switched

Chapter 4: Mission to Swap

Amelia

I was really starting to like Penny. Once she had gotten past her star-struck phase, she was quite fun to hang out with, and very good at sneaking around, which is exactly what I needed.

"So this is what you and Jess do? Go to events and just watch everyone go through the door?" I said as I watched Penny adjust her binoculars for the fourth time.

"Pretty much. We get lucky sometimes. Once we actually waved to Jennifer Aniston, and she waved back. Stuff like that," she said, not taking her eyes off the view of the entrance. I don't know how she could see past the mob of paparazzi.

As for me? I had never felt so good. I was free of responsibility for a night-- no obligations, no fighting off horny teenage actors. It was quite lovely.

But I had a master plan, one that I had yet to tell anyone, even Penny, about.

All she knew was that I needed to go in and talk to Jess. What she didn't know was the plan I was proposing to her.

And oh, was it a good plan.

"Penny?"

"Mhm?"

"You remember the plan, right?"

"Yep. I cause a diversion, you sneak in and talk to Jess, you sneak back out. Easy as pie," she said, her eyes fixed on the venue's entrance.

"Alright. This'll work, right? Don't you think?"
"Of course, of course-- oh my god, I think that's Benedict Cumberbatch!" She squealed as she frantically adjusted her binoculars.

I checked my phone for the fifty seventh time that evening. 10:46pm-- approximately four minutes to launch...

So I waited. For probably the longest four minutes of my life.

As soon as my watch hit ten fifty, I put our plan in action.

"Penny?"

"Mhm?"

"You ready to create that diversion?"

She looked up at me for the first time in what seemed like forever, a devilish grin plastered to her freckled face.

"I was born ready. Just have to wait for him to be in position..." she turned her attention back to the binoculars, then smiled.

"Get ready to run, Price. You'll have thirty seconds at most."

She gently placed her binoculars beside her as she stood up and ran towards the entrance, bulldozing through paparazzi as she tackled the  man who had come out of the limo behind her.

I thought I heard her shout "I love you Daniel Radcliffe!", but I was sprinting towards the hidden side door so fast that I couldn't be sure.

I slowly slipped through the door once I was sure every guard was busy dealing with Penny, and every camera was pointed towards her.

It took me less than a minute to scale the maintenance stairwell and lock myself in a bathroom stall. I checked my phone again, finding both the time and a message from Penny.

10:53pm

Penny: evicted, but safe! U make it in ok??

Me: yeah. Thx again

Penny: anytime 😊