Theives

“Come on!” Cade shifted glancing down the hall, as I crouched picking the lock on a locker. “I’m working on it.” I hissed as the lock opened. I swung the lock open,
“Pass me my bag, would you Cade?” He handed my back pack and I pulled out a small can of paint and a electronic box and put them on the wall in the locker. I closed the locker just as the bell ran.
Emily came down the hall with Kiley, Rachel, and Lauren. “What is the emergency?”
Cade held up his phone, “Oh, you’ll see.”
I tried not to grin as Tierney walked past. Cade thread his fingers through Emily’s and she stood closer to him.
I held up my hand, “Wait for it.” Tierney opened her locker and the electronic box went off, exploding and causing the paint can to splatter all over her. I did a fit pump as Cade hunched over laughing. Emily laughed seeing the look on Tierney’s face as she looked around to see us. Lauren and Kiley were leaning on each other, trying to breath. Rachel looked like she didn’t know if she should cry or laugh.
Tierney pushed past me and into the bathroom. Emily looked over at me, grinning. “You did that?”
I nodded, “Yeah, but it was mainly Cade’s idea. I was thinking of putting squirrels in her locker. He came up with the exploding paint can.” Cade and I fist bumped.
His face was red. “That was great!”
Rachel looked at me. “I thought Tierney was good with the explosives?”
I put my hands on my hips, “She’s not the only one who can build a bomb, Rachel.”
Lauren looked approvingly at me. “And you picked the lock with a broken wrist to. Did it slow you down?”
Cade shook his head, “No, I swear I was watching her, flip the lock over, then glanced down the hall. When I looked back the locker was open.”
I shrugged, “What can I say? I’m good with locks.”
Emily nodded, “Why did you do that?”
Cade put his arm around her hand hugged her. “Cause you were so hurt by her.” He looked her in the eye, she smiled and hugged him. “Thank you.”
“Ah-hem?” I gestured towards my self. “Not to be rude, but who built the bomb, planted it and picked the lock, all with one hand?”
Emily smiled at me, “Thanks, Em.” She gave me a high-five.
I nodded, “That’s better.”
Tierney came out of the bathroom and slammed me against the lockers. “What the hell’s wrong with you?!?!”
The hall went quiet, I held up my hands. “Relax. It was just a joke.”
She pressed me harder against the locker, Kiley and Lauren moved to haul her back. I waved them off, “You thought by sneaking around, we wouldn’t get you back?”
She shook her head, “Trixy was right, your just a freaky bitch.” She walked down the hall, pushing past Lauren and Kiley.
I stepped away from the locker, everyone else in the hall stared at me. Cade stepped in front of me. “Nothing to see here!”
Kiley and Lauren started towards the kids, “Get to class.”
The kids dispersed, and our team was alone.
Emily looked at me, “What did you get?”
I held up Tierney’s phone, “How’d you know?”
She shook her head taking Tierney’s phone from me and pulling out her phone scanner.
“You didn’t want Kiley and Lauren to beat her ass.”
I nodded, Rachel ducked into a class room. “Goody two shoes.” Lauren muttered, before waving us to follow her. She lead us to the auditorium, we stood in the back as Emily searched Tierney’s phone.
My phone rang.
“Hey, Graves.” I answered it.
“Okay, so I’m running a search on Tierney’s phone. You were right, she’s sending Trixy information on us.” Keys typed. “Shit, she told them all about us.”
Emily swore, Kiley shook her head, Lauren kicked the wall, Cade crossed his arms. I ran my hand through my hair. “Anything else?”
Graves swore. “She told them we were onto Cade.”
“Shit.” I muttered, rubbing my face with my hand. Emily leaned back against the wall. “What now?”
We were all silent, Graves spoke up, “We could play her for a loop.”
Emily looked intrigued. “Explain.” We all moved towards my phone.
“Okay, so she told them all about each of you, and your skill. What if we didn’t act as we would?” Graves typed faster. “What if we changed?”
I nodded, “That would work.”
Cade looked at us, “Let’s get to work.”
“Okay, Kiley start thinking like Rachel, Lauren too. Emily like Em. Then Em you think like Tierney. Then Cade start to think like me.” Graves sighed, thinking. “If we think and act like each other. Then they will be confused. They won’t see it coming.”
Emily grinned, “We can study each other after school.”
I rolled my eyes. “I am sooo not following Tierney around.”
Lauren laughed, “That would be great.” Kiley gave her a high-five, “That would start World War 3.”
I shook my head, “Sadly, that’s funny.” They nodded and snickered.
“Hate to be a kill joy, but where’s Tierney now?” Graves asked, sounding worried.
Emily and I exchanged a look. “Oh, shit.” Emily swore, we looked horrified. I rubbed my face, “She’s at lunch with Trixy.”
The group froze, we all were silent. The sound of heels on the granite floor grew louder. I snatched up my phone and hung up. We backed up to the wall. The door opened, Trixy walked in followed by Tierney. I moved to grab Tierney from behind and Emily grabbed my arm and shook her head. I gave her a ‘but… but… but…” look.
“I thought you said they where here?” Trixy put her hands on her hips. Tierney looked frantically around. I propped open the door with my foot and gestured for everyone to slip out. Emily looked back and I gave her a mischievous look as the door swung closed. I ducked into the shadows, Trixy and Tierney spun to search for the noise.
I moved along the wall every few steps making some noise, drawing them further into the auditorium. I slipped up the steps to the stage and back stage.
“Who’s there?” Trixy’s frightened voice called. I stood still, unmoving.
“Em, I know that’s you!” Tierney’s angry voice shouted. I rolled my eyes, and walked silently towards the back doors.
“Don’t be rude, Em. Come say hello!” Tierney’s voice carried.
I opened the door with a quiet click and slid through the narrow opening. I jogged down the hall, and around the corner. Kiley was waiting for me. “Where the hell did you go?”
I grinned, “On a marry chase.” She shook her head,
“Emily said to wait for you. She’s going to meet us in lunch. She wants us to disappear for the rest of the period.”
I nodded, “Sounds like a good idea.” Walked with her towards the band room, which was empty this period. We sat in the cold metal seats, leaning back.
Kiley put her feet up on another chair. “So what now?”
I shrugged, “Emily will come up with something.”
I crossed my arms and slid down in the chair.
Kiley crossed her ankles, “She usually does.”
I glanced towards the door, just in time to see Trixy and Tierney storm by. I snickered as Tierney caught my eye. She stopped dead in her tracks, her angry glare fixed on me. I just grinned and flicked my eyebrows. She flipped me off and followed Trixy.
Kiley laughed, “What did you do to piss her off, again?”
I put my hands behind my head, “I snuck up on stage, drawing their attention. Then disappeared.”
Kiley nodded grinning, “That would do it.”
I sighed, “She knew it was me, but couldn’t find me. That’s what really did it.” Then I remembered. “Not to mention the paint prank from this morning.”
Kiley laughed, “I didn’t get to tell you, but that was great.” She held up her hands. “The look on her face was priceless.” She dropped her hands into her lap.
I looked a her, “It was, wasn’t it. I need to thank Cade for the idea. Who knew he was a prankster?”
Kiley pushed up her glasses, “I sure didn’t. I thought he was one of the popular assholes we avoid.”
I twisted my hair around my fingers. “Same here, but I guess we were wrong.”
Kiley made a sad face. “And we’re never wrong.”
The bell rang, and we left walking towards the lunch room. I got half way before I stopped in the middle of the hall.
I swore, “Shit! Kiley, I left my phone in the band room, I need to go get it.” I walked backward a few paces, she turned to follow me.
“Hey, tell Emily, I’ll be a minute.” I waved her back as I spun and jogged down the hall.
“Okay,” She called after me.
I jogged back into the band hallway. I looked around and Tierney stepped out of the band room. “What was that?” She swore stomping towards me.
I shrugged, “I don’t know?”
She shook her head, “If you had just stayed put, she would have given up more information.”
I nodded, “Sorry, I was thinking on my feet.” I put my hands in my pockets.
She pointed at me. “After school, the wear house. Training.”
I nodded, “You got it.” We fist bumped and left. I walked into lunch, Emily looked up, and the team looked over to me.
I sat down next to Kiley and across from Emily.
“So… What’s the plan?” I asked, picking at my wrist brace.
Emily pushed her notebook at me. I read it, while everyone watched.
“So we’re going with Graves plan?” I looked up, putting my hand on the notebook. Rachel ignored us, she sat reading her book, while Abby chartered at her. Abby looked at me, a flicker of dislike crossed her face, I frowned.
“Thus we change our skills,” Lauren was looking from person to person. “This better work.”
Kiley put her head down. “I’m sooo confused. So I’m supposed to be like Rachel? Will I need to stuff my shirt?”
We all laughed, Rachel looked up. “That was uncalled for.”
I raised my eyebrow. “Really? I think it was called for.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, or tried to. Lauren laughed, “That doesn’t help your case.” I gave her a high-five, as Rachel scowled.
Emily sighed, smiling. “No matter how fun it is making fun of Rachel’s boobs,”
“Melons.” Kiley’s muffled voice said, we all snickered.
“Okay, Kiley. We need to start thinking, cause who knows when we’ll get another chance into the house.” Emily finished as Cade leaned forward on the table.
“I say we have Graves hack into Trixy’s iPad and get you invites to her next party.”
We considered this. “Good idea.” Rachel chirped.
I got a thought. “Wait, Cade.” I held up my hand. “When’s that shipment coming in?”
He thought a second. “Tomorrow around five.” He looked puzzled.
Emily and I made eye contact. She saw where I was taking this.
“So we jump them.” I said pointing to the table. “That way they won’t see us coming.” Emily nodded, “That’s a good plan.”
Kiley lifted her head and looked at me. “I thought you were supposed to be like Tierney, not Emily.”
Emily shot Kiley a silencing look. “She’s nothing like me! Where the hell did you get that idea from?”
Kiley shrugged, “Well, she’s making up plans now. That’s what you usually do.”
Cade shook his head, “Em is nothing like Emily. I mean they share the same name, but that’s about it.” Emily smiled at him. Before fixing Kiley with a glare. “Exactly, and I’m still making up the plans.”
Kiley nodded, “Never mind, forget it.”
Lauren patted Kiley’s hung head.
Abby was staring at me with a distasteful look. I avoided her gaze and looked down at my hands. Emily caught the look and looked confused. “What was that look for?”
I shook my head, my hair falling into my face. “Nothing.”
Emily pulled out her phone and started typing. My phone buzzed. I looked at it, I had a text from Emily,
“What’s wrong? It’s not like you to give a one word answer.”
I looked over at her and wrote,
“I’m just not in the mood for an argument.”
Then I texted Tierney’s other phone, the one she had for this mission.
“Abby’s on to us. We need to cover our tracks.”
I put my phone back in my pocket.