Another attempt. Sequel of sorts to Valentine Surprise. Zammie is just too cute to ignore.^^ Sorry if Zach is OOC. I want him to be nice, ya know?? So, thanks if you're reading this! And please tell me what you think!!

Just in Case

It had been about a month and a half since Zach had asked me to be his girlfriend. In a totally romantic gesture. Who knew he had it in him? It was nice for a while, knowing that he was my boyfriend, but now I just missed him even more than I used to. And it didn't help that I didn't know when I would see him again.

I read the note in my hand again, for about the thousandth time.

Until next time

-Love, Z

When was "next time"?? Deep in thought, I slipped out of my room where Macey, and Bex were in a heated conversation about whether lipsticks or compacts made better spy gadgets, and headed toward a place I could think in peace.

As I walked down the corridors all I could hear was the sound of my own breathing. I turned the corner and checked to see if anyone was following me. Then I slipped behind the tapestry of the Gallagher tree and into my favorite passageway. I clutched the note in my hand and closed my eyes, wishing for Zach to appear in front of my eyes.

"What are you wishing for?"

A loud voice startled me. I spun around and punched the intruder in the gut and turned to sprint toward my mom's office. But a large, warm hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Gallagher Girl! Cammie, it's me! Zach!"

I stopped struggling and looked up into Zach's flawless face. He was looking at me with amusement in his eyes. For a few moments I was mesmerized by the ocean green depths of Zach's eyes. Zach was here. My wishing worked!!! Then I lowered my eyes to his annoying smirk, and snapped out of it. I tried to think clearly. Something was wrong with this picture…Wait!! What is ZACH doing here? In MY school? A SPY school???

"How did you get in here? In the Gallagher Academy??? You're not supposed to be here!!! "I sputtered, half of me scared that our security was that easy to break through, half of me amazed once again by Zach's incredible spy skills.

Zach just stood there, smirking. He said nothing. Instead, he just took the note from my hand and examined it. His smirk grew larger(I didn't know it was possible either).

"It's wrinkled, Gallagher Girl. How many times did you read this?", he laughed.

I snatched the paper back before he could tease me more about it. I hid my growing blush and tried to regain whatever dignity I had by bringing to the IMPORTANT matter at hand.

"That is so not the problem, Zach. Tell me how you got in here!! It's supposed to be impossible! Did you teleport yourself here or something?" I exclaimed, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Impossible, huh? So you didn't use this passageway to sneak out to see Jimmy?", he countered, with a know-it-all-look on his face.

"What, huh? Well, yes, but—"

"Then I guess it's possible. And teleporting, you've got a crazy imagination. I'm a spy, not a wizard." He shook his head, his eyes twinkling.

I stared at him. How did he know everything about me??

"But…how did you know I used this passageway?" I asked, slowly.

He smirked his "I-know-something-you-don't smile" and said….

"Spy." I groaned. Remind me why I like this guy??

"More like stalker" I muttered. "and that phrase is seriously overused."

He chuckled.

"But you wouldn't have minded if I was stalking you." He said, like it was a matter-of-fact. I sighed.

"Fine, no….but only if it was for your benefit."

"It is," he said, smiling. I looked down, blushing. The next thing I felt was Zach's arms winding around my waist. I took a step closer to him and wrapped my own arms around him. I sighed, and looked up. Then I said something that had been on my mind.

"Do you…do you think about me, Zach?" I asked, tentatively.

"You're my girlfriend, Cammie," he answered, slowly. He looked puzzled.

"But…do you?" I asked again, even more quietly. He grinned and leaned down toward me.

"Every day. Every night," he said softly. I blushed and he hugged me tighter. I pressed my face to his chest. His heart was beating to the same beat as mine.

There was a silence, but it was in no way awkward. We stood there, listening to our synchronized heartbeats and breathing. It felt like the world had stopped. I buried my head into his chest and breathed in. The smell reminded me of another hug, one in the gazebo on Valentine's Day.

"I missed you a lot," I admitted.

Zach dipped his head to my neck and kissed it lightly. Then he put his lips to my ear and whispered,

"I missed you too, Gallagher Girl," and sent shivers down my spine. I pulled back and looked into his beautiful eyes. They were so intense I had to look away.

"I like your scarf." I blurted. Zach didn't look down to say something cocky. He didn't say a word. He stood still, like he had on that day when he had uttered the words "someone knows." After a few moments he quietly told me

"It was my mom's…." I looked up and saw all the vulnerability he had been hiding from the world.

"Zach……" I whispered, putting my hand gently on his arm. I searched my brain for the right consoling words to say. But that wasn't what I would've wanted. So I just pulled him back in for a tender hug. Zach leaned into me, burying his head in my neck. He didn't say a word, and neither did I. I knew I was seeing the real Zachary Goode, no covers, no legends.

After a while Zach pulled away, and gazed into my eyes once more. This time I didn't pull away. Zach leaned in, closer, and closer, and even closer………and then his soft, full lips were on mine.

Thoughts in my head swirled around like snow would in a snow globe. My eyes fluttered shut.

………All I could feel was Zach. Zach's lips moving on mine. Zach's strong arm wound around me. Zach's warm hand on the back of my neck as he deepened our kiss.

……It was different from our first kiss. That had been like a scene in a movie. But this kiss was more private. Something just between us, as opposed to the kiss almost everyone saw. And it was different from how Josh used to kiss me. And I thought, maybe it was because I loved Zach . Maybe. And just maybe, he loved me back.

I waltzed into my room and sat on my bed, grinning like an idiot. I touched the blue scarf around my neck. The one that Zach had wound around me before he left. It smelled like him. Strong, musky, tough. But also, sweet.

Macey, Liz and Bex sat down across from me. They exchanged looks, probably because they were worried about my sanity.

"Uh, Cam? What happened?", Liz asked carefully.

"Huh?" I asked, disorientated.

"She means: why are you sitting there touching a scarf we've never seen before, and smiling like an idiot?"

"Oh, right." I dropped the scarf and looked at their faces. "Zach was here"

"um...you sure, Cammie? It wasn't a hallucination?"

"No, he was here. In our school. I was in a passageway, and he was there. He kissed me. And…he gave me this scarf……." I said the last part softly.

"WHAT?" screeched Bex, ruining the mood. "Start over. Tell us what happened. ALL OF IT. Verbatim."

So I started my story of Zach's second romantic visit.(although it wasn't very romantic in the beginning). But I kept the details of our kiss, Zach's walls breaking down, and the meaning of this scarf to myself.

When I was done, Liz was beaming at me with a dreamy look on her face. Bex just looked like she was impressed that Zach had been able to break into our school without causing a code black. And Macey just smirked(what is it with smirks?)at me with a smug look on her face, like she had known this was going to happen. Then her expression altered and she frowned at me.

"You aren't seriously gonna wear that scarf, are you? It's totally out of style!! So ten years ago."

I just smiled at her, fingering the scarf, knowing it held a lot more meaning than what my friends thought.

Bex and Macey started breaking down Zach's exact actions, while Liz was busy entering what he said into her Boy-to-English translator. And me, I couldn't help but smile as I thought about what Zach had said as he wrapped the scarf around my neck.

"It's a token to remember from our secret interlude. Just in case that note rips."

That's it. I hope it wasn't too bad. Thanks for reading!!