Hello everyone! BTW: Wasn't it an outrage that Casey went home on Top Chef? This will be my last story in my Gallagher Girls trilogy. After this, I want to try something new. So, without further ado, here's GG7: Spies Aren't Made in a Day
~B~B~B~B~B~B~
"Oh my God, I can't believe you're a senior!" Abby sighed sadly.
"Mom…" Matthew Townsend laughed.
"Where has all the time gone? It seems like just two days ago, you were playing with toy cars, and now you're in your last year of high school!" She exclaimed. Matt smiled. His mom always did this. He looked down at her. He was four inches taller.
"Aw, it's okay, Mom." He flashed a grin, and Abby rested her hands on his shoulders.
"You're just like him, you know." Abby reminded him. Matt knew she was talking about his Uncle Matt, who died before he was born.
"I know. You tell me every day."
"I do? God, I must be getting old."
"You're not old. Your birthday is in three months, though." He countered.
"Please don't remind me." She rolled her eyes, and went to get his bags in the trunk. Matt looked around. He was finally home. Blackthorne Institute for Exceptional Young Men. He took in the massive, grey buildings, the pine trees, the blue sky, and the mountain air. It would be his last year at Blackthorne, and he was determined to make it count. He was almost an exact image of his father, with long, dark hair and blue eyes. His slight English accent was quickly fading, though. He was the most popular boy in school. Charming, smart, responsible, sweet, caring, fair, kind to everyone. He was the model of the school.
"Let me help you with those." Matt said, grabbing two of his duffel bags from the trunk of his Mom's Porsche, and setting them on the ground.
"Thanks." Abby smiled back at her son.
"MATT!" A voice called from behind them, and three of Matt's friends ran up to him, patting him on the back. "What's up?"
"Nothing much. You guys know my mom." He said, nodding at Abby.
"Hello, boys." They all smiled, and nodded. She started checking her Blackberry, as one of the boys, the one who had shaggy light brown hair's eyes scanned her body, slowly from bottom to top. "Eyes up here, Jackson." Abby reminded him, pointing to her face. He muttered a quick, embarrassed apology. Another one of Matt's friends, Alex, grinned.
"Well, you do look especially beautiful today, Ms. Cameron." Alex grinned.
"I'm flattered." She joked. His friends took off when they saw the Disguise and Concealment teacher, Mr. Hawthorne, coming their way, since they were supposed to be in their dorms.
"Well, I have to go. Show around the new seventh graders." Matt shrugged.
"Really?" Abby pouted. "You have all of your things? Your laptop, all of your books, your iPod, your toothbrush-"
"Yes, mom. You can stop worrying." He laughed.
"You don't need any help bringing your stuff to your dorm?" She asked hopefully. He shook his head.
"I'll write you every day." He grinned sincerely. Abby's eyes filled with tears.
"My baby's all grown up!" She exclaimed.
"Mom, don't cry." Matt sighed, hugging her for a long time. She tore away from him, her eyes red.
"I would kiss you on the head, but you're too tall." He kissed her gently on the head instead. She started for her car. "I love you!"
"I love you, too." He called back. "Bye!" She waved, hopped in her car, and took off down the road, back towards Washington D.C., and her job at Langley. Matt sighed, picked up his bags, and started for the front door, only to be interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Matthew Townsend?" He turned around, seeing the Newman family standing by their minivan.
"Hello, Mrs. Newman." Rebecca 'Bex' Newman shook her head.
"You're so grown up! What grade are you in now?"
"Twelfth." He nodded. Grant Newman grinned.
"That's crazy."
"Hey, Matt!" Someone called from inside the minivan. Out stepped Blake Newman, the Baxter's first born. He casually flicked his shaggy blonde hair out of his eyes. His sunglasses covered his hazel eyes, and he scanned the crowd of people saying goodbye nonchalantly.
"Blake." Matt acknowledged in return. Blake was in Eleventh grade, a junior, so he didn't see him that much. He was the 'bad boy', always getting in trouble, joking around. He was the smooth talker.
"This is your last year, man. This place won't be the same without you." Blake shook his head. "I guess I'll just have to take your place as head honcho around here." Matt laughed, and rolled his eyes.
"Where's your sister?" He asked, gazing casually into the minivan.
"The brat is at home. Mom and Dad will drop her off later today." Blake rolled his eyes.
"Is your mom here?" Grant asked.
"No, you just missed her, actually." Matt said. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a football came flying towards the group. Blake caught it easily.
"Sorry! We were just-Oh, Blake, Matt!" Christopher Anderson blinked, taking in his friends.
"Hey, man. How was your summer?" Blake grinned. He and Chris were roommates. Chris was also a junior, but going into the lab, Research and Development. He was a genius, but a cool, calm, and collected one. He didn't rub it in anyone's face. He was tall, with short brown hair and brown eyes.
"Good. Hacked into the White House's website and made it say 'Welcome to the Pickle House, residence of the President of the United States, Snooki Polizzi' four times. Almost got caught by the FBI the last time while I was trying to change the Secretary of States name to 'Your Mom', but luckily, they didn't catch me." Chris smirked.
"Hello, Christopher." Bex smiled. Chris blushed. He hadn't noticed they were there until just now.
"Hi, Mr. Newman, Mrs. Newman." He nodded.
"Hey, Chris, what happened to our catch?" Nathaniel Anderson complained, stomping over to them. "Oh, it's just your friends." He sighed sarcastically.
"Hey, Nate." Matt grinned. Nate sighed, and muttered a hello. He was shorter than Chris, with sandy brown hair and blue-green eyes. He was in ninth grade, a freshman. He was also a super genius, like his brother, but a lot more…nerdy about it.
"Nathaniel, be polite." Elizabeth 'Liz' Anderson reminded her son, coming up behind him with her husband, Jonas Anderson, their children's bags in tow.
"Hello, Mrs. Newman, Mr. Newman." He repeated.
"Liz! Jonas!" Bex wrapped her old best friend in a hug, and Grant shook Jonas's hand.
"Hello Mrs. Anderson, Mr. Anderson."
"You just missed Abby." Bex said sadly, and Jonas sighed.
"Maybe next time, right Matt?" Matt smiled, and said goodbye. He really had to get to his dorm. Blake, Chris, and Nate all said their quick goodbyes, and followed him inside. The foyer was a long hallway, rooms stretching out all around them, like a maze. He took a staircase to the left, and walked into his dorm. It was just like the way he remembered it. Since he was class president last year, he had his own dorm. He set his bags on his bed, and unpacked quickly. He darted off a quick email to his mom, saying that he had unpacked and everything. He changed into his uniform: Khaki slacks, a red and black stripped tie, a white collared shirt, a black sweater vest, a black jacket, and black loafers.
After he showed around the new seventh graders, he headed down the main hallway to the dining hall. The hallway was crowded with other boys heading to dinner.
"Wow, you sure seem popular." Nate commented, coming up behind him, playing a video game, his glasses filling with the reflection of the game, noticing the amount of people shaking Matt's hand and patting him on the back.
"That's because he is, Nate." Chris told his little brother, walking with them, his messenger bag hanging sloppily on his shoulder.
"Look at all the sevies! How many do you want to bet will have their head shoved in a toilet in the first week?" Blake laughed, joining them.
"Do you have any advice? I mean, this is my first year in the high school grades, after all." Nate shrugged.
"One: Don't shove sevies heads in toilets." Matt said, glaring at Blake as they continued to walk. Without even looking beside him, Matt pulled an eighth grader away from a trap door he would've fallen in otherwise. "Two: Watch where you're going. And three:" Matt stopped as they reached the dining room doors with his three friends. "Don't get caught." The Headmaster, Dr. Steve, came up from behind them.
"Boys! It's lovely to see you. Welcome back." Chris smiled.
"It's good to be back, sir."
~G~G~G~G~G~G~
"This place never changes." Macey Winters, née McHenry, sighed as her husband, Preston, pulled up to Gallagher Academy of Exceptional Young Women. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. Preston parked deftly around the throngs of people saying goodbye to their girls.
"There's Rachel and Solomon." Preston said, hopping out the car, and walking around to the trunk. Sophia Winters rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, hopping out of the car.
"Ugh, I need to go. See you for Christmas." Sophia said, grabbing her bag from her father. She was a sophomore at Gallagher Academy. She had short, black hair, and big brown eyes, a combination of both of her parents. She was quiet, usually sarcastic, and a typical moody teenager.
"Wait!" Macey called, stomping up to her daughter, and hugging her. "Be good." Preston hugged his daughter quickly.
"Bye, honey. We love you!"
"Love you, too." She said grumpily, and stomped into the main foyer.
"Keep an eye on your sister." Macey said to her youngest daughter, Jessica, who had joined them.
"I will!" She said with a bubbly smile. She was a freshman at Gallagher Academy. She had long, brown hair and blue eyes. She was typically very bubbly, friendly, the girl-next-door. A polar opposite of her sister.
"Hey, Macey!" Grant Newman called to their friends, and Bex and Grant walked up to them.
"Hello." Jessica said politely.
"Hey, Jess." Bex smiled.
"Sophia-" Preston started.
"Stormed inside?" Grant guessed. Macey knotted her eyebrows in confusion. "We saw."
"Of course." Preston sighed. He had been let in on the whole spy thing when he and Macey became engaged.
"Where's Brandy?" Macey wondered.
"BRANDY!" Bex called, and her daughter emerged from their car, bags filling her hands. She was a sophomore at Gallagher, and Sophia's roommate. She was tall, tan, and had a slight British accent. She had dark brown eyes, and long, honey blonde hair. She was very smart, and was always absorbed in her books. She was also quiet, and chooses her words carefully. She flashed the Winters family a quick smile.
"Hello." She said softly. "I really have to go, mom. I need to go talk to Mr. Smith about the project I did over the summer when we were in Djibouti."
"Go on. We love you! If anything's wrong, call us, or talk to Rachel!" Bex said, hugging her daughter. Grant hugged her, too. Brandy waved quickly to the McHenry's, and took off inside. Bex sighed.
"She did homework all summer, and SAT prep, AND took law courses at Oxford."
"Wow." Preston said, impressed.
"She's harder on herself then we are." Grant shrugged. "We better get going. We have a flight to catch back to London."
"See you later!" Macey said, hugging them again. Preston said a quick goodbye, and they were gone.
"I've got to go, mom. Dinner will be starting soon." Jessica sighed, throwing her duffle bag over her shoulder.
"Write us! We'll see you soon!" Preston said, hugging his youngest daughter.
"We love you!" Macey smiled, hugging Jessica, too.
"Love you, too. Bye!" Jessica called, and watched as her parents got in the car, and drove away. She sighed, and walked inside. Just as she walked inside, Rachel Morgan and Joseph Solomon walked out.
"It looks like almost everyone's here." Rachel noticed, looking around as the last few girls made their way inside. Joe Solomon smiled, and slipped his arm around his wife's waist. They had been happily married for years. She was till Headmistress of Gallagher Academy, and he was still the Covert Operations teacher. It was like they were living in a fairytale. They were about to head back inside, when the last car pulled up. Rachel smiled when she saw who stepped out.
"Edward." She acknowledged. Edward Townsend flashed a quick smile, and hugged her. He shook Joe's hand. He still had the same dashing, debonair good looks, and adorable British accent.
"It's lovely to see you. How long has it been?" Edward asked.
"Too long." Joe grinned.
"Is Caitlin with you?" Rachel wondered.
"Yeah, she should be-"
"I'm right here!" Caitlin Townsend said, stepping out of the car. She was a picture image of her mother. Long, dark brown hair. Bright emerald eyes. She was the most popular girl at Gallagher Academy. A senior. A model student. She was drop dead gorgeous, too, the next great seductress, just like her mom. She had a distinct British accent, though, just like her dad. "Hi, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Joe!" She said brightly, and hugged them both.
"It's great to see you!" Joe said to his niece. "How was your summer?
"Amazing! How was yours?" She asked, setting her bags on the ground.
"Quiet." Rachel laughed. "I can't believe you're a senior already!"
"I know! I can't believe this is my last year at Gallagher Academy." Caitlin smiled.
"I guess Abby is dropping Matt off at Blackthorne, then?" Solomon wondered. Caitlin knitted her eyebrows together in confusion.
"Matt? Oh…I guess." She shrugged. Rachel glanced at Edward, and she could see his jaw tense. When Matt and Caitlin were six, Abby and Edward had gone through a messy divorce. They decided to let their children decide who they wanted to live with. Caitlin moved to London with her father, and Matt moved to Washington D.C. with his mother. Abby and Edward only talked when they absolutely had to, and Matt and Caitlin only saw each other during summer vacation, and during some holidays. Matt felt weird around his father when he went to visit him and Caitlin in England, and Caitlin felt out of place with her mom and Matt in Washington D.C.
"Well, I have a flight to catch to Brazil." Edward sighed, and hugged his daughter. "I love you.
"Love you, too." He smiled, hopped into his car, and drove away. Caitlin turned back to her aunt and uncle.
"We'll see you at dinner, okay?" Rachel said, and Caitlin smiled. Her father didn't remarry, so it was like her Aunt Rachel was her substitute mother. Caitlin followed them inside, and walked to her dorm. She didn't have a roommate. Aunt Rachel and Uncle Joe gave her a single dorm for a birthday gift one year. She set her things on the bed, and changed into her Gallagher Academy uniform. Navy sweater, navy and green checkered skirt. Apparently, this was the same dorm her mom had when she went to Gallagher, but Caitlin never bothered to ask her about it. She was never close with her mother. The same way Matt was never close to his father.
Caitlin walked downstairs, and slipped into her seat in the dining room, right across from Sophia, next to Brandy, and diagonal from Jessica.
"How was your summer, Caitlin?" Jessica asked, fixing her hair. She had always admired Caitlin.
"Fine." Caitlin shrugged, picking up a roll.
"Did you spend any time with your superhot brother?" Sophia asked hopefully. Caitlin rolled her eyes.
"Very little. How was your summer, Brandy?"
"Ugh, busy." Brandy looked up from her book. "But calm, just the way I like them." Rachel Morgan stood up, and the room turned silent.
"Women of Gallagher Academy, who comes here?"
"We are sisters of Gillian." The students responded orderly.
"Why do you come here?" Rachel asked.
"To learn her skills, honor her sword, and keep her secrets." Everyone recited.
"To what end will you work?"
"To the cause of justice and light."
"How long will you strive?"
"For all the days of our lives."
"To Gillian!"
"To Gillian!" Rachel smiled, and continued.
"Welcome back to another year at Gallagher Academy. It is wonderful to see all of you once again. I am sure you are anticipating the school year as much as I am. All of you will face new challenges as you continue your journeys here. I wish all of you the best of luck, and let's make this year the best we've ever had." Caitlin smirked, and lifted up her glass of water.
"Well, cheers to that."