Undercover

Chapter 1- Beginnings
“Come on Kalea, your going to be late for your first day of school!” I heard my mom calling from downstairs. I couldn’t believe I had overslept. Today was my first day of High School. You’d think I would have set an alarm clock or something. I rolled out of bed and crossed off the day on my calendar. It was a Friday, which was pretty ridiculous since having the first day of school on a Friday made no sense at all.
I searched around frantically for the outfit had planned out the night before. I ran downstairs, searching for it. I rushed through the kitchen where my mom was busy making us all smoothies and yogurt. My mom blew her wavy blond hair out of her bright green eyes as she struggled to chop up the strawberries. She is always trying to keep everybody happy, but with three kids to take care of, it’s quite difficult. I ran into the family room to see that the beautiful, expensive, amazing outfit I had bought at the mall with my own money had been covered by Mackenzie’s paints. Mackenzie, my five-year-old sister, was there, painting my blouse with her paint set. I went over and started yelling at her, but she got distracted and started painting her face and hair so that her blond hair was a bright blue and her entire face was blue. She looked quite ridiculous, but at least her face now matched her bright blue eyes perfectly. “You look like a smurf.” I told her. She started laughing hysterically and rolling on the floor. Eventually I gave up and went upstairs.
I threw on a random pair of clothes, brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and ran downstairs all in five minutes. Jacob was sitting at the table, listening to his iPod. His blue eyes looked like saucers as he stared at his phone. I managed to inhale the breakfast mom had made for me in two minutes flat. Nalani, Jacob and I ran outside to the bus. Luckily Sam and Ally, who are twins, are both on my bus this year, and I know them both from middle and elementary school. Sam and the rest of his friends were talking about football tryouts. Sam has brown eyes, spiky brown hair, and is the total opposite of his sister Ally.
I plopped into the seat next to Ally, who was studying. “What are you studying for? School hasn’t even started yet!” Ally just smiled at me and returned to reading her book. Ally has short blond hair and blue eyes and has been the smartest girl in the grade ever sense she learned how to talk. When we arrived at school everyone had to go to the main office to get our schedules. Then we headed to Gym A for the beginning of school meeting. “Welcome to SHHS, or South Honolulu High School!” The principal talked for a while, followed by the leaders for all of the sports teams and clubs.
By the time the meeting was over, it was time for Freshman Lunch. I sat at table sixteen with Sam, Ally, and a couple other kids I didn’t know. I was starting to get a bit worried- it was already ten minutes into lunch. Why wasn’t Kyle there? Suddenly I saw a strange hooded figure approaching our table. “Cut it out Kyle, you’re not fooling anyone.” Said Ally, without even looking up from her book. Kyle laughed and took off his hood. “How does she do that?” Kyle has dirty blond hair that goes down to his bright green eyes and a total obsession with anything artistic. Kyle is the number one featured artist at our middle school, has the best singing voice I have ever heard, and won the talents show every year at SHMS (South Honolulu Middle School). Kyle is the most popular guy in school, and he could be sitting at the popular table (which we already figured out is table 24, even though it’s only been a few minutes since we got to the cafeteria) but instead he decides to sit with us.
Basically, wherever Alexa Frocosno sits is considered the popular table. Boy, I really do despise that girl. We used to be best friends, until she became extremely mean when her father won the lottery and they moved into a huge Hawaiian mansion. She even has her own TV show, Make It Happen! Now, Alexa and I are total enemies. Most of the Make It Happen! Episodes were shot at my school last year (also Alexa’s school), so sadly I have been featured in it more than a couple times. She likes to get really embarrassing footage of me- like when I spill something or trip and fall. And of course, I’m very clumsy. I looked over at Alexa, who was sitting in the middle of the table surrounded by her film crew and her worshiping friends. Alexa has long blond hair that is always perfectly curled by her professional stylist, blue eyes, fancy clothes, and tons of perfume, hairspray, and makeup on all the time. She also really likes Kyle, even though he hates her almost as much as I do.
Kyle and I went up to get our lunches. The line took a while, but the spaghetti looked so delicious and I was so hungry that I didn’t care. I was on my way back to my seat, when I passed table 3C. “Ooops!” Alexa dropped her lip-gloss on the floor (obviously on purpose) and before I could stop I tripped. I banged my face into the table, and groaning, rolled over into Alexa’s salad. I had gotten the spaghetti sauce from my lunch all over my outfit. “Watch it, loser!” she said, trying to remove the pieces of lettuce in her salad that now had blood on it. I felt fine, but based on the look of disgust on Alexa’s face I must have hit the table pretty hard. I lifted my hand up to my face and could feel the warm blood covering my nose and chin. I could feel myself getting red. Everyone in the cafeteria burst into laughter. Before I knew what I was doing, I punched Alexa right in the face.
“We could suspend you!” I was sitting in the principal’s office now with the guidance counselor and my parents. I really SHOULD suspend you, but it would look absolutely terrible for the school if we had to suspend a freshman on the first day. The guidance counselor went to go get to the principal, who brought along my school records. “Well, this is your first major offense.” He said, paging through my report cards, punishment records, and other miscellaneous papers. “We can assure you that Kalea has always been a very responsible child, and this will never, ever, ever happen again.” My dad said, his voice shaking with disappointment and shock. The principal took another sip of his coffee and set the records back down on the table. “I’ll leave you with a warning. But you will have detention for the next three weeks.” “But that’s so unfair!” I said. Dad shot me a warning look and I knew not to push it any more. My parents didn’t yell at me, and they didn’t bring it up at dinner either. I could tell they were upset, but I think they were trying to pretend it didn’t happen. I flopped onto my bed. What a great start to the school year! Know my teachers and everyone at my school is going to think I’m some sort of violent weirdo. I was so upset that I ended up crying myself to sleep.











Chapter 2- Good Morning Hawaii!
“Welcome to Good Morning Hawaii! Today is the big day! I’m your host, as always, James Pleasner, with very special news. One girl, ages twelve through sixteen, will be selected to join our top dancers in the Grand Honolulu luau! So get your phones ready to call, cause when you hear the song Everybody Dance, you need to call AS FAST AS YOU CAN!” I woke up to the sound of the TV downstairs. I took off my covers and glanced at my clock. It was eight in the morning. Rolling out of bed, I dragged my feet across the room. The memories from yesterday came flooding back to me. I collapsed into my desk chair in defeat and lazily took out my lucky pen. I crossed off the date on my calendar. That’s when I realized it was July 3rd.
I ran downstairs, nearly tripping on my robe. Sure enough, Dad, Mom, Mackenzie, Nalani and Jacob were gathered around the TV. “How could you guys not wake me?!” I asked. We’re sorry, honey, we thought you wouldn’t want to be disturbed. Why don’t you sit on the couch next to your brother?” My mom replied in her sweet voice. I was surprised she was in such a good mood, considering what had happened yesterday, but the Grand Honolulu Luau always brings our family together. I collapsed onto the couch next to Jacob, exausted, nervous, and angry. “Mom, I have a game today. Don’t you think I should be practicing?” Jacob is eighteen and the star of the senior football team at SHHS. He flipped his blond hair out of his eyes. I could tell he was just trying to be cool. I could tell that he wanted this for Nalani and I almost as much as we wanted it for ourselves.
Seeing that the commercials were still going on, I dragged myself into the kitchen and poured myself some juice and cereal. I had been waiting for this day so long, and I could feel myself getting extremely nervous. I flopped back onto the couch. “Quiet guys, I think the commercial break is ending.” My dad announced. I could tell he was nervous too- I guess I get that from my dad. He was standing, pacing back and forth, his cell phone in hand. My dad’s eyes were fixed on the TV. He looks the most like me out of my family, since we both have brown hair and brown eyes, and everyone says I act the most like him too.
Mackenzie came to sit on my lap. If you win, will I get to go on stage with you?” asked Mackenzie. I smiled at Mackenzie, adjusting her bow. “Maybe” That was enough to get her excited. For the first time since Nalani arrived at our house after we adopted her, she looked genuinely thrilled. Both Nalani and I love Hawaiian dancing and have been waiting for this day for weeks. Nalani is one year older than I am, she’s fifteen and I’m fourteen. She is from Hawaii (we aren’t, we only moved here a few years ago) and is tan with dark hair, which she usually ties back into two braids, and brown eyes. Her name means calm of the skies in Hawaiian, which fits her perfectly. Nalani barely talks, and when she does it is usually to me.
James Pleasner was about to play Everybody Dance, and all five members of my family had a phone in hand. We had worked out this plan the night before. Jacob, Mom, and I would call to win me the spot, and Dad, Mackenzie, and Nalani would call to win her the spot. I grabbed my cell phone from the table next to the couch and moved closer to the TV. Dad was showing Mackenzie how to dial the number, but Mackenzie was singing a song from elmo and throwing her cheerios into the air- she wasn’t exactly paying attention. Suddenly the lyrics to the song that we had been waiting for so patiently rang through the air. Everbody Dance was playing! According to James, the fifteenth caller would win. Mackenzie, Jacob, Mom, Dad, and Nalani all began to dial the number, but I had my own strategy… I had the number on speed dial. The phone began to ring and I was very, very nervous.
Suddenly, I heard a voice as a machine answered my call. “Congratulations! You are the sixteenth caller! You have won a copy of Good Morning Hawaii! Season One autographed by James Pleasner himself! Goodbye and have a nice day!” I couldn’t believe it. I was so close. I could only hope that somehow somebody in my family had been the 15th caller. Suddenly, James Pleasner came onto the TV again. “We have a winner! Congratulations to… Alexa Frocosno!” I grabbed the remote and turned off the TV. Alexa Frocosno!?!
I ran out of the house. Alexa knows I really wanted that part and I would never hear the end of it. I grabbed my bike and rode up the street to the shaved ice stand on the corner- Really Nice Hawaiian Shaved Ice. “Medium Cherry, Please. “ Of course, I totally forgot that Alexa works at Really Nice Hawaiian Shaved Ice. I considered running away, because I had a terrible feeling that she was underneath that baseball cap. “Coming right up!” I sighed with relief. “Kyle! You scared me half to death!” Kyle took off his cap and laughed. “How did the contest go?” he asked, scooping my cherry ice into the cone. “Not so good. Alexa won.” I had to try really hard to keep myself from crying. “ Oh, that’s too bad. Here take a large.“ “Thanks” Kyle and I talked for a few minutes about the contest, about school, and about Alexa and her TV show. “Hey, my break is in five minutes and my dad needs me to catch dinner.” Kyle held up his fishing pole. “Wanna come?” he asked. “Sure.”
I finished my ice and watched Kyle serve ice to five more customers. Just when I thought my day couldn’t get any worse, Alexa Frocosno walked right up to the Really Nice Hawaiian shaved Ice stand. “Small Low Fat Sugar Free Coconut shaved ice ” Alexa demanded, slamming ten dollars onto the counter. Suddenly, when she realized it was Kyle, she started talking to him about how she won the contest and about how she was thinking about doing a special edition of Make It Happen! Just on Really Nice Hawaiian Shaved Ice, because of how much she loves it. I knew the truth, however, because I overheard Alexa complaining about the flavors just a day before. For a minute I thought that maybe Alexa wouldn’t notice me, considering I had my face hidden behind a menu. Clearly, I was wrong.
“Kalea! Hi! So I heard you failed miserably at winning that contest. Too bad, really. I was looking forward to seeing you totally fail at the Grand Honolulu Luau. “ Alexa grabbed her ice and walked away from the stand and back into her limo with the huge Make It Happen! logo across the side. “Ready to go?” asked Kyle, grabbing his fishing nets, fishing pole, and bait. Than he walked away towards the dock, oblivious to the fact that I hadn’t moved and was still staring right at the spot where Alexa’s limo had been.












Chapter 3- The Fishing Trip
“Hey, I think I forgot my bait. Do you wanna come with me to my house so we can grab it? Kyle asked. “Sure.” When we got to Kyle’s house, his mother had a large plate of warm cookies waiting for us. I guess Kyle had texted his mother that I was coming over, since she was cleaning when we arrived. Kyle has five siblings- three triplets that are seven years old named Bill, Phillip, and Wyatt, a younger sister that is nine named Carly, and an older brother named James, who happens to have a huge rivalry with my brother. Jacob and James both tried out for the football team last year, and James got the quarterback position instead of Jacob. Jacob had locked himself up in his room crying for weeks, and ever since then James was always causing all sorts of trouble for my brother. James is also really mean to Kyle, and is always forcing him to do things for him. He was sitting in a stool by the kitchen counter, typing on his computer. “Whatcha doing, bro?” asked Kyle, grabbing two glasses to fill with milk to drink with our cookies. “Why do you care?” asked James, shielding his screen from our view. I caught a glimpse of what appeared to be an email. “He’s just going through one of those rebelling moods.” Kyle said rolling his eyes. “Kyle! Kyle! Kyle!” Kyle’s little brothers started jumping up and down frantically. “Can we come with you and Kal?” they asked, hanging onto Kyle’s legs. “No boys, you are going to have to stay here. You need to start today’s lesson.” Said Kyle’s mom, pulling out a textbook. ”Your brothers are home schooled now?” I asked, soaking my cookies in my glass of milk. “Um yeah. Cheaper that way.” I could see the worry in his eyes- he must have been very concerned about how much money his family has. “Well, ready to go then? Ill just go into the garage and grab the bait.” Kyle’s sadness had disappeared as quick as it came, and I started wondering if it was even there in the first place. When Kyle and I reached the dock, he loaded up the boat and helped me climb in. We paddled into the water and let down the net, hoping that soon we would have enough fish to feed Kyle’s family. We brought up the net and were thrilled to see several fish. “So…. “ Kyle set the net down again. He seemed so happy, yet I knew something was wrong. “Are you OK?” I asked. I scraped at a peace of seaweed stuck to the side of the boat, trying to avoid looking at him, even though I could tell he was staring directly at me. “What if we run out of money?” he whispered. this was so sudden that I nearly fell into the water. “You can read me better than anyone. I can tell you knew exactly how I felt when you asked about my brothers being homeschooled. You could, couldn’t you? Kyle was starting to raise his voice now, but I knew it was just because he was angry, not because he was mad at me. Well I don’t think school is that big of a problem. I want them to have food and a place to live. Cause at the end of the day, that’s all that matters, really.” Kyle started scraping the fish, accidently cutting his fingers in the process. “If you want to, I can ask my dad if he can give you….” But I could already tell I was embarrassing him. I felt pretty helpless. I knew I couldn’t help him; I had tried hundreds of times, but he refused to accept anything. That’s just the way he is. Eventually he realized that he was making me pity him, which is totally against his nature. “Im sorry.” He said. “I’m just worried.” He scooped up the water and threw it at me, trying to lighten the mood. For an hour or so we just sat there, smiling, splashing each other, making jokes, and catching fish. Kyle was back to his regular self by now. We paddled back to the dock and Kyle tied up the boat. I helped him lift the several bags of fish.
We were about to head back to the stand when we saw three strange men standing on the dock. The first man was tall and thin with gelled back black hair, blue eyes, and a suitcase. His nametag read Agent Cruffle, CIA. When I pointed at the man, Kyle gasped. “A CIA agent? What are they doing in Hawaii?” whispered Kyle. Two men followed him, both in dark sunglasses. They were both similar in appearance to Agent Cruffle, tall, thin, and in suits. The first Agent, Agent Flostoc, carried a suitcase and had brown spiked hair. The third agent appeared very mysterious and almost nervous. His name tag red Agent Apolian and he had golden hair and carried an Ipad as well as a suitcase.
Suddenly the agents opened their suitcases, revealing various weapons, tools, binoculars, night vision goggles, fingerprint kits, cameras, etc. The men huddled around the equipment and selected a dart gun that seemed to be injected with some kind of poison, binoculars, and a set of three cameras. Agent Apolian typed something into his iPad and looked around. Not seeing us, since we had hidden in the boat, he began speaking to the others in a hushed voice. “ So, what do we have so far? I am creating a case file on my iPad as we speak.” “Well, we do know that, according to our sources, the child has been asking strange questions about the location of the GHL funds. She is using her TV show, called Make It Happen!, to find out information about the codes needed to open the GHL safe.” replied Agent Flostoc, reapplying hair gel that he retrieved from his suitcase. “Flostoc, focus!” barked Agent Cruffle, ripping the gel out of his hands.
After several minutes of staring into space, trying to process what happened, I realized that Alexa must be stealing the money from the Grand Honolulu Luau (GHL) and that her plan must have been to win the contest, find out the safe codes, and steal the money. These CIA guys were here to stop her. “Wait!” I screamed jumping up. Kyle tugged at my foot, trying to pull me back into the boat. The three CIA men turned, surprised. “We can help you! We know Alexa and she even wants to do a Make It Happen! interview with my friend Kyle here.” I pulled Kyle up out of the boat and he waved at the CIA agents nervously.
The men talked for a while, in hushed tones about what to do. “Well, we can’t exactly let them go! They could tell this Alexa girl that we are after her.” Said Agent Cruffle. “ But it sounds like the girl doesn’t particularly like Alexa, if she is willing to help us catch her” replied Agent Flostoc, checking his reflection in a hand held mirror. “The children could be useful, we do need some undercover agents.” Said Agent Apolion, nervously wringing his hands. After a few more minutes of quiet conversation, the agents turned back to Kyle and I. “ We could use your assistance. Do you have any experience?” asked Agent Cruffle. “Um, No” “Weapons?” “Not really, unless you count a plastic sword.” “Disguises, cameras, binoculars?” “No, not really.” “Oh my.” Replied Agent Cruffle. “We have A LOT of work to do. Then the agents walked up to the street and got in a black limo. “Meet us here tonight at eight, please.” Said Agent Cruffle, slamming the door. Kyle and I stood there for a moment, trying to process what had just happened.










Chapter 4- Undercover
When I got home, my parents had lunch already on the table waiting for me. My mom always insists on having all meals as a family, even if all we are having is grilled cheese and everyone is doing their own thing. “So how was your bike ride?” “Um…ok I guess.” I had decided that telling mom about the encounter with the CIA agents would be a bad idea. Our house was oddly quiet for only being one in the afternoon; Nalani was reading a text book, Jacob was on his cell phone, texting his team about the big game that was that afternoon, and Mackenzie was hypnotized by an episode of SpongeBob that was playing on the TV.
I could see it was bothering Mom that nobody was talking, so I decided to strike up conversation. “So, how was work, Dad?” I knew that would keep him talking for a while. I allowed myself to slip into my thoughts, and for nearly half an hour, I sat there, playing the last few hours of my life over and over again in my mind. When Dad had finished, I came back to reality to see that only Mom, Dad and I were still at the table. I excused myself and ran upstairs into my bedroom. I decide to get my homework done early, since I probably wouldn’t have much time with all this CIA agent stuff. I pulled out my math book and turned on my laptop.
I checked my instant message notifications on Chatropics to see I had three new messages. One from Ally, one from Kyle, and one from… Apolian617? I responded to Ally and Kyle and sat there staring at my screen. How did Apolian have my instant message user? And why was he chatting me anyway? I read his message- Apolian617 says: THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM…. ARE THEY? I was just about to call Kyle about the strange message when I saw my cozy looking bed. Maybe just five minutes…
I woke with a start. It was nearly eight o’ clock! I ran downstairs and out the door, grabbing a donut on the way out for dinner. I ran all the way to the dock, where Kyle was already standing. The CIA agents were nowhere to be seen. Suddenly three clowns appeared. “Why Hello there! I am Clown Cruffle! I was supposed to meet two young children here tonight. Do you happen to be them? All this clown makeup on my eyes makes it very hard to see.” “Agent Cruffle? Is that you?” I asked. “Quiet down! And yes. You don’t honestly think we can walk around here in our CIA suits? This morning was already risking it.” Said agent Cruffle, adjusting his bow tie. “Now, do you know where we can meet that is private?” asked agent Flostoc. Agent Apolian was lingering behind the other two clowns, clicking his shoes nervously and playing with the cuff on his suit. He pulled his cuff twice, and then clicked his shoes twice. His behavior was strange, but I didn’t think much of it at first.
“Actually, I know the perfect place! My parents own the bakery over there, and there is nobody there now since it’s after closing. Plus, I have the key.” Said Kyle, holding up his keys. “Any security cameras?” asked Flostoc. “Umm… no. Why does it matter though? My dad would never tell, and its not like were criminals. Right?” asked Kyle uncertainly. “Oh, um yes of course, but it would still be best if nobody knew.” Replied Cruffle. Kyle led us to the bakery and unlocked the door. Once we were inside, the agents unzipped their clown costumes, revealing their usual suits and suitcases.
We brought you a disguise.” Said Cruffle, pointing at me. “We were going to hide a camera in your headband, but we need Alexa to trust you and we wouldn’t want her to be suspicious. Therefore, Kyle will follow you wearing a baseball hat with a hidden camera. In this disguise, you will spend time with Alexa, earn her trust, and then try to get her evil plans on tape. Then, once we have proof, we can capture her and put a stop to all this.” Explained Cruffle.
“Now as you probably recall, we told you that Alexa has been using her show as a way to obtain information about the GHL codes. Watch this.” Cruffle placed a disk into his laptop and played footage he had recorded. It appeared as if Cruffle was backstage at the GHL rehearsals. You couldn’t exactly see Alexa and the dancer she was talking to very well, but I assumed it was because Cruffle was taking this video from a hiding spot. “So, on the next episode of Make It Happen! I want to show a tour of backstage at the GHL. Of course the director said it would be OK, but he says only him and you, since you are the lead dancer, know the code to get backstage. Usually the door is unlocked during practice, but since I will be recording the episode on Saturday, I need to know the code. “ said Alexa, putting on her most innocent face. “But that code is the same as the one for the safe, and I am NEVER supposed to give that away.” Replied the dancer, clearly unsure of what to do. ”But the director said so! Don’t you trust me?” asked Alexa, batting her eyelashes innocently. “Um… I…” Suddenly a bell rang, signaling the end of practice. “Ill talk to you on Tuesday.” Said Alexa, walking away. Cruffle closed the computer.
Obviously Alexa is planning on continuing to question the dancer, Maria, at their next practice on Tuesday, which is in three or so days. “Now for your disguises.” said Cruffle, pulling out an outfit, several bins of makeup, curlers, hairspray, and props. “You…what’s your name?” asked Cruffle, pointing to me. “Oh, um, Kalea.” “Well, Kalea, you will be disguised as a popular girl who just moved to Hawaii. Your father is a famous movie director in Hawaii and you and your mother are here for the summer. You will be wearing designer clothes and shoes as well as tons of makeup and have perfect hair, which is done by the professional stylists we have hired. In fact, here they come now. I sent them a text of our location.” Said Cruffle. In walked in two stylists. “Because of your style, popularity, and fame, Alexa will be drawn to you and trust you with her secrets.” Cruffle closed his laptop and handed me the costume. “We will leave you alone with the stylists now.” Said Cruffle, handing the bins to the stylists. Then the agents and Kyle left.
The stylists gave me the outfit and accessories and told me to go to the bathroom in the back and change. Once in disguise, I headed back into the room. I had no idea what I looked like, because I had been instructed not to look in the mirror. The stylist started rolling my hair up into the curlers. Then they applied all sorts of make-up to make me look like a different person. They applied a product called “flesh paste”; a sticky, somewhat hard paste that you applied onto your face you could re-sculpt your features onto the fake skin. When they were done, I looked flawless- my skin was smooth and shiny, I had long eyelashes, perfectly shaped eyebrows, my eyes were defined, and my nose was small and not too pointy. I couldn’t look more different.
The stylists showed me how to apply and where and when to use twenty other products. “The makeup and fake flesh we have put on you is waterproof and can only be removed with this special oil.” Said the first stylist, holding up a bottle. “Keep this on as a base, and wash your face every night to remove the other makeup so you can start fresh in the morning.” Said the stylist, turning me towards the mirror. I looked somewhat strange, my hair in curlers and my face remolded. “Oh, and just male sure not to go into extreme heat…. Flesh paste melts. “ I took the bins and thanking the stylists, who stayed to pack up their stuff, left the bakery, and joined the agents and Kyle. I may have just imagined it, but I could have sworn I saw Kyle staring at me. Did I look that weird? The agents told us to meet them again in the morning, and I headed home.










Chapter 5: Samantha Arthur
The next morning, I woke up at 4:00 AM to begin my transformation. Since the agents and the stylists never told me my fake name, I decided to call myself Samantha Arthur. I started with the outfit, a $300 designer dress that I have been dreaming of trying on since I was a little girl. It was pink and covered with rhinestones and glitter. Then, after I had put on the matching purse and shoes, I undid my curlers and began my makeup for the day. When I had finished getting into disguise I stepped back and looked into the mirror. I looked so different! Alexa would never recognize me.
I left the house at around 5:00 AM and ran to the dock to meet Kyle and the agents. Kyle was wearing a camera and tourist costume. He had a baseball cap that hid his face so that Alexa wouldn’t recognize him and hid a secret camera. “Ok, ready to go?” asked Kyle. “Sure” Kyle and I left to go to where the agents told us Alexa would be. Once we arrived at the park, we saw Alexa watching her Chihuahua, Sparkles. “Are you ready for this?” asked Kyle. “Not really, but I have to do this sooner or later.” I started walking towards Alexa. “Well goodbye, random stranger!” I said, talking to Kyle loud enough so that Alexa could hear. “Maybe later we can go fly on my private jet to my fathers movie studio!” I said, nearly shouting now to get Alexa’s attention. I could see Kyle laughing at me under his hat. I must have looked ridiculous screaming like that. Suddenly, Alexa turned around to face me. “Who are you?” she asked. “ I am Samantha Arthur, umm…my dad is a famous director and I am very rich and stylish.” Kyle could barely contain his laughter now. He was rolling around on the grass. I guess its weird to tell people your rich and stylish when you meet them? “Um… do you know that weird guy rolling around on the grass? “ asked Alexa. “No, no idea. Do you want to go…. um…..to that restaurant where really rich people go? Rich dish?” I asked. “ You can pay for that place? Sure!” Alexa picked up her Chihuahua and we left for Rich Dish. Kyle followed us, trying to not be noticed.
Once we were at Rich Dish, Alexa and I talked for hours while we waited for our food. First we talked about fashion and our fathers. Once I gained her trust, she told me a lot of personal stuff, like how she was adopted and how she feels pressured to be perfect all the time. Then I decided that I was going to use this to my advantage. “So what do you think of that Kalea girl?” I asked. “Ewww….don’t even get me started. I don’t understand how Kyle could like such a loser.” I guess I shouldn’t have hoped that she would secretly like me. Finally I decided it was time to get to business. “So I hear your going to perform in the GHL.” I said. “ That’s right!” she replied, stroking Sparkles. “You know, that thing makes a lot of money.” I said, raising one eyebrow. “Yeah… I guess.” I could tell she was starting to think I was very strange, so I decided to just go ahead and say it. “I would do anything for that money…. Maybe even steal it.” “Steal it?” Alexa asked, staring right into me. “ Yeah. Wouldn’t you steal it?” “No, I don’t think I would. My dad already has enough money to get me everything I want. Plus, they might not let me record my show anymore if I was a thief.” I was quite flabbergasted. I really thought that Alexa would confess.
“Well, I need to go.” I was so disappointed. I left the resteraunt, leaving Alexa with enough money to pay for our meals. Luckly the agents had given me $1,000 for the mission. Kyle followed me, close behind. When we got back to the agents, I told them what had happened. “Oh my” remarked Flostoc. “Well that’s strange. Clearly you did not earn Alexa’s trust.” Said Flostoc. “But Alexas going to ask that dancer, Maria, for the codes on Tuesday! We only have one more day to get her to admit to the crime!” I flopped down onto the dock in defeat.
“ Well, we need to go to plan B.” Said Cruffle. “Kyle, you will do the interview with Alexa, try to get her to admit to her crimes. Kalea, you will continue pretending to be Samantha Arthur. It’s possible she would still confess. Meanwhile, we will go undercover at the bank, in case Alexa tries to steal the money on Tuesday. Hey, doesn’t your father work at the bank? Can you get us a job there?” Cruffle asked. “Um sure, I guess I can try” I responded. “But what about school!?! Tomorrow is Monday and my family will know something’s up.“ “I’ll handle that. OK, everyone rest up. Tomorrow’s a big day.” Said Cruffle. Suddenly Apolian turned in a circle and jumped three times. “What is wrong with you?” said Flostoc. Then we all parted, thinking about what was to come.






Chapter 6: Make It Happen!
The next morning, I slipped into my designer outfit for the day and prepared my purple makeup to match the purple floral dress. Kyle and I were going to go to the set of Make It Happen! Apparently, Alexa is allowed out of school to film her TV show. Kyle would do his interview and “Samantha Arthur” would visit her new best friend Alexa. When I went downstairs, my mom was reading her emails on her computer. “I had no idea the public schools have off today and tomorrow for National Chipmunk Day and Worldwide Celebration of Clowns Day!” I barely contained my laughter. I couldn’t believe the agents figured out how to break into the email account for the school but couldn’t think of decent fake holidays. “Ill be back later mom, OK?” Once we arrived, Kyle and I went to the front door. “Did your mom get the chipmunk email too?” asked Kyle, winking. A tall guard with dark skin and big sunglasses stood at the door holding a clipboard. He almost looked similar to the CIA agents. “Name?” he asked. Kyle was hiding behind the wall, waiting until I went inside so Alexa didn’t think we knew each other. “Samantha Arthur. I’m Alexa’s friend. We went to Rich Dish together yesterday.” “Hmmm….let me ask Alexa. I’ll be right back.” The guard went inside the studio. After several minutes, the guard returned with a visitors pass with my picture and name on it. “Here you go” Just before the door slammed behind me, I caught a glimpse of Kyle approaching the guard.
I went to Alexa’s dressing room and knocked. She answered immediately, giving me a huge hug, a fizzy drink of some sort, and offered me a big fluffy chair to sit on. “So, why did you walk out on me yesterday?” asked Alexa, offering me some nuts from a large dish. “Um…. My dad had a private jet waiting for me. I was going to Paris on a shopping spree for my birthday.” “Ohhh…. Ok”. “Alexa was staring at herself in the mirror now, finshing up the final touches before the show. I asked Alexa more about her show, pretending not to know exactly what it was. “So you know, about the GHL funds, I know your planning on stealing them.” This wasn’t part of the plan, but I was running out of time and since Alexa would never meet Samantha Arthur again anyways, so I didn’t have to worry about loosing her trust. “Let me in on the plan, and I wont tell anyone.” Alexa stared at me, flabergausted. “I’m not going to steal that money! I seriously have no idea what on earth you are talking about! I don’t know what you want, but get OUT of my dressing room or I’ll call security. I walked out of the dressing room, disappointed, shocked, and confused. I could only hope Kyle was getting the information we need.
I ducked behind a wall, watching Alexa from a distance. She headed towards the interview room, where Kyle was already sitting. “Alright, lets shoot one.” Said the director. “3…2…1…. Action!” “Hey Everybody! Alexa Frocosno here, with your latest news. This is my friend Kyle, who works at Hawaiian Shaved Ice. Say hello to the people Kyle.” “Oh…. Um hi.” Said Kyle. “So…. Um… yeah…. I hear your like going backstage at the GHL for your show and stuff…. So is that like true?” I couldn’t help but laugh. And Kyle thought I was a bad actor. “Um, actually, no. Where did you hear that? The code is Confidential.”
Suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. A group of guards were walking towards me. They couldn’t see me watching the show being recorded or I would be toast. I darted across the hall. I could hear them getting closer. I sprinted towards the exit, knocking down all sorts of trophies and awards. I headed to my right, no longer sure which way I should be going. I ended up at a dead end. The guards were about to turn the corner, and then I would be trapped. I headed into a random door.
I saw the agents, at least I thought they were the agents, but I couldn’t be sure sense they were dressed in leather jackets, torn jeans, and bandannas, staring right at me. They also seemed to have beards, which they didn’t have yesterday. “Um… hello there.” I said. I was confused. I thought they were going to the bank. “We had a feeling you were going to get yourself into trouble, so we came here. Quickly, the guards will break down the door. Get into the tunnel and hold on.” Said Cruffle. I climbed into the tunnel that Cruffle pointed to. There was a large chair on a conveyor belt. Please sit down and hold on,” said the machine, in a girl’s voice. I hopped into the chair and held on. Suddenly I felt the floor drop from under me, and I raced through a series of tubes, slides, and turns. Finally I plummeted downward, landing in a large sack filled with cotton balls. I looked around, seeing a cold, grey, room filled with all sorts of gadgets, including a whole wall filled with strange dark guns and liquids in colorful bottles, a large case full of watches, cameras, binoculars, lock picking devices, laser pointers, and more. I tumbled out of the cotton balls, and down the tube came the agents. “Welcome to our temporary headquarters, located in the Central Honolulu bank. Your father gave us the jobs.” Said Flostoc. “We have a lot of work to do before tomorrow, so you can head home now.” Suddenly Apolian broke into a series of dance moves. He clapped 4 times, and did a back handspring followed by a cheerleading jump. The agents stared at him, finding his behavior very weird. I left the room and headed home.







Chapter 7: Cracking Codes
That night, after I had gotten into my pajamas, Kyle arrived at my door. “Ummmm…” I said, after I opened the door to see an alarmed Kyle holding his laptop. “Sorry to bother you this late, but I’m a bit nervous. I think there’s something weird going on with these agents. Kyle barged into our house and began pacing frantically. “You see, I told my uncle….” “Kyle! You weren’t supposed to tell anyone!” I interrupted. “Will you just let me finish!” Kyle said, slamming the computer down on the couch. I could tell something was really wrong. “So anyway, my uncle works with the government and stuff. He says there are no agent Cruffle, Apolian, or Flostoc on record. I told him about Apolians strange behavior, and he directed me to this site.” Kyle opened his laptop, clicked Internet, and typed in the website crackingcodes.com. “So you really think Apolian is trying to give us some sort of sign or message?” I asked skeptically. “Yes,” he replied, wringing his hands as he waited for the computer to load.
While Kyle worked feverishly on finding the code Apolian was using, I made us large mugs of hot cocoa. If Kyle and I were going to solve this, he needed to calm down. When I sat back on the sofa with our drinks, Kyle had already narrowed it down to two possible codes. “So, would you describe Apolian’s movements as dance moves or motions of the hands?” he asked. “Um…. I guess dance moves.” “Ok” Kyle clicked the link and it showed what hundred of movements meant. “What movements have we seen so far?” I asked. “Luckily, Cruffle told me to take detailed notes on everything involving the case. Oh, here we go” Kyle flipped to a page in a large notebook. It read: He pulled his cuff twice, and then clicked his shoes twice. Then, he turned in a circle and jumped three times. Lastly, he spun in a circle, clapped 4 times, and did a back handspring followed by a cheerleading jump. Kyle looked up the dance moves while I took a long sip of the hot cocoa.
Suddenly, I heard a noise from upstairs. Nalani came down the stairs and walked to the refrigerator to get a glass of milk. She was wearing pink footie pajamas, and she appeared not to notice us. “Hi! I’m Kyle, and you must be Nalani. I’ve heard a lot about you…..” said Kyle. Suddenly Nalani approached us and sat down. This was odd behavior for her- she barely ever goes near anybody besides my family. She just sat there, staring at us, drinking her milk, and reading a book called Treasure Island. I would have been more fascinated by her behavior, had I not been in the middle of this mystery. “Is it ok if we talk about it while she is here?” I asked Kyle. “Yeah, sure. Alright, so I looked up the sequence of movements- pull of cuff twice, clicking of shoes twice, turning in a circle, three jumps, 4 claps, back handspring, cheer jump- but no translation came up using either of the two codes it was narrowed down to.”
Kyle looked defeated and tired. He picked up his laptop and headed for the door. It was nearly closed behind him when Nalani cried out “Wait!” The door slowly reopened and Kyle reentered. “Yes?” he asked. Both Kyle and I stared at Nalani, shocked. Still not looking up from her book, Nalani began to speak quickly and quietly. “I believe the code you speak of used to be used In Hawaii, many years ago. I have a book about it in my room.” Suddenly Nalani stood up from the chair she was sitting in and left to go upstairs. “Well, I guess that’s it then. I’m pretty sure that’s the most Nalani’s ever spoken to anyone before besides me, so I don’t think we’ll get anything else out of her” Kyle sighed and took a long sip of the hot cocoa.
Suddenly, Nalani appeared holding a book called The History of Hawaii. She sat down in between Kyle and I and pointed to the symbols that described the movements we had seen. “The cheerleading jump is actually a move used during Hawaiian luaus.” Nalani scribbled some stuff on a piece of paper, working on cracking the code. I would have paid more attention to what she was doing, except I was too flabbergasted at her sudden change in behavior. Several minutes later, Nalani had written down the translation of the message. MEET ME TUESDAY 6 B at 7. Immediately, Kyle and I began to try to understand the message. We understood the meet me Tuesday part, but since three of the actions translated to numbers/letters, we could not understand what Apolian was trying to tell us. “Are you sure?” I asked. “Positive,” replied Nalani. She looked almost offended that I had doubted her translation. ‘Maybe this person wants to meet you at 7 o’clock,” Said Nalani. I agreed- that made sense. But did 6B stand for something? Like 6 Balloons? Or was something just called 6B?
“Well, lets think about this. What’s the missing thing we need to know? Where to meet. So 6B must be a meeting place. And I’m guessing it would have to be a location he’s been to while in Hawaii, so either the dock or the shack or the bank, probably. So do any of those places have coordinates? “ asked Kyle. “The bank has numbered office rooms and vaults!” I said. I went onto the bank website and located 6B on the map. “I guess we are supposed to meet Apolian there in the morning then.” Kyle smiled, and, thanking Nalani, exited the house.