CAwriter- thank you sm! im glad to hear you like it :)))

kayla-LITERALLY ME RN HAHAH

my power was out for about four days, so im so sorry for not being able to upload, so ill try and get out two chapters today :)

Chapter 21

The alarms went off too early, it seemed. Macey had set the alarms to go off at 9, so there would be enough time to get up and collect everything from the room before breakfast. Of course she was the first up, and had already finished her own packing. Macey let Liz sleep in five minutes longer, and didn't bother to touch Cammie, seeing how Cam's bag was still packed from last night. Liz was using the bathroom, and Bex had walked back into the other room to brush her teeth. Cammie and Zach were still sleeping, unaware of the chaos that waited as soon as they woke up. Macey poked Liz, pointing at the bed by the window. Liz looked over, and sighed. Macey motioned for her to grab Cammie's camera, which was sitting on the nightstand by her bed. She ran over as quietly as possible, only knocking over one bag before she made it. Grabbing the camera, she lightly knelt on the bed, taking a picture of a sleeping Cam and Zach. Cammie had her head on his chest, and he had his arms around her tightly. Once Liz had safely put the camera away, (surprisingly, not a single thing was knocked over), Macey held up three fingers. Bex and Liz nodded, understanding the plan. As she put down her fingers, the girls got ready to spring. Macey mouthed the word 'One', and they all jumped onto the bed. Cammie must have been totally out of it, because she only stirred a little bit. Zach however sat straight up, blinking his eyes and rubbing them like he forgot where he was. That was only one part of his reaction, the other was to act like a human shield and cover Cammie with his body. The sudden weight did cause Cammie to wake up, and she opened her eyes to see Zach lying on top of her, and the girls surrounding them on the bed.

"What did I miss?" she asked, clearing her throat. Macey started to laugh.

"It's almost time to go back to Blackthorne. I think Soloman was letting us spend today in the city, and we would head back to Maine tonight. So, hurry up and get an outfit, because breakfast is gonna be in about 20 minutes," Bex said, and went back to the bathroom to finish brushing her hair. Macey and Liz went back to gathering the different items that lay scattered around the room. Cammie still had Zach on top of her, and he didn't show signs of waking up. Cammie tried to push him off of her, but he was too heavy. What do boys eat to be this heavy? Cammie thought. She lifted up his face, and gave him a small kiss. He opened his eyes, and smiled down at her.

"Good morning Gallagher Girl," he said, moving his hair out of his face.

"Hi Zach," Cammie replied. She reached up to give him another kiss, then shoved him off of her. He gasped in fake pain, and looked over at her with hurt eyes. "I need to get dressed and you were in my way!"

"That's no excuse to assault me!" he complained. She just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You are so dramatic sometimes, I swear you must have taken a drama class when you were in younger," Cammie said, while digging through her bag to find an outfit Macey would approve of. Ignoring Zach's speech in the background, she settled on a cable-knit turtleneck, with light wash mom jeans and a beige overcoat. Macey would definitely like it. It was chic enough, while also comfortable. Cammie finalized her outfit by grabbing some gold jewelry. She clipped the necklace on, then went to change. As she walked though, she felt like she was forgetting something. Zach! She turned too look at him, only to see that he was still talking about how he wasn't dramatic at all.

"I thought you had finished talking ages ago. How are you still going?" she asked.

"You weren't listening?" he asked.

"I was, but then I got distracted by the fact that we now have like eight minutes to get down to the lobby for breakfast. So if you don't mind, I'm going to go and get dressed. Okay? Okay," Cammie said, and walked over to give him a quick kiss. "Do you feel better now?" He made a face.

"I think I need another one," he said, pulling Cammie in by her waist. She checked her watch, trying to see how much time she had left.

"Just one, and then we have to sprint down the hall to get to breakfast in time, okay?" she said. He nodded, and smiled really big. She met him halfway, his hand coming up to trace her jaw. Cammie broke away, and went to the bathroom to get dressed to go out. The last thing she heard before closing the door was Zach shouting,

"That wasn't even a good one!"

After getting dressed, Cammie quickly brushed her teeth and went back into the room to grab her bag. There was a note in Evapopaper on it, and it read:

I had to go downstairs early. But don't worry, I'll save you a seat next to me ;) -Z

She laughed, and put the note underwater to erase it. Cammie grabbed her bag, checking the room quickly for any left behind items. Once she was satisfied that nothing was left, she walked out into the hallway. The elevator ride was quick, and she arrived into the lobby with everyone else at 9:59. Macey gave her a once-over, nodding her head approvingly at the outfit.

"Good job Cam, it looks like you're learning," Macey said, elbowing her.

"Well you did teach me where to find nice clothes," Cammie said, elbowing her back. Everyone stopped talking once Soloman walked to the front of the group.

"Glad to see you all made it down in time. Once you all finish breakfast, you are free to leave and explore D.C. provided that you have comms and are back at the hotel by 9 pm to go home. Breakfast is through that hallway and to the left. See you all at nine," he said, and walked in the direction of the cafeteria. Cammie and Macey met up with the other two girls and walked in together. By some miracle force, the boys had made it in before everyone else, and were already sitting down and eating. There were empty spots next to each of them. It seemed as though Zach had kept his promise. They walked over to the buffet table, loading their plates with fruit, toast, some eggs, and a waffle for Cammie. She also grabbed water to drink. As they walked over to the table, Zach spotted her and waved.

"Did you get my note?" he asked, getting up to pull her chair out for her.

"I did. It looks like you kept your promise," Cammie laughed, and sat down, starting to eat her food.

"I did, even though you didn't," Zach said, trying to look sad.

"You didn't even make me promise you anything, so I'm not sure what you're talking about," Cammie said, eating a strawberry.

"You said you were going to give me a kiss," he said, giving her puppy-dog eyes. She rolled her eyes.

"I did. Are you just trying to say you want another one?" Cammie asked.

"Well if you're offering," Zach said, and leaned forward with his lips puckered. Cammie went over to kiss him, and then motioned for Grant to quickly run over so that he would be the first thing Zach saw once he opened his eyes. She kissed him, then moved out of the chair as Grant replaced her seat.

"What did you think?" Grant said in a horrible falsetto voice. Zach's eyes were as big as dinner plates, and he looked flabbergasted.

"Did I- Wait no, I couldn't have, WAIT," Zach said, unable to form a sentence. Grant just sat there looking pleased with himself, and Cammie was practically crying with laughter.

"Does this mean we're dating now?" Grant asked. "Because I think we would make an amazing couple," he said, reaching over to grab Zach's hand. Zach's face was white, but he managed to focus for a second to snatch his hand away before Grant could hold it. He cleared his throat, rubbed his face with his hands, and then looked at Grant.

"I'm so sorry to let you down Grant, but I'm already taken," Zach said, looking down at Cammie who was still on the floor laughing. She was wiping tears from her eyes, making sure her mascara didn't bleed down.

"Well, if you ever find yourself single, make sure to call me," Grant said, winking and blowing him a kiss. He walked back over to Bex, and sat down. Zach leant down to Cammie who was lying on the floor having trouble breathing due to her wheezing laughing.

"Are you done laughing at me Cameron? Did you chuckle enough? Were your giggles worth the emotional trauma you have caused me? Are you happy?" Zach said, poking her stomach. It only caused her to laugh more.

"You should have seen your face- Zach it was HILARIOUS," Cammie said, starting to sit up finally. "I nearly peed myself."

"Well I'm glad you didn't do that, then you would have to go change. Now hurry up and eat the rest of your food because I want to go walk around D.C.," Zach said, pulling her up and back into her chair. Cammie continued to eat, laughing to herself every few seconds. Each time she would giggle, Zach would shoot her a dirty glare. Macey was just watching the interactions between the duo happen, a small smile appearing on her face. Macey didn't even notice when Preston slipped his arm around her shoulders. She leaned in reflexively, breathing in his cologne. Preston was a bit shocked, seeing as Macey had never displayed feelings for him besides the flirting and showing affection for the public. He tried not to move, just letting Macey relax. Bex was crying laughing as well, and Grant had a self-satisfied smirk on his face the rest of breakfast. Liz and Jonas on the other hand, were working on some sort of project together. They had been glued to their computers for awhile, meaning most of last night and this morning. Everyone had tried to get peeks at what they were doing, but no one had been able to get a good glance. Liz and Jonas would always either dim their screens or switch tabs. Liz had at least said that she would tell the girls once they returned to Blackthorne.

Breakfast was finally over, and everyone grabbed their day bags to head out. Cammie slipped on her backpack, reaching her hand out to get Zach up and off the chair. He took it, still giving her dirty looks.

"Zach, why are you looking at me like that?" Cammie asked, swinging their hands together.

"You know exactly why," he said, as he held open the door of the hotel for her.

"Actually, I'm not sure I do. I didn't do anything to hurt you today, so I'm not sure why you're so sassy," Cammie said, looking up at him with a smile. Zach couldn't help but smile back.

"It wasn't funny to trick me like that Gallagher Girl," Zach said, shaking a finger disapprovingly as he led her down the streets of D.C. It seemed like he was heading towards one of the main squares, near the Reflecting Pool.

"I thought it was really funny. So did Grant. We were laughing," Cammie said, starting to giggle as she talked about it.

"Well I thought it wasn't. But, you can make it up to me," Zach said. He stopped walking and stood underneath the cherry tree they had approached. Other people were milling around, enjoying the brisk wind and sunny air. One guy was taking photographs of the buildings and skyline in the distance.

"This sure sounds interesting," Cammie said, rolling her eyes. "What is it?" Zach turned to look at her, and smiled. He fluttered his eyelashes as well for good measure.

"Oh you know...I would be willing to forget this horribly traumatizing event for a kiss. But only from you and not Grant," he added quickly.

"Aw, you mean you don't want to kiss Grant again? But you guys had such chemistry I don't see why-" Her sentence was cut off by his hand covering her mouth.

"No more Grant! Cam please," he said, cocking his head to the side and taking his hand off.

"Fine. But then I get to pick where we go next!" Cammie said. He held out his hand.

"Deal." They shook hands. He unexpectedly grabbed her waist and dipped her, excitedly kissing her. They stayed in that position for a few minutes, before he lifted her back up to stand again.

"Now I'm not mad!" Zach said, laughing.

"Well I would sure hope so," Cammie said. She started to pull him towards the World War ll Memorial, but stopped when the man with the camera walked up to her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I caught this picture of you two while I was taking pictures of the landscape. Do you guys want it?" he asked, holding out his camera for them to see. The man had managed to capture Zach right before he dipped Cammie, a mischievous glint in his eye, his smirk showing through his smile. Cammie's face was one of surprise. She clicked to the next picture, and it was of them kissing. Her hair looked like it was moving due to the wind, and the photographer had gotten the perfect lighting and it made them look as though they were outlined in gold.

"These are amazing! I would love to have them!" Cammie exclaimed, turning to the man with a smile. They discussed contact options, and the gentleman said he would email the images to her as son as he finished his session for the day. Cammie exchanged contact information with him, and then shook his hand. "Thank you again! And have amazing day!" He thanked her, and walked away.

"Come on Cam, let's go get lunch," Zach said, heading towards an outcropping of buildings that looked like small cafes. She stood waiting for a second, looking at the museum structures in the distance.

"But I thought we were going to the museums first," she said, pointing to the Smithsonian.

"Can we go after? I'm hungry," Zach whined. "Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeee," he said, trying to pull Cammie forward as he spoke. She just shot him a glare.

"It better be a five-star lunch then," Cammie said, walking up to him. He gave her a hug, and grabbed her hand to go to the restaurant. Holding open the door for her, she was overcome by the warmth and noise inside. It seemed like everyone had decided to come here for lunch. Although it did smell incredible, Cammie just hoped they could eat in time so that she could see her museums. Zach pulled her over to an empty table, and waved over a waitress. She handed the both menus, then walked off to help another busy table. He immediately opened his menu, and started searching for something good to eat. Once he found what he wanted, he put down his papers and looked around the restaurant. There were twinkle lights along the ceiling, with mini Christmas trees everywhere. Some of the walls had snowflakes taped onto them, and some of the chairs had garlands along the top. Scattered on the tops of the booth benches was fake snow, and every so often when the heater turned on, they would drift down onto the tables below. Cammie looked through the menu before her. She saw an amazing looking avocado toast, and immediately settled on that to eat. When she looked up from her menu, she saw Zach looking across the table at her with a smile. Cammie smiled back, then placed down her menu and waved over the waitress. After giving their orders, the waitress took away the menus and headed off to the kitchen.

"What did you decide to get Gallagher Girl?" Zach asked, reaching over to grab her hand across the table.

"Well since you basically forced me to come here, I decided to get the avocado toast because I'll need my energy to walk around the museums," Cammie said. "And we're going to most of them. So let's hope that service is quick because I can't wait to see the Hope Diamond," she added. Zach just laughed, and took a drink of the water they had been given. After a couple more minutes, the waitress came back with food. Her food looked amazing, and Zach's French toast looked even better.

"Cammie! Cammie! Cammie! Take of picture of me!" Zach said, putting his hands under his chin and posing. Cammie raised an eyebrow, but at his insistent nod, she reached into her bag and took out her camera.

"Smile!" Cammie said, and he did. "Do you like it?" she asked, holding out the camera for him to see.

"Of course. Now I want to take one of you, so smile, okay?" Zach said, prepping the camera. She nodded her head, and he counted down to one. The camera flashed, and she smiled. "Aw so pretty! Look!" Zach handed the camera back to her. She made a face and put it away.

"Can we eat now? I want to go to the museum!" she said. Zach laughed and nodded yes. They dug in, finishing quickly. "I'm going to go to the bathroom really quick, I'll be right back," she said, leaving the table. Cammie walked down the hallway towards the bathrooms, opening the door. She quickly used the restroom, and came out to wash her hands. Looking in the mirror, she fixed some hairs that were out of place and rearranged her coat. Walking out, she ran into Zach.

"Ouch! Watch where your- wait it's you," Cammie said, giving him a hug.

"Did you not recognize me? My manly physique, my cologne, my amazing personality?" Zach said, acting offended.

"You can't see personality stupid," Cammie replied, walking towards the exit of the restaurant.

"Well that just hurts even more Cameron," Zach said, holding the door open for her again. She walked out, but after hearing her full name she just looked at him weird.

"Why'd you say that? You never call me Cameron," she said, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged.

"Macey and Bex do, so I figured why can't I," he responded.

"Because you're not Macey or Bex. Duh," she answered, and pulled him along the sidewalks of D.C. The breeze managed to weasel its way through her coat, the air pushing her hair out of her face. Zach's nose was red from the cold, and he looked like Rudolph. Dodging the other pedestrians, it only took a short time to reach the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Walking through the doors, they both were scanned by security and entered the building. Immediately, the huge skeletons and running children caught Cammie's eye first, and she started looking for the gem section. Zach walked up to her after gathering his jacket from the security guards.

"What are we going to first?" he asked, adjusting his shirt.

"Well I wouldn't mind looking at some of the skeletons, but I really want to see the gemstones," Cammie said, turning to him. He nodded, and took her hand, pulling her towards the massive alcove that led to the glass ceilinged main room. The columned walls stood out against the natural light, and seemed to make everything glow. The enormous skeleton took up most of the airspace, and gasps could be heard around as the little kids looked at the creature. Cammie pulled her camera out of her bag, readjusting the lighting settings.

"Zach! Can you take a picture of me in front of it please?" Cammie asked, holding out her camera. He smiled and nodded, moving his hands to demonstrate where she should stand.

"Okay, now smile big and say 'I have the best boyfriend!'" Zach said, winking. Cammie rolled her eyes but said it anyway. He snapped the picture, and walked back to give it to her.

"Now it's your turn Blackthorne Boy! Smile!" Cammie said, and took a picture of him. In about 0.5 seconds, he had managed to strike a pose that made him look nothing short of a supermodel.

"Do I look good?" he asked, jogging over to see the picture.

"You always do, this isn't any different," Cammie said, and put away her camera. "Now let's go look at the pretty gems!"

They walked through the museum looking at all the different exhibits and stopping to take some pictures. Finally they had made it to the gemstone section, and Cammie spent nearly five minutes looking at each gem. The aquamarine sample, which just so happened to be the same material as her fake engagement ring, was exceptionally shiny in the light, catching many peoples' eyes with its blue color. Once she reached the Hope Diamond, it was clear that she was fascinated. Zach watched her as she gazed at the rotating display, the diamond catching the light and glimmering. After staring at it for nearly 10 minutes, she straightened her posture.

"I'm ready to go if you're done looking at it," Cammie said, slipping her arm around his waist and leaning in.

"You're ready? I didn't want to rush you away from looking at it because you wanted to see it the most," Zach said, strolling out of the viewing room with his arm around her shoulders.

"Well that is very chivalrous of you, but you didn't need to, you could have just asked if you were bored and wanted to go," she said, looking up at him. He looked down, a smirk on his face.

"I wanted to stay with you. I was fine, promise. You were so excited to see the diamond, and I wanted you too look at it as long as you wanted. Really, it's okay," he said, kissing her hairline. "Besides I thought it was pretty too."

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure. We can go see something you want to see now. We have about three hours before we have to be back at the hotel anyway," Cammie replied, walking out of the museum. Zach turned down the steps of the Smithsonian, heading towards the bustling streets of D.C.

The last three hours of their D.C. 'vacation' were spent walking around and inside the various nearby museums and exhibits. They visited the National Archives, which had a hidden CIA entrance, the Washington Monument, and made a quick stop at a street vendor for some churros. As the sun set over Capitol Hill, the camera was once again taken out to snap pictures of the pink and red sunset. Cammie asked a nearby person if they could grab a picture, and then posed with Zach. At the last second. he turned her towards him and kissed her hard. The flash clicked off, and Cammie turned away from him to smile wide at the camera, Zach was still looking at her when the second round of flash went off. Cammie ran up to the woman who had taken them, thanking her quickly and then turning back to Zach. She opened the camera's library, looking at the most recent pictures.

"Zach! Why weren't you looking at the camera?" she asked, showing him the screen. His cheeks turned slightly pink, a rare occurrence.

"Cause I was distracted," he answered, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand.

"Distracted by what? Nothing was in the way," she said, clicking out of the photo library and placing it back in her bag.

"I got distracted by your face," he said. "It's too pretty." Cammie smiled, and kissed him on the cheek.

"You really are a ladies' man, huh?" she said, laughing slightly.

"Only for you," he said, interlocking her hand with his again and making his way back to the hotel. She followed him, swinging their hands slightly and trying to match her stride with his. In less that ten minutes, they had made it back to the hotel entrance. Soloman was standing by the running van, motioning for students to hop on. Cammie could spot Bex on Grant's back, being carried on, and Macey and Preston in a heated debate as the waited for the line to die down. Knowing Liz and Jonas, they were most likely already inside, having planned for travel time. As everyone went to their seats on the bus, it began to fill up. Cammie and Zach sat in the same seats as before, surrounded by the rest of the group. Soloman climbed into the cab, performed a headcount, and then started up the van to begin the drive back. Cammie settled into Zach, using his shoulder as her pillow. Zach noticed what she was doing, and readjusted so that they were nearly laying down across the two seats. He also managed to get Cammie's blanket from the gas station across them, creating a cocoon of warmth. Within minutes, the rocking of the van, the warmth, and Zach's heartbeat, Cammie was asleep in no time.