Spy and Don't Tell

Chapter Thirteen

On the walk back to Gallagher that night, I made sure I was walking with my mom and for it to look like we weren't part of the group till we were completely away from anyone associated with Jake.

Mom was saying how we all did a good job and she hopped everyone had fun. Morgan fell behind and walked with us only making Mom ask is he had a good date with Patty which made him blush and made me laugh. Morgan rolled his eyes and playfully shoved me but not hard.

"Hey, Z! That boy you were chatting with was pretty cute!" Alice teased throwing her arm around me. I rolled my eyes. "Are you two dating?"

"What? No. Absolutely not. Why would you even think that?" I said all flustered.

"Because you two seemed to really like each other." Alice winked.

"Oh Alice, leave Z alone. She's clearly isn't into him." Patty said making Alice put her hands up in defense.

"What? I'm just saying I ship them."

"And I'm just saying I ship her with Alex." Patty said crossing her arms. I looked at her strangely. "What? I hear the stories. And I've seen the way you guys bicker. It's cute and totally shippable."

"No way. Zake for the win, Pat."

"No, Gonson is clearly real, Alice."

"Zake."

"Gonson."

"You two are giving me a head ache." I said walking away from the two and towards Jo, Lexi, and Kat who were talking. "Hey girls. What you talking about?"

"Gonson or Zake and which one is better." Jo said with a shrug making me groan.

"I hate you all." I sighed as they laughed.

-

Down in Sublevel One for CoveOps I expected to find it the same as usual, tables in rows with my mom either leaning against her desk or writing on the board. Instead the tables were pushed to the side and mats were laying in the center with my mom and dad fighting. It was pretty amusing when Mom finally pinned Dad down. The boys from Blackthorn sighed and passed money to some of the girls who had already been here.

"Hello, girls." Mom said after a long sip from her water bottle. "Pick a side. We're playing Red Rover but don't tell Headmistress Morgan or Headmaster Solomon." I quickly went over to Mom's side with Lexi, Kat, and Jo.

"Now remember, just pin them to the mat. Let's try and keep it clean, Brown." Dad said glaring at Kyle who put his hands up in defense.

"Why you looking at me?" Kyle said as if he didn't know. 

"Because I don't want to visit my children, mainly Z, in the hospital wing. 'Cause then that would make us explain to the headmaster and headmistress how that happened."

"Wow Dad love you too." Morgan said with an eye roll. Dad waved off the sarcasm as Mom picked the next person to fight. She picked Alice and the two started the fight.

"You're crème brûlée Alice wins." Lexi said to me. I looked at her as if she fell from the beams in the P&E barn and scoffed.

"Alright fine." I said as Alice knocked my mom down by swiping her leg from under her. Alice went to pin her down but Mom flipped Alice onto her back and ended up pinning her instead. "Thanks for the extra crème brûlée."

"Oh shut up."

This kept going on till the only two people left on the other side was Morgan and Nick. Mom chose Morgan and got in position immediately.

"Let's see if you're father is kicking you're butt enough, shall we?" Mom said kicking Morgan's legs out from under him and pinning him down. "Clearly not." She helped Morgan up and pretended to kick his butt onto our side.

"Now wait a sec, that wasn't fair." Nick said walking onto the mat. "He wasn't prepared. He just got into his position."

"We weren't prepared to be abducted the first day we came into the Sublevel." Hanna Mayors said.

"Honestly, Zach, what have you been teaching these boys?" Mom said getting into position and putting her fists up. Mom swung a punch but Nick blocked it. Mom kept swing punches and Nick kept blocking. When Nick finally threw a punch, Mom caught it and pushed him to the ground. Nick swung his leg around and tripped her. Nick pinned Mom down before helping her up.

"I have not been teaching that, if that's what you're wondering." Dad said. Nick picked Alex and the two fought. Once Alex was pinned, Nick chose Morgan. Then Kyle. Then Dad. Nick lost to Dad and Dad chose Alex. "So I heard you and Z paired off for that assignment a few days ago."

"It was completely accidental." Alex said dodging Dad's swing.

"I didn't get my goats though." Dad said dodging one of Alex's swings.

"They're in the mail." Alex smirk knocking Dad down and pinning him. Alex helped Dad up and he walked over and leaned against one of the desks. Alex ended up choosing me to fight next. I walked onto the mat and got in position. Alex started swinging punches and I dodged them. He tried kicking me down but I did a sidestep making him cross his legs and do a spin. "Not bad, Gallagher."

"Thank your headmaster, not me." I took a swing and ended up hitting him in the jaw. He stumbled backwards and held his jaw. I took this chance to kick his leg out from under and pin him to the mat.

"What's going on here?" Grandma said standing in the door way. Everyone's head including my parents snapped towards the door where not only my grandma was standing but Grandpa Joe was as well. Grandma went over to Mom and Dad and started scolding them while I got off Alex and helped him up. Grandpa Joe dismissed the class and everyone scurried out but Morgan and myself. "Do you know what could have happened if someone decided to sneak on the grounds and found a way into the Sublevels? Not to mention there's a P&E barn for a reason where they can fight!"

"They were only playing Red Rover, Mom." Mom said crossing her arms. "They couldn't have done much harm. Plus we said clean fighting and just pinning not knocking out."

"Is this really the way I wanted you guys to teach? Is this how you been teaching all the time?"

"Rachel, we thought it would be a nice treat. Not to mention that Cam and I were already training down here when they started to arrive and they naturally took sides so we thought why not."

"I'll tell you why not! I don't want to see my grandchildren in the hospital wing!" Grandpa Joe hollered.

"I think we should leave now..." I whispered to Morgan who nodded and the two of us ran out of the room and to the elevators as fast as we could before they brought us into the argument.