Up to No Goode

Chapter Five

Dr. Steves pace quickened down the corridor of the mansion, his steps echoing down the spacious halls. After years of being at Blackthorne institute for boys, this building seemed like the grandest in the world. I wondered if I would see Cammie again, and what she would think of me.

Turns out, I didn't have to wonder for long- as we opened up the door to Mr. Smiths cow lecture, I felt the her piercing glare hit me, and she did NOT look happy. Figures. I tried to hide my disappointment with a smirk.

"Knock, Knock!" Said Dr. Steve jovially "Good morning ladies!"

"Could I help you Dr. Sanders?" Asked Mr. Smith impatiently. I could tell this man was the sort with a jam-packed lesson plan. Great.

"I say, your voice sounds so familiar." Says Dr. Steve "have we met before?"

"No. I'm quite sure we haven't"

"Never did any work at the Andover institute did you?"

"No." Mr. Smith said again, then started back toward the board clearly done with interruptions for the day. Yet, Dr. Steve didn't get the hint.

"Oh well," Said Dr. Steve with a laugh. He pointed at Grant, Jonas and I, "Shall we have the boys introduce themselves?"

"I have learned Dr. Sanders-" Mr. Smith began

"Steve." Corrected Dr. Steve

"that ours is an occupation where names are - at best - temporary." I thought back to Joes safe house on the lake, and the version of him who lived there. I thought about what it must be like not to always have to have a cover. "But if they must." He said with an eye roll, plopping himself down on the corner of the desk.

Jonas stepped forward fiddling with the tie we were made to wear instead of the baggy yellow jumpsuits of Blackthorne. "Um... I'm Jonas" he said, shifting his weight from foot to foot "I'm sixteen, I'm a sophomore."

"Thus your enrollment in this class," said Smith "Welcome, Jonas. Please have a seat."

"Excellent job Jonas" Dr. Steve exclaimed as Mr. Smith began handing out sheets of paper. A quiz on the first day? Really? "Excellent job. Now, Jonas here is on the research track of study. I don't suppose any of you young ladies could show Jonas around?"

"Humph!" said a pixie girl with a pretty face and long blonde hair. Dr. Steve pointed at her and said "Excellent!" yet again.

"Jonas" he began "You can spend the day with Ms..."

"Sutton. Liz Sutton."

"Excellent! Now Grant if you would-"

"I'm Grant" Said Grant sliding into a seat next to a stunning girl with cappuccino colored skin, she smiled at him and tossed her hair. I didn't wait for Dr.Steve who was, at that moment, being an excellent waste of time. I slid into the seat next to Cammie who stared, dumbstruck at me.

"I'm Zach," I said, fighting to keep cool. "And I think I've found my guide."

"Excellent!" Dr. Steve said again.

The rest of the lecture was a blur, with a pop quiz on the native tribes of the amazon and their defining characteristics. Fortunately, the Blackthorne institute had an excellent COW curriculum and I was able to scrape by with a 97%.

I've never gone to school with girls before, but no amount of preparation could prepare with for the amount of staring. The only girl who seemed disinterested was... Cammie.

As soon as the lectures over, shes packed up and out the door. "Some guide." I say under my breath as run up to meet her. "So..." I say "We meet again." I surveyed the stone walls and tall pillars that surround us. "And this is the famous Gallagher academy."

"Yes." She says, completely devoid of emotion. I couldn't stop staring at her, her face was so distracting. I tried to think of something to say. " And you're" I began, thinking back to all the stories Joes told me about her. "The famous Cammie Morgan."

She stood still for a few moments until she gives herself a little shake and starts off down the hall. "Come on." She she mumbles. "Culture and Assimilation is on the fourth floor."

"Whoa" I say stopping In my tracks. At Blackthorne we learn how to hide in shadows, to create chlorophorm from nothing but a lemon wedge and a tissue paper (Which was banned in 1987, but our school has always been a bit rules-optional), we learned to fire a shotgun, and live with ourselves afterwards. But here she was, taking me to culture class? What kind of enemy territory did I just stumble into?

"Did you just say you're taking me to culture class?" I start to smile

"yes." She says impatiently.

I give her my biggest grin "boy when they say you have the toughest curriculum in the world, they MEAN it."

She gets this look on her face, like its taking every ounce of strength she's got not to throw me down the stairs (which, even though she's tiny, I wouldn't put past her." As we turn down the corridor she gives a little huff and says "A Gallagher girl can blend into any culture- any environment. Assimilation isn't a matter of social graces." She spins and leans her hand against the door frame, our eyes meeting. "It's a matter of life and death."

I studied her for a moment, and she was beautiful. Just then, a cherry plump woman came floating into the hall. "Today! Ladies and gentlemen, we learn the art of... THE DANCE!"

I couldn't resist leaning in and whispering in Cammies ear, "yeah. Life. And. Death."

We stepped into the tearoom, which was one of the most elegant places I've ever been in, but then again nothing about Blackthorne was elegant. Dangerous, sure. Clean? Definitely. Elegant, not even close. But in here, silk curtains lined the tall windows and a bouquet of fresh orchids sat atop the piano. The air had a certain... ambiance to it. A certain lightness. Chairs and linen colored tables circled the edge of the room, and Madame Dabney stood alone underneath the giant crystal chandelier. She gracefully walked towards us holding a monogrammed handkerchief. "I have been saving this very special class for our very special guests!" She exclaimed.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered to cammie "I'm special!"

"Thats a matter of-" she began, but madame Dabney interrupted her.

"Oh Cameron dear," she said "would you and your friend like to demonstrate for the class?" I glanced over at her face which was beet-red, but madame Dabney didn't seem to notice as she grabbed us and brought us to the center of the room.

"You must be Zachary Goode" She said "Welcome to the Gallagher Academy. Now, I must ask that you place your right hand firmly on the center of Cameron's lower back."

I do as she says, but Cammie won't even look at me. "Come on Gallagher girl." I say, almost pleading "You're not actually mad about yesterday are you?" I smile at her "It was a cover, Gallagher girl" I can't resist teasing her. "An op. Are you familiar with the concept?"

Suddenly I feel a hand grab my back. "Hold your partners tightly!" Says madame Dabney pushing us together. Then, we were dancing.