Hey Sarge

Chapter 9 : The mission and a birthday

(A/N : I'll bet my right arm that all of you were clowning this weekend. So...I have a surprise! 3 chapter in 3 days! one per day. love you guys! Kisses - Al )

Did Pip ever expect getting her red string and murder broad back out?

No. After everything that had happened to her, she never wanted to do any kind of investigation ever again.

But this wasn't that.

This was a mission.

In her room were Cara and Nat. Cara in her desk chair with a pen in hand and Nat sitting right next to Pip, on the bed.

"What if we just take him?"

"Cara, that's kidnapping," That was definitely something Pip did not want to get tangled up in again.

This was going nowhere, they had tried to come up with thousands of scenarios but all of them were terrible. It's been hours.

"Maybe this just can't work." Pip said in frustration, flopping backwards, into the mattress with her arms over her eyes.

"No! Don't say that, Pippers! This will work! We've just gotta think."

"I'm too tired to think, Cara. Let's just stop."

"How about we get a snack, take a break and then come back? I think after a few gummy worms, you'll be thinking again"

Pip only peaked out of her arms ever so slightly so Nat could see her squinting eye.

This probably wasn't going to work but Pip really did want some gummy worms.

"Fine but if we don't come up with an idea in the next 15 minutes, we're watching a movie."

They all walked down the stairs to the kitchen where Josh and Pip's dad were.

"Hey girls. Come down for sustenance?"

"Yes. Do you know where the gummy worms and popcorn are?" Pip opened the cabinet that they used to be in but about a year ago, Pip's parents decided to remodel the kitchen and everything had moved.

"We have gummy worms?! How did I not know this?"Josh had disbelief and hurt written all over his face.

"We do, we just never tell you because we know that you're going to eat the whole thing." Pip's dad said as he threw the box over to Pip.

"Popcorn is in that cabinet to your left, Pickle."

"Thanks Dad."

Pip put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and started eating some of the gummy worms while watching the microwave table go round and round. This probably wasn't the safest thing to do so after a while, she tried to refocus and listen to the group's discussion.

"I'm sorry that you have been fooled into believing such lies, Mr. Amobi but Andrew Garfield is the best spiderman!"

"Oh, you just don't understand, Cara. Tobey's spiderman was just too good to be true."

"Like Tom Holland,"

"Yeah, okay Nat, You like Tom Holland because you think he's hot."

"Ewww!" Josh covered his ears dramatically.

"Well, why don't we let Pip be the tie breaker? Pip, who's your favorite spiderman."

Just as Cara asked the question, the microwave beeped and Pip took out the popcorn.

"Tobey Maguire is good and so is Tom Holland but I'd have to agree with Cara. Andrew Garfield is the best spiderman."

"Ha! Told you so." Cara said with grinning and pointing at Pip's dad.

"Okay, fine. I'll admit that he's good, but Tobey's still my favorite. Oh, by the way. I wanted to ask you something, Cara. Are you doing anything special for your birthday this year? You're reaching the big 20."

"I actually haven't thought about it. Naomi's coming from New York but that's all we have going on."

Cara's birthday was next friday. That's right. Pip had been thinking about buying her some satchel she had been talking her ear off about lately.

"Wait. guys. That's perfect."

Everyone turned to face Nat with confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Cara's birthday! This could be the perfect opportunity for the plan!"

"Oh my god! You're right, Natalie! I wish I had some smart brain cells like you do because if I did, I would've brought up my birthday hours ago."

"Thanks for the compliment?" Nat shrugged with confusion but still, with a smile on her face.

"You're welcome. Pip, what do you think?"

"I think that we need to delay our movie." she said as she bit off half of a gummy worm.

"Well, then let's get straight to planning!" Cara said, running to the stairs.

Nat and Pip grabbed the snack and left the kitchen.

"Thanks for the snacks, Dad!" Pip screamed.

"My pleasure, Pickle."

As Pip and Nat walked up the stairs, Nat looked at Pip with a cookey smile.

"You totally picked Andrew Garfield because you think he's hot."

"Yeah, yeah, just don't tell Cara." she said laughing.

—

"Hey man, I think I'm gonna order some pizza, wanna stay for dinner?"

Ravi looked over at Jamie in the same way he had all day. distantly.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening. What'd you ask?"

"Pizza. Yes or no?"

"Sure, I could have a slice or two."

"A slice or two? This isn't you, what's up?" Jamie asked, making his way over to the couch where Ravi was sitting.

"I told her that we should just be friends! Am I stupid?" he tugged at his hair.

'Why'd I tell her to be friends?'

"You're not stupid, Ravi, I took me a whole year plus a near death experience to just tell Nat that I liked her eyes. I couldn't even say 'hey, I like you in more than a friend way', no, I told that I liked her eyes."

"But at least you acknowledge that you liked something about her, maybe showing that there's a chance of something more. But me? I decided to make this platonic even though I want to be so much more."

"Maybe just give it some time, Ravi," said a voice from behind them.

Ravi and Jamie turned to see Nat leaning against the entrance of the living room.

"How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that you're still in love with Pip."

Ravi became flushed in a second.

"That is, if you're still in love with her. You are, aren't you?"

"Yes, of course. I don't think there's a way I couldn't be."

"Well, then just trust me. Wait."

"Okay." Ravi just looked up at the ceiling now. He'd been waiting for almost 2 years for this but if he had to wait even more, he would. Anything for Pip.

"Oh, also.."

Ravi looked back to Nat, who was now making her way towards the couch to sit next to Jamie.

"We are all invited to Cara's 20th birthday extravaganza next weekend."

"Extravaganza? What makes it so grand?" Jamie chuckled

"It seems like it's going to be a weekend long thing, you know how it is, it's Cara. and..we all know that birthday are better when your best friends are back in town"

Ravi caught her wink at him in the last part. Seems like he had to prepare himself for a weekend all about Cara, but Ravi knew that Cara wasn't going to be the girl on his mind. Not at all.