think it'll be more appropriate if Lance takes it from here. Maybe he'll tell you about it personally someday."

I was confused. What did he mean by that? Was there something more about Lance and his grandpa that was...dark?

We saw Cindy bumping into most of the cars harshly, but her main target was obviously Alice, who was laughing loudly. I looked for Lance, then saw he was smiling at her. They were really having fun with each other...

Why was I feeling a sudden pang in my chest?

"By the way, did you know Cindy was diagnosed with separation anxiety disorder when she was six years old?" Spencer said out of the blue, making me widen my eyes.

"R-really?" I asked incredulously. "Wait, isn't that the disorder in which a child becomes fearful and nervous when away from home?"

He nodded, laughing slightly. "Or separated from a loved one to whom the person is attached."

Then we heard a loud thump from the arena. Spencer and I looked closely and saw Cindy's car in-between Lance's and Alice's car, then the bell rang all around Auto Skooters. Cindy walked hurriedly to the exit with the rest of the people, and Lance was still sitting in his car with a baffled look on his face.

I couldn't blame his reaction.

"Wooo! I vented out my frustration back there," Cindy began when she reached us, taking off her Pikachu mask and putting it into her sling bag.

Spencer winked at me as Cindy shook her head to fix "her" hair, implying to keep what he'd said a secret. Then told her, "It was quite obvious, Dee."

"I'm having fun ruining their date!"

"Ehe-he-he," was my comment.

"C'mon, guys," Cindy said, straightening her blonde wig. "We've gotta keep following them!"

Spencer and I just sighed in defeat.

🎹 🎹 🎹

The three of us couldn't join Lance and Alice on the Merry-Go-Round because it was already full. They looked cheerful riding their horses.

"Drat," Cindy said when we were hiding behind a bush near the ride. "I wanted to push Alice off of her horse."

"There's nothing we can do at the moment," said Spencer with a yawn, taking a picture of Lance and Alice.

When the two violinists were done riding the carousel, they went to the photo booth near the Wet Boats, one of the kiddie rides in the park. We were a few meters behind them.

"Should we destroy the photo booth?" Cindy innocently asked as we hid behind the Wet Boats ticket booth.

"No!" Spencer and I exclaimed at the same time.

She huffed in annoyance, and I volunteered to buy us soft drinks and hot dogs.

We continued to follow Lance and Alice until they sat on a bench near the cotton candy stand. A girl and boy went up to them. We once again hid, this time behind a bush a few meters to their left. The boy was holding his phone. Lance and Alice talked with the kids and then took a group picture together, and that's when I knew they were fans of the two young violinists.

The fans bade Lance and Alice good-bye, and Lance went to the cotton candy stand near them to buy a cotton candy. When he sat again beside Alice, he gave the sweet treat to her. Cindy put a handkerchief in her mouth to prevent herself from cursing out loud. Spencer continued taking pictures of the pair.

People that were passing us were giving us strange glances...not that I could blame them.

"I wonder what those three are up to," we heard a girl say when she and her friend stopped walking to stare at us. "They sure look weird. I hope they're not terrorists."

I quickly put my flu mask back on before they could recognize me.

"I'll bet the guy with them is handsome without those blasted glasses," her friend replied, giggling. The other girl giggled, too.

Upon hearing this, Cindy snapped her head in their direction and growled, "Sorry, but the guy you're talking about is already taken."

Spencer blinked, looking puzzled. "Huh?"

The two girls looked completely unnerved by Cindy's stare, and they hastily walked away. Forgetting her mission for a moment, Dee stared daggers at them until they were out of sight in the crowd.

"Hey," Spencer said to Cindy quizzically, "what was that all about?"

"Nothing," she responded with a deadpan look, then her eyes bulged when her attention was back on Lance and Alice.

I also turned just in time to see Alice taking action to put cotton candy into Lance's mouth, and after a moment, he agreed. They talked for a while with smiles on their faces, until Alice's face fell all of a sudden. Lance looked a little guilty at this, and I wondered why.

"I'm sure Lance said something awful," said Cindy. "Yes!"

Spencer said nothing and finished eating his hot dog.

Maybe I was imagining things, but I could swear I saw them mouth my name.

Then they were back to being jolly again. Hmmm.

"She's about to put cotton candy into his mouth again," Cindy cried, alarmed. "Spence, do something!"

He scowled heavily. "Why me?"

"I don't have any ideas at the moment, except to throw that garbage can near the tree at them."

He rolled his eyes, then they landed on the drink he was holding. He drank it all in one big gulp, put the plastic cup on the ground, and then took out the straw. "Does anyone have tissues?"

Cindy got a Kleenex from her sling bag and gave it to him. Spencer started ripping the tissue into itsy-bitsy balls on his hand, and then stuck one in his mouth. Dee looked disgusted.

"Don't complain, Evil Woman." He smirked smugly. "I'm a pro when it comes to spitballs."

Spitballs? I thought with amusement.

"Make sure you target Hamilton's face," she demanded.

Spencer positioned himself and huffed on the straw. Cindy and I watched the small white ball fly out, then it landed gracefully on...Lance's neck.

The three of us immediately crouched on the ground lower, and we heard Lance exclaim, "Eww, yuck, gross!"

Cindy fisted her hands on Spencer's T-shirt and pulled him toward her face, enraged. "I thought I told you to target Hamilton's face...?" she told him slowly, looking murderous.

"L-Lance was blocking Alice," he defended, sweat starting to form on his forehead. "You can't blame me!"

"Sssshhhh!" I told the lovebirds.

"Dee, is that you?" asked a voice from behind us, and we all froze. We slowly looked over our shoulders to see Eunice staring at us, flabbergasted. "It is you! Why on earth are you wearing a blonde wig? And who are these people?"

"Who is 'Dee'?" Cindy asked in her "foreign accent," looking panicked under Eunice's scrutinizing gaze. "I do not know who she is."

Eunice squinted her eyes at her. "Don't try to fool me, Cynthia Kate Blaire. Even when you're wearing a disguise, I'd know it's you." Then she paused, realizing something. "Wait, Chel's in New York. Don't tell me these two are..." She turned to us with her eyebrow raised, demanding an explanation.

Spencer and I waved at her timidly.

Her mouth twitched. "Hey, hey, who are you spying on?" Before she could look around her, Cindy quickly blocked her view.

"What're you talking about, Nis?" She grinned uneasily. "We're just cosplaying!"

"Oh, really?" Eunice was unconvinced with Cindy's obvious fib. "Your cosplaying skills suck, then." She pushed Dee aside, then gasped in shock when she saw the violinists eating cotton candy together. "L-Lance and Alice?" she exclaimed. "You're spying on Lance and Alice?" She turned to look at Cindy, who looked away from her guiltily. "Look, Dee, I already know why you didn't tell me about this, but what you're doing is so wrong!" She scowled, then her face became quizzical. "By the way, why're they even dating in the first place?"

"We don't know," said Cindy. "And Mrs. C was the one who told us to spy on them. Tell her that it's wrong."

"'Us'? Maybe you meant to say 'told me to spy on them'?" Spencer glared at Dee as he spoke, but it didn't have any effect on her.

"Shut up, Spencer."

"But I'm sure you want to sabotage their date...?" Eunice prompted.

She smiled sweetly as her answer.

Letting out a sigh, Eunice turned to me and Spencer. "Seriously, you two."

"We're just curious," I said with a nervous chuckle.

Spencer held up the digital camera in his hand with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Anyway, what're you doing here, Nis?" I asked.

She paused. Then before she could reply, we heard someone shouting, "Flowers for all the lovely ladies in this park!"

That arrogant voice surely belonged to the one and only Xavier Depardieu, the Drama Club's president, who was standing a little away from us, surrounded by girls.

Cindy smiled wickedly at Eunice. "So, are you and Xavier on a date, too?"

"Um, no. Actually, he forced me to help him...babysit his little sister."

"I didn't know Xavier had a little sister," I said.

"Eunice, please help me veer Xavi away from those girls," a cute voice said, approaching her. I almost melted when I saw Xavier's cute little sis, who looked like his brother if she'd been born a boy. She gazed up at me with a cheeky grin. "Hi! You must be the famous actress Xavier sometimes talks about."

I removed my sunglasses and flu mask, and then pinched her cheeks, causing her to giggle. "You're so adorable! I wanna kidnap you and bring you home and we'll play Barbies together in my room. What's your name and how old are you, sweetheart?"

She beamed. "My name is Adelisa, and I'm six years old."

"Hello, Adelisa. My name's Mackenzie." I gestured to the two people behind me, who waved at her, smiling kindly. "And these are Eunice's and my friends--Spencer and Cindy."

"Hello!" Adelisa greeted while jumping for joy. After that she tugged Eunice's skirt while looking up at her. "Xavi is wasting too many flowers on those ugly girls. He should give them to you instead, because you're not ugly!"

Eunice widened her eyes, then a blush started to creep on her cheeks.

"Kids don't lie, Nis," Spencer said, wagging his eyebrows playfully.

"The 'ugly girls,' though," I couldn't help saying sheepishly. I stared at Adelisa's brother to see him still throwing red roses to the ladies.

"A new ship is sailing," Cindy announced.

Glowering, Eunice told her, "Don't even go there." Then she sighed as she gazed back at Xavier's sister. "Adelisa, wait here with them, okay? I'll just call your brother and tell him to stop littering in the park."

"Yay!" Xavier's little sis cheered.

But before she could take a step toward Xavier, we saw Lance and Alice heading to the Ferris wheel, causing Cindy to snarl and go after them. "Oh, no you don't, Hamilton."

"Dee, come back here!" Eunice cried.

"Nuh-uh," she harshly responded, looking over her shoulder. "I'm not stupid, Nis. Hamilton's planning to do something with Lance when they're up at the very top. I'm not gonna let that happen!"

"Dee, stop walking!" Spencer warned.

"And why should I?"

"If you don't, then you'll fall into a manhole!" I told her quickly, frightened.

But she didn't heed our warnings. "What're you guys talki--AAAAAHHHHH!"

Then we heard a loud splashing of water.

The four of us ran to the manhole in record time but cautiously approached the bevelled edge of the shaft. Cindy's dirty face stared up from out of the depths. She was standing up, ankle-deep in the water, and we could feel she was radiating intense annoyance.

"Are you okay, Dee?" I called down to her, concerned.

"What kind of a dumb question is that?" hollered Cindy, her shrill voice echoing. "Of course I'm not okay! Wait till I get my hands on the dunderhead who opened this manhole without laying down any caution lines!"

People were surrounding us now, and one guy called for park staff.

Adelisa looked down. "Oooh!"

"Actually, there are caution lines around the manhole," said Eunice. "It's your fault you weren't looking where you were going. We warned you."

Cindy's fists hit her hips. "How could I look where I was going when you guys were talking to me, huh?"

"Are you hurt all over?" Spencer asked, laughing.

"Do you really think this is funny, Diggory Spencer Wensfield?" she bellowed. "Of course I'm hurt! I just fell down a deep hole! I hurt all over!"

Spencer turned to us. "I think she's fine. She wouldn't be making all that noise if she's done any real damage."

"Wow, guys!" Cindy yelled. "Are we seriously having a chit-chat and a hole-staring contest right now? Or do I need to contact the President of the United States to get rescued around here?"

"There's a set of metal ladder rungs behind you, Dee," Eunice pointed out calmly.

She frowned up at her but climbed the ladder anyway. When Cindy reached the top, her appearance was disheveled and smeared. She stood up but flinched in pain.

Spencer noticed this quickly. "Hey, your right ankle looks swollen. Are you sure you can stand properly?"

"Yeah," she snapped and took a step, gritting her teeth.

He gave her a stern look. "Liar." Then he scooped Cindy up bridal-style, causing her to gasp in surprise.

"Spencer, put me down!" she protested.

"No. And don't argue. You can't walk properly." The tone he used was gentle and reprimanding.

"But I'm wet and smell--"

"I don't care," he cut her off. Turning to Eunice, he said, "Nis, can you please call Sebastian and tell him to prepare the car? We're going home. Or are you guys heading home, too? You three can ride with us."

"Nah. Adelisa still wants to ride the Frog Hopper and Kiddie Coaster. You guys go ahead." She got her phone from her shoulder bag to call Sebastian.

A staff member from the park arrived and fervently apologized to Cindy about the opened manhole.

"No, you don't have to apologize," Cindy said shyly. "I...I'm the one who wasn't looking where I was going, so I should be the one who's apologizing. I'm sorry."

Spencer smiled softly at this.

After saying good-bye to Adelisa and Eunice (Xavier was still busy giving his attention to the ladies), the three of us exited the park. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess, Mackenzie," she said to me. Spencer was still carrying her, and her arms were wrapped around his neck. She was blushing furiously. "This is so embarrassing."

I shook my head with a smile. "No, it's okay, really. I had fun...I mean, you know, except when you fell into that hole."

Spencer stared at her, looking bored. "Seriously, Dee, you're hopeless."

She smacked him in his shoulder. "Shut. Up." She was smiling shyly, but I don't think Spencer noticed it.

I stopped in my tracks and gazed at the Ferris wheel behind me, its colorful lights twinkling from the distance, the orange-violet sky above. It was a marvel to look at, and I wondered if the view Alice and Lance were seeing was just as majestic.

What were they doing in their car right now? Talking about random stuff, or kissing passionately under the sunset?

"The latter's too impossible to happen, right, Kenzie?" I asked myself, still gazing at the gigantic ride. "Lance hates that kind of thing." So much for those two lovebirds. Then I followed the other two lovebirds to the car, wanting to go home and take a rest.

🎹 🎹 🎹

When I arrived home, I noticed Mom wasn't around. Maybe she went grocery shopping or something. Dad would usually arrive before eight o'clock from work.

Opening my Facebook using my phone, I saw I had eleven notifications, waiting to be checked out. Tapping the bell button, there was a notification from Lance: I was tagged in his status.

Curious, I tapped it. Time seemed to slow down as I read what was written.

Spencer, Cindy, and Mackenzie, you guys FAIL as spies. 😈

I dropped my phone onto the floor, with only one thought on my mind:

We were so screwed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you had fun spying with Dee, Spence, and Kenzie! Thanks so much for your patience and support, friends! And also a BIG thanks to my great pal phillyboy10 'cause his editing skills are superb. ^_^