The lying comes natural to me

You probably could have had it all

You could have been that lonely star

-The Weeknd "Montreal"

My feet pounded on the floor, not caring how loud I was. I just needed to get away. I couldn't take one more second in this godforsaken place. My own mother no longer cared about me. She didn't even view me as her own daughter. I was nothing to her, nothing to everybody.

The chill of the night slammed into me as I slid out of the only passageway I knew they forgot to cover up. I remembered this feeling, and knew without a doubt that this was where I had left last spring. I sighed as I pondered what to do next. Did I really want to leave for good? No, I just needed an hour or two away. Nothing drastic, like when I ran away like a… coward as my mother had described me as.

I ran behind the barn towards the ominous woods. I could jump the fence and walk around Roseville for a little while. Just to clear my mind. I slowed to a walk as I came upon the fence and grabbed the metal rods to hoist myself up. But a voice stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Ah Cammie. I thought you would've learned your lesson from the last time." Her voice sent chills down my spine. I slowly turned around to meet her calculating gaze.

She was still tall, slender, and beautiful. Her hair whipped around her face, covering most of it. But her eyes. The eyes that were almost identical to his. That was the only resemblance they bore to each other. But it was enough to remind me that her son was the young man that I had something with. What that something was, I still wasn't sure. My eyes trailed down to her hands, which were clutching a revolver. A revolver that was trained on my head, just above my eyes.

"Why don't you come down from there, Cammie dear? I don't want such a pretty girl like you to get hurt again. Don't be so foolish." Her voice was awful. It was sickly sweet and full of fakeness. It hurt to listen to her. I relented and slid down to come face to face with her. Her gun never left my forehead as I did this.

I swallowed my fear and asked, "Are you going to kill me?"

She laughed loudly, "Cammie, I can assure you that I am only pointing a gun at you so you don't kill me. Or don't you remember what exactly you are capable of? To be honest, you frighten me." My fists clenched and my mind raced, trying to remember what she was talking about to no avail.

"What am I capable of?" My voice came out cool and calm, pretty much the complete opposite of what I was feeling. My heart pounded and it felt difficult to breathe. I was terrified of what her answer could be.

"Darling, why would I tell you when I can let your imagination run wild?" She smirked at me, but one full of evil and hatred. Nothing like Zach's.

"So if you aren't here to kill me, why are you here? How did you get into Gallagher?" My voice didn't tremble, even though my legs felt as if they were about to give out.

"Cameron, I am just here to visit you. And to remind you that we can and will find you anywhere and everywhere. You cannot hide from us."

"That still doesn't answer why you don't just shoot me now. I'm sure you got what you wanted while you had me last summer." I was perplexed. Why would she come here to tell me she can and will find me? She already found me, so why not kill or capture me?

"Sometimes wondering when it will happen is worse, Cameron. It's what destroys even the best of operatives. Knowing that it can happen at any moment is so much worse. Tell Zachary his mother said hello." And with that final note, I was left alone in the woods fighting to comprehend what had just happened. The night was so quiet and strangely still. I was shaking uncontrollably. I knew that I needed to return to the safety of my school, but I could barely move. Adrenaline overtook me and I slowly made my way back. I wanted to move quicker because she could come back at any moment and kill me, but I couldn't do it. I was in shock.

The lights of my school came up before me, and relief flooded into my veins. Only 100 yards more. Just the length of a football field. And then I'll be safe again. That's it. I jumped when I heard earsplitting screams and a deafening gunshot. The night was once again silent. I broke into a hard sprint for the main entrance.

That could've been me. That should've been me. I should be dead right now. I no longer felt lost and scared. I felt alive and determined. I burst into the doors and slammed them shut behind me. In front of me were all of my sisters. They stood there gaping, fear widening their eyes. I slid my back against the wall and crouched there for a moment, running my hands through my tangled hair. I stood up again very slowly, trying to act cool and collected.

"Miss Morgan, where were you?" Professor Buckingham's noble voice broke through the sea of whispers and murmurs. The hall once again became silent. Hundreds of spies and one assassin anticipated my answer. I locked eyes with Zach, never breaking from them.

"I was out for a run. I was returning and heard the gunshot, so I sprinted back. It was probably just some hunters. It is hunting season, correct?" The lie came easily to me. I wondered how many times I had lied in the past. I wondered if it got easier every time.

"Well in that case, make sure to only run in the day and to wear bright colors. Be careful. That goes for all of you." She gave everyone a pointed look and they scurried back to their dorms. I stayed standing, my back on the main doors. Zach looked at me, doubt etched across his face.

"Where were you really?" And I couldn't lie to him, no matter how much I wanted to.

"In the woods. What's your mother's name Zach?" He looked at me carefully, his face stoic.

"Catherine. Her name is Catherine." Once again our eyes met. Upon closer examination, I found that his eyes weren't exactly the same as his mother's. His were just a shade or two later, but it was enough.

"Catherine says hi."

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