Chapter 1

I couldn't believe it still. Zach had kissed me in front of the entire school. It was exactly 24 hours, 3 minutes and 38 seconds ago and I still couldn't believe it happened.

My friends and I are almost finished with our finals, we only had the COW one left, and we were about to start. I knew I would ace it, they were always easy and I had started to gee the feeling that failing wasn't really an option now that I was almost a spy.

As Bex, Liz, Macey and I were walking to the COW classroom, Professor Buckingham came running down the hall towards us.

"Girls, Girls! I need to talk to you!" She shouted down the hall to us.

We turned toward her. "Whats wrong, Professor?" I asked.

"Oh, nothings wrong, girls. I just have a message for the four of you. Headmistress Morgan would like to speak with all of you after your final, so be in her office after all your finals." She said, making eye contact with all of us.

We nodded, thanked her and went of to the final.

After we finished the final and were walking to my mothers office, Liz, and Macey were talking about the final, but Bex and I were quiet.

"So what did you get for number 27?" Liz asked us all. "I put letter E, but I was debating between that and C."

"I put E." We all replied to her and she made a satisfied noise.

"The more important question is," Bex paused for theatrical effect. "What does headmistress Morgan want, with us?"

Liz, Macey and Bex all turned and looked at me, thinking I might know something more than I did.

"Don't look at me, guys. I honestly don't know whats going on." I said, exasperated.

"Hey girls! Come on in." My mom said as soon as we entered into the hall of history.

"Hey Cam, girls. How were your finals?" She said as we walked into her office.

There was a chorus of "goods," and, "greats."

The only thing I wanted was to find out why my friends and I where there and not already in planes to Nebraska, Georgia, England and the Hamptons.

Mom saw that we were all very confused as to why we were there so she got right to the point.

"We want to try an experiment with Blackthorn again." She said.

"What, are the boys coming again next year?" Bex asked in her british accent.

"Not exactly." Joe Solomon said, walking into the room to stand next to my mothers desk.

"Joe," my mom said, nodding in acknowledgement. "Back to what I was saying. We want to try another exchange with Blackthorn, but this one will be, lets say, a bit different."

"But if the boys aren't coming here..." Macey said, trailing off.

"You four will be going to Blackthorn." Mr. Solomon said, finishing for her.

We all stood speechless until we all started talking at the same time.

"But I have to help my parents on my dad's campaign trail." Macey said, sounding disappointed.

"But I'm going to visit my parents back home." Bex exclaimed.

"And what good would I do at Blackthorn? I can't fight and my parents would want me to come home!" Liz said, sounding confused.

Everyone looked at me, waiting for an excuse.

"I don't have anything else. Mom," I said gesturing at her. "Is going to be on a mission and I don't need to spend the whole summer with Grandma and Grandpa Morgan."

When Macey started to open her mouth to argue, Mom cut her of.

"Look, girls. This is an incredible opportunity. We have already spoken to you parents and told them everything." She glanced at Macey and Liz. "Or as much as we could. Your parents both think you have the opportunity to stay here over the summer and take some extra courses to get ahead in school. And Bex," She said, turning to the beautiful british girl beside me. "Your parents want you to do this. They think it would be a good opportunity for you. Now your parents have all agreed to this, but if you still don't want to go, you are free to return home and spend the summer as you planned."

Liz looked only slightly convinced, "But ma'am, why do they have school over the summer?"

"Well…" my mother said trailing off.

"Well here is the tricky part." Mr. Solomon said, finishing off her sentence. "Blackthorn is a school for training young men to go into the clandestine services, like the Gallagher Academy, but that is pretty much where the similarities end."

Liz, Bex, Macey and I all exchanged a look of confusion.

"That must be what Zach meant when he said they have their covers and we have ours." I said, thinking back to the night on the roof.

Bex nodded, remembering. We turned back to Mr. Solomon and my mother, waiting for them to continue.

"Its a school for spies, but it trains them in more… forceful ways. We train you girls with defense in mind, but Blackthorn is for more offensive purposes."

"But what about our parents?" Bex asked, sounding a bit sad.

"Well thats the thing. You would only be there for a month and a half. That way Macey can return in time for her fathers campaign trail, Bex and Liz can both have time with their family and Cam can visit her grandparents for the rest of the summer.

Slowly, a smile spread across my face when I realized I would be seeing Zach again.

"Well I'm in." I said, grinning.

"Me too." Macey said, smiling. "Anything to get me away from my crazy parents."

"I'm defiantly in." Bex said. "I miss my parents, but I what better way to spend a summer?"

"Well," Liz started.

"Liz it was rhetorical." I said, cutting her off.

"Cammie," she said scoffing. "You know I don't like those! Why would you ask a question if no one will answer it?"

We all rolled our eyes, but mom and Mr. Solomon just stifled laughs.

"So we are all in agreement? You four will go to Blackthorn for a month and a half to sharpen your skills and make bonds that will help you in your future careers. Mr. Solomon will be your faculty chaperone while you are there, because he, as you know, went to Blackthorn. Is everything clear?" She asked.

We all nodded enthusiastically, even Liz, which I assumed meant she agreeing to go.

"Great," my mom said, a genuine smile forming on her lips. "You have three hours to pack everything you need, and then the helicopter will be ready to take you there."