Chapter 2

I was through with lying (except for official cover stories, of course). And sneaking around (well… except when involved in covert operations). I was going to be normal! (Or as normal as a student at spy school ever gets a chance to be.)

I was going to be… myself.

"Skip"

"You guys go eat," I said, stepping away from the crowd, and starting down the hall. "I'll find her."

"Find Who?" Mom asked.

Macey sighed. "Me," she replied.

I pulled open the heavy library doors and stepped inside the massive bookshelf-lined room. Comfy leather couches and old oak tables surrounding a roaring fire. And there in the center of it all was Macey McHenry. Her head was resting on the latest edition of Molecular Chemistry Monthly, pink highlighter marks were on her cheek and and puddle of drool had run from her mouth to the wooden desktop.

Macey shot me a look that could kill, as she silently mouthed "I'll kill you later."

"Macey," I whispered, reaching out to gently shake her shoulder.

"Skip"

I heard voices in the corridor outside, which was strange because at that moment, the entire Gallagher Academy student body was waiting outside the Grand Hall. Something made us freeze. And wait. And despite the heavy doors between us, I could clearly hear my mother say,

"I think before we go any farther, we should all understand that these are past actions that should not get us in any trouble whatsoever. " I quickly said.

"You were eavesdropping on me?" my mother asked.

"Welllll… I mean you were right there, so really it wasn't my fault that I could hear you so clearly." I babbled on unnecessarily.

"No, Cammie doesn't know anything."

Well, as a spy (not to mention a girl), there are many, many sentences that will make me stop and listen, and needless to say, "Cammie doesn't know anything" is totally one of them!

I leaned in closer to the door while, Macey's big blue eyes got even wider. She leaned in and whispered, "What don't you know?"

"She doesn't suspect anything?" Mr. Solomon, my dreamy CoveOps instructor, asked.

"Dreamy?" Mr. Solomon and Zach asked at exactly the same time.

"Hey don't look at me like that! This was over a year ago!" I tried to sound exasperated, but I could feel my cheeks turning very red.

Liz at least was nice enough to continue reading.

"What don't you suspect?" asked Macey.

Well, of course the whole point of not knowing and not suspecting is that I neither knew nor suspected, but I couldn't point that out because, at that moment, my mother was on the opposite side of the door saying, "No, she was being debriefed at the time."

I thought back to the long quiet ride from D.C., the way my mother had stared at the frosty countryside as she's told me that she hadn't watched my interrogation- that she'd had things to do.

"We can't tell her, Joe," Mom said. "We can't tell anyone. Not until we have to."

"Not about black thorn?"

"Well I just gave about everything away!" complained Mr. Solomon.

"What I want to know is how we could have been that sloppy," my mom commented.

"Not about anything." I just want things to be as normal as possible as long as possible."

I looked at Macey. Normal had just taken on a whole new meaning.

After they left, Macey and I slipped back to the Great Hall and the sophomore table. Mom had already taken her place at the front of the room. I know Liz whispered "What took you so long?" as we sat down. But beyond that, I wasn't sure of anything, because, to tell you the truth, I was having a little trouble hearing. And talking. And walking.

All moms have secrets-mine more than most- and even though there are a lot of things I know my mother can never tell me, I never thought that there might be some things that she might be keeping from me. It may not sound like a lot of difference, but believe me, it is.

Mom just glanced at the floor sadly.

Mom gripped the podium and looked out at the hundred girls who sat ready for a new semester. "Welcome back everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful winter break," she said.

"Cammie," Bex whispered, eyeing me and then Macey. "Something's going on with you two. Isn't it?"

Before I could answer, my mother continued. "I'd like to begin with the very exciting news that this semester, we will be offering a new course, History of espionage, taught by Professor Buckingham." Light applause filled the Grand Hall as one of our most senior staff member gave a small wave.

"And also," my mother said slowly, "as most of you have no doubt noticed, the East Wing will be off limits for the time being, since recent work to the mansion revealed that it has been contaminated by fumes from the chemistry labs."

"Cammie," Liz said scooting closer, "you look kind of… pukey."

Well I felt kind of pukey.

"And most of all," my mother said, "I want to wish everyone a great semester."

The silence that filled the hall a moment before evaporated into choruses of talking girls and passing plates. I tried to turn the volume down, to listen to the thoughts that swirled inside my mind like the snow that blew outside. I closed my eyes tightly, forcing the room the dissolve away, until suddenly, everything because clear.

"Very good, Ms. Morgan, although I'm not sure what your about to figure out is good or not." Mr. Solomon commented.

And I whispered the fact that I had known for years but just only remembered.

"There's no ventilation access from the chem labs to the East Wing."

"That's the end of this chapter." Liz said, because no one else was saying anything. I guess Mr. Solomon and my mom have always doubted just how much I know about this castle.