A/N Hello lovelies! I am so excited to finally get this first (new and improved) chapter of I'm Not That Little Girl You Used to See out. It's been a process editing and adding to this, but I'm happy with how it's turned out, and I hope you enjoy it as much as you all liked the old version! I know you're all here for the story and not my ramblings, so without further ado, I present to you, the first chapter of the revised version of I'm Not That Little Girl You Used to See!
CAMMIE: WAIT!
Me: What?
CAMMIE: Aren't you forgetting something?
Me: Uh….no?
CAMMIE: How about the fact that you don't actually own any of the characters, you just play in Ally Carter's sandbox?
Me: Oh, yeah…There is that. Can they read the story now you've done the disclaimer?
CAMMIE: I suppose.
Me: Okay, for real this time, ENJOY THE STORY!
CAMMIE
"Cameron Ann Morgan! Get down here now!"
I peered through the lower branches of the tree I was perched in. My mother was standing at the bottom looking up.
"Cammie, I know you're up there. Come down. The Goodes are going to be here soon. And your godfather is bringing his family today. So, come on! We need to get you cleaned up."
I sighed. "Is Zach coming?"
Mom pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yes, Cammie. Zach's parents aren't very well going to leave a seven-year-old home alone."
I slid down to the ground. I wasn't really sure what to think of Zach. Sometimes he was sun, but other times he was so boring! Plus he was bigger than me, even though I'm older.
Dad was grilling steaks in the backyard. They smelled so good! To any of our neighbors, it would appear we were a normal family, having all our normal friends over for a cookout. Well, okay, that last part was true, but all of us were far from normal. My parents, the Goodes, and my godfather, Joe Solomon, were all spies, mostly CIA. And ever since I cracked the NSA code my parents proclaimed my genius and claimed I'd be a great spy, too. I wondered about Zach.
"You are one ornery seven-year-old, you know that?" Mom asked. She didn't really want an answer, but I said,
"Dad always says I'm pre-coach-us."
That made Mom laugh. Though I'm not sure why. I didn't think I'd said anything funny. Together, we walked around the house to meet my dad at the grill.
"There's my favorite girls!" Mom rolled her eyes at Dad, but gave him a kiss on the cheek anyway.
"Hi Dad. Mom says Joe's bringing his family today."
"Well your mom is right," Dad replied. "Joe's in the clear as far as people hunting him now, so it's not as dangerous for people to know he has a wife and daughter."
"Melodie is a few years older than you and Zach, Cammie," Mom said. "But I think you'll all get along just fine. Now go wash your hands and come help me finish setting up."
ZACH
"Mo-om. Why do we have to go? Cammie hates me!" Okay, okay, so I was whining, give me a break!
"Zachary Goode. Camme does not hate you. She just likes to mess with you," my dad cut in. I hoped he could tell how unimpressed I was with his view of things by the look on my face.
"Last time, she flipped me over her head. The time before that, she jumped out of a tree on top of me!"
"Honey, she's just playing. Besides, you're bigger than she is. You've no reason to be scared of her," Mom said as we pulled into the Morgan's driveway.
"Oh, look! Joe's here, and he's brought Tammy and Melodie with him," Dad said.
"I'm so glad Joe's safe enough now to bring his family out in public," Mom exclaimed as we all climbed out of the car. "It must have been so hard on him!"
Lunch was actually really nice. Cammie didn't even try to do anything too horrible to me. After, Cammie and I wandered into the backyard to play. Melodie was already out in the grass making a dandelion chain. We walked over to watch her.
"I'm bigger than you," I blurted out to Cammie. "I could beat you up."
"Maybe," she said, considering me. "But I doubt you could beat up Melodie. She's bigger and older than you."
"Darn straight," Melodie said, peering up at the two of us through her bangs with warm brown eyes.
"Anyway, I don't feel like fighting. Let's play Truth or Dare," Cammie suggested. "Zach you go first."
"Uh, ok, um, Melodie, truth or dare?"
"Dare," she immediately replied.
"I dare you to…uh…run down the street yelling something with 'ninja bunnies' in it."
She got up almost before I'd finished my dare and headed to the gate.
"Melodie, where are you going?" Tammy Solomon called out from the patio.
"Ninja bunnies are attacking, Mom. I gotta warn the masses," she said with a straight face. I cracked up.
CAMMIE
We had been playing Truth or Dare for at least an hour now.
"Your turn, Cammie."
"Mmm. Zach. Truth or dare?"
"Dare," he replied with no hesitation. He never picked truth.
"I dare you to…" I bit my lip, because I was completely out of ideas. Melodie leaned over to me.
"Dare him to kiss you," she suggested, whispering so quietly I barely heard her. Zach looked at us, expression a mix of curiosity and dread. I shrugged.
"I dare you to kiss me."
He made a face, but leaned towards me. I glanced at Melodie. She grinned and mouthed, "Run!" at me. I grinned back and took off. Zach froze in surprise.
"Cammie!" he complained, as he got up to chase me.
"Zach! Time to go!" Mrs. Goode called.
"Coming!" he shouted back, then quieter, "Bye, Cammie."
"Bye, Zach! Bye, Cam!" Melodie yelled, waving from where she stood on the other side of the fence with her parents.
"Bye!" I called, waving at all of them. Little did I know it would be a very long time before I saw any of them again. Some of them, this would be the last time I'd ever see them.
ZACH
"Zach." I looked up. Mr. Solomon stood in the doorway.
"Mr. Solomon? What's going on? Where are my parents? They were s'posed to be back yesterday. Nobody's telling me anything."
He sighed and sat next to me in the crummy police station chairs. "Your parents won't be coming back, Zach. Their targets turned the tables on them and Chris Morgan. They attempted to take me out, too, but I wasn't home when…"
All the sounds of the station seemed so far away. I was in shock. Seven years old and orphaned, surrounded by so much death.
"What about Cammie and Mrs. Morgan?"
"Safe. They'll have been told by now."
I hesitated a moment before speaking again. "I'm sorry about Melodie and your wife."
"Me too, kid," Mr. Solomon sighed. "I thought… Well."
"So what happens now?" I asked tentatively.
He sighed again. "You'll ebplaced with a CIA-vetted family. One with a close connection to the Agency. Then when you're old enough, you'll be sent to the Blackthorne Institute. That's where Chris and I attended when we were younger."
At least it wouldn't be a normal school where I'd be a freak, too smart for my age, and too clever for my own good. I followed Mr. Solomon out to the waiting car whn he stood up, still numb from the events of the past few hours and everything I'd learned. I think everyone was grateful when I fell asleep in the car taking me away from everything I'd ever known to my new life.
A/N Sooooo… What did you think? Personally, I think it feels really great to come back to this work I loved so much and update it! Well, don't just exit out of the story, lovelies! Leave me a review, and let me know what you think of the reviesed version of this story! OH, and let me know if you spot any errors, I did edit and revise, but I am, after all, only human. See you next time, lovelies, and thank you to everyone, who's been reviewing the other story I have up, and following me! Your support is much appreciated, and I hope I didn't disappoint!
