Up to No Goode

Chapter Three

I know. It sounds crazy.

But Blackthorne had already covered the art of jumping out of a moving vehicle, so we were okay. The girls had split up, Rebecca going up the escalator and Cammie sticking to the shadows. She headed towards the elevator, and I knew that I had to beat her to it.

I clicked the button right before she did. She stared at me. Crap. What do I say?

"Hey" I said with a half nod.

"Hi." She said cautiously. When the elevator opened we both slipped inside, alone together. I had to slow her down, but how?

"So..." I said flailing for words. "The Guggenheim academy"

"Gallagher academy" She corrected, even though I knew better. She just couldn't know that.

"I've never heard of it."

"Well it's my school." She said bluntly. She started to rush out the open elevator, but I caught up to her.

"You in a hurry or something?" I asked

"Actually I'm supposed to meet my teacher at the ruby slipper exhibit. I've only got twenty minutes, and If I'm late he'll kill me" (Knowing Joe Solomon that wasn't a lie. Maybe an exaggeration. )

"How do you know?" I asked

"Because he said 'meet me at the ruby red slipper exhibit'"

"No" I said with a laugh, shaking my head at the misunderstanding of this supposedly genius girl. "How do you know you've only got twenty minutes? You're not wearing a watch."

"My friend just told me" She said rubbing her hands together. Was she nervous?

"You fidget a lot."

"I'm sorry" she said "I have low blood sugar, I need to eat something."

Well, goodbye secret M&M stash. "Here." I said handing her the remainder "I ate most of them already."

She looked really uncomfortable. "Oh... um... That's okay. Thank you though."

I shoved the candy back into my pocket. "Oh, okay."

We reached the surface, where dark had fallen over the mall.

"Thanks for the candy though" she said with a smile. She darted outside, and I followed her openly. She spun around "Where are you going?" she demanded her eyes shining.

"I thought we were going to meet your teacher in the wonderful world of oz"

"We?" She asked incredulously.

"Sure. I'm going with you."

"No you're not."

"Look" I said with as much confidence as I could muster "It's dark. You're by yourself. And it IS D.C. And you've only got..." I pretended to think about it. "15 minutes to meet your teacher."

"Fine." She said quickening her pace.

Was she really about to let me go with her to an OP?

"You can sure walk fast" I said, trying to keep up. "So, do you have a name?"

"Sure," she said with a grin "Lots of them"

I smiled at her. I can't believe she hadn't made me yet. I decided to throw her for a loop.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

The look on her face was priceless.

"Look," She said " Thanks for the chivalry and all but it isn't really necessary" she muttered, pointing to the muesum of American history. "It's just up here, and there's a cop right there."

"What you think that cop could do a better job protecting you than I can?"

"No I think if you don't leave me alone, I can scream and that cop over there will arrest you."

I knew she was joking... mostly. But I still didn't want to push my luck.

"Hey" She said "Thanks anyway."

I nodded at her, waited 20 seconds and walked in the doors after her.

After all, I was still on a mission.

I watched her enter the big oval room where Dorthy's slippers were being kept.

I saw Joe slip from the shadows and approach her.

"You're four seconds late."

"But I'm alone"

Joe looked back up to where I was hiding, and I knew it was time to reveal myself. "No Ms. Morgan you're not"

I slipped from the shadows and approached her with a smile. Her face went slack. "Hi again, Gallagher girl."

"Nice work, Zach" Joe said as I winked at Cammie.

Her face seemed to be fighting a flurry of emotions. But, she looked at me and said "Hi Blackthorne boy."

"wait what" I thought to myself, feeling my mouth gape open. I knew she was good, but not that good. How was she able to know what I was without being able to see I was totally tailing her all afternoon?

Joe spoke first. "Very good, Ms. Morgan" he said looking between us. Her face went as red as Dorthys shoes "But not good enough."

"What was your mission?" She practically spat out at me "To keep us from achieving ours?"

I cocked my head and raised my eyebrows, knowing it would be unwise to reveal too much. "Something like that" I smirked at exhaled, a quiet half-laugh. "I thought I could just make you late for your meeting. I didn't think you'd tell me where it was and walk me halfway there."

Just then, a group of tourists knocked into the exhibit and I knew the time for flirting was over. I did what I did best.

I disappeared.