8 days after the incident:

It's 10 days before I start my first day at HQ with the Reckless Youngsters. Feeling good. I'm coming with Zoe to work again. We're finally gonna work on locating my little brother. It's been a boring week at home, recently. I finished playing Spider-Man, if you're wondering. It was awesome. Watched a few movies, played a lot of pool with Zoe yesterday. I beat her once, and I'm happy about it. At least I got something to brag to ya. I learned how to do my own makeup, but I'm still getting the hang of it. Zoe taught me a few things. I'm still not that good with the eyeliner. She told me that I could also do whatever I want when it comes to how I'd style myself with it.

I dressed myself in a black and crimson turtleneck dress, a cute bucket hat that Zoe gave me from her closet, and a fine pair of Chucks. I wore leggings underneath the skirt just to make sure the wind wouldn't expose my underneath.

Zoe drove us to the HQ. The moment she hopped onto her computer, we quickly searched for my brother and his whereabouts.

"Alright. What's your little brother's name again?"

"Cleo Quinn Cooper."

"Why does your brother also have a name that mostly girls have?"

"My parents told me they gave us unisex names so that they wouldn't even bother whatever the baby's sex is."

"Okay... That's kinda dumb of them, but I still love both names. I'm gonna go send something into the air."

She sends this really cool drone cam that can capture heat signatures as well as scan who they are.

"Whoa..."

"Pretty cool, right?"

"We're like super spies."

"Technically, we are. Except we don't work for the government. We work for ourselves."

"How much do you earn?"

"Classified."

"Come on, tell me. Pleeeeeease. You can whisper it to me."

She whispered to my ear, "At most, 50k a month."

"What the f-!"

She covered my mouth.

"Don't overreact. Jeez. I should've told you about this in a different place."

"But you already told me. Heh!"

"My boss... she thinks I'm her favorite."

"Oh, so that's how it goes?"

"She trusts me a lot. I just hope this doesn't risk my job. I guess it's also my fault for letting you enroll. I mean, I care for the both of us. If she did find out the real you, she would ban you."

"Don't worry, mom. We got this all covered. Look at me! I'm like a strawberry."

She smirked.

"Come here, you little strawberry."

She hugged me as tight as she could. I almost couldn't breathe.

"Could you please let me go?"

"Never." She laughed.

We went back to searching... Every city, every building, anywhere he might be, but we found nothing.

Absolutely nothing. I felt like I already lost hope.

"Hours of searching... and still nothing." I cried on the table, doing a napping position.

"Hey kid, don't worry. There's still time next week."

"That's the problem. I don't know if he's still alive. It's been days since I last saw him. Each day that passes, I get more and more worried."

"Taylor, I need you to take a deep breath and listen to me. I promise you, we'll find your brother. I'll make sure we do. I'll tell my friends about this."

"Wait, no. Don't tell them about it. They might know that I'm a boy if they searched me up."

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with them. They are also very supportive."

"Okay... If this doesn't end well, I might be banned."

"Don't say that. Stay positive, kid."

We went out of the building and decided to go to the mall again out of boredom. We went to the cinema to spend some time together. The movie was decent. Minutes later, Zoe decided to get the both of us some manicures in this small, cozy nail salon from the third story. There were only 5 or 6 workers inside. Not that many customers. According to the posters, they offer high-quality manicures at a low price. It still makes me wonder why there were only a few people visiting it. I don't really know. I never even had a manicure. I guess it doesn't hurt to have one for the first time.

Zoe wanted me to get a manicure so that I could admire having them for the first time before my first day of training arrives. She told the nail technician what nails I'd get. I didn't want nails that were too long, so I asked the nail technician if it was okay. She was a kind woman. I like her. We sat there for an hour, listening to some calming music. Mostly Lofi, but sometimes they played some ethereal-ish music. The nail technician and I talked about a lot of stuff while she did my manicures. It was really fun talking to her. I guess I'm missing out on a lot of things.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" she asked.

"Me? No. Why would I?"

"I don't know. You're having a manicure. First thing that came into my mind is that you were trying to impress someone."

"I'm not really here to impress someone. This is my first time."

"I guess that's alright for a young girl like you."

I guess everyone thinks I'm a girl.

"Thanks." I had no idea what to reply.

"You know, beauty and neatness are some of the things that make a girl elegant. Other than that, being well-mannered is one thing you must always consider. Kindness can not only maintain relationships, but also create new ones. If you're not kind, some relationships can deteriorate overtime. So for a young woman like you, maintain your gentleness. Be caring. Stay positive."

She reminded me of my mom. She was a great teacher. I miss her. I actually almost teared up. I gave the technician a smile while trying to bottle up my feelings.

"Can I give you a hug?"

"Maybe after your nails dry, young lady."

We waited for another hour.

"Alright, take a look at your nails and let me know what you think."

I looked at my newly manicured nails. They look pretty nice. They were red and glossy. Good thing they weren't that long. Not a big fan of long nails. Anyhow, I guess the posters were right about them.

"You know, many people should visit this place more often. You guys did great." I hugged her just like I promised.

"Thank you." The nail technician smiled.

"No problem." I smiled back.

"Thanks, Rose. We'll see you next time." Zoe said.

"Thank you very much for visiting us!" The workers told us.

Zoe drove us home. We arrived at around 8:00pm. Both of us were tired. We changed into our sleepwear. I'm wearing cozy pajamas right now. Writing this entire thing took me about an hour and a half. I guess I'll have to finish it here. I'm gonna go scroll through social media. Peace out, reader.