‘Besides. We did it. Our first official Spyforce mission.’
No response.
‘And I still think we make the best team there is.’
Max smiled reluctantly.
‘If you hadn’t understood why I’d winked at you, we’d all have been in big trouble,’ he said. And dropping his head a little he added, ‘And I would have lost a really good friend.’
Max smiled even more as she tried to find the words to tell Linden the reason she was angry was because she thought he didn’t care.
‘It’s just that —’ she was interrupted by the crunch of gravel beneath tyres as her mother’s car drove towards the house.
Great, thought Max. When I want her to arrive she doesn’t and when I want her to stay away she’s here.
‘That’s my ride back to paradise,’ she joked.
Linden smiled. ‘When are you coming back?’
‘Not sure,’ she answered, feeling like she wanted to say something nice but couldn’t think what. ‘Maybe you could come and visit me in the city.’
Linden’s face turned into one of those big smiles that took over his whole body.
‘That’d be great! You could show me all your favourite places.’
The car pulled up in front of the house and the engine was turned off.
‘Yeah,’ Max said, walking over to pick up her bags.
Linden got up off the lounge and pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes, but just as quickly it flung back.
‘It’s good to see you’re back to your normal self.’ Max never thought she’d be so happy to see his uncontrollable hair. ‘I got worried too that you really meant all those things back there.’
‘I might think you’re a bit difficult at times but not enough to want to turn you into a giant biscuit.’
Max smiled. Linden really did have a way of making things seem okay again.
She heard a car door slam and looked out the window.
‘Oh no,’ she moaned. ‘She’s brought the kid with her.’
‘Who?’ But before he needed an answer Linden remembered. ‘Aidan. Let’s watch,’ he said, jumping onto the lounge and thinking this should be fun.
‘Yeah,’ Max gasped excitedly, preparing to watch another awkward family reunion.
After a quick check in the mirror and applying more lipstick and other face goo, Max’s mum got out of the car, straightened her tight skirt and adjusted her overdone salon hair. The kind where they spend hours making it look like you spent no time on it at all. She giggled and preened herself as Eleanor and Ben said hello and shook hands with Aidan. Ben was holding a well-behaved Ralph on a leash but when Aidan stepped closer, Ben had to hold him back.
‘Grrrrr,’ Ralph growled.
‘Ralph,’ Eleanor scolded, ‘you don’t do that to guests.’
Ralph went quiet but they could tell he didn’t like Aidan and was only being good for Eleanor.
Aidan nervously stepped around Ralph and bunged on one of those Hollywood grins that was so fake it looked like he’d been practising it in front of the mirror for weeks.
Again Eleanor did her best to invite them in but after a short desperate look from her mother, Aidan made some smarmy excuse that was so slick Max could just picture them rehearsing the answer in the car. Then there was silence as they could think of nothing else to say.
‘Another famous family moment,’ said Max.
‘These hellos and goodbyes are fun,’ Linden cracked. ‘But then I always have a good time when you’re around.’
Max blushed. ‘Thanks,’ she said quietly, feeling the same. ‘I —
‘Max, honey? It’s time to go, sweetie.’ Her mother’s timing was terrible as usual.
‘That’s our cue.’ Max got off the lounge and picked up her bags.
Outside there was a stilted series of hellos and ‘darling’ pecks on the cheek.
Ben kept a tight hold of Ralph and looked at Max.
‘He promised he’d be good this time.’
Ralph sat up even taller just to prove it. Max had to admit that was cute.
‘Thanks for everything. Can I come back soon?’
‘Any time you like.’ Eleanor folded her up in a big, doona-like hug as Max’s mother looked on, a hint of jealousy on her face as the hug continued a little longer than she thought necessary.
Ben handed Ralph’s leash to Eleanor and gave Max a hug that was just as warm.
‘Don’t take too long about it, that’s all,’ he said, and he scooped her up and twirled her around like she was a rag doll. Max giggled as the farm dipped around her feet.
All the hugging and twirling made Max’s mother uncomfortable and she tried to hurry things along.
‘We should be going then.’ Her smile was a mixture of anxiety and muscles trying to keep up a fake smile.
Max turned to Linden. ‘See ya.’
‘See ya. We’ll do it all again soon.’ And with that he winked.
Max laughed. ‘Yeah, let’s do that.’
Max’s mother looked at Aidan, smiling an apology at how long this was taking.
Ben and Linden packed Max’s bags away and Max opened the back door of the car. Just as she was about to climb in, a crescendo of screeching and a flurry of feathers and dirt burst in front of her. She lost her balance and toppled onto the ground.
Geraldine. Max should have known she wouldn’t get away without a goodbye from her.
‘You’ll get yours,’ she warned the chicken as it innocently strutted away.
Eleanor lunged towards Max and helped her up.
‘I’m so sorry, Max. Geraldine’s normally so quiet. Are you okay?’
Max’s mother stood nearby watching Eleanor fuss. She moved in before Max had a chance to say anything and took her out of Eleanor’s arms.
‘Of course she is. Aren’t you, sweetie? No use fussing, you’re still alive and we’re late.’ She brushed Max down and just as quickly stepped around to the driver’s side and got in the car.
‘Thanks, Eleanor. I’m fine,’ Max whispered to her aunt who she’d miss more than anyone.
Max climbed onto the back seat and Ben closed the door after her. Then they took off in a storm of dust in her mother’s hurry to get back to the city.
‘Yeah. We’ll do it again,’ said Max. She leant her head against the window. She was Max Remy Superspy, and she was going to be back.
* * *
When Deborah Abela was a small child, she spent most of her time imagining she was on great adventures all over the world. When she grew older, she bought a backpack and a plane ticket and went on them for real. After three years she came home and then worked at Cheez TV for seven years, before leaving to write novels about a small girl who goes on lots of adventures all over the world.
Deborah grew up in Merrylands, a western suburb of Sydney, but now lives in inner-city Glebe with her partner Todd, who is almost as nice as Linden.
You can read more about Deborah Abela and the Max Remy Superspy series at www.maxremy.com.au
* * *
Photograph by Todd Decker
Don’t miss Deborah Abela and soccer legend Johnny Warren’s exciting series about soccer, friendship, and kids who want to be their own legends!
*See Max Remy Superspy, In Search of the Time and Space Machine.
Spyforce Revealed Page 16
