"Seriously. What does she see in him?" My right fist flew past Grant's ear. He shook his head.

"Zach, brother, listen to me." He landed a punch on my ribs, and I stepped back. "You need to forget about it."

I knocked him to the ground with one swift kick. "Grant, you didn't see this guy. He was, like, poster-child momma's boy." I reached down, helping Grant back up. "The whole thought of it makes me sick."

I looked to the other end of the barn, where Cammie was working on the crossbow with the small genius. I saw Cammie reach over and gently lift Liz's arm about a foot, right before the arrow went flying. The next thing I knew I was on the ground. "Zach, I thought you didn't like her."

"I don't," I answered too quickly. "It's just an insult that a girl could like a guy like that." Grant stared at me, and I was sure he didn't believe me. Dang it, I thought. Why is it that I can rattle off lies no problem when it doesn't matter, but at times when it actually counts, people can see right through me? I sighed. "Besides, she can't stand me, remember?"

Grant laughed as he pulled me back to my feet. "That probably has something to do with how cocky you were in D.C., don't you think?"

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up," I said, but he just laughed again.

"You know," he said, right before he barely missed hitting me in the stomach, "you could offer to go to that party with her."

I walked over to the bench along the wall of the P&E barn and grabbed a water bottle. "Yeah, and I'm sure Headmistress Morgan would greatly appreciate that. Not to mention Joe."

Grant shook his head. "They don't have to know. Isn't she supposed to be famous for her Houdini-like disappearing acts?" I was quiet. "Aha," Grant gloated. "He's speechless. Ladies and gentlemen, the amazing Grant has made poor, little Zach speechless once again." He bowed to an imaginary crowd. "Thank you, thank you. I know, I'm amazing." He turned to me. "Think about it," he said, and strutted out of the barn.

I did think about it. That night I roamed the halls, wondering if Grant actually was on to something. It'd be easier to listen to him if he wasn't right all of the time I thought. I was so lost in concentration I almost didn't see a girl turn down the hallway. The lights were off, so I couldn't make out who it was at first, but then she reached behind a tapestry, revealing a secret door, and I instantly knew who it was. I walked up behind her, watching her run her hand along the tapestry, about to step behind it. "You know, I don't think I ever got the rest of my tour," I said. She jumped at my voice. "So what do you say, Gallagher Girl? Is this when I get my Cammie Morgan no-passageway-too-secret, no-wall-too-high tour?"
She looked shocked. "How do you know about…" she trailed off.

I pointed to myself. "Spy," I said, hoping that that would make everything alright. "So," I said, leaning against the wall. "That was jimmy?"

"josh," she interrupted. I rolled my eyes. Who cares? I thought. It's not like his name means anything, anyways.

"Whatever," I said. "He's a cutie." And so are lethal injections, and mass killings, and clowns.

She sighed, and her shoulders sank. "What do you want, Zach?" She held out her hands in surrender. "If you came to make fun, go ahead. Mock away."

Wow. And the award for the world's biggest jerk goes to… Zach! Yay! "Gee," I said, looking down at my feet. "You know, I would," I tried to suppress a smile. "but you just took the fun out of it."

"Sorry." She tried to step around me, but I sidestepped, blocking her path.

"Hey," I lowered my voice. "Why'd you freeze out there today?"

The wind was blowing hard outside, causing the walls of the old mansion to creak. "I'm fine," she lied. "I'm over it."

"No you aren't, Gallagher Girl," I told her. "But you will be."