Spy and Don't Tell

Chapter Four

I had butterflies in my stomach loads of times before. But standing outside the mirror and waiting for the lights in Gillian Gallagher's portrait behind me, Kat, and Lexi to flash green was a whole different kind of nervous butterflies. The mirror finally slid open and the three of us stepped into the elevator and made our decent down to Sublevel One. When the door slid open, we walked out of the elevator and walked to the classroom at the end of the hall and to the right where the light was coming from.  Well, that was till bags went over our heads.  I honestly don't know what happened next. All I know was that instincts kicked in and I was fighting the attacker. Just to summarize what happened (because I honestly don't know what happened myself) I ended up losing and being thrown to the ground with handcuffs on. The bag that was on my head was removed and I took a look around. We were in a classroom. Lexi was next to me and Kat was behind us. The rest of the class was sitting on the floor in groups of threes and fours with handcuffs on as well. I huffed. As the sound of footsteps approached and in front of my class stood my mom with a smirk.

"Welcome to Sublevel One. I'm sure that you girls were not expecting an abduction, correct?" She said we all nodded not really knowing what to say. "That was to show that out in the field things will come at you without you expecting it. Peters, how many guys do you think had to carry you over here?"

"Three?" Jo answered.

"Is that a question or a statement? Anderson, same question." Mom said.

"Uh, four." Lexi said.

"How many of you had a hold of Ms Peters?" Mom asked the security guards. One raised their hand. "And Ms Anderson?" Two raised their hand. "Goode, how many do you think hand to handle you?" Mom squat down in front of me.

"Depends, are you counting yourself? Cause if not then one. If you are then two." I answered. Mom smiled a half smile.

"How many had their hands on Goode?" Mom asked. Half of the guards hands were raised. Mom shrugged and raised her hand as well. "Sorry Z, just couldnt help myself." She seemed to say even though she didn't say it.

"This is not a cake course. This week we will be going over simple things like counter surveillance and brush passes. Next week is when we will be going over the things that will help you and your partner stay alive out in the field. Class dismissed." Mom said then started walking out.

"But we-" Miranda Davis started to say before being cut off.

"Still have forty five minutes of class left, yes. I know, Ms Davis."

"Ma'am? Do we have any homework?" Frankie Walter asked as one of the guards took off her handcuffs.

"Yes. Notice things." Mom said looking straight at me. I stood up and rushed up to my mom.

"Mom, wait. You don't tell me you're my teacher, you let us out early and give us the weirdest homework assignment ever." I said stepping in time with her.

"Your handcuffs are still on, Z. Do you need help with that?" She asked but didn't stop walking. I handed her the handcuffs that were now off.

"I'm good. Dad and Aunt Bex been teaching me how to get out of handcuffs for a while now."  I said as the two of us stepped into the elevator and headed back up. "Now answer my question. Oh and another thing, what was Grandma doing with a folder labeled Blackthorn? Kat searched it up and it was blown up a long time ago."

"It wasn't that long ago. I just graduated when it blew up."

"Mom! Just answer the question!"

"You'll find out soon. I promise." She patting my head then walked out of the elevator and towards who knows where.

"Not helpful." I mumbled as I stomped out of the elevator and towards the COW classroom to meet up with Lexi and Kat.

-

Normally I would look forward to dinner on Friday nights, mainly because Chef Louis makes the best desserts ever. Only for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to eat anything. I don't know if it was the nerves of the first week back or the five tests I've been given on things we learned the past years. I just knew that tonight wouldn't be the normal Jo Peters movie night with the rest of the sophomore class.

"Z, you're not starving yourself, are you?" Kat asked in a hushed whisper even though no one could hear her if she did talk normal with how loud everyone was being.

"No, Kat. I'm not. I just have a lot on my mind." I smiled at Kat to assure her that I'm not doing such a thing.

"Aw, is someone just nervous because Jo is letting me pick the movie tonight?" Lexi teased beside me. I rolled my eyes at her.

"No. I could care less about what movie you pick."

"Then what's wrong? You haven't even touched your food." Kat asked as Lexi nodded.

"It's just my mom said something about me being even more embarrassed next week and now it's Friday I'm nervous about what my mom has planned for us." I stabbed a piece of broccoli and ate it as Lexi said something about not being worried and Kat said something about its probably nothing. "But it's my mom guys. Lexi you spend pretty much every summer with my family. You know how my mom is. And Kat, you know her well enough to know that everything my mom plans is not nothing. How can you guys be so cool about this? She has something planned for us and this whole week we've been going over counter surveillance and how to detect a tail. Don't you guys find that a little funny? And when I asked her about why there was a folder with Blackthorne on it in my grandma's office she just ignored the question."

"Lexi, Kat, Z mind if I join you?" Mom said sitting down already knowing the answer would be yes.

"Aunt Cammie, can you please tell Z that she's worried about nothing and you're not going to make us do anything crazy next week?" Lexi asked. Mom just glared playfully at me.

"Z, what have you been going on about? Is it about that Blackthorne folder that you saw? Cause honestly, sweetie, it's nothing. We were just checking out something that didn't add up." She said brushing my red hair out of my face.

"Well you could have told me that instead of ignoring the question." I huffed. Grandma then decided to appear behind me and Mom.

"Girls, I need Cam for a moment." Grandma said pulling Mom up from her seat next to me.

"What's this about?" Mom asked. Grandma started walking away without an answer to her question. "Mom, answer the question. What's this about?"

"Now that I think about it, Cam you should come after you ate." Grandma walked out as Mom looked at me. I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Not fun being on this side of the question, huh?"