"Once again, I just want to point out that I know what's coming next so, I'm just saying that we should not be punished for something that happened over a year ago." I said hurriedly, just to make my point across. The last thing I needed was my mom down my back and detentions with Dr. Fibbs (trust me detentions at a spy school are NOT fun. AT ALL.).
"Chapter 4." Liz read.
"So black thorn must be-" Macey started, looking at me.
"Classified," I finished. "Really classified."
Spies keep secrets- it's what we do. So we sat in silence while the fire crackled and the truth washed over us: If Blackthorne was that Top Secret, then I was sure we'd never find it.
"You know, Cam," Bex said, smiling a smile that might be alarming on an ordinary girl, but on her was just down right terrifying, "there is one place we haven't looked."
"We really don't need to know what I'm about to say, right Cam?" Bex said with a menacing glace toward her best friend.
"Yeah I agree with Bex! I mean it's really not all that important, just you know, details…"
"No, I'm pretty sure it's important. Besides, if I wouldn't read them now, I could always get them from the CIA, and then you wouldn't be there to explain yourselves." Mom said. Man she can be scary when she wants to be. "Read on, Elizabeth."
She tapped her finger against her chin in a gesture that, even for Bex was extremely dramatic. "Now who do we know that has access to the headmistress's office?"
"Rebbeca! I cannot believe you would suggest such a thing." My mom was suddenly very angry.
"Wait!" everyone's eyes were immediately on me. "So you never knew?" I asked incredulously.
"You mean you went through with it?" she thundered.
"Of course not! I wouldn't do something like that." I said very fast, praying with everything I had that we didn't read the rest of this chapter. Apparently, Lady Luck is NOT one of my many friends.
"No, Bex." I sat straight up and began stacking and restacking books. "No. No. No. I cannot spy on my mom!"
"Why not?" Bex asked as if I'd just told her I couldn't pull off red lipstick (which by the way, I can't).
"Cam, you can pull off anything. Why can't you just see yourself clearly for once?" Zach whispered in my ear. If this was anyone other than Zach, I would worry about someone else hearing, but he knew what he was doing. I trusted him.
"Because… she's my mom," I said, not even trying to hide the duh in my voice.
"Exactly! You just don't spy on your family." My mom said.
"And she's one of the CIA's very best operatives. And… she's my mom!"
"Finally my daughter's making sense." Was the only thing my mother said before gesturing for my overly smart roommate to continue.
"Exactly! She would never suspect"- Bex paused for effect- "her own daughter."
"Well thanks to you, Rebecca, I will always suspect my 'own daughter' now!" mom replied
"Skip" Liz said with much annoyance.
"Okay," Mom, said smiling.
"Ok, when did I get there?" Mom asked in confusion.
I felt Bex's eyes on my and I knew what she was thinking- that I was going to be spending the evening with my mother. In her office. What kind of operative would I be if I didn't take advantage of the situation?
But then I thought about my mother and wondered what kind of daughter I would be if I did.
"Just to let you know, the answer is a horrible one." My mom said.
Things I've done that I'm not necessarily proud of: A list by Cameron Morgan.
"Ohhhhh no! We do not need to read this list. It's just a bunch of random past actions that don't really mean anything." I said very quickly.
"Oh no, squirt," My Aunt Abby said, "I think we all need to hear this list."
One time I accidentally spilled all of Bex's detangling conditioner and refilled it with volumizing conditioner, and her hair got really big for a few weeks, but I never told her why.
"You what?" I suddenly found myself being yelled at for something I did in like the 8th grade, thank you very much.
I once wore Liz's favorite yoga pants without her permission and totally stretched them out. Also, her favorite sweater.
"It's alright Cam, I know you didn't mean to." Liz, being her totally sweet self said with a forgiving smile.
Whenever I'm in Nebraska I always pretend I'm too weak to open pickle jars, because Grandpa Morgan likes to do it for me.
As I have thoroughly documented elsewhere, I once had a clandestine relationship with a really cute, really sweet boy
"Cute and sweet? Cam, babe are you sure were thinking of the same person? I mean Jimmy's alright but look at me..." Zach boasted.
"First off, it's Josh, and second, I didn't know you then.
And then lied about it. A lot.
On the first Sunday after Winter break in my sophomore year, I helped Liz implant a camera in the watch Grandma gave me for my birthday. And then I wore it to Sunday night supper in my mother's office so that I could do the worst thing I've ever done. Ever.
"I highly agree with that! I thought you said you weren't gonna do it!" my mom said looking straight at me.
"Well, I, uhhh…. Continue reading Lizzy." I said while looking down.
"Skip."
Usually, however, I don't start felling nauseous until after I've eaten (because even though Mom once manufactured an antidote for a rare poison by using the contents of a hotel minibar, she has yet to master microwaves and hot plates).
"I'm not that bad" Mom said in her defence.
"Rachel, we all know you are. Just, drop it." At least Aunt Abby agreed with me.
"So," Mom said, gesturing to the small silver tray off puffs, "how are they?" (Note to self: research bioweapon potential of microwavable crab puffs.)
"They're great!" I lied, and my mother smiled. No, scratch that- she glowed. And at that moment, I seriously wanted to back out, to put the watch in my pocket and forget the fact that I had already memorized the exact position of everything on her desk in case I had a chance to snoop and had to put everything back. I wanted to stop being a spy, and start being a daughter.
"Awww, Camster, you're a great daughter."My mom said with tears in her eyes.
"Skip," Liz said, probably at that moment to save me from the embarrassment of responding to that statement.
"And I want you to know," Mom went on, "That I am so proud of you."
Yes, that's right, not only was I invading my mother's personal space right under her nose, but that's the exact moment she decided to tell me how proud she was of my new and improved behavior! It was official: I am a terrible person.
"Just because a mission got in the way off your family Squirt, doesn't mean you're a terrible person, and to tell you the truth, it's probably not the last time it's going to happen." Aunt Abby said with a sad smile.
"Thanks Aunt Abby." I replied quietly.
Then I felt the paper give. It fluttered through the air and landed right on my lap. And from that point on, I barely heard a word my mother said.
"Ms. Morgan, you should always be paying attention to everything that's going on around you, no matter what surprises you." Mr. Solomon, forever trying to teach a lesson, advised me.
Dad. It was a picture of Dad- but like no other picture I'd ever seen, because for starters, he looked older than he did in the pictures Grandma had given me, and younger than he did in the pictures of him and my mom. And in this picture, my father wasn't alone.
My mom and I just stared straight ahead. (I'm sure we were both trying not to cry.)
Mr. Solomon's arm was around my father's shoulders. They stood on a baseball field. They were young. They were strong. And if I hadn't known better, I would have sworn they were both immortal. But I did know better. And that, I guess, was the problem.
I couldn't hold it in anymore. As much as I hate to cry in front of anyone, my mother included, I couldn't help it as a few tears leaked through. Zach put his arm around me, and kissed my head. With Zach whispering phrases in my ear, telling me how everything was going to be okay, I managed to hold myself together. My mom, I guess, wasn't so lucky. Just then the weirdest thing happened. Aunt Abby started to comfort my mom! This is the same person who can be as cold as ice when she needs to be. The same person where we don't really know if who you're talking with, and laughing with, is real or legend. But, right then, I knew this is the real Abigal Cameron. The one who cares for her family and, I'm sorry to say that I've only gotten a few glimpses of her my entire life.
"Did you find what you needed, sweetheart?" My mom asked, and I thought it was a really good question. I aimed my watch at the photo, imagined the faint click as I took the picture. "Cam," Mom said again, moving toward me.
"I'm not feeling too well," I said, and slipped the picture back to where my mother kept it hidden. From me. From herself. From whoever.
"From everybody." You could just barely make out the words that my mother had mumbled under her breath.
I moved away from the desk, toward the door. "Can I maybe have a rain check on supper?"
"Cam," Mom said, stopping me. She put her hand against my forehead like Grandma Morgan always does. "It could be a cold-you know something has been going around." I did know. I'd seed the proof in her trash can.
"I think I just need to go to bed," I said. "It's pretty late."
But then I opened the door, and there, in the Hall of History, I saw Bex. And Liz was sitting on her shoulders.
"Oh God. What are y'all up to know?" Mom asked, getting back to her regular happy, suspicious, self.
"Well… I mean, not planting cameras if that's what you think," stumbled Liz. I mean we all knew she was bad at lying, but really?
I guess Macey was thinking the same thing as me, because all she said was, "Seriously, Lizzy? Really?"
She just ignored us and started to read the next chapter.