Cammie,

My Mom called for Zach and I to come to the office. We had both spent the winter break together at my grandparent's house in Nebraska; my grandmother had a blast with Zach. But my Grandfather had taken up the over protective father figure, which he gave up as soon as my grandmother gave him a hard stare. We still had fun though; my Grandfather took Zach out fishing whilst my grandmother tried to bake with me - not really my specialty. They took us down to the ice rink, which I had learnt to skate on as a child and I was able to explore the sweet, little local shops, near my Grandparent's house, which sold all kinds of trinkets.

I didn't want to leave such a peaceful place to come back to a hectic school full of trained spies.

Because of my mom being headmistress we had to come back to school a week or so early, I'm used to it, but it does mean I don't get as long of a break as my classmates. However, it also meant I had ages to unpack, I am always first in the queue for meals and there was no waiting for a toilet. It was a little bit boring and lonely at times, but I had the teachers and I had Zach. Usually I would fill my time exploring the school for new secret passages and reading all the books in the library. The school was really calm, and there weren't any small first years dashing around learning their way to get to every lesson on time.

It was key for a Gallagher girl to be on time for lessons and to always be prepared...

I sat on my mothers smooth leather couch watching her, waiting for Mr. Solomon. She fiddled with her glamorous ring on her finger, she was completely at ease. Her facial expression gave away nothing; I hated not being able to read her face. Whatever was going to happen, I knew it was going to be important.

Someone knocked faintly on the door before strolling in to meet us with his friendly and knowing smile. Mr. Solomon had smiled like that since the day he gave my mother that ring, I don't think I'll ever see it disappear. He gave my mother a peck on the cheek. It was so romantic and Macey loved looking into every detail of their relationship.

He perched on the edge of the desk looking at us, my mother also turned to see us.

"Cammie, Zach." Mr. Solomon nodded to us both in turn.

"We will be having seven, maybe eight new students joining us this year." My mother started.

"Really, I thought we usually got 15-20 seventh graders?" I puzzled over this before my mom corrected me.

"No Cammie, seven new students in your grade. And four of them are boys." My mother's voice was calm as she told us this, "So Zach I think you will be having some new roommates." Her lips turned into a smirk as she watched Zach's eyes widened, and my brain exploded. Not only were we accepting new students so late in the education timeline, some of them were boys!

Mystified and confused, I asked, "So the board are now allowing boys? Is this now a mixed school?" I shook my head, almost scared of the wondrous possibilities I was thinking up. Boys, in a girl's school. Yes, we had boys here before, but they were boys like us. Spies. They were on an exchange, though – well, an exchange of some sort. And of course, there was Zach, but he wasn't going back to Blackthorne if I had anything to say for it.

"It will remain a girls' school, but I had to help an old friend out." My mother spoke as if to say as a matter-of-fact.

"The girls will have that spare room next to yours Cammie. And the boys will get a different room in Zach's wing. But our regulations state that there is only four in a room. Therefore, Zach you may have your room to yourself and they can have the new room, unless you beg to differ." It was easy information and very predictable, but I needed to know why and how and what…

"Cammie," my mother jolted me from my small trance, "I trust that you will welcome our guests and befriend them."

"Of course," I gulped at the thought of having to befriend these people. I didn't befriend people I was the chameleon. It was Bex's job to sweet talk people and she was good at it too. I stayed hidden; I was the one who secretly tailed them so that Bex could get information.

Maybe I should just leave it to Bex again then…?