Only The Goode Spy Forever

Chapter 83: The Sophomore

("She is more precious than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with her." -Proverbs 3:15)

  Annalise Goode walked through the Gallagher Academy as if she had never been there before. The academy used to be home. Anna learned that home is where the people you love are. The people that she loved were gone. Adalind and Amelia had graduated and went straight into MI6. Anna was really going to miss their smart comments.
Anna was a sophomore now. Things were different, but not in a way that she liked. Her parents were halfway around the world searching every nook and cranny for Bree. Ann's mother had become obsessed trying to find her. Cammie claimed she couldn't let Bree go through what she did.
Chase was still at the Academy, but he was so far gone from the boy that she used to know. Chase had been on 24 hour watch for the entire summer. Anna's parents knew that Chase would try to sneak out and find Bree at the first chance he got, so they took security measures. Anna hardly saw Chase over the summer. When she did he looked horrible. He looked tired and angry.
  For the first time, Anna realized that Bree had saved her brother. Chase had never cared for anyone except his family. Chase was going to be an assassin, but Bree changed his life. Chase was compassionate and a hero now.
  Bree had saved them all. She sacrificed herself for the people that she loved multiple times. Bree was selfless. Anna only wished that she would be at the level of amazing that Bree was.
  "Any sign of her?" Diana asked as she entered the suite with her suitcase.
  "No. Mom is going crazy looking for her. She might be close. I don't know," Anna said sadly. Diana sighed. Diana's parents Macey and Preston were assisting on the search.
  "They have to find her," Caroline said from behind Diana. "Bree saved me. I owe her my life. What if she's-"
  "Don't say it," Diana said, rubbing her forehead. Anna didn't want Caroline to say it either. They didn't want to believe that Bree was dead.
  Catherine had taken Bree at the beginning of the summer. Anna learned that Bree was the last female descendant of Regina O'Dare. Regina was notorious for pulling sleeping children out of their beds and turning them into monsters. It was rumored that Regina found the key to destroying the world. Only someone with Reginas blood in their veins could access it. That was why Catherine wanted Bree. She wanted the key. Catherine wanted to destroy everything.
  Anna turned to her roommates as her stomach growled. "Welcome back dinner. We're sophomores now. Let's go."
  The girls slid down the banister. Anna sat at her usual table and waited for her friends to get there. Her eyes welled with tears as she realized that no one else was coming. Adalind and Amelia always sat across from them. They were working. Chase and Bree always sat to Anna's right. Bree was gone and Chase was... somewhere.
  "It's just us," Anna whispered. Caroline and Diana shared sad looks with her. The doors opened and Anna gasped at the sight. 2 agents dressed in all black with giant sunglasses strolled in. In between them was her brother. His eyes were bloodshot. He had huge dark circles. Anna had never seen him look so awful.
  "Chase?" Caroline said. It was a question. The guard each had a hand on Chase. Anna noticed that Chase didn't go to the senior table like everyone else. He spotted the girls and walked towards them. Chase tried to sit next to Annalise, but the guards sat on each of his sides
  "I'm eating, I'm not running off. Would you move? I'm trying to sit next to my sister," he snapped. The expressionless guard moved, but kept a close eye on Chase. Chase rolled his eyes.
  "Have you heard anything? Are they any closer to finding Bree?" Anna asked. Chase huffed. He sounded like Townsend.
  "Can we not talk about her? I don't want tweedle dee and tweedle dumb to hear," Chase said as he gestured to the guards next to him. Anna nodded as she watched her grandmother/headmistress walk to the head of her podium.
  "Who goes there?" Rachel started, looking at the women of the academy.
  "We are sisters of Gillian," the girls all said in unison. Chase didn't say a word.
  "Why have you come?" She questioned.
  "To learn her secrets and guard her sword," the girls all chanted.
  "Very well," Rachel said with a smile. "And welcome home. Due to recent attacks, a lot will be changing. We will no longer leave our school for any reason. I have enhanced security and sealed off multiple passageways. As for Bree Morrison, your sister has still not returned. If you have any idea where she could be please tell any of our faculty members. That will be all."
  Anna looked at Chase, half expecting him to cringe at the mention of Bree. Chase kept his eyes glued to his meal. Chase didn't speak for the rest of the night.
  Later that night, the smell of smoke filled Anna's lungs. She began coughing. She knew that she had to put the fire out, she just didn't know how. Anna screamed as Catherine jumped through the fire.
  "Anna!" Someone screamed. Anna turned and saw Bree coughing up blood.
  "Bree!" She screamed. "Hang on, I'm coming!" Anna watched in terror as Catherine beat her to Bree. Anna screamed as Catherine dragged Bree away. Bree was screaming.
  Anna bolted up and started gasping for air. She caught her breath as she realized that it was only a dream. She threw her covers off and walked through the halls. She knew that there was no way she would be able to go back to bed.
  Anna walked down a long hallway. She jumped as she heard a voice say "hey." She turned around and sighed a breath of relief as she saw her brother. He was leaning against the stone walls. His hand were shoved in his pockets.
  "Chase," Anna sighed. "What are you doing up? How did you get away from your guards?" Chase grinned, but it was sad.
  "I never sleep anymore. And my guards may or may not have had sleeping pills slipped into their drinks. Oops," he said. Anna chuckled. Chase was a genius. Anna was suddenly serious.
  "Are you running away?" She asked as she locked eyes with her brother.
  "No," he said and Anna knew he wasn't lying. "There's no use. She's gone." Anna frowned.
  "She's not gone gone. She's just with Catherine," Anna protested. Chase raised an eyebrow to his sister.
  "Exactly. She'll never be the same. I never got to tell her," he whispered the last part.
  "Tell her what?" Anna asked. Chase looked up and shook his head.
  "You wouldn't understand."
  "Try me."
  "You're too young."
  "Wanna bet?"
  Chase grinned at his sister for a second. His face fell as he said "I never got to tell her that I loved her."
  Anna's heart broke. Chase had never showed his emotion like that.
  "Oh Chase," Anna said. She hugged her brother. She expected him to resist, but he held her extremely tight. He put a hand on her ringlet curls. Anna thought she heard a sniffle. That was impossible. Chase did not cry. Anna pulled back and noticed that his eyes were glistening. Her mouth dropped open. Chase really did love her.
  "See ya later," Chase said when he realized that Anna had seen him act weak. He kissed Anna on the forehead and started down the hall.
  Anna was speechless. Her brother loved Bree. He had never loved anyone like that. Anna knew at that moment that she had to get Bree back. And fast.

(Next book in the series! Only 3 left😢)