On The Ball Read Free Page A

a small, reddish-blonde haired girl came out of the middle dressing room. A smile burst onto EJ’s face, and the girl grinned back.
    â€˜CC12!’ cried EJ.
    â€˜EJ12,’ cried the girl.
    â€˜CC, are you going to the training camp too? That’s so cool!’ cried EJ, who had met Agent CC12 when they were both on a mission inside a chocolate cake factory. Any butterflies EJ had had about going to the camp flew away when she saw CC.
    CC gave EJ a big hug.
    â€˜Okay girls, I am pleased you are so happy to see each other but we need to keep moving,’ said A1 smiling. ‘There will be plenty of time to talk on the train. Agents EJ12 and CC12, our train is ready.’
    And with that A1 pushed a button under the bench behind her. The wall at the end of the operations room slid back to reveal another Mission Tube and a silver bullet train.
    â€˜All aboard the SHINE camp express!’ said A1.



EJ12 remembered the SHINE bullet train, indeed, she had driven it once on a mission. Today she was a passenger with about twenty other agents of different ages. They were all dressed in the SHINE issue grey track pants and hoodies. Everyone seemed to be talking excitedly at once: it was just like the bus on school camp.
    A1 went up to the front and gave the driver the all clear to depart. As EJ and CC walked towards the back of the train, they saw another girl that looked about their age, sitting alone.
    â€˜Can we sit with you?’ EJ asked.
    â€˜Sure,’ replied the girl smiling. ‘I’m Agent KM12, under-twelve fast-transport division and general missions.’
    EJ sat next to her. ‘I’m EJ12, under-twelve code-cracking division and general missions.’
    â€˜And I’m CC12,’ said CC. ‘Under-twelve surveillance division and general missions.’
    â€˜We’ve got most areas covered,’ laughed KM. ‘Between us we should be able to take on anything.’
    The girls giggled and began to talk. As they all had the same security clearance, they could talk about their missions. Sometimes the hardest thing about being a secret agent was having to keep it a secret.
    â€˜What’s been your favourite mission so far, EJ?’ asked KM.
    â€˜It would have to be the chocolate cake factory one,’ said EJ, smiling at CC. ‘Not only did I finally work out how to bake a cupcake but I met CC. It was fun doing part of a mission with someone else.Although, actually, the Antarctica one was pretty amazing. I saw thousands of baby penguins and rode the SHINE mobile.’
    â€˜I love SHINE mobiles,’ cried KM. ‘Have you used them on open seas yet? You can go over 100 kilometres an hour. It is awesome!’
    â€˜That sounds pretty fast,’ said CC. ‘I normally have to stay really still and watch things. I wonder what would happen if we switched missions once?’
    â€˜I’m not sure that would be a good idea,’ said EJ. ‘I get the feeling KM is not so good at standing still.’
    The girls laughed again.
    â€˜What’s your best spy charm?’ asked CC, twisting her charm bracelet.
    Every SHINE agent had a special-issue bracelet of silver charms that were in fact CHARMs, Clever Hidden Accessories with Release Mechanism. SHINE agents often needed special tools and gadgets to help them on their missions but they couldn’t carry a whole lot of equipment around with them all the time. Not only would it be tooheavy, but also it would attract attention. The clever team of inventors at the SHINE laboratory had invented a way to shrink gadgets so that they could be worn as charms on a bracelet. Who would ever suspect that on an agents’ wrist was an ice pick, baby penguin food, a camera hidden in a plastic cupcake, a skeleton key and even spider repellent? A simple twist of the charm released the gadget to its proper size. Another twist would re-shrink it back to a charm or, if necessary, there was a small button