A/N: Hello my dear readers! I know it's been a while (since when has it not?) but I've updated yet again! I just have one favor to ask of you… Please don't say anything in your reviews regarding the third book, I haven't read it yet and I probably won't for a while (stupid small town library). Thankies to the folks who have reviewed and stuck with me through my writers block. You guys are awesome and deserve cookies! XD

Disclaimer: I don't own anything :)

One Year Later

Zach

Believe me when I say it's possible to hate and love someone at the same time. No? You don't think that's achievable? Well I happen to have many examples that could persuade you otherwise.

Example Number One is what I like to refer to as the Giselle incident. Three years ago back in the eighth grade Doctor Steve (our always over excited Headmaster) thought it would be a good idea to take his fourteen year old daughter to our school filled with hormonal, testosterone pumped guys. His excuse? Bring your child to work day. Now don't think I was complaining about it because Giselle was Hot. And yes, she did deserve that capital H. But come on, I was only fourteen, and with legs like those, no one could resist Giselle.

However, do remember this happened two years ago, back when I was but a naïve child who did not yet completely understand the world of girls. So Grant (who perfectly understood girls being the youngest child with three older sisters) thought it would be downright hilarious to set us up.

So during the morning breakfast while everyone was in shock that there was an actual girl at Blackthorne, Grant snuck up behind the staff table were Giselle was sitting and whispered something in her ear that probably went something like this.

"Hey, do you see that guy right there, the one with the black hair and blue eyes. No, not that one, the other one. Yeah well he's my best friend, but he's kind of shy. He didn't want to come up and talk to you because he has a few social issues and likes to keep to himself mostly. But, if you're interested, meet him in the fourth corridor janitor closet during third period and he'd love to get to know you better."

So while Grant and I had been sent to get the janitor (because Billy's breakfast burrito had apparently gone down the wrong way) Grant pushed me into the fourth corridor closet and locked me inside. At that moment I had been thinking something along the lines of 'Damn you Grant what the hell are you doing?' But as soon as I had noticed I was sharing the small vicinity of the closet with a teenage girl who could have easily been a Victoria's Secret model, all my previous bad thoughts of Grant vanished at the moment (though they did return later after me and Giselle were caught making out by Dr. Steve who accused me of tainting his innocent daughter).

Example Number Two. A few months after my punishment resulting from the Giselle incident we had a surprise dorm inspection. Of course, I wasn't too worried; I had nothing to hide and knew I would pass easily.

So, imagine my surprise when I come back to the dorm five minutes before the inspection to find Grant and Jonas running around the room like madmen. Turns out, they had something to hide. Porn, and lots of it. Then, they had the guts to hide it under my mattress. Seriously, they couldn't think of a better place to hide the centerfold of the newest issue of playboy?

I was caught when they decided last minute to strip down the beds, then it was even more embarrassing when they asked whose bed it was. I was sentenced to three weeks of clean up duty in the Grand Hall. According to Doctor Steve (who was still a bit peeved about the whole Giselle thing) "Works of vulgar writing such as playboys are not permitted in our esteemed institution! We have a reputation to withhold and I will not let it be spoiled by some insolent young man!" All the while, Grant and Jonas were trying not to burst into laughter. Unfortunately for them, they did, and in Doctor Steve's fit of rage they were sentenced to clean up duty as well.

After weeks of scrubbing floors and washing pots and pans we learned to be a bit more careful when going against the rules of Blackthorne.

Now, you must be thinking something along the lines of "Zach how could you still be friends with those horrible roommates of yours?" Well, I suppose they aren't that bad. After all, because of Grant I got to make out with a hot girl for a good solid thirty minutes before anyone had realized I was gone. And when I was caught with born under my bed, Jonas bought me a limited edition porn book as payment for my sacrifice. Sure they may have their moments, but they're my best friends, and I wouldn't give them up for the world.

Well, that's what I thought before she showed up.

Cammie

"No. Absolutely not." I gaped at James' answer; he was supposed to be on my side!

"But it's only for a few months, just until the end of the term." I pleaded looking at Solomon for support. He shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"This really isn't my decision to make." He smirked, causing my blood to boil. "James is your teacher and it's his decision whether you stay or go."

"But you were my teacher also, don't you have a say in this?" The tone of voice I was using was making me sound desperate, but I couldn't help it. I was not going to be confined to the base for another year if I could help it. Solomon shook his head at my desperate attempts to leave.

"If anything, I would rather you stay at the base too. Your training isn't nearly complete yet." He said, crossing his arms and frowning.

"What? I'm more than ready to face the world! After all, I've learned from the best." I said trying to butter him up, though it clearly wasn't working.

"In case you didn't understand, I said no. It's too dangerous… and you could get hurt." He left it at that and stalked back to his office. I groaned in frustration and turned to my snickering teacher and brother-like figure. Sure he had been a little reluctant to help me out at first but after figuring out we had so much in common (our loathing for a certain godfather of mine) we bonded in no time.

"What exactly do you find so funny Jimmy?" He visibly cringed as I used the nickname he detested with a passion.

"That is not my name." He replied with a frown etched upon his face. "You honestly must not want to go, because the name calling isn't really helping your case."

"Would it help if I apologized?" I suggested. He rubbed his chin and looked at the ceiling thoughtfully while he contemplated answering.

"Maybe." He responded, and then started walking back towards the gym as I trailed him close behind.

"Maybe? What's that supposed to mean?" I scrunched my nose up in confusion as he pushed open the double doors to the gymnasium.

"It's a term one often uses when expressing uncertainty in a situation. For example: 'Maybe I'll let you accompany Solomon and I back to The Blackthorne Institution.'" I smiled at the thought of being free of the base.

"Then again, maybe I won't." He finished with a smirk.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go grab the yoga mats. It's five thirty so you know what that means." I glared at his retreating back and gave off a slight growl. He knew I hated yoga and any other activities that required me sitting still for long periods of time. If I ever landed a desk job in the future, I'd literally kill myself.

I sighed, still slightly frustrated at the fact that I would not be leaving the base anytime soon. Sometimes James and Solomon treated me like such a little child. For gods sake I'm seventeen years old! You'd think a person deserved a little freedom after being cooped up in a secret base for over a year while being trained as a spy! But alas, life was undoubtedly cruel.

A few minutes later, James arrived with the mats rolled up inside two slim cylinders. I inwardly grinned; the next hour and a half of his life was going to be hell.

"Please take me with you."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I said so."

"Your point?"

"Cammie, shut your trap before I do it for you!"

"…… Pretty please let me go."

"Concentrate Cammie! This is supposed to be an easy exercise that will help open your senses, making you more aware to your surroundings. So just relax and it will make it more bearable for you."

"I am relaxed."

"Yes, but you're also supposed to be quiet."

"I'll be quiet if you agree to let me go."

"Ugh, Cammie listen here. Trust me when I say you don't want to go to Blackthorne."

"Alright I'm listening. Why shouldn't I go?"

"It's a school for boys. Think about it, some of these guys probably haven't had contact with a girl their age for months! What do you suppose would happen if you showed up?"

"Ummm, I don't know. What would happen?"

"Hormones. That's what will happen. They'll be all over you!"

"Aww James, seriously? I am fully capable of protecting myself from hormone crazed teenage guys. But honestly, what are you, my father trying to protect my virginity or something? Leave that to Solomon, it's his job."

"Even if you were able to protect yourself you still wouldn't be going."

"Well… I guess if you say I can't go, then I suppose I won't be going."

"Exactly- wait, what did you say?"

"I won't be going to Blackthorne, I'll be staying here at the base… isn't that what you wanted?"

"Umm, yes. Thanks for finally understanding."

"No problem, I'm just a bit surprised."

"What are you surprised about?"

"That you're finally agreeing with Solomon. I guess there's a first for everything."

"Huh?"

"Yeah, by saying you don't want me to go, you're agreeing with good old Joe. I'm kind of surprised though, I thought you hated him. Never thought I'd see the day you two would agree."

"………."

"James?"

"Go to your room and pack your bags, we're headed to Blackthorne tomorrow at 6 AM sharp. You need to be ready."

I marched out of the gymnasium proudly. Mission Accomplished.

Zach

Now you all might be wondering who she is. Well… its kind off complicated, plus it involves me telling a story I don't like to share. It all began just a few hours ago at the breakfast table in the Grand Hall. We had innocently been eating a batch of muffins (fresh out of the oven courtesy of our amazing kitchen staff) when Doctor Steve had made the announcement. After a year long teaching hiatus, our old CoveOps teacher Joseph Solomon would be making his return… today.

Of course, immediately after said announcement, the Hall burst into shouts of protest. Let's just say Solomon had never been anyone's favorite teacher. In fact, we were all perfectly happy and content with our current CoveOps teacher Mrs. Gibbs. Though at times she could be dreadfully boring, we preferred her over clinically insane Solomon.

So, here we are now, standing outside the Sub-Level 2 CoveOps classroom waiting for our second period to start. All of us are silent and no one makes a sound as we try to listen through the door to see if we can hear any screams from our tortured classmates. Unfortunately, the door is soundproof and we can't hear a thing.

"Oh god, they must be dead." Whispers Grant as he turns to me, his blue eyes wide with fright.

"Be brave Grant." I try to reassure him (and myself) that everything will be just fine (though I seriously doubt it).

Beside me, my other partner in crime Jonas is scribbling something down on a piece of notebook paper.

"Jonas… what are you doing?" I raise an eyebrow at him and snatch the paper from his hands. The words 'Last Will & Testament' are sketched at the top. I turn to him questioningly and he shrugs his shoulders.

"I'd leave you something, but soon you'll be dead too." He says seizing his testament out of my possession, I see him quickly sign his name at the bottom.

"Do you think I have time to run back up to the dorms and leave this on my bed? There probably won't be anything left of me after he's done and I don't want it to be destroyed." Grant stares at Jonas horrified, his face is slightly paler. It seems like he's about to vomit.

At that exact moment the door handle turns and the first period class emerges (all intact and unharmed) from the room. They seem lost in a distant world because they don't respond when someone asks how the lesson went. Grant rushes up to one of the boys and shakes his shoulders.

"Please!" He begs, "Tell me what happened! I don't want to die! I'm too young and handsome to go now!" I roll my eyes at Grant's ramblings and I peak into the classroom. There sitting at his desk was the reincarnation of evil himself. Solomon. He seemed to sense my presence because he looked up and narrowed his eyes at us.

"Are you all going to stand there like a bunch of idiots or do I need to fail you all for the day?" We are all present in our seats within the next five seconds; I manage to grab a seat in the middle where I would blend in easily while lucky Grant snatched a seat in the back. Poor Jonas is one of the last to enter the room and ends up in the first row. He is now squirming uncomfortably in his chair, hardly noticeable to the average human's eye but Solomon always catches everything.

While all this is going on, a movement I catch in the corner of my eye causes me to turn my head slightly to the left. I immediately wish I hadn't and I freeze up. I know, Zach Goode does not 'freeze up' but that's the only way I can describe what happened next. There, sitting in a nice plush, rolling chair (opposed to our metal chairs and desks) sits a girl. A freaking girl at Blackthorne. The worst part is I know her.

It's the elevator girl from last year's field trip to the National Mall. The girl I kissed in front of my entire CoveOps class. The girl I never thought I'd see again. What was her name again? Catty? Cassie? Cammie. Yeah, it was definitely the Cammie.

She sat in the chair quietly, surveying everyone in the room. I turned away just before our eyes meet and just as Solomon started the lesson. Throughout our entire class period I could feel her dark green eyes boring holes into the side of my head. Slowly, my other classmates take notice of her presence, their eyes bulging out of their sockets as they realize they are in fact, seeing a girl and not some crazy illusion. She waves back at them playfully, giving them brief smiles before returning to her previous stoic position.

Finally, the clock strikes nine thirty and Solomon promptly dismisses us. However, I linger behind a few extra seconds to collect by books, something I would have never done in the past. Just as I'm about to leave I feel a tap on my shoulder. I slowly turn around to face her, our meeting was inevitable the moment she saw me and it was best to get it over with. The first thing I notice when I see her face to face is that she is approximately four inches shorter to my 5'7. The last time we had meet we had been roughly the same height. Besides that one minor difference, she looked all-in-all the same. Her hair was still the same shade of brown and her smooth, nearly flawless skin still had a slight natural tan. I spotted a brief flash of recognition in her emerald green eyes, and then she smiled at me.

"Zach Goode… we meet again."

Well I am particularly pleased with this chapter and I hope you all liked it. Some of you might think I am rushing the story a bit but there will be flashbacks to the year I skipped over. Alright people, things to discuss…

1) Gasp! Zach and Cammie finally meet… again! Yes our two favorite characters (besides Solly) have finally been reunited and will live happily ever after! If these are the thoughts currently going through your head you are most certainly wrong! What's a good story without a few fights and a little angst! I warn you all, I hate happy endings XD

Why did James change his mind? Because he wants to defy Solomon (who he does not like).

Why does it take you so long to update? In case you didn't read the message at the top, I had a severe case of writer's block where I temporarily lost interest in this story. But fear not! I am now cured of my writer's block and am currently planning the next few chapters :)

Thanks a billion to everyone who bugged me to finish this chapter (Kiwi and Garnet!!!) Without your insane ramblings about updating you would all be waiting another month for this chapter to come out :P

~Shallie-wa