A/N Hi this is my first fanfic so I hope you enjoy it Please comment and I will read suggestions too. Gallagher Girls completely belongs to Ally Carter and no copyright infringement is intended. I know her final book is coming out in a few days and this one is supposed to take place between the 5th and 6th (seeing as I don't know what happens in the 6th so I'm making up my own story). Also please don't take it too seriously, like if she's allowed out of the mansion even though the circle wants her I'm just trying to make it fun. Thanks and enjoy!
"Hurry up, Cam! I don't want to be late." Liz was jumping from one foot to the other, agitation clear in her voice.
"Calm down, Lizzie. We won't get into any trouble." I cooed as I pulled on my uniform skirt. I glanced quickly in the mirror, regretting it immediately. Macey stood beside me, applying her new 'natural shine' lipgloss. Literally that is all she was wearing and there she was, a goddess. I brushed my fingers through my hair, which now reached my shoulders. Dr Fibs had concocted a new hair growing solution and so far it hadn't made mine fall out. In fact it was working a charm. I turned from the mirror, towing Macey behind me. Bex and Liz were waiting at the door, tapping their feet impatiently. Bex, the girl who swears she once sat still for three hours straight while she hid from Italian assassins with her Mom. And Liz, a to-be-scientist that can literally spend hours in the labs just watching a beaker of sodium hydroxide boil. I kid you not.
Liz raced down every flight of stairs, beating us to the grand hall. (Note to self, totally bring her up on this the next time she refuses to participate in the seven mile jog in P&E – I mean, come on, I've been doing that since I was nine years old.)
By the time we reached her she was jumping up and down with giddiness. She skipped, yes, skipped, down the corridor to the newly refurbished classroom. It was our first time inside, and while yes it was slightly new and exciting, it was still school. Which is exactly why Liz was behaving this way.
We took the empty row of seats in the middle of the class. Not many people girls had arrived yet, though Tina Walters sat right at the front, whispering in Courtney Bauer's ear. They both shook with silent laughter. Within minutes the room had filled, though I noticed one seat remained empty. The one beside me. I knew it was nothing personal, everyone was avoiding it because they knew I was saving it. Yet the person I waited for had not come to claim it.
"Good morning, ladies." My mother called, as she walked into the room.
"Good morning, Headmistress." Replied the class in unison.
"So you all know that this is a new subject, one that the faculty and I have agreed is worth trying out. I'm sure you are aware it is a combination of science, covert operations and culture and assimilation. But for now, let's call it Social Science."
Murmurs erupted throughout the room but they were silenced quickly by my Mom's pointed stare. She continued, "We hope to cover why people do what they do. Having been educated"- trained, I mentally corrected-"in the way that you have, you haven't spent a lot of time outside of these grounds. After our successes with the Blackthorne exchange," I flinched slightly at the sound of the institute. "We decided to further inform you on the outside world. Everyday people act in particular ways, and to many of you it is confusing. It's not what you're used to. I think I speak for everyone when I say we live a rather…alternative…lifestyle." Yeah, I thought, not that teenagers spend their Saturday evenings practicing their aim with a pistol. "So, without further ado, let the lesson begin."
I'd never been taught by my Mom, not properly. So I was pretty excited to have her as my teacher. Liz was scribbling in her notebook and I looked down, reading words like 'alternative life' and "people act-why?" but I just rolled my eyes. Mom started to play a video of lots of people just walking down this one street.
"People are sheep. They follow the crowd," began Mom. "In this video you can see a line had been taped to the sidewalk, and everyone's walking over it like it's no big deal. Then this girl avoids it," on queue a little girl side stepped the tape, like standing on it would set off an alarm. "Now watch as the rest of the crowd follow her action. No one wants to be the odd one out. The girl is the exception, not the rule." Everyone nodded, probably wondering if there was a point to this lesson. I mean, I love my Mom and I believed she was going somewhere with this, but at that point it was pretty hard to see what.
Just as Mom began to lecture again, her eyebrows knitted close together. "Ah, Mr Goode, so nice of you to join us."
My heart threw itself out of my chest, I could swear. I turned to the door but no one was there. What was my Mom on about, had she gone doolally? She said no more about our latecomers who by the way was invisible and continued talking about following the crowd. I was slightly tuning out. I hate to admit that my Mom was kind of… boring. Then suddenly I was jolting upright and grabbing the hand on my shoulder. Except it wasn't a hand, it was a head. And it wasn't just any head… it was my boyfriend's head.
Just writing that word puts butterflies in my stomach. Oh god I sound like those gooey-lovey-dovey people. Sooooo sorry. But anyway, there on my shoulder, rested Zach Goode's head. And I totally wasn't complaining.
After a few minutes I ripped some evapopaper and started to scribble Why are you late? Whilst trying not to sound like the possessive girlfriend type. I slid it to him and, seriously, he slid it back in, like, a second. I hadn't even seen him pick up a pen but when it returned to me it said was visiting Solomon xx
Okay. When a boy puts a kiss at the end, even though you didn't put one first, you can't help but smile to yourself. When a boy puts two kisses after the aforementioned, you can't help but swoon! After a few hours (okay about 20 seconds) of swoonage, I pulled myself back to reality and threw the evapopaper in my mouth. Zach's head was no longer on my shoulder but instead below the desk. I looked down to see him combing through his bag. Before I had the chance to ask what he was looking for, when his notebook was already out, I was called out.
"Miss Morgan."
That was cause for giggles, apparently. Yeah, the headteacher addressing her daughter by her own name. "Uh… yes?" I asked.
"What is so interesting below the desk that you can't pay attention to my lecture?" Her voice showed no emotion, but I could see it in her eyes. Was she offended? Hurt? Annoyed? Tired? I didn't know what, but there was something.
"Oh, nothing, I just dropped my pen." I lied smoothly. It wasn't like I was hiding anything, but Zach is just so mysterious – which we all know is the top most sexy thing a guy can be – that often when you think he's doing something innocent, it turns out he is totally not. For all I knew he was working on some kind of detonator in his bag.
"Your pen's on your desk, Cammie." My Mom nodded to it.
But it was Zach that replied, "No, Mrs Morgan, she means my pen." He waved his hand, which sure enough was holding a pen.
"Very well. Anyway, it's time to pack up. See you all tomorrow." And then my Mom walked out of the room. She was acting really weird. I know she's a spy and she is covert and stuff sometimes, but never in a million years would I expect her to have a boring lesson. She just seemed really withdrawn.
As soon as we could no longer hear her footsteps the whole class erupted. That's an understatement. They were all critiquing the lesson, but I didn't want to hear it. It was mostly what I'd thought, but I still felt like I should be defending my Mom. Tina Walters' was the most distinctive voice as she said "Was that lesson even planned? Like seriously I just about fell asleep."
Bex was walking out the door but she still managed to shoot Tina the scariest look I've ever seen. Remember, I'm the girl who has been targeted by trained assassins who have repeatedly tried to kill me. I know scary.
I follow Macey and Liz, my hand wrapped in Zach's. When had that even happened? Everything with him was natural now. I used to jump around him, be scared that I'd say the wrong thing. Yet now I could literally do anything, be anyone, and I knew he would still love me. I guess when a guy repeatedly saves your life from the aforementioned assassins (one of whom is his mother), you can't help but be yourself with him.
"So, how is he?" I whispered, knowing Zach would get it. I had to be careful, few people knew about Mr Solomon. Everyone thought he was either dead or MIA (which lead back to dead), but I knew he was actually living quite comfortably in our home.
"The same. Dying to come out, but he knows he can't risk it yet. Abby turned up as I left." I nodded. "But less about him…more about you." He looked at me, tilting his head and furrowing his brows. My cheeks were scarlet as he stroked his hand softly across them. (Note to self: ask Macey to teach you how to control liquid eyeliner, for the fifth time, and then actually wear it). "What are you doing tonight?"
Ah, Friday night. Like every Friday I planned to spend it in the common room watching whatever chick flick Tina had picked out this week or in wandering the mansion with my best friends. Or hiding in a tunnel with my superhot boyfriend (have I mentioned him?) on a date. You know, a typical night really. But I didn't say any of this, because while I believe in being myself around Zach, I don't think he needs to know everything that goes on in my mind.
"I was thinking I might-" I started but my lips were stopped by his. When he finally pulled away from the kiss, I tried to continue but he held up his hand instead. Personally (and now this is just me), I prefer being interrupted by a kiss (only if it's from Zach), but I let him talk anyway.
"You're meeting me in our tunnel." I nodded, dumbstruck. Ahh, this is the effect he has on me. There was once a time when I would make a whole speech on how I am an independent woman and I decide for myself, but my mind was mush at that point. "See you there at seven." He kissed my nose and walked away.