Hide & Spy (a.k.a. Gallagher Girls NG)

Chapter 14

One night, after things had started to calm down a bit, my roommates and I met up in the library for a good old fashioned boy-free study session.  Or...well...kind of boy-free. We didn't study with any of them, but the boys were with us in spirit. My mind, however, wasn't focused on studying, it was still a buzz with Mr. Hobbes' detention assignment.

"You okay there, Mag," Gabs said as she eyed me suspiciously. "Please, don't tell me that the boys have finally gotten to you," she said in a tone that feared for my sanity. 

At first, I shrugged. "Not even in your nightmares," I replied with a reassuring smile.

"Is that so," Cassie said as she flipped a page in her textbook. "You haven't talked to any of them since they got here?"

"I hung out with Uncle Matt a few times," I said. "I've talked, more like argued, with Jay and Alexei a lot, by the way, Gabs, Jay is still mad about the black eye. Cassie, the answer to number eight is not 'B'. "

"Hey," Gabs started, "he's the one that said Blackthorne Boys are way better than us at hand-to-hand combat. Pretty sure I proved my point." She had on a confident smile as she said it, and Cassie erased her answer and circled the right one.

After checking her answer, Cassie rolled her eyes at the both of us and said, "I know that you've talked to them, but have you actually tried talking  to them," she said.

"You mean flirting?" I asked. I was fluent in fourteen verbal languages, but the language of flirtation was not one I practiced, or truly understood. Cassie, however, seemed to be an expert in it.

"You know...as much as O hate to admit it, she's got a point Mag, "Gabs said. "The whole point of this thing is so that we can connect." She said the whole thing with obvious sarcasm. I'd never known Gabs Newman was such an excellent actress.

Tell you the truth, connecting with them wasn't on my mind. Kicking heir buts in P&E was more fun and simple. Still, I was too preoccupied to make any connections. I was too busy, actually questioning if me attending there was a good idea. (Yes, I actually considered it) A spy kid who, supposedly, didn't have what it takes to make it as a spy. I found myself thinking about what power was in charge of putting my parents on opposite sides of the planet and discreetly thanking it because I felt like if they knew how badly I was doing, and they probably did, they would fly away and never want to come back.

Then, I stopped myself, because no matter how terrible I felt in that moment, no spy kid, no kid, could ever truly be happy when their parents weren't standing next to them.

Not to mention, I had this thought in my head about Hobbes. Whether he was lying or telling the truth. That sending me to Gallagher Academy was a mistake. That I would never be as good a spy as my parents.  I thought he was right. Then I thought he was wrong. one of Hobbes' many talents, messing with your head. My head kept pounding and confusion and uncertainty kept running through it, it was impossible to get any of these thoughts out of my head.

So, I slammed shut the book in front of me, harder than necessary, and looked up at Gabs and Cassie, trying to make it seem as if nothing was wrong, when really, it seemed like everything was.  "I have reading to catch up on for Fibbs' class," I said.

"Isn't that why we're in the library," Cassie said. "To read? To, you know, study."

"I know, "I said. "I just need to as Leah her opinion on the pros and cons of a bleach and ammonia compound." Gabs and Cassie nodded in agreement, knowing that Leah would be the perfect one to answer any questions on the debate. "So, I'll see you guys in the room, later."

Gabs squinted her eyes at me. "You sure you don't want us to come with you? When Leah gets into a debate about science, there are only a few ways to make her stop."