Only The Goode Spy Forever

Chapter 32: The Date

"Anna!" Caroline screamed. "You met a boy? And he was cute? And he asked you out?" Caroline was screaming so loud that Anna thought the whole school would hear.

"Yes, Care! And I'm meeting him in 2 hours, so I need to get ready!" She hissed back. Diana was fixing her hair.

"You knew?" Caroline asked turning to Diana. "And you didn't tell me?" Diana shrugged.
Caroline threw up her hands in frustaration.

"What if this is dangerous? Ann, what is he's honeypotting you?" Diana gasped. Annalise shook her head.

"He's not a honeypot. Bree is a honeypot. Cason is just a normal boy," she replied.

"How to do you know?" Caroline asked skeptically.

"Spy," Anna replied pointing to herself. That seemed to be a good enough defense for her roommates, because they continued to help her get ready. 45 minutes and 38 seconds later, Anna was ready. She was wearing a pair of navy jean shorts and a soft pink cold shoulder top. Her hair was in a casual braid and her makeup was simple.

"There," Diana the teen expert said. "It looks like you're trying, but not too hard." Caroline nodded her approval. "But Ann, how are you going to get out?"

Anna grinned. Diana may have been the teen expert, and Caroline may have been the culture expert, but Anna was the chameleon expert. She had spent the last year memorizing every nook and cranny. She knew all of the passageways, including the one that lead off campus.

She winked to her roommates as she said, "you'll see."

* * *

     Annalise had made her way out of her secret passageway and made the walk to Roseville. She thought she was crazy. After all, she was going to meet a boy that she didn't even know.

   She patiently waited at the same spot where she had met him. She checked her watch: 6:55. She thought that maybe he was blowing her off. It seemed logical. He was probably realizing he had no idea who this girl was and ditched her. She was just getting ready to turn and leave when she heard a voice from behind her.

    "Anna?" The voice asked. She stiffened. Crap! She didn't know how to flirt! She turned around.

   "Yep, that's me," she said awkwardly. She studied Cason. He was wearing shorts and a white tank top. His blonde hair was spiked a bit. He was still wearing his chain that he hid under his top. He smiled.

   "Cool," he said. Cool? What was that supposed to mean? "So what do you wanna do?" Anna froze. What did she want to do? Well, right about now she wanted to be at her home in DC and burying her head into pillows. This was so awkward! She wanted her mom to tell her about how awkward her first date with Anna's father had been, but as usual, that was classified.

   "Oh, I don't know. I haven't really thought about it," Anna replied. Cason frowned. Why was he sad? What did she say? Oh shoot! "Not that I haven't been thinking about it! I mean, I have. All the time actually! I just, I didn't know... You pick!"  She cringed. He was going to look at her like a crazy person. Cason just grinned.

   "Do you want to walk?" He asked. Anna sighed. Yes, walking she could do. But what did that mean? Was he trying to make it less formal than a date?

   "Sure," she answered. She thought that maybe she was sweating. She felt hot. She had never been this nervous before, and spies get put in a lot of nerve racking situations!

   "So," Cason said as they started to walk.

   "So," she repeated. Cason had his hands shoved in his pockets. He started looking at the ground.

    "I'm sorry," he said. She gave him a look. What could he be sorry about? "I mean, I didn't even ask for your phone number. I just asked you to come here in the spur of the moment. I'm not usually like this. It's just, I saw something I liked and I had to have it." Anna raised her eyebrows. Saw something he liked? Had to have it? Was he talking about her?

   "Oh, it's okay," she found herself saying. "I don't have a phone. My parents are really strict. But I get it. I mean, just 1 look at you and I knew I had to get to know you." Oh no! Was that weird? Was it too straight forward? Would he like that? To her relief he smiled at her.

    "Same," he said. "Tell me about yourself." Anna thought that maybe her breathing picked up. Tell him about herself? Everything was classified! She shook off her nerves and remembered that a spy is only as good as their legend.

    "I have a brother!" She blurted. Okay, so maybe a spy tells the truth when they're flustered. "He's older." Cason nodded, but he looked like that wasn't what he was interested in.

   "What do your parents do?" He asked. This all should have been fine. This was small talk to him, but to Anna it was like playing find the fiction in her web of lies.

   "My dad is a cop," she said, thinking it was close-ish to the truth. "My mom is... well, uh, she's a karate instructor!" She closed her eyes. Why had she said that?

   "Sweet," he said with a smile. She relaxed. "Has she taught you any of her moves?" Anna smirked the famous Goode smirk.

   "Tons," she replied. Which, for the record, was totally NOT a lie!

"So I guess I know not to make you mad," Cason said with a chuckle. Anna laughed, he had no idea how right he was. They continued their walk.

"Hey," Cason said stopping in his tracks. Anna looked at him. His playful smile had turned into a serious expression. "Why have I never seen you before?"

"I told you," Anna replied nervously. "I don't go to school here. It's kind of far away, I don't have much free time." Cason nodded. Anna breathed a sigh of relief, he believed her.They walked for about an hour, getting to know each other.

"Why do I feel like I'm drawn to you?" Cason asked with a smile. Anna smiled back.

"Maybe it's the universe talking," she joked. She sighed. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay there with that boy forever. "Hey, it's getting kind of late." It was only 8:30. He looked quizzically at her.

"What, do you have a curfew?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm late," she responded. She knew that soon the girls at the Academy would wonder where she went. He gave her a look that told her he thought she was crazy.

"For what?" He asked. She was already turning to leave. She laughed.

"Destiny," she replied. She knew that Cason wouldn't understand what was happening, but it didn't matter. She had to get back to reality. She wasn't a normal teenage girl. She was a trained operative, destined for the spy world.

"Will I see you again?" Cason asked. Anna nodded.

"Yes, I'll be here... Friday! I'll be here Friday," she said, deciding it on the spot. Cason nodded. They said their goodbyes and Anna ran back towards her destiny.

She got back to the Academy and ran up to her suite. She had gone undetected, that she knew for sure. She entered the door and practically screamed. Her roommates were sitting on their beds. Anna looked at Bree who sat on Anna's bed. Bree was giving her a 'you are so busted' look.

Anna could have begged her not to tell. She could have knocked her out. Instead, she grinned at Bree who gave her a wide smile and said, "so who's the man in your life?"