Chapter One
The Blackthorne Boys are here. Obviously, I have to pretend that I don't care. But that is proving so much easier said than done... Zachary is here again. I honestly wish I had Bex's bad-girl confidence, she could be so damn hot when she wanted to be. And Zach, the gorgeous Zach. What am I going to do? He's getting in my head, but seriously in my head. Like, 'Hey Cammie I'm moving in here for life, deal with it.' It started last week, when they arrived.
Everyone at the Gallagher Academy had basically accepted that the Blackthorne Boys were just not coming back. After last years escapades, we didn't expect to see them until we were outside the safe confines of our grounds and out in the real world. Or as 'real' as the world gets for a spy anyway. But we Gallagher Girls aren't ones to miss people. Our lives are too temperamental for that. Instead of moping around like Liz had taken to doing (clearly she had liked Jonas a lot more than she had let on), I threw myself into physical training, and when I say threw, I mean it literally. Dr. Fibs had developed a portable human cannonball for fast evasive action if we are ever stuck out in the field. It is also extremely helpful for getting to various places faster.
So, whenever I could, I'd press the eject button and fly out to the running track around the perimeter of the school. Running was like my own personal diary. Every step I took was a word, only it couldn't be read by prying eyes. I could let go when I was running, and feel the wind trying to push me back, but knowing that I was stronger was a total high. My feet would pound against the grass, and I'd feel my leg muscles straining, thrusting me forward with such power. There was a tree along my route, it was nothing special, but when I was there I knew that I was close to the end. After 8.90km I had the final 100m of bliss before it was back to being shut in, locked in the classroom learning how to write a correct formal letter or The Russian Revolution of 1905 in COW.
Don't get me wrong, spy training is what I live for, without it I'd be normal, and I don't know if I could deal with that. But right then, nothing seemed worth it, if I could die so easily doing what I loved. My dad had been playing on my mind recently. He still is, even with Zach around to distract me. It was his birthday last week, the day before the Boys arrived, actually. At least this year I could spend the day with mum, although neither of us mentioned it. We Morgan girls are too strong for tears. Its a waste of fluid! In all seriousness, you never know when you could get stranded in the desert.
Anyway, it was on one of those almighty runs that I sprinted into Mr. Goode. Unfortunately, it was practically 30 degrees outside, and I was more than a little sweaty when I collided chest first with him. Not the most attractive situation let me tell you. Nevertheless, living up to his reputation as a complete tease, he wrapped his arms around me and whispered
'Oh Gallagher Girl, you've gotten fit.' Now, its not often that I get scared, but my heart fluttered in that minute, from fear or something deeper, I don't know.
One of the things that infuriates me about Zach is that I don't know where I stand with him. And I cant very well just ask him can I? I do not want him to know that I've been thinking about him. One minute he'll be holding my hand and chattering away, and the next he's giving me the cold shoulder. I think I'm becoming clinically insane.