Guess Who's at Gallagher Chapter 3
Day before orientation Ellie's POV
Liz and I pulled up to the Gallagher Academy on the day before orientation, and parked in the parking lot. "Nervous?" Liz asked. "Yeah. I can't help but think about what I'm preparing
for. And I'm worried about you." "Don't be worried about me, I'm stuck inside all day. The worse that can happen is a small explosion, which I have already experienced multiple times.
Word of advice, always make sure you add chemicals together in very small amounts." "I'll keep that in mind." "Good. Let's get your bags." Liz popped the trunk and grabbed my
smallest bag. I tried grabbing one of my larger bags, but I was having issues with it. I looked at Liz, but she just said, "No way am I lifting that thing." I then heard laughing and
practically jumped out of my skin. "Liz, lift some weights," a vaguely familiar voice said. Liz turned around and squealed, "Cammie." "Yes." "I thought I wouldn't see you for another few
weeks." "My mom wanted me to spend my last few weeks before work with her. You know, mother daughter bonding time before I go out into the field. And I'm helping with orientation
because Professor Buckingham had to go back to MI6 for a few weeks." "Is everything okay?" Liz asked. "Everything's fine. But someone has to help keep Bex in check the first few
weeks." Liz laughed. Cammie turned to me. "It's nice to see you again Ellie, would you like some help with your bags?" "Thanks Cammie." She smiled and grabbed the big bag I was
trying to get earlier, and dropped it on the ground, then walked away and reappeared a few seconds later with a golf cart, then loaded my bags onto it and hopped on. "You coming?" Liz
and I got on and Cammie drove over to the front gates. We hopped off and grabbed my bags and started lugging them up the front steps to the doors. When we reached the top steps
the doors opened and behind them was a very hot guy, with dark brown hair and startling dark green eyes. "Want some help?" He called. "Nah, we got it." Liz said. The boy just smiled
and gestured inside in an "After you" gesture. Liz stared at him, then turned her head to Cammie. "Did Zach just do something taught in C&A?" Liz questioned. "Yup. And it only took 2
years, 7 months, 2.5 weeks and 3 hours." "Hey!" the boy, who I'm assuming is Zach, said. "You know it's true Blackthorne Boy," Cammie responded. Zach rolled his eyes. We stepped
inside. "Now Ellie," Cammie started "I know you already know the truth about Gallagher, but please don't reveal it to anyone, there will be other girls who know the truth, they have
been told the same thing. When we first give the tour, the school will be in code red. Which means that we're on disguise mode to make it seem like a normal school. After the first tour,
we will switch to our usual mode and my mother will tell everyone the truth. Do you understand?" I nodded. "Good. We are currently in Code Red mode because people are arriving
today. And see that bust over there," she pointed to a bust of a dude with big ears, I nodded, "when we are in are usual mode, that is where we keep Gilly's sword. You will learn about
it tomorrow, but don't go anywhere near that sword. It is electrified, and while it is just enough to knock a person out, you, being the same size as your sister in 7th grade, kind of only
count as half a person. So, stay away, We do not need a repeat of our 7th grade orientation. Got it?" I nodded, too shocked to speak. "Good." Cammie said. "Now go on up to your
room. Your bags have been placed there." I looked around, and found my bags were gone. "Whoa, When did that happen?" Cammie, Zach and Liz all chuckled. "Oh, Ellie, you have so
much to learn," Liz said, but there was a trace of sadness and worry in her voice, and I wondered about the not-so-nice things they are taught here. I shook it off, not ready to think
about it until I had to. I started to go upstairs, and then I realized I had no idea where my room is. I began to open my mouth, but before I could remind them, I heard Liz say, "Go
upstairs. The names are on the doors." I went upstairs, and looked for my room, I found it and knocked, no answer. I went inside and found my bed and started unpacking. "Want some
help?" I jumped, and turned behind me. It was just Liz. "Yeah, thanks." Liz nodded, "No problem." I took a deep breath, "I'm really scared Liz." "I know, you told me that already." "No,
like reallyscared. I'm terrified. As in, I think I may pee myself just thinking about what I will be taught to do." I admitted. "One, trust me, you are not going to pee yourself. And it's
good to be scared now. Trust me. If you become scared later on, it sucks. You have less time to process what you will be doing for a living, that your friends could be captured or
tortured or killed at any moment. Be scared now, you have more time to let it sink in. I didn't truly let myself be scared until the beginning of junior year, and it wasn't until second
semester that it got bad. Then, last summer, well, last summer, I can't even describe what I went through, waiting for Cammie to come home. Everyday, Bex and Macey and Zach and
Mrs. Morgan and Cammie's aunt Abby and I just waited, hoping to hear something, anything from her, to find out that she was okay. That's why I baked so much, it distracted me." Liz
told me. I almost started crying. That was why she didn't me to go, why she was so freaked. But I didn't want to look like a crybaby in front of my new classmates, in case any of them
came early, so instead I quipped, "And almost burned down the house. Not to mention destroy half of mom's cookware." Liz smiled, "That too." By this point, we had all of my clothes
folded and put away. I took out my sheets and comforter and made my bed, then grabbed my books and school supplies and organized them on my desk. I spent the next few hours
hanging out with Liz, Cammie, and Zach, just talking about Gallagher Academy and what they were going to do next and all that. "So," I asked, "what about my roommates?" "Well, 2
of them should be here soon. One of them, Melanie Grei, is smart, but from what I can tell, is kind of bratty, but Macey was the same way at first, and she's fine now, so it shouldn't be
an issue. Another one, Linda Griffin, is smart and athletic, so she could end up on either track. Her dad is NSA and her mom is CIA, so she knows the truth about Gallagher. The last
one, Joy Abrams, is coming late tonight because she had an event all day. Don't be put off if she's a bit surly or anything, because she is from Roseville, and everyone there thinks we're
just a bunch of spoiled brats." "Okay." A few minutes later my roommates arrived. Cammie, Zach and Liz slipped out of the room. I introduced myself to them. Linda gave me a sunny
smile and introduced herself. Melanie just gave my outfit the once-over and then proceeded to roll her eyes. "Is something wrong with my outfit?" I asked. "Yeah. It doesn't look good."
She replied. "That was uncalled for!" Linda exclaimed. I was starting to like this girl. "So, I'm guessing you're very particular about your appearance?" I asked Melanie. "Yes. It takes me
at least 45 minutes to get ready each morning," she said. I heard footsteps, and a second later Cammie and Liz appeared in the room. "Well, that shouldn't be a problem here, Melanie,
since you don't have much of a choice about what to wear." Liz said. Melanie stared at her, "Huh?" "There's a uniform here." Cammie translated. Melanie squeaked and the look on her
face was so hilarious, Linda and I couldn't help but start cracking up. Melanie wheeled on us. "What's so funny?" She demanded. "Nothing, it's just I'm sorry, but the look on your face
when you were told there was a uniform." Linda told her. "So there's not a uniform?" Melanie asked, hopeful. "No there's still a uniform, I think my sister has pictures somewhere if you
want to see them." I said. Melanie just grunted in response. Liz took out her phone, ready to toss it to me, but Cammie grabbed it our of her hand and walked over and handed it to me.
"Here you go." I thanked her and went to the pictures. I started scrolling through them until I found one of Liz and her roommates on the last day of their senior year before graduation.
They were all in their uniforms. I handed the phone to Melanie, and when she saw the uniforms she shuddered and dropped the phone. Linda caught it before it could hit the ground and
she gave it back to Liz. "Thanks." Liz said. While we were talking, Headmistress Morgan came into the room. "I'm sorry girls, but you have to go up to your room now, more people are
coming, and we don't like to have the main floor too crowded during the first night of orientation." She told us. We nodded and scrambled out of there.
11:30 PM, that same day (or well, night) Joy's POV
I arrived in my room, tired and a bit disoriented. That is, until the lights turned on. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I wake any of you?" I asked. "No, we were up waiting for you to come." Said a
wisp of a girl with blonde hair and glasses. "Oh, well that's nice. I'm Joy." "I'm Ellie," the blonde said. An athletic looking brunette stuck out her hand towards me, "I'm Linda." A girl
with wavy auburn hair just said "Melanie" and then gave me the once-over, sneering at me when she was finished, like a typical Gallagher girl. "What?" I snapped. My roommates
seemed taken aback, but Melanie coolly replied, "Nothing" "Don't 'Nothing; me. I've had a long day, tomorrow I have to encounter my brother's ex-girlfriends mother, who probably
knows everything that went on in that relationship, and if you're going to criticize my appearance, at least have the decency to do it to my face!" Melanie reacted calmly. "Okay. Your
outfit is hideous, you have no sense of style if your accessories and bags are any indication, and you have the worst temper ever, which is typical of a poor person." This got me. "1. I'm
not poor, I'm middle class 2. Nothing is wrong with my sense of style and 3. I probably shouldn't have snapped at you but I don't like having someone rolling their eyes at me, especially
on days where I just have left my family for a school that every single one of my friends despise. And, if your attitude is any indication, you're a perfect Gallagher girl, you shallow
bitch!" Sometime during my rant, I started screaming. There was a knock on our door, and a voice saying "Open up." Since I was the only one still standing up, I opened it. Standing
there was a girl with shoulder length dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. "Yes?" I asked. "Is there a problem? I heard yelling." She didn't seem mad, just inquisitive. "I'm sorry. I've just
been having a bad day." "Ok, would you like to step out in the hall with me?" She posed it like a question, but I knew I had no choice. When we got out in the hall and the door closed,
she started talking, "I get a bad day, but before you even officially start school? Please try and wait to get your anger out when a punching bag is near, not by yelling at your roommates
at 11:30 at night. Can you please do that Joy?" "Yes, and how do you know my name?" "I'm in charge of orientation this year, so I made it a point to memorize all of the 7th grader's
names and faces." "Ok, but don't you think I should find out your name?" "You'll find out tomorrow. Good night, Joy. Get some sleep." I nodded and went back to my room. "So, what'd
she want?" Linda asked. "Just to talk, find out what was going on." I turned to Melanie, "I'm sorry for yelling Melanie. I've just been having a bad day." Melanie just grunted in response.
I just sighed and grabbed my toiletry case and my PJ's and got ready for bed. When I got out of the bathroom, my bed was made. I turned to Linda and Ellie, "Thanks guys." They just
nodded. I crawled into bed and started dreaming of home.
