by Marty Chan
“She’s right,” I added. “We’ll have to be invisible.”
“I wish we could be like a fly on the wall,” he said.
“Or a Stuffy on a desk,” I said.
Trina smiled. Remi nodded. “Good idea, Marty.”
CHAPTER NINE
We ordered the Stuffy Spy over the internet, which meant we were at the mercy of the delivery service. While we waited for the Stuffy Spy to arrive, Trina and I traded clichés about waiting. A watched pot never boils. A watched computer program never loads. A watched kid never eats his vegetables. The days turned into a week and the weeks turned into a month. The spy equipment was supposed to go to Remi’s house, because he convinced his mom to use her credit card to order the gear.
Every day at school, I asked Remi if the Stuffy Spy had arrived and his answer was always no. I saw him less and less, because he had hockey practice and Samantha had replaced him in the store. Trina got busy with soccer practice. The only person who had time for me was the cyber bully. Every day, she sent a new round of messages. I was glad I didn’t have a computer at home, but I dreaded having to log on to the computer at school.
The only thing worse than the emails was Mom, who decided that I had to work for her because Samantha was doing my job. I offered to help Samantha, but Mom refused, claiming the girl needed to be punished. My new job was to rub Mom’s feet while she sat on the couch and watched Chinese soap operas on TV. As I listened to melodramatic Chinese actors and tried not to breathe in Mom’s funk-alicious toe jam, I wondered if Samantha wasn’t the one who got off lucky.
Finally, the fateful call came. I was in the middle of digging gunk from between Mom’s toes with a cotton swab when Remi phoned. Mom reluctantly took her feet off my lap so I could answer the phone in the kitchen.
“The furry eye has blinked,” Remi whispered.
This was the secret signal that the Stuffy Spy was in. We had to speak in code on the phone because Mom liked to eavesdrop on my calls. I was pretty sure I could hear her breathing on the other line.
“Oh no. Are you sure? The school project will be ruined, and Ms. Nolan said the project was due tomorrow,” I said loudly enough for Mom to hear.
“You’d better get here quick,” Remi said. “Or else you’re going to fail.”
I spoke into the phone. “Mom, can I go?”
From the other room, she yelled, “Yes. Next time, start earlier.”
I hung up and returned to the couch, where Mom was fishing the last dill pickle out of a giant glass jar. I was sure the baby was going to come out greener than my lime-green corduroy pants.
“I wish I could stay, but I have to get a good mark.”
Bits of pickle flew across her belly as she answered. “You come back fast. You cut my toenails next.”
I shuddered as I looked at her dirty toenails. Off I went.
At Remi’s place, Trina and I gathered around the stuffed teddy bear. The brown and white bear looked like any other stuffed animal. It wore a cute pink-and-blue ribbon tie and its forepaws were stretched out to hug someone. The only weird thing was one of its shiny black eyes seemed to follow me wherever I walked in the room.
Remi tapped the eye. “That’s the camera lens. The mike is here.” He tapped the Stuffy’s snout.
Trina leaned forward and spoke into the bear’s nose. “How sensitive is the mike?”
“Awesome. I had the Stuffy Spy in the living room and it picked up my sister making out in her boyfriend’s car,” he answered. “You can save the recordings in its butt.”
He pulled open the teddy bear’s rear end and revealed a black flash drive. He pulled out the tiny stick, which was only slightly larger than a stick of gum.
“How much memory does it store?” I asked.
Trina picked up the instruction booklet and skimmed it. “Enough for two hours of video and audio. Not bad.”
“And the recording can be set to be motion activated,” Remi added.
“Wicked,” I said.
“The really cool thing is this.” Remi plugged the flash drive back into place and picked up a remote control that looked like a portable video game player. The tiny monitor was dark.
“Why did it come with a remote control?”
“Watch.”
Remi set the Stuffy on the floor and motioned us to follow him into the living room. We gathered around the remote. The monitor flickered to life. On screen was Remi’s messy bedroom floor.
“Amazing,” Trina said.
“It gets better,” Remi said, smiling. He pushed the joystick and the image moved around the room.
Remi zoomed in on his jockstrap and then zoomed out again.
“You can control the camera?” I said. “That is awesome.”
Trina asked, “What’s the range? Can we control it from outside the school?”
Remi shook his head. “Maybe the next room or from the hallway, but no further.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “We’ll set up a communications relay. Remi you can work the camera. Trina and I will use the walkie-talkies to make sure no one sees what you’re up to.”
Remi beamed. “I can’t wait until tomorrow to try this out for real.”
“Why do you get to work it?” Trina asked.
“You guys don’t know how,” he said. “I have more experience.”
“Hel-lo, you just got it today.”
Remi said. “I ordered it. I use it.”
“You’ll break it before we get it to school,” Trina said. “Remember what you did with your Nintendo DS?”
“That was a toy. This is a spy tool.”
“Hel-lo, you said you used it to spy on your sister. If she catches you, we won’t have a Stuffy Spy tomorrow. We’ll just have loose stuffing.”
“She won’t catch me.”
“Hold on,” I said. “There’s only one way to solve this. Rock, Paper, Scissors.”
Remi perked up. “Always with the good ideas.”
Trina grunted. “Whatever.”
“You guys ready?” I asked.
My friends nodded and we started to play Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who got to play with the remote control. Rock smashed scissors. Scissors cut paper. Paper covered rock. When only two people played, it was easy to figure out a winner, but with three people going at the same time, there were many arguments about whether rock smashed scissors before paper covered rock. This resulted in do-over after do-over. One-hundred-and-seventeen rounds later, Remi’s parents kicked us out so they could have dinner, making Remi the winner by default.
The next day, Samantha and Ida took up a position at the one of the two school entrances, so they could watch out for any kids coming into the building. If someone came in, Samantha was supposed to create a distraction while Ida warned Remi. Trina took up a guard position at the other school entrance, which was also where I’d be stationed.
First I had to plant the Stuffy Spy near Mikayla. She was working at a computer in the school library. I sat down next to her and slipped my navy-blue backpack off my shoulder. When she saw me, she bared her braces in a grimace and used her body to block the monitor. I picked up a book and pretended to read. She started to type, ignoring me. I yawned, unzipped my backpack and reached inside for the Stuffy Spy.
Mikayla peeked at me. I stuffed the bear back into the backpack and flashed a sheepish grin. She narrowed her eyes and slowly spun back to the computer screen. I pulled out the bear and placed it on the table, trying to position it so the camera could pick up what was on the monitor.
She turned again. I hugged the bear and flashed a cute smile.
She furrowed her eyebrows. “Can I help you?”
“Nope. Just doing some reading.”
“Oooo . . . .kaaay.” She returned to her work on the computer.
I angled the Stuffy Spy on the table and slowly backed away. It looked perfect. I crept out of the library. In the hallway, I gave Remi the thumbs up. He took a seat beside the door and pulled out the remote control
as if he were playing a video game. I taped the talk button down on the walkie-talkie so I could hear Remi’s report and handed him the device. Mikayla stared at me through the door’s window, but I pretended not to notice as I scampered down the hall.
Trina gazed out the window of her guard post as she tapped the wall nervously. Outside, the boys were playing chicken wars in the schoolyard and the girls were laughing at the fallen chickens. No one was interested in coming inside. Almost no one. Kennedy lumbered toward the school entrance.
I bolted away as he opened the door. “Stall him.”
He tried to move past Trina, but she blocked his way. “Sorry, but you’re going to have to use the other entrance.”
“But I have to go the bathroom right now,” he said.
“The custodian said she just mopped the floor and she doesn’t want anyone making tracks.”
“The other entrance is all the way around the other side. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it.” His voice faded as I got further away.
Around the corner, I lifted the walkie-talkie and turned it on, hoping to warn Remi, but I realized his talk button was still taped down and there was no way I could contact him.
“ . . . I think I see Mikayla’s arm . . . I’m going to move the camera down. I think I see her butt. Ew, there’s toilet paper sticking out her pants. I’m trying to get a fix on the screen . . . ”
Suddenly, a new voice blasted through the walkie-talkie.
“Hey, Boudreau, whatcha doing?” The fact that the boy used Remi’s last name told me who the speaker was — Nathan Black. Somehow he had slipped past Ida and Samantha.
“Um . . . playing a video game,” Remi replied.
“Doesn’t look like a Nintendo DS,” Nathan said.
“It’s not. It’s Marty’s. His dad got it from Hong Kong. It’s a prototype. Very high tech.”
“Mind if I look at it, Boudreau?”
“Buzz off.”
Nathan said, “You might want to be a little friendlier. After all, we’re going to have to stick together next year.”
I had no idea what Nathan was talking about.
He continued, “We’ll be the only Bouvier guys at the sports school. We hang out together, no one’s gonna pick on us. We might be able to show the other kids who’s in charge while we’re at it.”
“I’ve got enough friends.”
“You mean Chan and Brewster? They’re not athletes. Why would you hang out with them?”
“I like them,” Remi said.
“I’m surprised they haven’t dumped you now that they know you’re going to the sports school in Edmonton. I figured they’d be hiring another bodyguard,” Nathan said.
“Don’t you have some boards you have to break?” Remi shot back.
“Why so defensive? I’m just saying I’m surprised they’re still hanging out with you.”
“I didn’t tell them I was moving, and I don’t want them to know. Not yet.”
I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. My best friend was moving away and he didn’t bother to tell me. After all we had been through, he couldn’t trust me with the most important news of his entire life. All I could think was why.
CHAPTER TEN
Remi’s revelation was like drinking expired milk. Both made me sick, and I didn’t know when the real pain would hit. I paced the hallway back and forth, debating whether I should confront Remi or leave him alone. Eventually, my pacing turned into wandering. What did I do wrong that my best friend would want to abandon me and not even tell me about it? I found myself near the school entrance, but I had no idea how I got there. The sound of Trina arguing with Kennedy pulled me out of limbo.
“In the time you took to argue about going this way, you could have gone to the other entrance,” she said.
He countered, “Yes, but now I have to go so bad that I won’t be able to hold it if I go to the other entrance. The floor must be dry by now.”
“No one goes down this way.”
“You’d better be careful, Trina,” the pudgy boy warned. “I’m on my way to becoming a green belt in karate. You’d better not mess with me.”
“The custodian was the one who gave the orders. Do you want to get on her bad side, Kennedy?”
“Mrs. Podanski gave the orders? Um, no, that’s okay. I’ll go the other way, but if I don’t make it, she’s going to have to clean up another mess.” He stormed out the door.
Trina looked back at me. “Something wrong with the mission?”
“No.”
“Then why do you look like someone just took your slice of birthday cake?”
“Did Remi say anything to you about where he’s going to school next year?”
She shrugged. “Same place we are, I assume. The Bouvier junior high. What’s that have to do with the stakeout?”
“Nothing,” I said. “Never mind.”
Suddenly, my walkie-talkie squawked. Remi’s voice barked at us. “Alpha One, come in. Alpha One, do you read me? Goldilocks is going to sleep in Baby Bear’s bed.”
“Remi’s in trouble,” Trina shouted. “Let’s roll.”
She tore off down the hallway. Did I want to help the friend who was going to abandon me without so much as a goodbye? I hesitated until Trina barked at me to move. I chased after her. When I reached the library, there was no sign of Nathan, but Trina was huddled near Remi staring intently at the monitor on the remote control.
“Well, one of us has to go in there,” he said.
“She’ll suspect something if we move the Stuffy Spy around,” Trina pointed out.
Remi looked at me. “Mikayla’s noticed the bear. She keeps looking at it. You have to move it into a better position.”
“Why me?” I asked.
“You’re the one who planted it,” Trina said. “Make it look casual.”
“There’s nothing wrong with where the Stuffy Spy is,” I snapped.
“Remi can’t see the computer monitor.”
“Not my problem.”
“What’s with him?” Remi asked Trina.
She shrugged. “Marty, if Mikayla looks too close, she’ll spot the camera. It only makes sense that the guy who put the Stuffy down in the first place is the one who moves it. Mikayla will suspect for sure if anyone else does it.”
“I’m not moving it,” I said.
Remi checked the monitor again. “We have to do something soon. Look.”
He held up the remote control. Mikayla’s face filled the screen.
Trina grabbed me by the arm and shoved me into the library before I could utter a single word of protest. I skidded to a stop just inside the doorway. Mikayla sat back at her station and pretended she wasn’t examining the teddy bear. I glared through the glass window at my partners, but they just shooed me forward. I shambled toward our suspect. She snuck a glimpse at me, then turned her attention back to the computer as I sat next to her.
“You have a cute teddy bear,” she said.
“It’s not mine.”
“Oh?”
“It’s a present.”
“Lucky person,” she said, staring at the monitor.
“Yeah,” I said, nudging the Stuffy Spy closer to her.
She stiffened. “OMG, what do you think you’re doing?”
My hand froze. I stammered, “M . . . m . . . making it walk. Growl. I’m Teddyzilla! Roar.” I lifted the Stuffy Spy by the arms and made it walk like a toddler across the table.
Mikayla rolled her eyes. “Lame-oh.”
“Roar! Me hungry. Me want to eat. Yum. Love to eat books.”
She stared at me as if I had just picked my nose in front of her, but I couldn’t stop. I had to get the Stuffy Spy into position and make sure she wasn’t suspicious about it.
“Oh, now me tired. Want to sleep. Night-night.” I lowered the teddy bear to the table and angled its head so that the camera eye was pointed right at the computer screen.
“You finished?” she asked.
I slapped my hand
on my forehand. “Yikes, I just remembered what I came here for. Ms. Nolan needs a book. Can you watch the teddy bear? Why don’t you put him in your lap while you’re working? He won’t mind.” I grabbed the nearest book I could find and headed out of the library.
As soon as I reached the safety of the hallway, Trina gave me a high-five, while Remi adjusted the joystick to get a view of Mikayla. She squinted at us, her face filling the screen. Her eyes were popped wide open. I was sure she had spotted the camera. Her face disappeared. I glanced through the window and saw her put the Stuffy Spy down and move toward the door. Her steely grimace reminded me of the grill of a big rig, and she was on a high-speed collision course with us. No time to stick around.
“Run,” I ordered.
“Why?” Remi asked.
“Goldilocks is on the warpath,” I said.
Remi stuffed the remote control under his shirt and took off down the hall with Trina. I ran in the opposite direction, hoping to lead Mikayla away.
Behind me, she shouted, “Marty, come here. I want to talk to you!”
Her pounding sneakers on the tiled floor sounded like thunder. I hoped I would beat the storm. I picked up the pace and headed to the end of the hall. She continued to yell. I sprinted around a corner and screeched to a halt in front of the main office. I half-walked, half-skipped in front of the eagle-eyed secretary. There was a strict no-running-in-the-hall policy. She watched me over her black-rimmed glasses and tsked at me as she shook her head. Once I was past the office, I opened up and ran out the main doors.
Mikayla burst out of the school building after me. Wherever I ran, she was there. Behind the shed. Along the fence. Through the playground equipment. This girl was unstoppable. She reminded me of an old movie about a killer robot from the future called The Terminator. I wondered if her braces were part of her robotic body, and I feared she might use them to shred me like grated parmesan cheese.
“Over here!” Remi yelled. He waved from the other school entrance. I headed toward safety, but Mikayla angled her approach and cut me off. She reached out for my arm. I pulled away, missing her by inches and sprinted into the school. Remi slammed the door shut and locked her out. I leaned against the wall and caught my breath, while she pounded on the window. She bared her metal braces and ordered us to open the door. She was definitely the Terminator; if not, at least a distant cousin. Finally, she stopped pounding and disappeared from the doors.