Drama Queen Read online

  The sun was beginning to set and EJ was beginning to feel more than a little tired. She smiled as the SHINE pick-up car pulled up near the storage area. She might have arrived in a delivery truck but she was going home in the SHINE limousine. After all, who would notice it on a movie set? As she opened the door and climbed in, the driver’s screen slid back. It was Agent LP30.

  ‘Well done, EJ12. We will have you home in no time. There’s a Triple-S in the fridge for you.’

  EJ didn’t need to be told twice: a Triple S was a SHINE Super Sub, a roll that A1 herself had created for feeding agents on the move. It was a long bread roll with a hole cut in the top. Bread was then scooped out and the sub was filled with chicken, carrot, cheese, lettuce and tomato plus her own top-secret recipe mayonnaise. Nothing ever fell out of the roll. EJ took the sub out of the fridge and started eating. It was good. The driver’s screen slid back again.

  ‘I have A1 on the video phone for you, EJ,’ said LP30.

  ‘Okay, thanks, LP,’ said EJ, as she leant forward and touched the widescreen TV that spanned the back of the driver’s seat. A1’s face appeared on the screen.

  ‘Hello and well done, EJ12. Not only did you stop Sydney Radisson destroying the large reservoir, you discovered the antidote, which has allowed us to return the first reservoir to normal.’

  ‘And,’ said EJ, ‘there is another SHADOW scientist, Professor Tekcor.’

  ‘Yes, EJ,’ replied A1. ‘I want to know more about her. And we still have Dr Hill.’

  ‘So you didn’t give her back?’ asked EJ.

  ‘Absolutely not, EJ,’ replied A1. ‘Thanks to you, we didn’t need to.’

  The limousine turned into EJ’s street as A1 continued.

  ‘You must be nearly home now, EJ12, but good work again. Oh, and EJ?’

  ‘Yes, A1?’

  ‘Keep an eye on that naughty kitten of yours. SHINE out.’

  ‘What, I mean pardon, A1?’ said EJ, but it was too late, A1 had gone.

  EJ remembered her diary drama. It didn’t seem so important any more but all of sudden she remembered Inky taking her ribbon and her muddy little paws...

  The driver’s screen slid back again.

  ‘ SHINE home delivery complete, EJ12. See you soon.’

  ‘Thanks, LP30.’

  EJ walked up to her front door and rang the bell. Her mum opened it, as she knew she would.

  ‘Hi, Em,’ Emma’s mum cried giving her a little hug, and then a little too loudly, ‘How was Isi?’

  ‘Fine mum,’ said Emma. ‘What’s been happening here?’

  ‘Just watching a movie,’ replied Mum. ‘Do you want to join us? It’s only just started.’

  ‘Oh no, that’s okay,’ said Emma. ‘I think I’ll just go to bed.’ She walked down the hallway past the living room where Dad and Bob and Inky and Pip were on the sofa. ‘Bob,’ Emma said.

  ‘Hmm?’ replied her brother.

  ‘I was wrong about the diary. I’m sorry, that was really dumb.’

  ‘Yeah,’ began Bob but then obviously thought better of it. ‘Thanks, Em.’

  Emma smiled as she walked into her bedroom.

  A few months later, Emma was at the movies with her best friends, Hannah, Isi and Elle at a preview of Spy Movie 2. As Sydney Radisson came on the screen, the audience cheered. Everyone except Emma.

  ‘It’s funny,’ said Han to Emma. ‘She has been really quiet lately. I don’t think she has been in another movie since this one, has she?’

  Emma shrugged her shoulders. ‘Not sure, Han,’ she replied. ‘Oh look, the movie’s starting.’

  And with that, the girls settled down to watch the movie, popcorn and ice-creams in hand. Every now and then one of them would whisper to Emma, ‘You don’t really do that stuff do you, Em?’ and Emma would just smile.

  Then Isi leant in towards her and whispered, ‘I wish I could come OM one time, Em.’

  ‘That would be cool,’ agreed Emma, who wondered if A1 would think it was a good idea. ‘But I don’t see how. Hey, hold on, Is, here comes the final scene.’

  The girls watched, entranced. Sydney Radisson stood alone on the bridge as a helicopter hovered above her. She threw an orange bottle over the edge and the camera swept across the reservoir and, then, under the bridge. Just for a moment there was a glimpse of something and someone shooting out from under the bridge on what looked like a bike seat on a pole. It was a girl, a girl with blondish hair, wearing black shorts and a t-shirt with a pink cap. And she was stretching out, as if she were trying to catch something.

  ‘Hey!’ Hannah nudged Elle.

  ‘Hey!’ Elle nudged Isi.

  ‘Hey!’ Isi nudged Emma. ‘Isn’t that you, Em?’

  ‘Um, well...’ began Emma.

  ‘It so was!’ cried Isi, trying to whisper, unsuccessfully. ‘You’re a movie star.’

  And just for a split second she was, with a little help from EJ12!

  Emma Jacks and EJ12 will return in

  BOOK 9

  OUT OF THIS WORLD

  Read the first chapter at

  ej12girlhero.com

  Back Cover Material

  DRAMA QUEEN

  SHADOW is up to something with the water supply, but what could it possibly have to do with the filming of a new action movie?

  Special Agent EJ12 needs to keep her eye on the big picture. She needs to infiltrate the movie set and stop SHADOW before it's too late.

  That's the easy part.

  As EJ12, Emma Jacks can do anything.

  So why is she getting worked up over the little things at home?

  Perhaps she isn't after all.