The road trip to a gas station

“Road trip!” Maddie yelled to me

“What?” I said my eyes glued to my phone “We never go on road trips! What’s going on?”

“Nothing!” Maddie said quickly

I narrowed my eyes at her

Maddie swept past me grabbing all my devices

“Hey!” I shouted “Give those back! I was texting my friends!"

You can talk to them instead.” Maddie said

“What?”

 “I invited your friends to come!”

“What?” I shouted even louder

“You need a bigger vocabulary than just ‘What’ ” Maddie mocked me “Anyway, I emailed they’re parents last night and everyone is coming!” Maddie said this like it was good news

I just stood there gaping at her for a few minutes. 

I’m sorry, you must be very confused. Let me rewind the tape.

I’m Jennifer Wiggins Maddie is my big sister Madeline Wiggins.  

I spent the first few hours of the road trip with my arms crossed over my chest. Maddie was up to something. She would never just spring a surprise road trip on me and there was NO WAY she would bring my friends with her. She was definitely up to something.

Maddie kept trying to lighten the mood “Come on guys. It’s not that bad.” or “Ninety nine bottles of milk on the wall ninety nine bottles of milk.” or when we were on a bridge “Did you see that? It looked like a seal!”

After the second hour and five pit stops. Elizabeth (we call her Lizzie), Cassie (we call her Cass) and I (If you forgot, my name is Jennifer and my friends call me Jen. Though of course Maddie I was always Little J.)  warmed up to the idea of a road trip but we were still mad at Maddie. It was her fault we had no cell service.

After five hours and at least ten pit stops we reached our destination. Now, don’t ask  me where we were. I still have no idea where we were. It was literally the middle of nowhere. We were in the middle of the desert and the only human civilization around was an old abandoned gas station.

“Where are we?” I asked

“Dunno.” Lizzie answered unhelpfully

“Ugghhh!” Cass Moaned as she got out of the minivan Maddie rented “There’s still no signal!”

Lizzie and I gave Cass a look that said Why? 

“What?” Cass said “You know I have to keep my followers updated!”

I rolled my eyes. Cass took every opportunity she had to remind Lizzie and I that she had 50,000 followers. (Give or take a few hundred.)

"update your followers?” Lizzie said “update your  followers how? Are you going to tell them we’re stuck in the middle of the deserts?”

“Uh, yeah!” Cass said “Why else would I say?”

My friends aren’t usually this routy. They just haven’t been without WIFI for five hours in a long time.

“Everyone settle down.” Maddie intervened “Why don’t we check out the old gas station.”

I eyed Maddie suspiciously. She was acting super weird.

“You guys notice how weird Maddie is acting right? It’s not just just me, is it?”

“No, it’s not just you.” I said relieved that it wasn’t just me either

“But what is she up to?” Cass asked

“I don’t know yet.” I said walking ahead “But I’m going to find out.”

“Okay.” Cass said

“If you say so.” Lizzie said

“Don’t doubt me.” I warned

“Come on slow pokes!” Maddie yelled back

We all rushed ahead to catch up with Maddie. As we walked through the doorway I got the creeps. 

“You feel that too?” I whispered to Cass and Lizzie

They both nodded their heads. 

Lizzie, Cass, and I were freaked out by the old gas station. But Maddie acted like the abandoned shack was home.

“This place is kinda creepy don’t you think?” I asked Maddie

“Hmm?” Maddie said whipping her head around to look at me

“What are you looking for?” I asked

“Nothing!” Maddie said “What was your question?”

“I just asked if you think this place is creepy?” I said “Like something is out of place?”

“Out of place? Creepy? What do you mean? It’s not creepy!” Maddie said

“Okay,” I said backing away

“So what did you find out?” Cass said from behind me.

I jumped 

“Relax, it’s just me.” Cass said

“I know, you startled me.” I said

“So, what did you find out?”

“Not much,” I paused for a second. “Actually, nothing, I learned nothing!”

“What happened?” Lizzie’s head popped into view

“Jenn says she found out nothing, nothing!” Cass said before I could open my mouth “Can you believe it?”

“Nooo!”

“IKR!”

I ignored my friend squabbling and tried to focus on the task at hand. I searched the room for anything that seemed off, just like what Maddie was doing.

I spotted it five seconds before Maddie did. Maddie started climbing toward the expired gum. That was it! That was what she was looking for!

“What is it?” I asked innocently, reaching toward the gum.

“DON’T TOUCH IT!” Maddie bellowed

“Sorry!” I said “But what is it?”

“Umm. . .” Maddie looked embarrassed she yelled “Probably has lots of germs on it.”

“Yeah, your right.” I said

A packet of candy from one of the old vending machines was thrown across the room and hit the packet of gum.

Maddie’s head whipped around “Who threw that?”

Nobody answered. Everyone was too busy staring at the wall, something was happening. The wall started to groan and turn. Clearly it hadn’t been used in ages.

“Let’s just ignore that okay?” Maddie’s voice sounded faint

A man started to appear in the whole in the wall. He looked like he was coming up an elevator.

“Agent M. your case went wonderfully!” his voice boomed as he started to turn around “That’s why we have asked you here today!”

Who was Agent M. ? Did the guy know we were behind him? Was he sharing “classified” information?

“We have decided to promote you to. . .” he was almost done turning around (this guy was taking forever) “. . . Why are there children in my office? Agent M. what did you do?”

Who was agent M. ?

Slowly it dawned on me. Maddie was the only person in the room whose name starts with an M. All heads turned toward “Agent M.”

“Umm. . .” this was very awkward for Maddie “Why don’t we discuss this over tea?”

Nope! This was not happening! Maddie was not a spy! 

“You’re a spy?” I blurted

“Well, technically?” Maddie said

“What do you mean ‘technically’? ” I demanded

“Yes.” Maddie squeaked

Boig

Plop

Ding

“AHHHHH!!!!!”

I was too freaked out to process what those sounds meant. The screaming might have been me though.

“What’s going on?” Maddie and her - I’m gonna call him a - boss both said at the same time

“I don’t know!” Cass said although the question wasn’t directed to her

I had forgotten that Cass and Lizzie were still there.

When I analyzed the situation I saw Maddie and her boss wearing puffy pants titled: FIRE PROOF PANTS.  Lizzie, Cass, and I were all tied to a telephone wire next to each other. Suddenly Maddie and her boss’s pants caught fire!

“AHHHHH!!!” I screamed

“AHHHHH!!!” screamed Cass

“AHHHHH!!!” screamed Lizzie

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” we all screamed together

We all screamed and flailed our arms, still stuck on the hanging wire.

“Calm down!” Maddie said

“HOW CAN WE CALM DOWN???” I yelled “YOUR PANTS ARE ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!”

“I know,” Maddie said “but our pants are fire proof didn’t you see the label?”

“Oh.” I calmed down

Cass and Lizzie were still freaking out. I wasn’t sure they heard Maddie.

“You guys,” I said “it’s okay. They're wearing fire proof pants.”

“It’s not okay! Maddie is totally a liar! She’s a spy!” I couldn’t tell who was saying what through the panicking.

“We’re not going to call her a liar.” I said “But her pants may be on fire.”

“Says the person hanging from  a telephone wire.” Maddie replied

"Well, well, well, what do we  have here?"  A  scratchy voice said from behind Maddie

“Agent R.!” Maddie’s boss shouted

“Nuhu!” the figure (Agent R.) said “it’s not Agent R. anymore. Remember that Commissioner, I’m Rouge now!” Maniacal laugh

“And now that I’ve got you in my grasp. . .” Rouge took a step forward and fell into a hole covered in leaves “Noooo!!!” he said from the bottom the hole “Stuck in my own trap!”

The whole group chuckled.

“It’s not funny!” Rouge said. I decided he was new at the whole villain thing.

Commissioner called in back up to get Rouge. When the back up came they seemed surprised that Rouge was stuck in a hole that he dug.

After the road trip I was so mad at Maddie for not telling me she was a spy, I gave her the silent treatment for a month. Maddie and I used to keep no secrets but she kept this one to herself. 

After the long, quiet month I decided Maddie needed me. Maddie had become so sad, I felt really bad for her. I missed her too.

At the beginning of February I walked up to her and said “Maddie, why didn't you tell me you’re a spy? You know you can tell me anything” 

Maddie looked up at me “I know, but it was for your own good. Three years ago mom and dad died”  

“I know! From a car crash you already told me.” I said, I didn’t like it when she brought up the mom and dad topic 

“Not exactly” she said “Mom and Dad left for a mission, Rouge’s sister, Rhonda was trying to take over the world.”

“Isn’t that what villains do in cartoons?” I interrupted

“Yes, it is.” Maddie said, annoyed “Anyway, Rhonda was trying to take over the world.”

“So, she was evil.” I said

“No,” Maddie said “She was forced to do it by her boss / father, Raggie.”

“Wait a second.” I said as Maddie rolled her eyes “So, the brother’s name is Rouge, the sister’s name is Rhonda, and the dad's name is Raggie? Then what’s the mom’s name?”

“Michelle.” Maddie said 

I started cracking up then I saw her face “Oh, you're serious.”

“Rhonda seceded with her task by putting a tiny chip in everyone on earth.” Maddie continued “The chips had remote control access to her so she could control anyone and everyone who stood in her path.” 

“Hold on!” I said 

“What is it?” Maddie sighed

“Rhonda put a tiny chip inside of everybody on earth?” I asked

“I know,” Maddie said sarcastically “so unbelievable.”

“So what does any of this have to do with Mom and Dad?” I asked

“Just listen!” Maddie said “Mom and Dad found a way to destroy the chip.”

“That’s great!”

“But it would destroy them as well .”

“Booo!”

Maddie looked even sadder than before. 

I didn’t know what to say to her so I said “I forgive you!”

Maddie smiled as I hugged her.