I haven't updated in awhile. I know. BAD ME! Anyways, here's the next chapter which I hope you like.

I also know I haven't been listing songs at the beginnings of the chapters lately either. I just don't have any clue which songs would go with what's going on in them. If you have any ideas for songs that you think would fit, please, TELL ME!

Chapter 21.

Four days after my late-night confrontation with Tillie, Bex and I were just exiting the library when we heard the loud banging of Gallagher's front door being slammed. The two of us exchanged a quick glance and then rushed around the corner to the large foyer to see what was going on.

When Bex and I reached the foyer, we found it deserted. My eyes darted up to the balcony overlooking the large room and saw the tail of someone's coat disappearing down the upstairs hall leading to my mother's office.

Bex looked at me questioningly but I had no answers for her. I hadn't a clue as to who would be paying my mother a visit at nine o'clock on a Thursday. "Come on," I said. "Let's just get back to our room."

Bex only hesitated for a moment before acquiescing. We ascended the stairs and headed the opposite way my mom's late night visitor had gone.

Bex and I didn't mention what happened in the foyer to Liz or Macey. It didn't seem like worthwhile information to relay. But for the rest of the night, I couldn't shake the feeling that I shouldn't have walked the other way.

-.-.-.-

The next morning, my mother wasn't sitting in her spot in the middle of the head table. I didn't think much of it as she did occasionally miss breakfast for an early meeting here and there, but I did notice when Fiona sidled up to the table and whispered something in Mr. Solomon's ear as he sat eating his syrupy pancakes at the edge of the table. He nodded curtly and continued eating his food.

Fiona hesitated for a moment before backing away and exiting the room. Mr. Solomon stayed where he was. I turned back to my friends and saw that Macey had seen the exchange as well. We caught each other's gaze, both wondering what, if any, was going on.

"Attention, sisters." My mother's voice called from the double doors leading to the rest of the Gallagher mansion. As the chatter died down in the room she continued. "As you are very well aware, for the past year the Sublevels have been closed off. However, as Mr. Solomon's health has been improving he has been helping to return the levels to their regular status. And now, I am pleased to inform you that as of tomorrow, all Covert Operations classes will resume in their intended locations."

Bex and I exchanged a thrilled glance as an excited whisper swept through the room and a large portion of the student body gave a little cheer. Mom gave a small smile and raised her hand to quiet us down again. "Sophomores will report to Sublevel One. Juniors will journey to Level Two, and seniors…welcome to Sublevel Three. Ms. Phillips will be taking over the sophomore class while Mr. Solomon resumes his position with the junior and senior classes."

At this, my eyes snapped to the end of the table where Tillie usually sat. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it before. Apparently I wasn't the only confused about Tillie's sudden disappearance. "Wait, what about Ms. Henderson?" Anna said from the end of table.

My mother's answer did little to clear anything up. "She'll no longer be teaching at Gallagher."

I took a look around my group. Bex, Macey, and Zach betrayed no emotion in their expressions but Liz's eyes were wide with confusion. "What does that mean?" She whispered. "Did she quit or what?"

Bex picked an apple from her plate and rolled it in her hands. "No worries, Lizzie. We'll get to the bottom of this." Her eyes met mine and they were set with determination. Bex didn't like being duped by people and I could tell all this drama with Tillie was pissing her off. "If it's the last thing we do."

"Let's not get drastic now. I intend to get a few more good years in before I croak," Zach said. He looked at me and said in a completely serious tone, "At least until Sarah Palin is elected president of this wonderful nation."

Bex rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Go look at Russia with Palin on her porch. We Gallagher Girls—" She motioned the hand still holding the apple between her, Liz, Macey, and me. "—have an actual mission to accomplish."

"Don't be silly. You can't do this without a muscle man," Zach said. "Lucky for you, I brought along Lightning and Thunder." He raised his arms and flexed his biceps. I tilted my head at him and gave him a disparaging look until he lowered them, unashamed.

Bex just pursed her lips and stood up from the table, grabbing her tray. "No need to worry; I got that covered."

Zach looked at me for support but I just shrugged and said, "She has a point there."

"You are no help whatsoever," he said, his voice sounding questionably like a whine. He looked around the table but none of us made eye contact. "None of you."

Bex rolled her eyes. "Oh, Zachary. You know we kid. We're just having a little bit of fun. You do know what fun is, right?"

"Yes, I know what fun is, Rebecca." A flash of irritation swept across his face for a second. Then, he relaxed back into his usual nonchalant attitude. "I just don't relate to your kind of fun."

"I suppose you do need to have a more feminine mentality." She replied, thoughtfully before straightening up like her mind was coming back for a momentary zone-out. "Anyways, let's go. Announcements are over and I'm bored."

I smiled a little but it didn't reach my eyes. I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something weird was up. Why would Tillie up and quit? Did she quit? Or was there something else entirely going on?

Those questions and more pounded through my head as I headed to my first class of the day. My friends noticed my silence but deigned not to say anything. They were just as worried as I was.

Whatever was going on, I had to figure out what it was. All this being kept in the dark was grating on my nerves and I was sick and tired of feeling helpless. My mom thought I needed protecting but I knew I just needed support. Support to find the Circle and find out why they wanted me.

A thought floated in before I could smash it down. Tillie wanted to help.

No, I wouldn't let myself think that. She just wanted to clear her conscience because she blamed herself for what happened to my dad. What's wrong with wanting to find him?

Nothing was wrong that. But I couldn't find him Tillie. I couldn't trust her. Why not? Because she kept secrets? She's a spy, it's what they do.

I wanted to slap my inner-self. She was always saying the exact thing I didn't want to hear. I frowned as I entered the COW classroom and took my seat. Inner-Cammie was really pissing me off.

Maybe I should stop referring to my mind as an actual person. Someone might consider that the first step towards insanity.

Bex had apparently had enough of my quietness. "You okay?"

I nod. She looked like she was going to say more but then Mr. Smith came into the room and started his lesson. She gave me a long look before she shifted in her seat so she was facing the front of the room. I let out a small sigh that went unnoticed by everyone else and turned my attention to the lesson as well.

.-.-.-.-.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I went into the CoveOps room on the ground floor of Gallagher for the last time. Would Tillie be there? Would I finally say something to her? Wish her goodbye or say good riddance? The thoughts I'd had earlier had gotten me thinking that perhaps I'd judged her too soon. Maybe I should work towards making amends.

In the end, none of that mattered because Tillie wasn't in class. It was Mr. Solomon standing by the desk at the front of the room, his right hand gripping the handle of the smooth, black cane. "Hello, class." He gave us an easy smile and was rewarded with a dozen and a half more directed right back at him. "Take your usual seats and then we'll begin."

I sat down at my seat in the third row from the door and two from the front of the room. I kept glancing back at the door to see if Tillie would magically appear, her eyes bright and lively and ready to take on whatever was thrown at her.

The only one to come through the door was Eva Alvarez who shut the door upon Mr. Solomon's instructions.

"Well, class, I know it's been awhile since I was here, teaching you all," Mr. Solomon said, still standing by the desk. "I hope Ms. Henderson taught you well in my stead because there is much left to teach you and very little time to teach it in."

He grabbed a pile of papers from his desk with his free hand and then started walking down the desk aisles, dropping a folder on each desk as he went. I couldn't help but notice how heavily he leaned upon his cane and the way he walked lighter on his right foot than his left. My observations were cut off as he dropped a manila folder on my desk, his eyes staring deep into mine like he knew my deepest secrets. Which he probably did…

He walked on and began talking. "For the rest of the semester, this profile will be your life in this class. When in class and on out-of-class meetings you will embody this person." He set the last folder down on Tina's desk and laid his palm flat on it. "The cover will become your life. If you slip up, you're out of the game."

"Game?" Bex said, only half-interested in what that meant. From the way she was staring at her unopened folder I could tell that she wouldn't notice if Zach started stripping right here and now.

"Yes, Ms. Baxter, game," Mr. Solomon said. "You can think of this as a competition of sorts. Whoever manages to hold onto their cover will be titled CoveOps student of the year. You'll get a plaque in the Hall of History and everything."

My classmates and I all looked around at each other not just in bewilderment because we'd never heard of such a thing before but also to size everyone up. Bex was taking turns staring everyone down and looking at her folder even more intently.

"Throughout the rest of the semester you will be tested on how well you know your cover. What their likes and dislikes are. What they are capable of and what they aren't. You will be sent on missions under your cover and will have to execute the mission in a certain amount of time while remaining in cover." Mr. Solomon's gaze was stern as he looked around at us all. "Tonight, I want you to sit and read through your file. Memorize every inch of it. Acquaint yourselves with your covers because come tomorrow in Sublevel Three you're no longer a student attending a spy school…you are your cover. Completely."

The room was silent, even Bex had turned her gaze from her folder and was instead watching Mr. Solomon. Waiting on his every word.

But he was done speaking for today. He dismissed us, and we all packed up our things slowly. As I walked out of the classroom with Bex and Zach none of us said anything. We remained silent as we climbed the steps to the second floor and as we walked to the dormitories and as we entered our room.

It was empty since Macey and Liz were still in their own separate classes so we the three of us just sat down on the floor in the middle of the room and looked at one another. Then Bex said, "I guess we should look at our covers now."

Her eyes slid to the file still grasped in her fingers and I looked at the one I had placed on the floor in front of me. "I guess so," I replied.

My hand moved with an unusual feeling of anxiety to the folder and I was about to lift the cover and reveal the pages beneath when there was a light knock on the door.

"Dammit," Bex muttered. She dropped her file on the ground and stood up quickly, agitation showing on her face. She ran a hand through her loose caramel locks and walked to the door. She twisted the door knob as the knock came again, more insistently this time. She shook her head as she opened the door a little bit and then froze.

The door still blocked my view of my person on the other side of its wooden surface but I saw the way Bex's shoulders tensed up. I started to stand up when Zach's hand shot to my wrist. My eyes moved to his face but he wasn't looking at me. He was staring intently at the door, waiting for someone to speak.

After a few seconds, Bex did. "Can I help you with something?"

The voice that replied was one I knew well. It was strong and yet soft, almost melodic. "I need to speak with Cameron. It's urgent." Tillie said.

Bex shifted her stance and the door opened a little wider. I could just see the edge of Tillie's face. "Anything you have to say to her, you can say to me. I'll relay it to her."

"Rebecca, just let me in."

"No."

I heard Tillie let out a heavy sigh. "I really must speak with her. And quickly. There isn't much time."

At this I pulled my wrist from Zach's grasp and stood up, walking to the door. He was close behind me. "Much time for what?" I asked.

I could see her face now. It was tight and pale, almost like she hadn't slept for days. "There isn't much time to talk to you before I have to leave."

"Well, then say what you have to say and go." Bex's voice was hard and carried the slightest trace of hostility.

Tillie's eyes darted from mine to Bex's to Zach's. The whites of them were bloodshot and the edges of her eyes were rimmed a pinkish color like she'd been crying. I couldn't help but ask, "Is everything alright, Tillie?"

"No," She said, her voice shook. "Nothing is alright."

Sorry for any typos in there. Forgive me?

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