Chapter One
I stagger out of bed as I hear Bex continue to shout at me. Macey is sitting in her bed curled up reading a teen gossip celebrity magazine. She licks her finger every-time before turning a page. Liz is huddled on her bed with her head stuck in a book explaining the physicals of physical chemicalation. That's actually what the book cover says so no I'm most certainly am not making it up.
"Macey!" I shout but apparently all I get for a reply is a wave of her hand which goes back to being folded in her lap. "Macey!" I shout again but she doesn't hear. I hear the sound of water trickling down from the shower head and hear singing coming from the bathroom. I look around but notice that Liz and Macey are all in the dorm with me but Bex is missing.
That's got to be Bex. I think to myself. I pull my caramel hair into a cruddy morning ponytail and walk over to the bathroom door and knock. "Bex?" I call hopping I'll actually hear a reply instead of a the rustle of movement.
"Um? Yeah?" Bex replies. I suddenly feel calm and notice that my palms are now all sweaty. "Oh, nothing just wanted to make sure where on earth you are!" I shout back but instead of a reply the radio gets turned up again. I sigh and walk over to the computer. Nobody is dressed so I figure school has been delayed for some reason, maybe a Blackthorne boy was caught lurking around or maybe just maybe it was Josh who got caught. Again.
I pull out the computer chair and type in my password, I tap my fingers on the scroll on the laptop as I'm waiting for the screen to load. Liz doesn't perk her head up and ask for me to stop instead she continues to stare at that book like she is memorized by it.
Finally the home screen for my account has popped up. I click on the internet icon and scroll through the news on the Gallagher Academy's News on the front page. I hear an ear piercing beep I look over and see that I have a new message. I figure it must be from Josh but I'm surprised when I open it.
The Operatives:
Cameron Morgan, Rebecca Baxter, Elizabeth Sutton, Macey McHenry, Tina Walters, Zachary Goode, Anna Fetterman
Tonight for Cover Operations class, these few students will walk Mr. Solomon to the Summer Fest, and study the following people Josh (aka the subject), DeeDee (aka the subjects new girlfriend), Dillon (aka the subject's minion) will be touring around the fest. The Operatives will be giving the task to follow them around without being noticed. These students will show up in the front dorm room no later than 7:00 p.m If late points will be deducted. These students must appear in regular clothing and nothing that says Gallagher on it. Each student will be given an ID card that is completely new and different from their old ones. If you have further questions please contact Rachel Morgan at the front desk within twenty-four hours.
I sit back in my chair and hold onto the railing of the small wooden desk. 1.) Because I am shocked and want to scream my head off but know that probably isn't the best way to react. 2.) Because when ever I seem to move around in the chair or say a single word the chair creeks because two wheels are broken and nobody has gotten around to fix it. 3.) The chair is tipping backward, and I don't want to show up to class with a bloody head from falling on hard Oak wood.
I get up from the chair and use my CoveOps blaring alarm horn to wake both of my sleeping dorm mates up. Macey glares at me with shiny eyes and slams down her magazine, Liz gives me a look and by the look on my face she seems worried. Liz runs over after setting down her book and stares at me. Macey just stays sitting on her bed with her knees up to her chest with her arms around them. She has the look of 'did you really need to do that?' on her face. I ignore it.
"Did you guys read this?" I ask pointing towards the email on my screen. "Um, Cam we've been up since five this morning searching through the school and the internet for answers on why we have to do this." Liz says casually. I begin to feel my cheeks turn bright red. Crap. I think. I over slept once again and yet again I am the last to get the news which pretty much always happens. Instead of asking more further questions I'm suddenly more worried about school since usually there hardly ever is a delay.
"So, Um? School?" I ask nervously. "It's still on except it is starting much later." Macey replies with a smirk. "You mean a delay?" My voice sounds less nervous now. "Exactly." Liz corrects snapping her fingers. I step away since usually this movement means she has an idea or something bad is about to happen. "Well then what time do we go in?" Macey gives me the look of 'how would we know' and 'you-know-what off'.
"Actually we are supposed to get a text saying when at any minute." Liz says reaching for her phone. I nod and pull my blackberry out of the canvas school bag I use. I listen as my feet scurry across the floor next to the bathroom as I hear the shower curtain open and Bex begin to hum the theme song of that reaping movie and series that I forgot what it was called. I think The Hunger Games, but I'm not exactly sure.
Just as if on cue my phone vibrates in my hand and I turn it on to receive a text from Gallagher telling me my schedule. "Does, Bex know?" Is the only way I find out how to reply. "Of course I bloody know." Bex says as she walks over to her closet she shares with Macey and searches for her uniform. I catch a whiff of her lotion she must have put on. Summer Beauty, my favorite one she wears. It causes her brown skin to glow even more perfectly and just the right amount of glow.
"Okay then." I reply looking at the time on my phone. "It says we have to be in uniform and in the foyer by 10:48." Liz replies frowning at her phone. "Is that a problem?" Macey snaps in a rude tone. Liz sends a look at her but looks back down at her phone. "If anyone is late, point will be deducted." Deducted is all they ever do. There is no torture you can get. Or even worse expelled just your points on school deducted. Stupid is all I can say. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I set my phone on my bed and fall back onto it heaving a heavy sigh.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
By the time 10:48 rolls around I'm already in my uniform which by the way are a beautiful peach color, Macey even did all of our nails the night before, Peach to match our uniforms. I turn up the heat for my Remington Wand Curling iron and set it down on the bathroom counter. Hey I do know I haven't cared much for how I look anymore but now I actually do. So don't judge me if I've just now started to put on makeup which I have thank-you-very-much.
"I can't believe you just now are starting to put on makeup Cam." Macey states. FYI of course she knows this, she's my friend plus dorm mate. "Well yeah now that actually have a reason to care for my looks." I reply twirling a strand of my caramel hair on the wand. "Well why now? Why not earlier?" boy do I hate when Macey asks to many questions, but there was only one answer to her question. "Zach." I reply counting to ten seconds while holding on the strand of hair.
"Ah Zachery Goode. Do you have a thing for him?" I step away shocked. "Wait what? You think I have a thing for Zach Goode? I'm shocked actually Macey." I set down my wand and twirl on another section. "Do you wanna date him?" Macey asked nudging her elbow in my ribs. "No." But on the other side of me I want to say yes to her but I know I shouldn't instead I just change the subject.
"So any reason your wearing your uniform skirt really, really (and I mean really) short?" Macey stepped back to face me and placed her hands on her hips. "Do I really need to answer that?" Her look was stone cold. "Not if you don't want to I just that perhaps there was someone you secretly liked and hadn't told any of us yet."
"Well unlike you I don't have my heart set out for anybody. I'm not that desperate for love." I put my hand up to her face. "Alright, don't go any further McHenry." Macey glared at me and then stomped off. I sighed and finished curling the last strand of my hair just in time to see Bex lag in. "What was that bloody about?" I looked at her confused or in Liz's words (confuzzled). "What?" I ask setting down the curler and picking up my comb instead.
"You did something to piss Macey off really bad." She says. "Well she was pestering me about Zack." I reply setting down the comb. "Zachary Goode?" Bex asks searching through our glass mirror for a hair tie. "Yes." I nod watching her as she almost cuts herself on the rusted piece of metal hinges. I laugh and dig threw my tolitries bag to find one for her.
"Cam you got one I can borrow?" I hand over mine. "Thanks." She replies while holding it in her mouth and pulling her long always curled chocolate brown hair into a high ponytail. "No probs." I reply as I turn my iron off and walk out of the bathroom and find Liz searching through my canvas bag and my phone.
"Liz what are you doing?" I ask while scowling. Liz grins like she is innocent and points to Macey who is at her vanity and putting achene prevention on her nose. "You said Zach so I figure we have another mission on our hands." I sigh and take the phone and the bag away from her.
"And why would I have something in my phone or bag?" I ask while walking over to the desk to grab my textbooks along with paper, pencils, a few binders, homework, and stuff all the items in my canvas bag and sit down on my bed as I scroll through my texts.
I find no knew ones and decide to get myself all ready. I grab my black 1inch heels out from under my bed (they go up to my knees if your wondering) and my Grey knee-high socks. Macey sends a look to me and once again I ignore it but not for long. "What? I'm wearing the boots you told me to. Is there a problem?" Macey rolls her eyes and goes back to checking her email.
Okay then. I mumble to myself. The bell for get your ass to the foyer is about to ring. (Sorry for my cursing its just I've just started to do it so it became a habit.) I slip my phone into my bag and holler to my roommates that we are going to be late. Bex and Liz come flying out the door with me but we leave Macey behind.
I don't feel like acting competitive with her today. As we reach the foyer Anna taps my shoulder immediately. "Cammie did you get that email this morning?" Her voice is shallow and I almost think she has lost her voice when she goes silent for a minute. "Of course I am one of the Operatives aren't I?" I wink at her twirl a strand of my hair with my finger. "Right," She pauses. "I just forgot. Sorry then." She walks off to stand over with Tina and Eva. Since when we're they a group?
After about maybe twenty minutes of waiting Mr. Solomon and my mom (the headmistress) walks down the stairs and over to the large gap that has formed in the middle of the circle. I feel my phone vibrate in the side pocket of my bag and ignore it as Mr. Solomon clears his throat.
"Morning ladies and gentlemen. Sorry for the delay knowing it hasn't happened since when Gallagher was last attacked which was during the cold war-" My mom grabs his shoulder. "But we just had to figure some things out that are private and nothing that will harm you." Zach leans over to me and almost trips. "Some things. Private?" He whispers in my ear. I shrug and tell him I have no-idea.
"But there has been a change of things, these fellow students need to go to Cover Ops class first instead of there normal one." Mr. Solomon handed my mom a sheet with names written on it and I flinched as she brushed her hang against his. "Cameron Morgan, Rebecca Baxter, Elizabeth Sutton, Macey McHenry, Zarchary Goode, Grant, and Jonas." I jumped at the sound of my name being called. "Wait what?" I asked dumbly. Zach punched me for asking such a dumb question. "Cover Ops class Cam." He replied. "Right," I choked. "I didn't hear." He gives me a thumbs up and then disappears behind the door that leads to the brunch area.
Chapter Two
"What on earth did you do now?" Bex asks me as were making our way towards Cove Ops class with only ten minutes to spare so we spend it chatting about the obvious. "I have no idea." I shurg. Bex gives me a look and then tightens her ponytail. "Well something isn't right Cam." I sigh deeply.
"I know. But how would we find out what is up?" Bex gives me a sly smile of 'let's disobey the rules' kind of smile. "We could break into you're mom's office while she helps Mr. Solomon his class tomorrow." Bex suggests. "We have class then Bex. Its a little obvious if we're absent. "Oh but I have a way." I smirk. Bex reaches down her hand to help me up from the tile flooring which I have been sitting on.
"Trust me Cammie, you know me. I have my ways at getting out of things." I let her trudge me up and almost stumble on the floor. "Okay." I reply while dusting off my skirt. "Let's get to class." Bex almost shouts looking at her phone. "Yeah that sounds like a good idea." We dash down the hall and to Mr. Solomon's room and find our seats as we enter.