Cammie
Sitting there, on that cold, hard wooden chair made me realize that sometimes things aren't quite what they seem.
Like the best friend who secretly hated you. Or maybe the boyfriend who met with another girl when you weren't around. Then, there was my case, the boy who pretended to like me to gather top secret information. I know that doesn't describe your usual boy-girl relationship troubles. Nope, definitely not normal. Especially since I attend a school for exceptional students (aka spies). Which makes me feel stupider because even my best friends could pick through his façade while I sat there like a love struck fool. I should have been suspicious from the moment he walked up to me that night at the carnival. Seriously, what guy is interested in girls that dig around in trash cans all for the love of their imaginary cats? But, I think that was just it. He made me feel special and wanted, and for once in my life I wasn't another fly on the wall.
I remember the day Liz had first suspected Josh's loyalty. She, Bex, and Macy were preparing me for my official third date and we were discussing passage routes I could use to avoid the security guards and escape to town. Macy was attempting to change the subject from secret passages to boy tips, and I believe at the time she was trying to inform me about the oh-so-clever Bend and Snap trick she had seen in a certain movie involving blondes and a chihuahua.
I can still picture the look of betrayal that crossed my friend's faces that night. The image has been branded into my mind and will most likely remain there till the day I die.
I just wish that I had listened. I wish that I had never left the school. I wish I had never chosen him over them.
"So, all you need is a small object, like a pen or something."
"Why would Cammie need a pen in a movie theater?" Bex asked Macey as she painted my toenails a lovely shade of red.
Macy rolled her eyes at Bex's comment. "Ok, well you could always use you movie ticket stub instead." Macy said as she demonstrated with a tube of lipstick.
"Then you just bend and snap! It's that easy, and I will give Josh a nice view of your ass!" Macy raised her eyebrows suggestively as Bex and I burst into fits of laughter.
"What do you think Liz?" I asked between laughs.
I recall Liz being very quiet that night. When asked a question she would give a short reply and go back to pondering over whatever she was thinking about. Over years of knowing Liz I figured it was best to leave her be when she was lost in thought. Usually, what she had to say after her thought process was extremely important. But that night, it was life changing.
So, when Liz sat down the hair curler and opened her mouth to speak, we all got really quiet, even Macey who could tell something was up.
"Cammie," she began, "I don't think you should go on this date with Josh."
The first feeling that washed over me was confusion. Why would Liz, sweet, kind, and caring Liz, want to deny me my happiness? I could see Bex and Macy were puzzled as well. Just a few days ago we had all been caught up in the excitement of me having my first relationship. The fact that it was sort of a forbidden love made the idea of Josh and I being together extremely romantic (I believed so at the time).
"Haha, that's pretty funny Liz…" Bex giggled nervously trying to break the tension in the room (though she obviously failed).
"And why shouldn't I?" Liz visibly flinched at the tone I was using. Never before had I questioned Liz's loyalty to me as a friend but that had all changed in the time span of ten seconds. All because of a boy.
My mom always used to tell me know your friends and know yourself. It was one of her favorites quotes (said by some anonymous spy, most likely a female) and whenever the opportunity arouse she would use it.
That night I'm sure I had been thinking I hadn't truly known Liz. What type of friend- no sister, would do that?
The back-stabbing type! A wretched voice in my head screeched.
Or maybe, it was the type who was trying to look out for you. The more level-headed side of me thought.
I had considered Level-Head's words for a few moments, but in the end Wretched won.
I rarely got mad at my friends and when I did, I hid it well. But right now I wasn't mad at Liz. I was downright furious with her. How could she even suggest such a thing! I had never before in my life felt such anger towards someone, but now that I did, I had no idea how to control it. So, I used the first explanation that popped into my mind. Jealousy.
"Oh, I get it now." I said smiling sweetly at Liz. I hadn't notice that flood of relief wash across her face.
"Thank God. I was afraid you wouldn't understand-"
"You're just jealous because Josh and I are a couple." Liz's face turned a deep shade of red that would make a tomato appear pale.
"No, I just-"
"You wish Josh had asked you out instead of me! Don't you!" By then I was shouting. I didn't even care if anyone happened to be walking in the hall listening to my outburst. I was completely blinded by my love of a boy who I now know, will never love me back.
"Cammie please, just listen to me!"
"I'm listening Liz and I don't like what I'm hearing."
"Cammie I would never do this to hurt you, I'm your friend."
"Friends don't do things like this to each other!" Liz's eyes started to tear up.
"Well friends also support and help each other!" She retorted.
"And exactly how are you helping me Suton?" I said as I stood up with my hands on my hips.
Surprisingly, Liz stood up to me. She may have been viewed as the weakest physically among our group but mentally she could kick our asses.
"Two words." She hissed glaring at me. "Honey Pot."
"Alright, I'm going to try asking you one more time."
The hands gripping my shoulders tightened their iron hold on me and I winced ever so slightly. I refused to meet his beautiful blue eyes that had once shown so much compassion and kindness. They were now dull and emotionless.
His hand left my shoulder and grasped my chin, forcing me to look up. I quickly shut my eyes tightly and wished that in the next moment a team of highly trained agents would burst through the doors and rescue me from this hell.
"Hey look at me." His voice commanded. I didn't refuse. My eyes cracked open, even in the dim light of the room I could make out his handsome features that had first drawn me to him. His face loomed closer, so close that I could feel his hot breath against my cheek. The feeling sent shivers down my spine and I inwardly cringed in disgust. Even after he had me kidnapped and beat for information I did not have, I still couldn't resist the way he made me feel every time he touched me.
"Come on Cammie." He groaned my nickname and left a trail of wet kisses leading down my neck where I was sure a bruise had already formed from earlier.
"All you have to do is tell me the one little secret." He whispered in my ear. His hands traveled south under my shirt. He was literally sitting on top of me as he fumbled for the clasp of my push up bra Macy had suggested, claiming I needed a little help in the chest area. I shook my head as tears formed in the corners of my eyes.
"Where is it Cammie? Surely you know where Blackthorne is? After all, Gallagher Academy is its sister school…" He trailed off and his lips claimed my own as he yanked my bra to the ground. His hands were glued to my waist and slowly they crept upwards, taking my shirt along for the ride. Soon that too joined my pile of clothes in an abandoned corner across the floor.
I literally screamed in my mind. No. No. No! This wasn't happening again! Not to me! I was a Gallagher Girl, and we never went down without a fight! But I did. I let him ravish my body and lips. I let him take what was rightfully mine. I went down without a fight.
Through the tears that blurred my vision I could just barely make out the steel door bolted with numerous locks. After all my years of tutelage at Gallagher nothing could have possibly prepared me for this. The raw terror of being held captive was something I had thought I would never go through. But the worst part was when I finally realized that no one was coming for me.
I slammed the door to the room creating a loud bang that echoed throughout the deserted corridor. Without any second thoughts I dashed to the nearest secret passage that would lead me to town. Within minutes I was crawling through a dusty tunnel hidden behind the portrait of the Gallagher Academy class of 1979. I finally reached a dead end and pushed hard on the ceiling causing the trap door to open just a little outside the wall at the mansion's entrance. I quickly brushed the dirt and dust off my carefully chosen outfit and started making my way to town.
The night was slightly chilly and in my rush out of the dorm room I had forgotten my jacket. However, this small factor didn't stop me from continuing my trek to the town square where I usually met Josh. I made it there in record time and noted that Josh was already waiting for me.
I approached him and my heart thumped louder when he spotted me and smiled. We kissed each other upon my arrival and Josh wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"Come on lets go, the movie's about to start."
Except we never made it to the theater. I happened so fast I barely saw it coming. Somewhere along the way Josh's hand had moved from my shoulder to my neck hitting my pressure point hard enough so I blacked out. I didn't even have time to scream or cry for help. The last thing I saw was a sly grin spread across his beautiful face.
Goodnight Cammie.
The frigid air of my cell created goosebumps on my bare skin. I was no longer confined to my chair and the ropes that had previously bonded my hands and feet together. I lay on the stone cold floor where he had left me when he was done having his way with me.
The cell was silent but I could hear the faint sounds of footsteps in the hallway. I whimpered slightly. Please don't come back. I begged silently in my mind.
Hadn't they already done enough? What more could they possibly get from me? I cringed at the thought.
The footsteps grew louder and I could now make out the four individual sounds. No, not a group of them. The footsteps stopped exactly outside of my door. My well-trained spy ears picked up the sound of one of the individuals fumbling with a pair of keys. I quickly dragged by bruised body closer to the side of the wall farthest from the door. The lock clicked and I shut my eyes and braced my self for the next round of assaults.
Light flooded into the room across my naked body and my immediate reaction was to curl myself into a ball. The individuals rushed over to my broken body and one reached for my pulse. There was a sighed of relief as the first reported I was still alive. The voices where slightly muffled but I could tell they were distinctly male.
"Is she okay?" An obviously young male voice asked, his voice laced with concern. A hand caressed my shoulder and I whimpered again in pain. The hand was immediately drawn back. I felt something else touch me, I wanted to scream but this time the item was soft and warm. A blanket?
I was carefully wrapped in two blankets when I felt a pair of arms lift me up. My eyes opened in shock to see what was going on. A face appeared before me and I struggled in my strong captor's arms. At first I thought it was Josh but upon further inspection I realized the hair and eyes were darker and the face thinner.
"Who are you?" I mumbled in a weak voice, barely able to get the words out.
The boy smiled at me. "Don't worry. My name is Zach." I have good reasons to worry.
"We're here to rescue you." Really?
"Everything is going to be okay." Is it? Do you know what they've done to me? How can everything be okay now?
He seemed to realize what I was thinking and tugged the blanket over my exposed neck, still marked by the bruises of my earlier activities.
Shhh.
Everything will be fine.
I promise.
And strangely, I couldn't help but believe him.