HEYY!!! "Katherine?! We thought you were dead!" I know, I know. It's been a long time-too long, in fact. But do you know why it's been so long? My computer hard drive crashed and I was computerless for a month, and at that point I was so focused on my schoolwork I had to re-do, that I couldn't keep up with fanfiction. So pretty much, anything I had thought of, anything I planned is out the window and I'm starting over fresh. Scary, I know, but we'll get through it together. So, chapter 10, enjoy :)

Cammie's POV

… What did he just say?

He did NOT just say what I think he said.

There's no way.

He couldn't have said that!

"Cammie…. Hello? Cammie, are you okay?" What? Oh, Grant was talking to me.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm…. Grant…." I was trying to find words, but none came to mind. I was utterly bewildered, and stunned, and at a loss for words. But then I realized what I should be feeling. Angry. Very angry. Bex was completely in love with this boy and he just…. ARGH!! "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? ARE YOU CRAZY? BEX IS MY BEST FRIEND AND YOU JUST WALTZ IN HERE WITHOUT A CARE IN THE WORLD AND TELL ME-"

"Cammie, I said I was in love. I'm in love with Bex." Oh. My. God. Way to overreact Cam! "Cammie, I don't know who else to go to. You're her best friend, and you're like my sister. I'd tell Zach….. No. I wouldn't tell Zach!" We both laughed. "Cammie, what do I do?"

"Tell her."

"Are you sure?" He sounded as if I just told him to kick a puppy.

"Yes, I'm sure. If a girl likes a guy, and the guy likes her back, she'd want to know it. And, I'll probably get hit for this later, but Bex really likes you. She'd want to know, trust me."

"O-Okay. I'll tell her… Thanks Cammie!" He hugged me and sauntered out of the room.

I had just sat back down on the bed when I heard Macey clear her throat. I looked up to see her smiling at me. "Time to get dressed, Cam." Ugh, she didn't give up, did she?

"Alright, Mace, let's get to it." With that, she began. She went through everything I owned and everything she brought with her until she found the "perfect" outfit. I changed and she did my makeup so the stage lights wouldn't "wash me out," but I think she really just wanted an excuse to put makeup on me, as usual. We headed out of the room so I could leave with Zach to go to the Talent Show.

I was walking to the door when I realized that no one was around. Literally, I was alone. I would have been worried, too, if I hadn't already gotten a feeling Macey was up to something.

I wandered out to the car, put my stuff into the trunk, and made my way back to the car. The driver Mom hired hadn't gotten to the house yet, and no one was anywhere to be found. I searched the outside and the first floor to no avail. I then went up to the second floor and found Zach, sitting on his bed, still as stone. He resembled a statue… A statue of a Greek God, possibly.

Zach's POV

I sat there, waiting for Cammie to find me. I had nothing better to do, and it's always better NOT to question Macey's motives. I heard Cammie coming, and sat as still as I could (as per Macey's orders). She stood in the doorway before crossing the room to the bed where I sat. She sat down next to me, and looked in my eyes. I turned my head ever-so-slightly, just enough for me to look in her eyes, too. And we sat there. I wasn't sure what was supposed to come of us sitting there, but I decided to listen to Macey. However stupid that may be.

I didn't know what I was waiting for, but I felt that it was coming. Whatever it was.

But then it came. I don't know what brought it about, nor will I ever find out. One moment we were just looking at each other, the next she had her arms around me, hugging me almost too tightly.

"Gah… Ga… Gal… Cam, you're… squishing me." She giggled, but she didn't lose her grip. She held tightly and didn't let go. It was then that I noticed that she smelled really good. Like coconut and strawberry with some sort of flower in there… What? I'm not that good with flowers.

I would have let her stay like that, but we had to go. I loosened her grip, but she didn't stop hugging me, "Cammie, is everything ok?"

"Mhmm." I could feel her smiling, and I couldn't help but smile.

She pulled back and I quickly smirked, just because I loved annoying her. She made the cutest face when I pissed her off.

She got up off of the bed and took hold of my hand. She led me out of the house and to the car, where a driver mysteriously appeared. We slid into the back seat and took off.

"You got all of your stuff out to the car before, right?"

"Oh no!" Sarcasm, man's true best friend.

She hit me on the arm and rested her head on my shoulder. We stayed like that for a good portion of the car ride.

The driver turned around and said to us, "We'll be at the school in about ten minutes." I thanked him, and back to Cammie who had gone a frightening shade of white.

Cammie's POV

My breathing became heavy, my heart sped up, and my hands got clammy. There was no way I, Cameron Morgan, could go on stage and perform in front of anyone. Even if it was the people I loved and trusted the most.

"I gotta get outta here!" I all but yelled. Zach just looked at me like I had three heads. "Zach, you don't understand. I'm not a performer. I can't just go up there and sing. I can't. I just can't… I really, no, I…"

"Shhhhh." I looked back at him after my psycho melt-down. "Gallagher Girl, you are a spy, and a damn good one at that." Awe, he said I was a good spy. I could feel myself turning to mush, "Performing is nothing more than a cover. You have a cover, and you need to keep it. Your objective is to perform without completely freaking out and blowing the cover of everyone on this mission. You can and you will do it." He seemed so confident. He seemed sure of He seemed cocky, actually. Why do guys have to be so annoying? That's what we need at Gallagher: Understanding Boys 101.

"No, I can't and I won't do it. You can't make me. I- I- I ju- I just can't, okay?!" I was freaking out, and I didn't know why. I had no reason to be flipping out, and I knew it. I think that made me even more nervous. I was on the verge of tears-

"Cammie!" I looked up at him and his expression made me think he didn't know I was about to cry. "Cammie, calm down!" I closed my eyes, hung my head, and just sat there. "Why can't you do this?"

"I don't know…" I told the truth.

"Look at me." I didn't, so he said again, "Cammie, look at me!" He sounded like he meant it, and I wasn't going to push his buttons. "You can, and you WILL do this." I looked away, and he grabbed my hand and just held it. For some reason, I felt better.

"Okay." I looked out the other window, but I could just tell that he was smirking, even if it was only to himself.

When we arrived I went to get out of the car, but Zach pulled on my arm when I tried. I looked at him to find that he was laughing. I was about to ask why, but I realized that, simply, we never stopped holding hands. I chuckled, let go of his hand, and got out of the car. The trunk popped for us and I looked down.

There were two guitars and a keyboard.

"Hey, guitar and keyboard are NOT what I signed on for!"

"Oh, come on Gallagher Girl, you'll be fine," he said as he lifted the keyboard out of the trunk. He pivoted and started walking away, leaving me to take the two guitars. Unhappily, I picked up the guitars and followed after Zach.

Zach's POV

I got into the school and saw a sign directing all performers to the band room. Joy.

The room where the floor is coated with trumpet-player spit.

I signed us in and saw Cammie coming down the stairs, so I put down the keyboard and went to go take a guitar from her. "Thanks, Zach. I really appreciate it." She was talking about me leaving her with two guitars to carry.

"My pleasure," with that she started to walk away. "Keyboards aren't as easy to carry and you know it."

She huffed and admitted defeat, "Well, yeah…"

"Come on, we should rehearse and then we get to go set up."

"Rehearse? Now? Don't we chill before the performance or something?" I could tell she would come up with any reason not to do any more singing than was required. "Hey, why did we bring the keyboard anyway? I thought Total Eclipse was out? And a second guitar? Do you plan on playing both? And-" I covered her mouth with my hand, because that was the only way I was going to get her to stop talking anytime soon.

"That day we were rehearsing and you played the guitar, you were good. I was thinking we could add it into one of the songs. And the keyboard is here in case we decide to do Total Eclipse, but we don't have to. So chill."

She gave me a look that only a girl could give. If she weren't a spy, I'd say she had practiced that look of blind, burning hatred with a slight hint of flattery before. Hell, she might have. I don't know. It's not like I'm a spy who has the resources to watch her every move.

Oh wait. I am. I still don't know, though.

We sat down in two seats and tuned the guitars.

"Alright, lover boy, what song are we adding an extra guitar to?"

"Oo, Cam, getting fresh are we?" She made a face at me, and turned back to the guitar. She only turned in time to turn right back to me, though. She looked at me with a devastated look in her eyes. "What?"

In sign language she quickly told me to listen to the group of people practicing behind us. I looked at her when I realized that they were discussing their set list, which included Lucky by Jason Mraz Sounds of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel.

"New plan," I said, and she nodded in agreement.

"You're damn right we need a new plan! What are we going to do?"

"Calm down. We'll just do I'm Yours, Total Eclipse of the Heart, and Roots Before Branches. It'll be great. Oh, and let's add guitar to I'm Yours, do piano with Total Eclipse, and just do acoustic for Roots Before Branches."

"Sounds like a plan. Let's practice though, I wanna make sure I got the guitar part down." She sounded less and less sure with each word she said, but I didn't care. If she was willing to try, I would take it.

We rehearsed, set up, and still had time to spare, so we decided to take a walk through the school garden.

There we sat down on a bench and looked at the sunset. Corny, I know, but she seemed to enjoy it. We talked about anything, really. I got to know the Cammie that was always hidden so well. And she got to know the Zach that no one really got a chance to meet. No one was ever close enough to meet, actually. It was trivial and silly things we talked about. We both had top level clearance (as far as you're concerned) and we sat on a bench, in a garden, asking about each other's favorite color and food. We were normal teenagers for once in our lives.

Almost normal.

I looked at my watch and saw that it was time to head back in because the talent show would be starting soon, and people would be looking for us. More importantly, I was afraid (yes, I, Zachary Goode, was afraid) that eventually the subject might come to my parents or her dad. And I was afraid that I would accidentally tell her. She has that effect on me. I can't seem to keep a secret around her. But I didn't have to, I was able to escape it and save that drama for another night.

By the time we got back to the band room we had five minutes before we needed to be waiting backstage. Then we would perform, and have this finally be over. What? You thought I was excited about this? Hell no. But I would get to perform with Cammie, so that's all that matters.

Well, I would get to perform with Cassie, anyway.

Yeah Yeah, I know, I'm a little rusty, what can I say? I haven't thought about this since November (when my computer died, btw).

Love it? Hate it? Should I go away again? I won't know without your input, so please Review! I would threaten you with another review goal, but last time I did that my computer died, so I'll be nice. I mean, another review would be nice, but it isn't required :D

happily (oooh, it felt good to write that XD), the godsister