Job, Mission, or Chance at Love?

Chapter Three

Cammie Pov

The next day was my first day as a teacher.

After the whole Zach escapade, I decided to pretend like it never happened. If I avoided Zach, everything would go smoothly. Classes would pass by, hallways would fill and empty. All without any nuisances from Zachary Goode.

And if avoiding him didn't work...Well, I guess I'd just have to figure something out.

When I woke up I was excited. But as I dressed in dark flare jeans and a loose blue cropped hoodie, I realized that this job was going to be slightly boring considering I had to start the day off with the basics.

So that's what I did. I walked around the sublevels all morning after skipping breakfast- which no one would chew me out for because they're all afraid of me, even my own parents- naming surveillance techniques and answering questions.

It was a bit enjoyable, I have to say. Plus, I managed to avoid Zach.

Passings in the halls we're limited, eye-contact was rare, and we hadn't spoken at all. Quite a win if you ask me.

Then lunch rolled around. I decided to actually attend this meal and as I entered the dining hall, fashionably late, every head turned. I ignored the attention, grabbed an apple, and sat down at the girls' table. "So, what's up, guys?"

"Well," Liz started. "I'm creating a new model for-"

"The Boy to English translator?" I guessed.

"Well, no... I already have a mobile prototype for that. It just doesn't work yet." She said.

I sighed. "That's unfortunate because I could really use it right now." I made the mistake of glancing at Zach, who was staring at me but looked away when I caught him. I thought I'd felt eyes on me.

"Why?"

"Goode?" Macey and Bex offered simultaneously.

I glared at them as Liz said, "Oh, yeah."

"Thanks, guys." My voice was dripping with sarcasm, which was made more obvious by my eye roll.

They just shrugged.

Bev growled, looking in Zach's direction. "I'm just so tempted to-"

When I saw her lift a knife, I reached out and grabbed her forearm. Shaking my head, I whispered. "Don't, "

She sighed and relaxed.

It was silent before I asked, "Why isn't anyone talking about Zach and me?"

Macey hummed as she swallowed a roll. "We shut the rumors up pretty quickly last night."

"Oh, well, thanks."

"'Course."

Liz changed the subject.

"So, Cams," She started. "What are you doing with us in class after lunch?"

With that, every head at the Gallagher Girls' table turned.

"Oh," I smirked. "I have something very fun planned. You'll just have to wait and see."

With a wink, I rose out of my seat, took a bite out of my apple, threw it behind my back and into the trash can that was 30 feet away, and strutted out of the dining hall.

As soon as I was out of earshot, I lifted my phone and made a call.

"The Director." I heard from the other line.

"Will, it's me," I said, leaning on one of the stone walls.

"Oh. Hey, Camster." He said.

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Sure? What do you need?"

"A lie detector device, just one. It's for an assignment I'm planning."

"You got it."

"Thanks. Talk to you later."

"Okay. Bye Cams." He said, hanging up.

I gazed out of a window with interest, seeing the trees and imagining the breeze.

"Who was that?"

I turned at the voice and didn't relax when I saw who it was.

He stood there, wearing the jeans and white button-down with his tie loose, his leather jacket hanging over his shoulder. He stood there with those green eyes and that soft, curly brown hair.

I couldn't help but want to feel how soft it was.

But even if my body wanted to betray me, my mind knew reason.

So I stayed rooted in place, staring at him with a glare, my arms crossed.

"Zachary, "

He shook his head, stepping closer. "Don't call me that. You know I don't like being called that."

"That's precisely why I said it."

"Then don't."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

I rolled my eyes. "This isn't a Mandy Moore movie, Goode. You're not my mother or my father, so I don't have to listen to you for shit."

Zach smirked, stepping even closer. "You know, I actually came to apologize for last night. But now you have me second-guessing myself."

I stepped forward this time, looking straight up into those green eyes when I said, "Indecision, not good for a spy. Or an assasin."

"You're not wrong there."

"I rarely am."

We stood in silence before he said, "I am sorry. I assumed you would be an easy one, like most girls. I should have known that you would be a challenge, if not because of your first impression, because of your past."

"And my past is something you would know all about." My sarcasm was evident.

Zach shrugged. "I was a major part of it, wasn't I?"

His words left me speechless, for once in my life. What did that even mean?

Without giving me time to reply, Zach turned on his heel and began to walk away down a hall.

"Oh, " He turned back around briefly. "Detecting lies? Good idea, I'll give it to you."

I raised an eyebrow. "How do you even know about that?"

Zach just smirked, point his thumb at himself as he said, "Spy, "

And with one last wink, he disappeared down the hallway.

10 minutes later, I was exiting a passageway behind a picture frame that I'd discovered. It just happened to lead to the front of the CoveOps classroom.

As I jumped down from the painting, landing on my desk, all heads snapped to the front. I dusted a couple of cobwebs off of my arms before saying, "Hello, class."

The Gallagher Girls smiled, remembering my knack and absolute love for secret passages.

The Blackthorne Boys, however, continued to look at me like I was insane. Except one, of course.

Zach was just smirking at me with those bright green eyes of his.

Ignoring him and my confusion from our previous conversation, I jumped down from the desk and landed silently on the ground.

The door opened and one of the other teachers poked their head in.

"Miss Cameron? The package you asked for."

I smiled. "Yes, thank you." I took the box from her and placed it on the desk.

Once she was gone, I sat on the desk, crossing my legs and looking out over the students.

After minutes of silence, I finally spoke. "You have patience. Good. You'll need it where you're going. Each day, we will sit silently. The time will vary and become greater and greater over the course of the year. Why? Because as spies, we often have to wait. And those missions are the most important. During these moments of silence, you will wait for me to begin, and you will wait silently. You will wait, watch, and listen. Observe your classmates, even observe me. Observe the room, the patterns of the air vents. Pick up on habits and sounds, even the smallest details. Every Friday, I expect a 5 plus page report on my desk based on what you've observed that week." I crossed my arms, locking eyes with each of them in turn. "Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am, " Was the united response.

I jumped down from the desk. "And address me as Cammie. I don't really like formalities."

I began to pace. "Alright. So today, we will be studying lies. And before you give me crap about how you did this when you were sophomores, know that there is always more to learn, more practice to be done. That is a lesson you will have to learn in this business. Nothing is ever perfect. I could teach you every technique, walk you through every mission you could possibly go on, and still, you wouldn't know it all. You could be the best agent in the world, and still, learn something new every day.

"That's why I expect you to do things, again and again, to practice and learn. That's how you become the best agent you can be. I've been on...what, roughly 350 missions?" I smirked at them. "Let me tell you this- almost every single one was the same."

A boy in the back raised his hand.

"Yes, Tobias?"

He seemed shocked that I knew his name yet still asked his question. "How is that possible? Over 300 missions? That's at least 26 missions per year, if you started when you were five, which I'm not doubting. But how was every one similar?"

I shrugged. "Criminals and terrorists are running out of ideas, I'd guess."

There were some snickers and laughs.

"Really, though. Back to back to back, there were terrorists, bombings, serial killers, arms dealers, assassinations. Almost everything was the same." I smiled, leaning on the desk. "Anyway, back to lies."

Pushing off of the desk, I started to pace again. "Tell me what the do's of lying are...Mick, "

Mick took a small breath before answering, "Maintain your baseline, breathe normally, lean into who you're lying to, and try not to sweat."

"Very good, Ms. Morrison." I gave her a small smile. "Now...Alexander, can you tell me the don'ts?"

"Don't swallow hard, don't touch your skin, don't shorten the syntax of words, and don't say 'I don't lie, "

I nodded. "Nice. Alright, to exercise this skill, we will play a friendly game of two truths and one lie."

There were a few laughs and snickers toward the back of the room.

"Mr. Alvarez?" I raised an eyebrow. "Is there something you would like to share with the class?"

The arrogant smirk on his face, not like Zach's but just as infuriating, was enough to set me off.

The boy said, "Well, we were just saying that two truths and one lie? A grade school game? That's little pathetic for a ton of spies, don't you think?"

"Okay. If you think it's pathetic, try to spot my lie amongst two truths." I began to walk closer to him, keeping my breathing level and my body relaxed. "I slept with someone on a honey potting mission in Singapore. My ex boyfriend was cheating on me with another agent. My favorite color is green."

Crossing my arms, I stared down at him where he sat in his seat. "Go ahead, Alvarez. Which was a lie?"

He swallowed hard, his friends looking at him expectantly. After a minute or two under my chilled gaze, he finally said, "Your favorite color isn't green."

"You're incorrect."

"What? That's impossible! Your body language changed slightly when you said the last sentence!" He protested.

I shook my head. "There's another trick to lying, class. You have to know how to make it look like you're lying, in order to sway the person's interest. So the real lie, Mr. Alvarez, was that I slept with someone in Singapore. I almost did, yes, but he ended up dead before it could go farther than a shirt on the floor."

The whole class watched as I leaned down and whispered in the boy's ear. "You doubt or question me again, in or out of class, and I'll remove your head from your shoulders, got it?"

With a gulp, he nodded and turned away.