Chapter Seven

"A month." Bex breathed. "You've been pregnant for a whole month?"

"That's what the doctor says." Cammie confirmed as she folded laundry on her bed. Bex sat across from her in a chair by the window, watching the rain fall in torrents outside. "And since there were a number of times in that time period that Zach and I….well they can't give a definite due date. They just think it's some time in July.

"Such a long time away." Bex mumbled.

"Yeah it will go quicker than we think." Cammie predicted.

"So how did your mom and Joe react when you told them you were keeping the baby?" Bex wondered.

"Surprisingly, they didn't really have any reaction. My mom just nodded and scheduled my next doctor's appointment. And Joe just left. Though I have a feeling he'll be hunting Zach down sometime in the next week or so."

"They're just getting used to it." Bex reassured her best friend. "I'm sure they'll be really happy after a little bit."

"Hopefully. But I understand how they feel. I'm not quite sure I'm adjusted to it either. I wouldn't say I'm happy."

"You're pleased."

"Yeah." Cammie agreed and hefted herself off the bed.

"Delivery!" came a shriek from the front room. Cammie chuckled and she and Bex went out into the main room to greet Liz and Macey who had brought Chinese takeout for lunch. "We brought a book of baby name ideas as well." Liz announced as Cammie unpacked the food.

"Oh gosh, guys." Cammie whined in embarrassment. "Baby names? Really?"

"That's what I said." Macey muttered. "But Liz forced me to stop at the bookstore."

"Well, thanks, Lizzie." Cammie smiled and tossed the book on the couch. "We'll have to look through it sometime."

"Did you bring orange chicken?" Bex wondered as she inspected each package.

"No, only Beijing beef." Macey replied, already pulling out her chopsticks.

"Dāngrán." Bex replied in Mandarin and Macey rolled her eyes.

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"Aren't we a little old for this?" Cammie huffed as she crawled after Zach through the secret passageways that crossed through the Gallagher Academy. "I mean, we don't even go here anymore. We are redefining the "Super Senior" stereotype."

"Oh stop grousing." Zach chuckled as he helped her into the nook that overlooked the P&E fields. "This is romantic."

"Eh, I could think of a few more romantic things that don't require me meeting more than one spider in the course of five minutes." Cammie responded wittily.

"Very funny." Zach gave her a quick peck on the lips as they settled in to watch a game of flag football being played out on the field. "So, have you thought anymore about the wedding?" he asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"Yes." She admitted. "Have you?"

"Of course." He replied quickly. "Your thoughts on it?"

"I think we should do it sooner rather than later." Cammie decided. "Don't take it like I don't want to be with you right away, but at the same time, it's tacky to walk down the aisle with a baby bump. There will already be talk. I don't want to add to that."

"I think you'd look perfect anyway you walked." Zach whispered as if he were sharing a secret.

"Shut up." She blushed and shoved him playfully.

"So when are you thinking?" he asked.

"December?" Cammie wondered. "Mid-December?'

"A winter wedding." Zach added thoughtfully. "Sounds nice."

"Can we put it together on such short notice?"

"I'll leave that to you." Zach laughed and before she could respond, took off down the tunnel.

"Oh, you are the worst!" Cammie laughed as she began to chase him, already hearing his footsteps receding. She knew he'd be waiting to scare her at the end of the tunnel and that she would scream. It was how the world worked. Zach was always waiting and Cammie would always fall for him, no matter what.

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"It's such a gorgeous day." Liz said for the probably the thousandth time that hour. Cammie felt like punching Liz in the face. The rain was pouring as they huddled under an umbrella and tripped down the walkways of Washington, D.C. The wind was raving around them, biting through their jackets. Cammie was ready to scream in frustration.

"I thought you said you only needed a few things." Cammie grumbled as Liz dragged her into another shop.

"It's only been two hours since we got here." Liz defended herself and began to look at the bargain rack of clothing. Cammie glanced over the assorted lipsticks and caught sight of a maternity section. She almost went over to it, but refrained. No. Not yet. She wasn't ready for the rumors. Not that anyone here knew her, but still. She was paranoid. She didn't want to risk it. Cammie huffed and looked out the window. They were only a few blocks from the Capitol Mall, and she was tempted to start running and find shelter with Abraham Lincoln's statue. But she never got the chance. Liz materialized next to her, bag on her arm, and umbrella ready. "Got what I need. Ready to head back?"

"Well finally." Cammie sighed as she buttoned her jacket up again. "Now it's only like a half hour walk back to my car."

"You're in a sour mood." Liz observed as they stepped back into the street and started walking. "Pregnancy must not agree with you." It was the wrong thing to say.

"Well of course it doesn't. I'm nineteen."

"Not what I meant." Liz apologized. Cammie mentally forgave Liz after seeing the innocent face. No one could stay mad at Liz. Plus, Liz was never intentionally rude. She just never knew how to word things correctly.

"Where are we going?" Cammie spoke up as Liz looped her arm through Cammie's and pulled her onto a different street. "The car was the other way."

"We're here. We might as well go see the monuments." Liz smiled to herself. "Right?"

"Liz, in case you haven't noticed, I'm nauseous and tired and hungry and cold. Let's look at the monuments another time. We have at least an hour drive to get back home."

"Oh Cammie, this is just what you need to cheer you up."

"I doubt it." Cammie sighed but let Liz drag her out onto the Mall's path. Hardly a person was out. Of course no one is out, thought Cammie. They're all smarter than Liz, inside and warm and eating something because it's lunch time!

"Oh look at the Washington Monument!" cried Liz in excitement. "It looks so regal in the fog, don't you think?"

"Sure." Cammie didn't even look. She was beyond caring. The rain water was soaking through her shoes.

"And that helicopter up there, I wonder what that's doing out today?" Liz added.

"Who knows." Cammie grumbled.

"Isn't this near where you first saw Zach?" Liz reminded her.

"Liz come on would you please-" and Cammie stopped. Liz was right. This was where she had first laid eyes on Zach, where he had fooled her into believing he was just a normal boy, talking to a pretty girl, when really he was her distraction. And he had distracted her perfectly. But she had also gotten the scoop on him, little did he know.

"Hello, Blackthorne Boy." Her young voice replayed in her head. She saw Joe and Zach's surprised expressions. She laughed to herself.

"Yeah, it is." Cammie breathed and looked at the monument. It really did look regal. It had seen years and years of people, but it had seen Zach. It had seen Zach see her. He had seen her and she had seen him. And now here they were. "You're right, Liz, the monument looks very regal." Cammie admitted, feeling slightly brighter. She looked to her left and then everything registered. Liz was gone. "Liz?" Cammie looked around. She had just disappeared. For a split second the thought crossed her mind that something horrible had happened to her. But then she remembered that she's Liz and even though she seems meek to her, she's still been trained better than any mugger or delusional person.

"Hey." Bex appeared next to Cammie. Cammie jumped.

"What the heck are you doing here?" Cammie looked around. "Where's Liz? What's going on?"

"Calm down. We're supposed to be heading to the ruby slippers, remember?" Bex replied casually. Cammie gasped.

"Bex, what are you talking about?" Cammie was so confused. Did Bex just say something about an assignment they'd had three years ago? It was like she was reliving her past. She was about to pinch herself to try to wake up when Bex grabbed her arm.

"Cam, we've got to hurry. Let's split up. Just to make sure there's no one on our tails." Bex suggested. Cammie couldn't form words as Bex did a perimeter check and then took off. Her phone buzzed. It was a text from Joe.

"Ruby Slippers. You have ten minutes." It read. Cammie didn't understand. But she did know that no matter how many years she had been out of school, she would always think of Joe as her teacher. And he had given her an assignment. She had to get to the ruby slippers. And Bex already had a head start. She took a minute to get her bearings. She was rusty. She tried to shake off the fog that seemed to seep into her brain from the air. The slippers were located in the castle. So she had to get down there in five minutes at the most because she would have to wait in a line somewhere along the way. She took off.

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The castle was mostly empty, just like it had been those many years ago. She was experiencing major dejavu. Where was Bex? Was Joe here too?

"Bex?" Cammie called as she rounded the empty halls. The exhibit was coming up. She rounded another corner and saw the exhibit ahead. She raced to it, her competitiveness kicking in. Just as she reached the exhibit, Joe stepped out from the other side. Cammie skidded to a stop in surprise. "Mr. Solomon!" Cammie cried, so startled she forgot to call him Joe. She felt like a student again. "Where's Bex?"

"Miss Morgan," Joe sounded very disappointed, "you're late."

"I am not." Cammie replied, then glanced at her watch. She was twenty-three seconds late. Shoot. "Twenty-three seconds." She muttered. "Oh well. I beat Bex."

"Ah, but not everyone." Joe smiled for the first time during the conversation and stepped aside. Zach appeared from around the slippers. Cammie gasped.

"Hey, Gallagher Girl." He rasped. Cammie's hand flew to cover her mouth as Zach knelt down and pulled a box from his pocket. "Now I know I promised not to do anything big, but I wanted it to be special. So I hope this is ok. Cameron Ann Morgan, I loved you the moment I saw you and I thank Mr. Solomon everyday for assigning me to follow you. You make me incredibly happy and are great competition, even if I always win." She rolled her eyes as he continued. "And know that just because we're doing this a little early, it does not mean that I wouldn't have done it soon. I've known I wanted to marry you ever since I danced with you. So I guess I should just ask you now." Cammie shuddered a laugh and sniffled. Her hands were shaking and Zach took them. "Will you marry me, Gallagher Girl?" he held up a pack of M&M's. She choked out a sob and smiled.

"Yes. I will marry you, Blackthorne Boy." She replied and pulled him to his feet and he enfolded her in his arms.

"I'm going to kiss you now." He whispered.

"Hurry." She breathed.