Spy School Barely Taught Me How to Survive (Gallagher Girls)

1 | Code Black

"I am pleased to see that all of you have arrived back at Gallagher, safe and sound..." My mother's voice rang through the grand hall.

She stood tall and elegant, her hazel hair swept to the side and eyes bright as she surveyed the girls sitting in front of her, watching her with awe. As I looked at her through their eyes, she was the perfect Gallagher Girl. Everything you could want to become. Poised, beautiful, lethal. And I guess that's why she was the Principle.


 But, as I looked through her with my eyes. I could see the dark circles, the exhaustion that followed her like a ghost. Anyone that could see her past, what the last few months had been like, wouldn't envy her. If they knew she lost her partner, her husband, my father, so young.

But only the things you can see seem to matter.


 I don't say that in a bad way... I actually like it that way. I've prided myself on it, in fact.

That's why I'm the Chameleon. The first time I went on a CoveOps assignment, well, that's when I knew I was in the right industry.

I was born to blend in.


 And in the Spy world, that's exactly what I want. Exactly why every agent tells me I have a big future ahead of me.


 That is also why it is so hard to understand why one of the most wanted criminal groups (as far as we've figured out) wants to kidnap me. Me! Of all people.


 Macey made sense. Macey McHenry, Daughter of Senator, now Vice President McHenry, and Cynthia McHenry, Philanthropist and Business Icon. And finally, the relative of Gillian Gallagher, the first Gallagher girl. She would make for a good ransom and a good recruit. She has everything there is to offer.


 And, honestly. I liked it that way. I liked it better when we thought they were after Macey. I could protect her. But since that day in the ally... well, let's just say nothing has been the same.

I thought about it all break. All alone in the School, in London with Bex. I don't know if you've ever been wanted by a secret organization, but when you are, it's all you can think about, trust me. (The only other thing that seemed to compare was a certain mysterious blackthorn Boy who seemed to show up everywhere.)

The first thing Bex and I did in London was toss out all the reasons they wouldn't want me:

1. I don't have money (at least not in the way Macey does).

2. I don't have secrets (at least not any high-level criminal organization would want, and if you have high enough clearance you probably know the ones I'm talking about.)

3. I can't hack like Liz.

4. I'm not pretty like Bex (Bex disagrees, but we'd be bad spies not to consider it—you know just in case they wanted to use me as a face for their organization).

Bex suggested maybe they wanted to recruit me? You are The Chameleon, after all, she said. The invisible girl. But one phone call with Liz and we crossed it out. According to all public (and private) records, they have no history of absolutely anything like that in the past.

But I doubted the Circled would ever leave a trace. They're too good for that.

Everything we thought of just didn't feel right.

Until it came to me: what if whatever was happening to me was related to my dad? Now I have to admit, this idea had crossed my mind a few times before. Of course, it did! But, it was an idea that made me want to run and hide and never come out. An idea that opened too many doors; too many possibilities.