My Undercover Life

Episode 16

“Earth to Avery!”
Coming out of my daze state, I looked up to see Hunter staring at me with worried-filled eyes. Blinking quickly, I tried to get the mental image of my face up on Bradlee’s wall out of my head. But no matter how hard I tried it was still there.
“Uh, yeah?” I finally managed to say, hoping my voice didn’t break. I didn’t need Hunter figuring out I was really Lily, otherwise this mission could end up in disaster. I just hope Bradlee hasn’t figured it out already. If he has, let’s just say, everything would be over.
“What are you doing?” he asked, concern etched in his tone. “You look like you’d seen something you shouldn’t have. ”
“Ah, um, that—”
“What?” His gaze followed my finger, and when he saw the picture I’d been pointing to, his mouth formed an ‘O’ shape in recognition. “Oh that?” He chuckled. “Bradlee’s totally obsessed with her.”
“Obsessed?”
“Yeah obsessed.” He nodded. “He’s borderline in love with her.”
Hearing Hunter’s words, I didn’t know if I should be flattered, or totally shock that Bradlee was actually in love with me. Even though I have a boyfriend, I couldn’t help but blush knowing that information. “In love?” I asked, flabbergasted, playing my role. “Has he even met her before? She could be a b—h in person and he wouldn’t even know it.”
“She’s not according to Bradlee. They already met each other when he was younger. If I remember correctly he said something about her being his guardian angel.”
“Guardian angel?” I arched a brow at his statement, trying to remember the moment we’d even met. But as I thought about it more and more, nothing was popping up. I was only a child actress up to the age of thirteen, and I vaguely remembered the faces of my fans I’d met when I younger than that.
“Yeah, but, I guess it’s fitting for her. I mean look at her,” he said, gesturing his hand towards the movie poster I was in when I was nine-years-old. “She was such a cute kid. But, I do wonder what she looks like now. I bet she’s gorgeous!”
I let out a breath of air that I didn’t know I was holding when he uttered those last few words. He doesn’t know. I couldn’t help but smile when he used the word ‘gorgeous’ beside ‘hot’ or ‘sexy’—something I never thought Hunter would actually say. “So, I’m guessing you both don’t know what she looks like now?” I asked, praying to God he’ll say yeah. Even though everyone in town knows who I am, I was hoping that Hunter really hasn’t been paying attention to the media lately.
“I don’t,” he answered truthfully, already knowing there’s a but coming up. “But,—” Call it. “—I’m not sure about my brother. Like I said he’s obsessed.”

“Um . . . when you said obsessed,” I started off, nonchalantly, “do you mean in the adorable kind of way, or the really creepy stalkerish kind of way?”
“Ah—” He paused, taking a second to think about it, “—probably the first one. I wouldn’t say he’s a stalker. He’s not that creepy.” He ended his sentence with a loud laugh, as he started making his way to his room, me right behind him.
“I sure hope not.” I smiled weakly, knowing that Demitri and Skylar were probably discussing how the clues point straight to Bradlee being the murderer right now.
He lowered his head in agreement, stopping right before his door. “So, do you know Lily or something?” he asked out of the blew, totally taking me off guard.
Getting over the shock of the question, I took a deep breath before I answered him. “Why do you say that?”
“Well,” he began, dipping his head to the side. “It’s not exactly the first thing someone would notice if they didn’t know her, right?”
“True,” I mumbled, knowing that I underestimated how smart he really is. “I guess you could say I know her.”
“Really?” he inquired even though he didn’t sound surprise at all. “How?”
“I’d watched her stuff when I was a kid as well,” I said going with the truth. Whenever a commercial or a movie was finally released that I was in, my family would always make me see it with them. No matter how much I didn’t want to.

“Dear God.” He groaned, pitching the bridge of his nose. Shaking his head, he looked at me with pleading eyes. “Please don’t tell Bradlee that. He’ll go on and on about her if he finds out you’re a fan too.”
I laughed, but nodded my head. “I’ll make sure to keep that to myself then.” But not for those reasons, I added as an afterthought. There’s no way I’m going to risk myself if he hasn’t put the pieces together yet. For now, I just gotta be careful around him, and make sure to not say or do anything to link myself to Lily—or me rather.
“Thank you—”
“Hunter!” A scream echoed down the hall, cutting him off. Cranking my neck around, I heard tiny footsteps clicking on the hard-tiled floor. It sounded like she was near the top of the spiral staircase. “Where are you?”
Hearing a loud groan behind me, I could tell he was getting frustrated. “Where do you think I am?
“I don’t know,” she remarked with an attitude. “That’s why I’m asking.” By the sound of her tone, she was probably rolling her eyes at her brother right about now.
“Well, walk down the d–n hallway and find out!” Hunter shouted, cupping his hand around his mouth to make his voice louder.
“Why are you so mean to me!?” she whimpered, her lips quivering. Squinting my eyes, I saw her holding a china plate in one hand, piled with chips and a burger of some-sort. “I’m your little sister!”
“And I’m your brother,” he stated the obvious, already immune to her behavior. “But you’re not nice either.”
“That’s because you’re not nice to me!” she stated her point, her footsteps getting louder and louder, as she got more angrier with Hunter. Soon she appeared right in front of us, her deadly glare staring straight at her brother.
“That’s because you’re not nice to me!” he mocked.
“Would someone that’s mean, make you a sandwich?” she asked, waving the plate in front of his face.
He eyed the thing curiously. “What kind of sandwich is that?”
“It’s soy.”
“Seriously?” Hunter’s dark eyes widened into saucers. He was practically drooling just looking at it. It couldn’t be that good, could it? “You made my favorite?”
The corners of her lips lifted up, smiling sweetly. “Of course dear brother of mine.”
“Wait a minute,” I cut in between them, astonished, “you’re a vegetarian?”
“Both of my brothers are vegetarians actually,” Ailee answered for me, since Hunter was too busy trying to grab his sandwich from his little sister. Even though she was only five feet, she had speed under her belt.
“Really?”
“Yup!” Hunter decided to stop for a second to answer me, “I don’t think I could imagine biting into something that was once alive. That’s just wrong on so many levels.”
“It’s not wrong!” Ailee defended, her pitch higher than normal. “It’s delicious,” she said licking her lips.
He fake-gagged, his face twisting up in disgust. “Yeah, to you.”
“And a million others, might I add.”
“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes, placing his palm out. “Can I please just have my sandwich already?”
She laughed, her round eyes sparkling with mischief. “What do you say?”
He rolled his eyes, groaning in displeasure. “Please.”
“That’s more like it.” She grinned, as she passed the plate towards him. “Enjoy.”
“Don’t mind if I do.” He brought the sandwich made out of soy up to his lips, before taking a huge bite out of it, shutting his eyes in pleasure. Hearing a soft m0an coming from his mouth, I looked away, almost blushing from the sounds he was making. “Come on Avery,” he said around a mouth-full of food, his words mumbled together. “Let’s start studying before my sister annoys us half to death.”
“Um, oka—”
“Actually,” she pipped in, stopping us in mid-step. “Avery do you mind if I talk to you for a bit?” Her eyes suddenly glanced up at Hunter, as she tried to make subtle attempts to get him to leave. But, of course being Hunter, he just stood there eating. “Alone?” she stressed out.
“Fine, I’ll be in my room.” Twisting his body around, he twisted his doorknob, before entering his room. I was able to catch a view of a pin-up poster of Taylor Swift before the door was shut closed. I couldn’t help but cover a giggle, knowing that Hunter actually enjoyed country music.

Looking back at Ailee, I nodded my head even though I couldn’t exactly said, ‘no, I rather not’. I had a feeling she wouldn’t take no as an answer, anyways.
“I’m not exactly sure what’s going on,” she started, “but please don’t hurt my brothers.” My eyebrows knitted down in confusion. What on earth is this girl going on about? Hurt them? Why would I do that? Before I could even response she continued on talking. “Especially Bradlee. He’s got enough heartache to last him a lifetime.”
“Wait, what?”
She let out a breath of air, causing a few strands of hair to fall in her eyes. Leaning forward, she pushed her hair out of the way, her eyes cut. “I know you’re not really Avery.”
“I don’t know what you’re—” I started to deny quickly, hoping my voice didn’t mask how petrified I really was feeling inside. Somehow her cute little image was destroyed in a second.
“Oh yeah?” she interrupted, taking a step closer towards me than she already was. “I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.” Her smile widened, “isn’t that right, Lily?”