Only The Goode Spy Forever

Chapter 22: The Beach pt. 2

    Annalise Goode was enjoying time at the beach house. She was happy to be with her friends. Adalind and Amelia were the oldest of the group. All of the other girls looked up to them. They were Gallagher Girls. They were 8th graders. They sat in a circle and listened to the girls tell story after story of their time at Gallagher.

   Anna and Diana had been looking forward to being Gallagher Girls their entire lives. Anna was going to be a pavement artist, just like her parents. When her aunt Morgan showed up, Anna thought that maybe she would tell stories of Gallagher. She was a Gallagher Academy graduate, after all. But Morgan was too busy playing with Jaycee. Jaycee and Morgan had a good relationship just like Chase and Matthew. Anna grew tired of Adalind talking about how hot her brother was, so she went to the kitchen.

    "Hey, squirt. How've you been?" Anna turned around and saw her aunt Morgan was talking to her.

    "Aunt Morgan. I'm good. How's the CIA?" Anna asked.

    "Oh, it's swell. My favorite mission has to be the one I went on with your dad and your uncle. It was the siblings working together and boy are we good," she laughed. Anna was shocked. Operatives were not supposed to speak of their missions. Morgan was violating many of the CIA's rules, but she didn't seem to care. Anna remembered that her mother told her that Anna's Mimi Abby used to be carefree, too. "So you're 10 now, right? You've got 2 years on you until you go to Gallagher."

   "Is it everything I've always dreamed it would be?" Anna blurted. She covered her mouth. Morgan grinned.

    "Oh squirt, you'll love it. Plus, that's the ground where your parents fell in love. Your teachers are going to expect a lot from you. You're a Gallagher Legacy," Morgan said. Anna raised her eyebrows.

     "My parents fell in love at Gallagher?" She gasped. Morgan cocked an eyebrow at her.

     "Oh Anna, their love story is crazy. There's a lot you have to learn," she responded.

     "I thought their story was classified," Anna said.

     "Maybe you'd want me to declassify some of it?" Morgan asked with a wink. "Just don't tell anyone." She cocked her hip.

     "Please," Anna said. Morgan nodded and motioned for Annalise to sit down.

     "Your parents first met in DC. Your dad was tailing your mom. Your mom had no idea. Your dad tried to act like the knight in shining armor. Your mom was sure it was an act, but truth be told, your dad was already falling for her," she started. Anna sat wide eyed soaking up every single detail. "And you know how Blackthorne and Gallagher do an exchange? Your parents were a part of the first exchange program. It was rocky at first. Zach was mysterious and Cam didn't think she could trust him. Eventually, she gave into her feelings for him and on their last day together, he dipped her in the foyer and kissed her. In summary, at least."

     "Wow," Annalise said with shock. She repeated what aunt Morgan had told her in her head over and over.

     "Don't go into the exchange thinking you're gonna find your soulmate. I know that being here makes you think that it'll happen to you, just don't get your hopes up. Believe me, I know," Morgan grumbled.

     "Okay," Anna laughed. Morgan winked at her again and began to walk away. "Aunt Morgan?" She turned around. "Thank you."

Annalise knew that her parents had to keep secrets. She also knew that something was always wrong. Her parents looked at her with concern all the time. Sometimes someone would pass them in the street and Cam would hurry her daughter away. Anna wasn't stupid, she was trained to notice these things. She just wished her parents would tell her the truth. She was also pretty sure that Chase knew whatever that truth was too.

       Anna dreamt of her parents meeting that night. She woke up with a smile. She hopped out of bed and threw on a tank top and shorts. She ran down the stairs and saw her mother drinking a cup of coffee. She ran and hugged her mother tightly.

"Well good morning, kiddo," Cammie said with a smile. "Sleep well?"

"Yes! I love you mom! I love you so much," Anna said. Cam smiled down at her beautiful daughter.

"I love you too, sweety," she replied. Anna released her mother and met her aunt Morgan's gaze. Morgan winked.

Anna spent her day swimming in the ocean with the girls. Adalind and Amelia strutted past Chase in their bikinis. Chase didn't give them more than a second glance. Anna tilted her head to the side. Her brother truly amazed her. Gorgeous girls were always swooning for him and Chase always kept his head forward. Anna sometimes wondered if any girl would ever truly catch her brothers eye. Chase stayed focused on other things, like the protection of his family.

"Chase!" Anna shouted. He turned to look at her. She waved him towards her. He started walking towards her. Anna ran out of the ocean and hugged him. He smiled at her. "Wanna come swim with us? The girls would die!" Chase cringed. The girls watched him intently waiting for his response.

"Sorry, Morgan is going to pick Matthew up from the airport, so I'm gonna go play with Jaycee. I don't want her being alone," he replied. The girls sighed, but looked at him with dreamy eyes. Most people thought Chase's amazing big brother quality was just an act. Anna knew for sure that that was just the type of person that he was.

Christmas came and went, and so did New Years. By the time the Goode family was standing in front of the Blackthorne Institute for Boys, Anna was crushed. She had just gotten her brother back and now she had to leave him again.

"Be strong, we love you," Zach was saying. Anna was holding her composure and dabbing her wet eyes with a tissue. The family said their goodbyes. Chase hugged his sister tightly.

"Be careful," he whispered. She nodded and watched as her best friend walked back through the gates of his school.

Riley and Jaycee were at Anna's papa Ed and Mimi's house. On the drive home, Anna stopped looking out of the window and turned to her parents.

"Where are we going?" She asked. She watched her parents grin at each other. Cam turned to her.

"We're gonna take you to visit the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women."