As I sit with my sister and her friends eating. I talk and laugh with them like our little group had been friends for a very long time instead of just meeting earlier that day. Throughout the meal I keep my eyes on Gilly, anyone else wouldn't notice that she hadn't said a word, but I did. I couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about.

"What did you see?" I ask in a whisper so that no one else around us would hear. When I had walked up to her before entering the hall, she had been watching something, but I hadn't seen a thing that could hold her attention like that. I watch as she looks to me from the corner of her eye before looking to where our parents sat in front.

"They were arguing," She finally answers after a pause.

"Who was arguing?" one of the girls sitting at the table asked picking up on Gilly's statement.

"Miss Morgan and Mr. Goode," Gillian answers and looks to the girl who had asked the question.

"Wow…why would they be arguing?" the same girl asks.

"Duh Megan because they are both the CovOps teachers from out little exercise and we best them," the other girl answers.

"That could be it or it could be something else…Gilly did you hear them?" Dy's twin asks looking to Gillian.

"No, I didn't hear. It probably was what Carly said. That and it probably isn't any of our business," Gillian says and starts eating.

"Wait…you called Miss Morgan, Miss Morgan instead of m.." the first girl, Megan, starts to say but Scott, who is sitting next to her covers her mouth before she can say mom.

"I'll spill why in the dorm later," Gilly says and soon the conversation at our table dies down as we all get lost in thought as we eat.

Once we were done the girls decided to kill time but showing us around the school, of course Gillian tried to get out of it, but her friends wouldn't have any of it.

After a while we knew where all the important classes for our grade was and the offices were, as well as the infirmary.

"Question, you've shown us every classroom but the covops…so where is that one?" Scott asks.

"We can't go down there freely. We can show you the entrances but not the room. To see that you have to wait till tomorrow's class," Carly says and starts to point out a few. "Of course, if you want to know about the secret passages, ask Gillian or Miss Morgan they know them the best. Miss Morgan still uses them sometime to get away from everyone to grade…or that's what she has told us," Clary says as we stop in front of the east wing.

"Well that's everything…right girls?" Megan says and looks to the other three girls to which all nod their heads yes.

"Well thank you for the tour and all the help you have given us today," Alex says with a smile and nods to us. "You guys coming to the room?"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"No," I say as Dy and Scott answer. They all look at me and I look to Gillian. "I'm going to talk with Gilly for a bit…maybe go to the barn and let her take her anger out on me," I say and watch Gillian glare at me.

"Have fun you two," the group says and walks away from me and my twin.

"Traitors," Gillian mutters and turns so she if fully facing me. "We have nothing to discuss also, being told I can take my anger out on you just pisses me off even more you jerk. If I want to take my anger out on you I will I don't need your permission," Gillian snaps her voice growing louder as she rants.

"Okay I get it, but can we please go somewhere quiet, without others around and just talk," I ask not caring if I sound like I'm pleading/begging.

Gillian thinks for a moment before finally nodding her head yes and turning. She motions for me to follow her so I do, wondering where we would be going to talk. Soon she stops and does something that opens a little hole in the wall.

"Is this a secret passage?" I ask following her. Once inside I notice that it was fairly clean, I figured there would be dust and other stuff of that sort.

"Yes…Mom uses the room here as an office, Grandpa Joe was in a coma in this one when Mom was a student," Gillian says and moves into a big room that had a desk and a couch.

"Won't Mr. Goode find it odd that you come here if mom does aw well? We have to keep him from finding out about us," I say and sit on the couch next to her.

"Don't know if he knows about the secret passages…remember mom never really talked about him because how much it hurt her…" Gillian says quietly. "Why is it so bad for him to know about us?" Gillian asks in a barely auto able whisper.

"It isn't bad per say…just really complicated," my mom's voice says from the entrance. I jump a little when I hear it, but Gilly stays still like this happens all the time, which I guess it could if they both roam the passages, it is very possible that they run into each other without meaning to.

"Mom…why did he leave?" Gillian asks watching our mother. I lay my hand on top of hers and smile a little when she doesn't pull away or slap my hand away.

"That is part of it being complicated. I know you as well as he deserves to know the full truth, but this is a sticky situation…" my mom starts and sighs.

"You're scared telling the truth will hurt all of us," I say watching as she sits in the chair at the desk.

"Partly…also I don't know if Zach ever wanted kids…his family is, was complicated," my mom says being careful about her wording. "You are very much like him Aaron…sometimes it scared me how much you acted like your father."

"Really?" I ask.

"Yes…Gillian I know it will be hard but you can't use the secret passages at all. Zach knows about them and he can probably navigate then still."

"So I have to stay quiet and as far away from him as possible while both of you get to talk and be close to him?" Gillian says getting upset, "don't deny it mom. I saw you arguing with him before lunch. Why do I have to change so much? Why are you two trying to tell me I have to change who I am and everything I do? Everyone will realize something is wrong and talk. What then?" She snaps standing up. "I won't call you mom nor will I have our Sunday dinners, but I draw the line at the passages…Mom I'm a pavement artist…I'll feel exposed walking in to open that often."

"I'm sorry," was the only thing my mom could say.

"Gillian please sit and calm down," I say slowly standing up and looking into her eyes.

"No. I hate all three of you," she snaps and storms off.

'Great she's even more mad at me now,' I think to myself.

"Give her time…she'll calm down and you two will be back to your old selves soon," my mom says trying to comfort me.

"No mom…I don't think me, and Gillian will ever be that way again. I've been lying to her for years…she hates liars. I don't think she will ever truly forgive either of us for saying she has to change her very being just to keep a secret form someone. If this was a mission it would be fine, but this is school and her normal life," I say and give my mother a hug before heading out of the secret passage and to my dorm room.

"We figured we wouldn't see you till dinner," Dy says as I enter the room.

"Didn't really get to have a talk with her before she stormed off again," I answer and sit at the desk that was mine for now and just started to write everything and anything down to clear my head