Spy and Don't Tell

Chapter Eighteen

Normally after CoveOps, the sophomore class has C&A. However, Madam Poppy was having some trouble with the Juniors and their table manners when dining with the Russian mafia so we got a free period. Normally when we get free periods we raid the kitchen for snacks, we take a nap, "study" and by that we actually hang out at the library while we should have been doing work, or hang out in the P&E barn rafters. I opted out of hanging out with my friends and napping for hanging out in the Sublevels, knowing very well that my parents (mainly dad) wouldn't mind me hanging out there opposed to possibly hanging out with Alex. So once again I was sitting in the front of class only this time it was different. You see, I had my feet up on the desk with mom sitting next to me doing the same, both of us having a thing of cards in our hands as we played BS. As dad retouched the basics of CoveOps with the senior class, mom lied about having three kings.

"Lier!" I practically yelled in contrast to our whispering we were doing before. I flipped the top three cards revealing a king, an ace, and a seven. Mom threw her card and pointed at me.

"How'd you know? I'm a much better lier then you are. Did you cheat? You so cheated didn't you?" Mom fussed at me.

"I did no such thing! I just so happened to have the other kings." I shrugged at sat down making dad clear his throat.

"Now now ladies, don't start fighting. Z has to graduate." Said my dad sheepishly.

"What about me? You know very well that if they start fighting we'll get pulled in." Morgan said all mater of factly. Dad just waved it off.

"You have like a semester that I'm still stuck with you." This made Morgan act offended and a few people snicker. Next thing I know, Kat and Lexi are running through the Sublevel with one yelling my name (Kat) and the other telling her to shut up before my dad knows too (Lexi). Then they were in the class room talking over each other and making my dad groan in annoyance.

"Why can't you girls do this when Cam's teaching?" He complained.

"Mom promised them five bucks if they can successfully interrupt you for the whole time." Morgan said simply and pointing to dad in a I-got-your-back fashion.

"You weren't suppose to tell..." Mom mumbled going back to her comfortable position with her feet on the desk.

"Yeah? I'll give you three ten if you two leave and wait to tell Z whatever it is and for you to shut up and go back to playing whatever card game quietly." Dad said pointing between Lexi and Kat then to me. The three of us looked at mom who shrugged.

"I'll up it to twenty if you don't do what he just said." Dad raised his eyebrows at mom in a what-did-you-just-say manner then at me as if mentally asking me if I'm going to take it.

"Don't put me on the spot like this, dad. I mean, twenty is double the amount you were offered. Plus, it's mom. She kind of controls my grade in this class."

"Yeah?" Dad challenged. "Well I'm your dad. I control who you date."

Really? He's playing that card? Does honestly have no idea that I'm sneaking out half the time to go on dates with someone who has no clue I'm a spy who can easily hack into his emails whenever I feel like it? Wow... La-ame.

Lexi snickered at this while Kat bit her lip and rocked on her heals. Lexi gestured that they will be in the hall waiting while mom passed me a twenty and nodded to leave knowing this wouldn't end well. I pocketed the money and quickly left without another word. When we were a good enough distance from the classroom the three of us broke into laughter. Mainly because of the way he said he controls who I date. Like um hello, no you don't Dad. You only think you do. When the three of us stepped into the elevator I then decided to ask what they were screaming my name for.

"Oh, um. We may or may not have saw you little boyfriend walking outside Gallagher with a note for you." Lexi teased making my eyes go wide.

"Chill, Zag. He just wanted to get you a message since he apparently doesn't know where you live or any way to contact you but since he knows your friends with Lex, he gave the message to her to give to you." Kat explained nudging me. I sighed of relief and headed to our room knowing they sat the note on my desk. As I walked in, I made a bee-line to it and read it immediately.

Date Saturday night? Dress comfortably and meet me at the gazebo at six-thirty.

Jake

I smiled after reading it then realized that Saturday was two days away, and this weekend we got our town privileges revoked (thanks Kim and Lola for attempting to bug my grandma's office.) I have no idea what I'm going to do. Sure I snuck out before, like I said but normally there wasn't heavy security watching the Gallagher students come and leave to make sure they weren't sophomores. I groaned and sat down on my bed a little–scratch that–a lot annoyed. How can I get in and out of Gallagher without being seen? Pretend to remember that I needed to grab a prescription from the pharmacy to help me sleep? Tell mom to give me a special pass letting me live a normal life for the night? None of these will work.

I guess I could sneak out through the back side of Gallagher and take the long way into town. Yeah, that will work. And when Jake asked why I have twigs in my hair I'll just say I feel into a bush sneaking out of my house. Totally possible (not.) I groaned again, putting the note under my pillow.

"Uh oh. I recognize that groan. What's up, little sis?" Morgan asked standing in the doorway. He pushed himself off the doorframe and took a seat next to me on my bed. I sighed and thought about how to word this without having to go into detail.

"I need to go out into town Saturday night but the sophomores got our privileges taken away because two of us decided to try and bug grandma's office and blamed a group of us that it was a dare. So now I am royally screwed because I can't sneak out and they are checking who's a sophomore and who's not." I sighed again. "But that's my problem I can figure out what to do in two days. As for you, why aren't you in CoveOps? There's still twenty five minutes left."

I didn't need the brown hair and eyes that any girl who didn't grow up with Morgan to see the relation between him and dad. I didn't need the way he can easily disappear in a crowd to see the relationship. I didn't need to take a DNA test or know their last name. I didn't need to be his sister or hear the stories of their time together when we were younger. I didn't need any of that to know Morgan and dad were in every way related. I just needed their smile that mocks anyone within a five foot radius with a I-know-something-you-don't-know style. I just needed their smile that can be read as I-know-more-about-you-in-a-single-glace-then-you-do-about-yourself. I just needed the little half smirk they give when they finally give off the feeling of them giving up only to try a hundred times harder the next time to know that Morgan and my dad are in every way related. I just need the smile that I always tease about punching off their face to know that I'm his sister and that I can trust him with almost every little secret I have. That's why I thought about telling Morgan about Jake. That's why I thought about telling Morgan that I sneak out almost every day to see a normal boy who has no idea I belong to a family of spies and go to Gallagher.

But I didn't. Instead I just waited patiently as Morgan smiled with the oh so infamous I-know-things smirk that he gives whenever I ask about his school and classes. I rolled my eyes as he just nodded and stared mindlessly into space with that smirk.

"Oh my god, Morgan. You're so annoying." I shook my head walking out of my room to look for my friends.