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And, Of Course, There Are The Perfect Day, Perfect Moment, Perfect Life Dreams That Come Sometimes And Make A Person Hit The Snooze Button For Hours, Trying To Go Back To Sleep And Make The Perfect Moments Last.

-Ally Carter

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And, Of Course, There

Ally Carter

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And, Of Course, There Are The Perfect Day, Perfect Moment, Perfect Life Dreams That Come Sometimes And Make A Person Hit The Snooze Button For Hours, Trying To Go Back To Sleep And Make The Perfect Moments Last.

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Do You Understand Any Of This?" He Said, Pointing To The Lines And Symbols That Covered The Massive Screens. "some People Understand The Value Of An Education." Hale Stretched And Crossed His Legs, The Settled His Arm Around Kat's Shoulders. "that's Sweet, Kat. Maybe Later I'll Buy You A University. And An Ice Cream." "i'd Settle For The Ice Cream." "deal.

I'm A Spy, Cam. I Was Born To Do This- To Be This. It's In My Blood. And I Will Do It Until The Day I Die. It's Who I Am... The Thing Is I Don't Think You Realise Is... It's Who You Are Too.

Hamish's Right Arm Was Around Angus's Waist As The Two Of Them Tangoed Past.

It Seems You Don't Approve Of The Family Business Katerina. Or Of Me. But These Chances You Take... These Things You Do... This Is A Dangerous Life To Live... Alone.

What About Him?" "what's Going On With You Two?" "nothing," Kat Said, A Little Too Quickly. "yeah, And Why Is That Exactly? I Thought You Two Were Getting All Relationshipy. But Now You're Gone Half Of The Time And He's ...angry." "no, He's Not." "yes, He Is." Gabrielle Gave A Short Laugh. "he Doesn't Like You Going Off, Doing These Jobs On Your Own.

The Older Man Cocked His Head And Gave A Laugh, "we Get All The Ladies. But For Some Reason I Don't Think You're Here Looking For Me." "i Don't Know," Kat Said. "i'm Always In The Market For Good Rappelling Harness." "for You, My Dear, Nothing But The Best." "but You Are Right About Something. I'm Actually Trying To Find---" "young Mr. Hale, I'm Assuming." Kate Blushed. "let Me Guess--i'm Not The Only One?" "maybe. But You're The One I Hope Finds Him." He Gave A Wink And Walked Away, And Kat Didn't Feel Alone Anymore In The Big Room Full Of People.

Townsend Shrugged. 'with All Due Respect To The Good Doctor, I Highly Suspect He's A Moron.

Sitting There That Day, I Knew That The Only Thing I Could Do Was Keep Putting One Foot In Front Of The Other, Hoping None Of The Secrets On My Shoulders Would Make Me Lose My Balance.

Don't Let Two Men Fall In Love With You, Girls. It's Not The Sort Of Thing That Ends Well." -uncle Charles

Falling In Love

There's A Power That Comes With Silence. I Had Grown To Fear The Unsaid Thing. So It Felt Like A Release To Say It-to Admit That The Risk Wasn't Just Inside Our Walls-it Was Inside My Skin. I Was Willing To Claw, Scratch, And Bleed Until I'd Found It.

She Thought She Kept Seeing Him Because She Wanted To See Him," Macey Explained. "ooooh," Bex And Liz Sighed Together. "it's A By-product Of Very Dramatic Kissing," Macey Went On Like A Doctor Identifying A Common Side Effect.

If You Die Of Pneumonia,i'm Pretty Sure There Are At Least A Dozen Guys Who'll Try To Kill Me And Make It Look Like An Accident (hale)

Hes Gone. Hes Just Gone.

His Mother Got Her Purse. His Father Reached For The Door. "scooter," He Said, By Way Of Good-bye, "have Fun With Your Friends." But Hale Was Shaking His Head. He Put His Arm Around Kat's Shoulders. "she's Not My Friend, Dad. She's My Girlfriend." Hale's Parents Must Have Walked Away, But Kat Wasn't Looking. She Was Too Busy Staring Up At Hale, Trying To See Into His Eyes And Know If He Was Okay. The Sadness That Had Lingered For Weeks Was Fading, And The Boy That Held Her Was The Boy She Knew. A Boy Who Kissed Her Lightly.

...nothing Ever Happens Quickly (except When It Does). Nothing Is Ever, Ever Easy (except When It Is). And, Most Of All, Nothing Ever Goes Perfectly According To Plan (except In The Movies).

Sometimes People Run… To See If You'll Come After Them

I Think You’re Freaked About What Happened At Cambridge. I Think It Scared You." “i’ve Been Through Worse, Bex,” I Said, Joining Her On The Lower Stairs. “way Worse.” “oh, Not The Attack.” Bex Raised Her Finger In Contradiction. “what Happened Before The Attack. I Think You Saw The Future. Which Is Kind Of Freaky When - Two Months Ago - You Didn’t Think You Were Going To Have One.

That's For Me To Know, And For You To Find Out.

There Are 6 Reasons That A Person Does Anything: Love, Faith, Greed, Boredom, Fear... Revenge.

We Don't Have To Do This. Just Say The Word And I Can Have A Jet Here In An Hour. We Can Go Anywhere

I'm Fine I Said For The 2,467th Time This Semester. (i Know. I Was Keeping Count)

You Really Saw Some?" Liz Said An Hour Later. Sure, We Had The Stereo Blaring And The Shower Running, But Liz Still Whispered, "they Really...exist?" "liz," I Whispered Back, "they're Not Unicorns." "no," Bex Said Flatly, "they're Boys. And They're...good.

Its Vermeer" Kat Turned To The Boy Who Lingered In The Doorway. "it's Stolen" "what Can I Say?" Hale Eased Behind Her And Studied The Painting Over Her Shoulder. "i Met A Very Nice Man Who Bet Me He Had The Best Security System In Istanbul." His Breath Was Warm On The Back Of Her Neck. "he Was Mistaken.

He's A Boy, Kat. I Hate To Break It To You, But We Are Fundamentally Different.

Kat Felt Her Heart Beat Faster, Adrenaline Pumping Through Her Veins, And She Knew He Was Right. She Studied Him For A Long Time. "do You Believe In Curses, Hale?" He Looked At Her. "i Believe In You.

You Don't Have To Do This, Kat." "i've Been Hearing That A Lot Lately." "he's Right." "i Didn't Say Who Had Said It," She Countered. "you Didn't Have To." He Looked Out At The Water. "you Two Are Good Together." "we're Not Together," Kat Said Automatically. "sure You Are. You Just Don't Know It Yet.

All These Years I'd Thought Being A Spy Was Challenging. Turns Out, Being A Girl Is The Tricky Part.

I Know In The Spy Movies It Always Looks Really Cool When The Operative Goes From A Maid's Uniform To A Slinky, Sexy, Ballgown In The Amount Of Time It Takes An Elevator To Climb Three Floors. Well, I Don't Know How It Is For Tv Spies, But I Can Tell You That Even With Velcro, The Art Of The Quick Change Is One That Must Take A Lot Of Practice (not To Mention Better Lighting Than One Is Likely To Find In A Tunnel That Was Once Part Of The Underground Railroad).

Kat Looked Down At Her Lemonade. 'do You Think He Betrayed The Love Of His Life...because Of Us?' 'she Used The Name Romani, Kat,' Was Gabrielle's Answer. 'and Besides...' She Let The Words Draw Out. Her Gaze Went To The Distance, And There Was A Sense Of Peace In The Way She Said, 'we're The Love Of His Life.' She Raised Her Glass Again. 'to Family.

I Thought You Might Need A Ride.' 'the Headmaster's Office Called Me A Car.' He Shrugged, Indifferent But Amused. 'and Here I Am In A Submarine.

I Wonder What Kinds Of Songs Preston's Father Sang To Him." Zach Raised His Eyebrows. "i Wonder If He's In A Cell Humming Them To Himself Right Now." I Should Have Said Something-done Something. He Was In A Dark Place, There In The Moonlight. But Before I Could Say A Word, Zach Took A Deep Breath And Looked Up At The Fortress. "i Wonder If I Should Join Him.

How Are We Doing, Simon?" She Whispered Into The Small Microphone In Her Collar. "just About..." Simon Started Slowly. And Then He Stopped. "wow." "what?" She Asked, Panic In Her Voice. "nothing," He Said Too Quickly. "what?" She Asked Again. "well...it's Just That...your Boobs Look Even Bigger On Tv." Kat Took That Opportunity To Turn And Glare At The Nearest Security Camera. In His Bathroom Stall Thirty Feet Away, Simon Nearly Fell Off The Toilet.

She'd Absolutely Adored The Library_an Entire Building Where Anyone Could Take Things They Didn't Own And Feel No Remorse About It.

Oh.' I Shot Upright. 'i Was In Mongolia.' Note To Self: Learn To Be A Less Extreme Liar.

Your Test Had Cheese Meteor Questions?" - Bex To Liz.

"cammie!" I'll Never Forget The Tone Of Macey's Voice In That Moment. "cam," She Said Slowly, Moving Toward Me, "i Know How It Feels To Be Watched Every Second Of Every Day. I Know What It's Like To Trust Fewer And Fewer People Until It Seems Like You Are Completely Alone In The World. I Know You Think The Only Things That Are Left In Your Life Are The Bad Things. I Know What You're Feeling, Cam." Her Hands Were On My Shoulders. Her Blue Eyes Were Staring Into Mine. "i Know."

The Things That Are Most Precious To Us Are Sometimes The Most Secret.

"good For Him," Hale Said. And Then He Stopped. There Were Four Other People In The Room, But Hale Only Looked At Kat, And Something In His Gaze Burned Her, Froze Her, Made Her Want To Run.

Life Is Classified. There Is Always So Much That Goes Unsaid.

You Should Always Trust The Instincts Of Children.

Just So You Know Gallagher Girl,' He Whispered Softly, 'i'm Going To Kiss You Now.

The Subject Has Really Blue Eyes That Twinkle When He Looks At Someone Like She's Maybe A Little Bit Insane.

Easy There," Zach Said When I Stumbled Into Him. "now's Probably Not The Time To Get Handsy. You Might Want To Control Yourself.

Angus Looked At Hamish. "i Hate It When Mom And Dad Fight." Hamish Smoothed His Brother's Messy Hair. "me Too.

It Felt As If Maybe The Curse Had Lifted, The Tide Had Shifted, But Then The Breeze Picked Up And A Skeet Took A Very Unfortunate Turn. Seconds Later, Angus Was Pulling His Shot Far To The Right, Shooting A Large Hole In The Second-story Galley Not Ten Feet Above Marcus's Head.

I Love Your Bracelet!’ I Said To The Brunette Next To Me, Because, While Most Girls Are Onto The Whole Stranger-with-candy Thing, The Strangers-with-compliments Strategy Is Still Remarkably Effective.

Don’t Mind Me,” I Said. “i’m Just The Person Who Tried To Rob The Place Last July.” “no, You Diddn’t,” Abby Said, Appearing On The Roof. She Was Wearing A Trim Suit And Tall Black Boots. Her Hair Was Pulled Into A Sleek Ponytail At The Nape Of Her Neck, And Either I Was Imagining Things Or Townsend Wasn’t Quite As Good A Spy As I Thought, Because I Could Have Sworn I Saw Him Drool A Little. Note To Self: Your Aunt Is A Hottie.

Even Though Kate Had Only Known Hale For A Little More Than Two Years, She Had Seen Him In A Lot Of Situations.

For All The Days Of Our Lives," We Finished And I Felt A Little Like A Character In One Of My Grandma's Soap Operas.

I Mean She's Cleopatra... Shouldn't She And Antony Have Known Better? They Were So Different..." "variety Is The Spice Of Life" "and From A Thousand Miles Apart" "absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder

Hey Anyone Who Thinks A Non-military–grade Rappelling Cable Can Support The Weight Of Two Grown Men And A Miniature Donkey Deserves To Fall Off A Cliff.

Unusual Financial Activity: None, Unless You Count The Fact That Someone In The Family Is Way Too Into Civil War Biographies. (can This Be A Possible Indication Of Confederate Insurgents Still Living And Working In Virginia? Must Research Further.)

There Are Six Reasons Anyone Does Anything: Love. Faith. Greed. Boredom. Fear..." He Said, Ticking Them Off On His Fingers; But He Lingered On The Last, Drawing A Deep Breath Before He Said, "revenge.

You Were Right, Hale. It Was A Bad Job. It Was A Bad Call. You Were Right To Leave." "kat..." Hale Tried To Reach For Her, But Even In The Sand, Kat Was Quick And Sure On Her Feet, And She Moved Nimbly Away, Leaving Hale With Nothing But A Fistful Of Salty Air. "thanks For Coming Back And Helping Me Find Her And All, But..." She Looked At Gabrielle, Who Stood Leaning Against Simon, Still Bruised And Almost Broken. " I Think I've Got To Take It From Here.".... She Was Sure Right Up Until The Point When Hale Said, "no.

Sleep Every Chance You Get. Eat Every Chance You Get. Those Were Two Of The Many Lessons That Kat Learned At Her Father’s Knee And Her Uncle’s Table.

The Bagshaw's Blew Up An Armored Truck One,' Gabrielle Offered.

Quietly, Macey Went Through Her Options. Even Though The Masked Men Were Asking For Cell Phones, The Gunmen Were Making So Much Noise That She Was Sure Someone Had Already Called 911. The Obvious Exits Were Blocked, And The Elevators Had No Doubt Been Disabled. The Men Moved With Confidence And Order, But They Weren’t Trying To Be Quiet. There Was Nothing Covert At All About This Operation. Unlike The Boy Beside Her.

I Know Too Well How Dangerous Hope Can Be, How It Grows And Sometimes Dies, Taking Its Host With It. It's More Powerful Than Anything Dr.fibs Keeps In His Labs, More Precious Than All The Secrets Inside Sublevel Two.

You Get Some Sleep, Abigail," Townsend Told Her. "i'll Keep Watch." "that's Very Gracious Of You, But Being That We're On An Airplane..." Even After The Plane Took Off, They Kept Debating Security Perimeters And Protocols. I'm Pretty Sure They Argued For Forty-five Minutes About Where The Best Place For Cappuccino Was Near The Colosseum.

You Switched The Days," I Said, Dismayed. "you Blew The Tire. You..." I Trailed Off, Probably Because The Next Words Out Of My Mouth Were Either Going To Be "you Are Enough To Do This?" Or "you're Destined For A Life Of Crime." It Was A Toss-up Either Way.

Because Even Though The Truth Can Set You Free, That Doesn't Mean It Won't Be Painful.

Sometimes The Biggest Lies We Tell Are To Ourselves.

Even Though Cammie Is Fluent In Fourteen Languages And Capable Of Killing A Man Seven Different Ways With Her Bare Hands, She Has No Idea What To Do When She Meets An Ordinary Boy Who Thinks She's An Ordinary Girl.

Across The Room, Hale Smiled Slightly. 'we Can Draw You A Diagram If You Need It.' 'no Thanks,' Nick Said. 'i Think I've Got Everyone But You.

Why Do I Feel Like I Can't Trust You Anymore?' I Wanted Him To Lash Out. I Wanted Him To Fight, To Protest, To Argue- To Do Anything But Look Deeper Into My Eyes And Say, 'because The Gallagher Academy Doesn't Admit Fools

It Is An Occupational Hazard That Anyone Who Has Spent Her Life Learning How To Lie Eventually Becomes Bad At Telling The Truth.

You Know, Ms. Morgan, That Was Your Mother You Just Hammered," Mr. Solomon Said.

Zach Walked Away, But I Stood There For A Long Time, Wondering If I Should Go To My Mother; If I Should Go To My Friends; But Instead I Slipped Into The Corridors I Hadn't Used In Months, Pushed My Way Through Cobwebs And Darkness, Trying To Walk Away From The Tears That Burned Hot Down My Cheeks, Because Maybe I Didn't Want To Admit Weakness; Maybe I Wanted To Wallow In My Solitude And Grief. Or Maybe Crying Is Like Everything Else We Do—it's Best If You Don't Get Caught.

And There's A Cop Over There." "what?" The Boy Said, Glancing At The D.c. Police Officer That Stood At The Corner Of The Street, "you Think That Guys Can Do A Better Job Protecting You Than I Can?" Actually, I Thought Liz Could Have Done A Better Job "protecting" Me Than He Could, But Instead I Said, "no, I Think If You Don't Leave Me Alone, I Can Scream And That Cop Will Arrest You." Somehow The Boy Seemed To Know It Was A Joke.

Turns Out, You Can Take The Girl Out Of The Spy School, But You Can Never Take The Spy School Out Of The Girl.

And Zach Was Taking His Jacket Off And Draping It Around My Shoulders, Which (according To Liz, Who Double Checked With Macey) Is The Single-sexiest Thing A Guy Can Do.

Teenage Girls Read In Packs. It's True Today, And It Was True When I Was A Teen Growing Up In A Small Town In Northeast Oklahoma.

They Were Both Totally Laughing, And He Was Twirling Her, And Her Hair Was Flying Around Like She Was In A Shampoo Commercial. Seriously. She Could Have Sold Conditioner To A Bald Man The Way She Looked Out There.

Hale!' Kat Cried, But The Boy Only Stared At Her. 'fine,' She Conceded. 'i Love Your Boat.' 'ship.' 'ship ... Your Ship Is Beautiful.

You're Girls!' He Shouted As If The Fact Had Totally Eluded Him Until Then.

They Promised Me That This Would Be My Home. That Girls Like You Would Always Be My Sisters. But They Weren't My Sisters, Were They?" Catherine Asked, But Then The Lunacy Broke, A Quick And Fleeting Crack, And Through It I Saw Anger And Bitterness And Rage.

Real Strength Is Not Hitting When What You Most Want To Do Is Kill.

Another Door Swung Open, And Another Guard Appeared, This Time With Gabrielle, Who Wore A Black Catsuit And Rappelling Harness.

There Are Some Secrets We Keep Because We Can't Bear To Let Them Out And Some Because It's Better To Keep Them In.

Note To Self: Rachel Morgan Is A Totally Awesome Liar.

''women Of The Gallagher Academy, Who Comes Here?" She Asked. Just Then, Every Girl At Every Table (even The Newbies) Stood And Said In Unison, "we Are The Sisters Of Gillian." "why Do You Come?" My Mother Asked. "to Learn Her Skills. Honor Her Sword. And Keep Her Secrets." "to What End Do You Work?" "to The Cause Of Justice And Light." "how Long Will You Strive?" "for All The Days Of Our Lives," We Finished And I Felt A Little Like A Character In One Of My Grandma's Soap Operas.

"no," Preston Snapped. But He Didn't Protest Long Because, If I'm Going To Be Honest - Which Is Kind Of The Point Of These Reports - I Was Already Unzipping His Pants.

Tell Me Cameron Ann Morgan, What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?... Alive

That's Why We're Going To Disrupt The Lunch," She (kat) Said. "you Know," Angus Said, "i've Got A Little C-four That I've Been Saving For A Rainy--" "we're Not Blowing Up My Company, Angus," Hale Said. "righto. Carry On, Kitty.

Listen To Me." He Grabbed My Arms, Holding Me There. " I Couldn't Find You. And I Will Never Forgive Myself For That. Ever.

If We Hadn't Hated Him A Lot, We Might Have Liked Him A Little At That Moment. But We Did. So We Didn't.

Hello, Ladies," Joe Solomon Said, But Not Before I Snatched The Piece Of Paper And Crammed It In My Mouth, Which Ordinarily Would Have Been Really Great Spy Maneuvering Except That Josh Didn't Use Evapopaper. "how's The Lasagna?" Mr. Solomon Asked, And I Started To Say Something Before I Remembered That My Mouth Was...well...otherwise Engaged.

Gabrielle Was Insulted And Didn't Even Bother To Hide It. 'oh, And I Suppose You Think Your Dad Was Alone When He Free-climbed The Kyoto Banking Tower On A Windy Day Last September.

Acting Like You Don’t Care Is A Whole Lot Easier When You Don’t Care

Thanks To You, Gabs, We Just Figured Out A Half Dozen Ways Not To Rob The Henley.

Should Alcoholics Go To Liquor Stores?

Either We're A Team Or We Aren't. Either You Trust Me Or You Don't." Hale Took A Step Toward Her. "what's It Going To Be, Kat?" It Is An Occupational Hazard That Anyone Who Has Spent Her Life Learning How To Lie Eventually Becomes Bad At Telling The Truth; In That Moment Kat Didn't Have A Clue What To Say. I Carn't Do This With Out You Sounded Trite. What They Were Doing Was To Big For A Simple Please. Hale I-" You Know What? Never Mind. Either Way, I'm In Kat." He Seemed Utterly Resloved As He Slipped On His Sunglasses. "i'm All In

Hale, Stop It.” Kat Reached Out And Grabbed His Arm. “you Are Many Things, But Stupid Isn't One Of Them.” “i'm Too Close.” “you Don't Get It, Do You? Being Close Is Good. Caring Is Good. I Love That You're Emotional And Passionate And Can't Turn These Things Off.” “it Makes Me A Bad Thief.” “it Makes You A Good Person.

You Shouldn't Judge Someone Until You've Walk A Mile Through An Underground Tunnel In Her Uncomfortable Shoes

You Know" - Hale's Breath Was Warm Against Kat's Ear In The Chilly Ballroom- "i Don't Know That Both Of Us Really Have To Be Here...." The Slide Changed. While Hundreds Of Mathematicians Waited With Baited Breath, The Boy Beside Kat Whispered, "i Could Go Make Some Calls... Check On Some Things..." "play Some Blackjack?" "well, When In Rome..." "rome Is Tomorrow, Babe," Kat Reminded Him. He Nodded. "right.

It's Every Little Girl's Dream," She Said. "interpol Surveillance. And Kittens.

Covert Operations Report At Approximately 0900 Hours On Saturday, October 14, Operative Morgan Was Given A Stern Lecture By Agent Townsend, A Tracking Device By Agent Cameron, And A Very Scary Look From Operative Goode. (she Also Got A Tip That Her Bra Strap Was Showing From Operative Mchenry.) The Operative Then Undertook A Basic Reconnaissance Mission Inside A Potentially Hostile Location. (but It Wasn't As Hostile As Operative Baxter Was Going To Be If Everything Didn't Go According To Plan.)

Eventually, We All End Up Alone.

You Might Think Being The Target Of An International Terrorist Organization, An Amnesiac, And A Girl With Hair Dyed In The Middle Of The Night By Macey Mchenry Would Make People Stare At You. Well, Try Walking Into The Grand Hall With Seriously Puffy Eyes While Holding Hands. With A Boy.

He Was Beside Me Then, His Arms Wrapped Around Me, Holding Me Tightly. "i'm Not Crazy," I Whispered. "i Know." Believe It Or Not, That's The Most Romantic Thing Zachary Goode Ever Told Me. And I Kind Of Loved Him For It.

After Finals And Winter Break...after I'm Back To Full Strength, We'll Go Get Preston. Whether Mom And Abby And Joe And Townsend Like It Or Not, We'll Go Get Him. And Then...' I Trailed Off. 'and Then We'll Finish This. Next Semester, This Thing Ends.

It Was Easy To Believe, Between Lessons On Shakespeare And Dickens And Austen, That All Of The Great Stories Had Already Been Written By Dead Europeans. But Every Time I Saw 'the Outsiders', I Knew Better. It Was The First Time I'd Realized That Real People Write Books.

When Zach Said, "im Going To Kill Dr. Steve." It Wasn't The Angered Threat Of A Worried Boy; It Was The Calm, Cool Statement Of An Operative Trained To Do Exactly That. And That, I Think, Is Why It Scared Me. But It Wasn't As Terrifying As The Look In Bex's Eyes When She Said, "not If I Find Him First.

Boys! Are They Always This Impossible? Do They Always Say Cryptic, Indecipherable Things? (note To Self: Work With Liz To Adapt Her Boy-to-english Translator Into A More Mobile Form—like Maybe A Watch Or Necklace.)

Did You Say Something Macey?' I Asked, But She Cut Me A Look That Could Kill. She Reached Into Her Bag, Ripped Off A Sliver Of Evapopaper, And Scribbled: 'can We Study Tonight? (tell Anyone, And I'll Kill You In You Sleep!)

You Know, It's Okay To Admit A Little Weakness Now And Then, Cammie. It Won't Kill You. In Fact, I Hear It Makes You Stronger.

Step 4: Cough And Gag. Step 5: Repeat Step 4 Until It Feels Like Maybe Your Lungs Aren't Inside Your Body Anymore. Step 6: Remember That A Really Cute Boy Is Beside You, So Try To Cough In A Far More Attractive Manner.

The Whole Summer Lay Ahead Of Us-time To Rest, Time To Wait. And When The Future Comes-no Matter What Comes With It-i'll Be Smarter. I'll Be Stronger. I'll Be Ready.

But In The End She Merely Shrugged, Knowing At The Very Least It Would Be Interesting. Knowing, In Her Gut, It Might Just Be The Beginning.

Rules Exist For A Reason. Rules Exist Because When People Don't Follow Them, People Get Hurt.

No One Would Have Ever Guessed That Seven Of The World's Most Talented Teenagers Were Coming To The Henley That Day For An Entirely Different Sort Of Lesson.

If You Ever Put A Student At This School In Danger Again-' 'oh, I Thought You Gallagher Girls Were Immune To Danger.' Despite The Hundred Girls The Filled The Foyer, No One Moved Or Gasped Or Tried To Defend Our Honor. We Stood Silently, Waiting For Our Headmistress To Say, 'oh, We Are Quite Used To Being Underestimated, Agent Townsend. In Fact, We Welcome It.

She Looked At Him And Shook Her Head, Smiled A Litle As She Told Him, "you Are So Like Your Father." Then She Looked Past Me And Zach, Past Bex And Abby, To Where Agent Townsend Sttod By The Door With His Arms Crossed. "what Do You Think, Townsend, Darling? Isn't He Just Like You?" She Looked At Zach Again. "i Think He's Just Like You." And Then She Closed Her Eyes And Drifted Off To Sleep.

Sometimes It Takes An Outsider, Someone With Fresh Eyes To See The Truth.

Hiding Is For Amateurs.

Yes?' Joe Solomon Sounded Like Someone With Far Better Things To Do. 'is There Any Homework?' She Asked, And The Class Turned Instantly From Shocked To Irritated. (never Ask That Question In A Room Full Of Girls Who Are All Black Belts In Karate) 'yes,' Solomon Said, Holding The Door In The Universal Signal For Get Out. 'notice Things.

So You're Zach." Townsend Didn't Even Try To Hide The Judgement In His Voice As He Looked Zach Up And Down In Some Sort Of Silent But Dangerous Examination. Zach Huffed But Smiled. "so You're Townsend." The Two Of Them Stared For A Long Time, Wordless. It Felt Like I Was Watching A Documentary On The Nature Channel, Something About Alpha Males In The Wild.

So... I Take It That's The Man In Your Life.

If You Don't Want To Be A Victim, Don't Act Like One.

To Know A Piece Of Grass, You’ve Got To See The Ground That Grew It. Maybe That’s Why I Remember Every Detail Of That Night, Every Inch Of Ground We Covered, As I Followed Zach To The Place That Had Made Him, Seeing Them Both With Fresh Eyes.

Kat," Hale Groaned, Then Fell Back Onto The Pillows. "funny, I Didn't Hear A Doorbell." "i Let Myself In; Hope That's Okay." Hale Smiled. "or The Alarm." She Stepped Inside, Tossed A Pocket-size Bag Of Tools Onto The Bed. "you're Due For An Upgrade." Hale Propped Himself Against The Antique Headboard And Squinted Up At Her. "she Returns." He Crossed His Arms Across His Bare Chest. "you Know, I Could Be Naked In Here.

Lies," Mr Solomon Said The Next Morning As He Walked Into The Classroom. "we Tell Them To Our Friends," He Said. "we Tell Them To Our Enemies. And Eventually...we Tell Them To Ourselves.

When Hale's Hand Disappeared Inside His Tuxedo Jacket, Macey Wasn't Exactly Sure What He'd Find Inside The Pocket. It Could Have Been Another Phone Or A Breath Mint. Really, Nothing Would Have Surprised Her. Well Nothing Except... "is That An Earbud?" She Whispered. He Smiled. "are You On Comms?" "shhh," He Told Her Softly.

Mr. Solomon Was Right The Worst Kind Of Torture Is Watching Someone You Love Get Hurt.

Someone You Love

First Time It's A Stranger. Second Time Its Just A Coincidence. Third Time It's A Tail

You Know,' I Whispered, 'some Girls Might Think It's Creepy Having A Boy Watch Them Sleep.' He Smirked And Pointed To Himself. 'spy.' 'oh.' I Nodded. 'right. So You're A Trained Peeping Tom.' 'product Of The Best Peeping Academies In The Country.' 'well, Now I Feel Much Better.' 'you Should.

The Bagshaws Aren't Boys. They're Bombs With Very Colorful Fuses.

Don't Believe Everything You Read. It's Very Difficult To Be Accepting Of Our Own Bodies. This Topic Deserves It's Own Book, But Since I'm Not Qualified To Write It, I Won't. Instead I'll Just Say This: The Pictures Staring Out At You From The Supermarket Checkout Stands, The Images We Are All Supposed To Aspire To? They Lie

A Gallagher Girl's Real Grades Don’t Come In Pass Or Fail—they're Measured In Life Or Death.

Basement?' Hamish Cried, Then Glanced At His Brother. 'you Hear This Fellow? He Thinks We Can Just Go On Down To The Furnace And Start Tinkering?' Angus Laughed. 'he Probably Wouldn't Care At All If The Whole Place Went Boom, He Wouldn't.' At This The Guard Bristled And Stood Up Even Straighter. 'now See Here---' 'no, You See, My Good Man. Out Here, See, We've Got Snow. So In There, I'd Bet, You've Got Heat. And Where There's Heat There's Gas; And Where There's Gas There's...' Angus Trailed Off While His Brother Said, 'boom.

So, Your Dad's Hot." "thanks. He Was That Way When I Met Him, So I Can't Really Take Credit.

So I Stepped Away, Reminding Myself That When You're A Spy, Sometimes All You Can Do Is Go On. One Foot In Front Of The Other, Wherever The Narrow Path Might Lead.

She Didn't Protest As Hale Slid His Arm Around Her And Pulled Her To Rest Against His Chest. It Was Somehow Softer There Than She Remembered.

Abby Must Have Been The One Who Found The Safe House, Because Townsend Didn't Like It. "the Building Across The Street Is Under Construction," He Snarled As Soon As We'd Carried Our Bags Inside. "the Elevator Has Key Card Access, And I've Hacked Into The Surveillance Cameras From Every System On The Block," Abby Argued. "we Have A Three-hundred-sixty-degree Visual." "excellent." Townsend Dropped His Bag. "now The Circle Can See Us From Every Angle." "don't Mind Agent Townsend, Girls," Abby Told Us. "he's A Glass-half-empty Kind Of Spy." "also Known As The Good Kind," He Countered. Abby Huffed.

Surveillance Cameras

Two Days After My Dad's Funeral, My Mom Went On A Mission. I Never Understood It Until Then--that Sometimes A Spy Doesn't Need A Cover So Much As She Needs A Shield.

Time, Ms. Mchenry," Townsend Said. "it Can Be A Cruel, Cruel Thing

He Looked As Though I'd Just Run Over His Pet Puppy (though No Actual Puppies Were Harmed In The Formation Of That Metaphor).

Don't Put Your Characters On A Treadmill. They Need To Go New Places, Face New Challenges And Do New Things.

I'll Be Back. And When I Am,i Promise I'll Have Answers.

I Wouldn't Mind Meeting A Dashing Thief," The Woman's Friend Whispered. Hale Winked At Kat. Kat Raised Her Eyebrows And Whispered, "i'd Like To Meet One Of Those, Too.

She Looked At Him, Watched Hum Toss The Remote On The Table And Say," So Maybe I'm Going To Handcuff Myself To You The Next Time You Decide To Take A Stroll.

Denying The Undeniable Just Makes You Sound Like A Fool As Well As A Liar.

Tell Me Or I'll Yell For Mr. And Mrs. Baxter, And You Can Find Out How Bex Became Bex

...there Was No Such Thing As Curses. People Make And Break Their Own Fortunes -they Are The Masters Of Their Own Fate.

Number Of Empty Ben & Jerry's Containers: 3 - Two Mint Chocolate Cookie, One Plain Vanilla. (who Buys Plain Vanilla Ice Cream From Ben & Jerry's, Anyway? Is There A Greater Waste?)

I Didn’t Know What Was More Disturbing—the Fact That Something Was Obviously Wrong, Or That Three Faculty Members Of The World’s Premiere Spy School Had Forgotten To Lock The Door.

Faculty Members

At The Core, I Try To Write Characters Who Are Real People With Real Insecurities, Fears, Hopes, And Dreams, Which Is Why Hopefully Readers Can Identify With Them.

Maggie Threw Her Head Back And Laughed. 'so You're Going To Try...what? Birds Of A Feather?' She Quested. 'of Course Not,' Kat Said. 'everyone Knows The French Government Banned The Importation Of Peacocks In 1987.

I Drink Caffeine" She Said Calmly "lot's Of It Gives You Pep

I’m Sorry If I’m Not Flirting With You. I’m Kind Of Spoken For.

Most People Believe Me When I Lie. I've Learned How To Say The Words Just Right. I Have A Trusting Kind Of Face. But The Boy In Front Of Me Was A Trained Operative, So Zach Knew Better. And Besides, Zach New Me.

That's A Lovely Piece," Kat Said, Pointing At A Louise Xv Armoire Near The Fireplace. The Man Raised His Eyebrows. "did You Come To Steal It?" "darn It," Kat Said With A Snap Of Her Fingers."i Knew I Should Have Brought My Big Purse.

Pretend And It Will Be True.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You

It Was The First Time In Years I Didn’t Wonder If My Father Was Out There, Looking At It Too.

But The Downside Of Being Con Artist Is That It Very Hard To Con. Even If The Lies You Tell Are To Yourself.

I Don't Want Tea, I Want Justice!

But I Wasn't The Girl I'd Been When I Left, And I Knew It.

We're Seniors." "i Know," I Said "so Aren't You... Curious?" "about What?" "about Life. Out There. Life!" She Said Again. "tell Me, Cameron Ann Morgan, What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?" We'd Reached Another Door, And I Stopped And Looked Up At The Camera That Monitored The Entrance, Just As I Whispered, "alive.

Wait. Far Be It For Me To Say This" — Hamish Looked Around The Compartment — "and If Anyone Tells Uncle Eddie I Suggested Being An Upstanding Citizen I'll Kill 'em, But Aren't There...laws And Stuff? I Mean, Can't You...you Know...sue Him Or Something?" Asked The Boy Who Had Once Stolen An Entire Circus, All Three Rings.

Excuse Me, Abigail, But Whose Shift Did She Get Away During?' Townsend Asked With A Glare. 'excuse Me, Townsend, But Who Was Supposed To Booby-trap The Doors?' 'i'm An Agent Of Her Majesty's Secret Service,' Townsend Said, Indignant. 'i Do Not Do Booby Traps.

That's When I Heard The Sounds Of A Certified Genius Spinning Around In Circles Like A Dog Chasing Its Tail.

Spinning Around

It's Good To See You, Little One." He (uncle Eddie) Scanned Her Short Skirt. "i Only Wish I Were Not Seeing Quite So Much Of You.

You Know You're Smarter Than All Of Them, Right?" Hale Said Flatly. "in Fact, If You Wanted To Prove It..." He Glanced At The Blackjack Tables. Simon Shook His Head. "i Don't Count Cards, Hale." "don't?" Hale Smiled. "or Won't? You Know, Technically, It's Not Illegal." "but It's Frowned Upon." Sweat Beaded At Simon's Brow. He Sounded Like Someone Had Just Suggested He Swim After Eating... Run With Scissors... "it Is Seriously Frowned Upon.

You'd Better Not Be Trying To Steal That," She Said. The Boy Shrugged And Reached For The Small Rolling Suitcase At Her Feet. "i Wouldn't Dare." "because I'm An Excellent Yeller." "i Don't Doubt It." "and Fighter. My Cousin Gave Me This Nail File... The Thing's Just Like A Switchblade.

But I Should Have Known That It Doesn't Take That Long For Change To Happen - It Takes A Second.

You Are Back, Cam. Which Means For The First Time Since You Left, It's Okay For Us To Be Mad At You For Leaving. - Macey

Nick Sat Beside Simon, Who Was At His Computer. Marcus Stood At Attention Beside The Food. Hale Had His Feet On The Table, Reading The Morning Paper. And Someone Had Given The Bagshaws A Gun. 'pull!' Hamish Yelled, And Angus Pulled A Cord And Sent A Skeet Flying Across The Deep Blue Water. A Split Second Later, A Loud Crack Was Reverberating Across The Deck. Kat Jumped. Hale Sighed. The Shot Went Far Wide, And Marcus Never Moved A Muscle.

Our World Is Built On Adrenaline And Getting Away With It. Different Cities Different Names. Its A Far Simpler Life To Lead When There Is One Around To Tell You When You Are Being Stupid. Believe Me Dear Cousin I Know Better Than Anyone. - Gabrielle

It Was So Rare To Find Someone Who Was Both So Young And So Wise, Both So Fresh And So Jaded.

"what?" He Cut A Grin At Kat When He Saw The Impressed Look On Her Face. "corporate Espionage Is My Second Greatest Passion." "with Your First Being..." Kat Prompted. "gelato," Hale Said, And Turned Back To The Group.

Now I Know That, From This Point On, We'll Be The Ones Doing The Chasing. And Iike It.

So You Just...left?' Zach Huffed. 'all The Cool Kids Are Doing It.

Macey Couldn't Decide Whether To Be Intrigued That Hale Was Walking Around With A State-of-the-art Covert Communications Device Or Be Jealous Because She'd Been Caught Without One Of Her Own.

If He'd Looked Like A Cross Between Mr. Clooney And, Say, One Of The Hobbits, I Probably Would Have Been Far More Capable Of Coherent Thought.

The Older Generation Sat Looking At The Younger, And Kat Wondered Exactly When And How The Baton Had Been Passed. She Wanted To Know If It Was Too Late To Give It Back.

So I Hear We Get To Go To Town This Weekend. Want To Catch A Movie Or Something? --z P.s. That Is, If Jimmy Doesn't Mind. Translation: This Weekend Might Be A Good Chance For Us To See Each Other Outside Our School In A Social Environment, Free Of Competetiton. I Do Not View Other Boys As Threats, And I Enjoy Making Them Seem Insignificant By Calling Them The Wrong Names. (translation By Macey Mchenry)

I For One Like Chaos. Chaos Looks Good On Me.

Despite Popular Belief, Hitting Someone With A Closed Fist Actually Hurts The Hitter Almost As Much As The Hittee.

Time, The Greatest Thief Of All.

How Sweet Is That? I Know I'm No Boy Expert, But I Have Heard Entire Lectures On Reading Body Language, And I Have To Say That Assuming That A Person Will Have Forgotten Your Name Is Way High On My "indicators Of Humbleness" List (not That I Have One, But I Totally Have A Starting Point Now).

So This Is The Young Man Who Has Intentions Toward My Little Girl." Bobby Shifted In His Seat And Crossed His Legs. "it Is Not Fun On This Side Of The Table, Is It, Robert?" Uncle Eddie Huffed, And Kat Had To Remember That Once Upon A Time Her Mother Had Been A Dark-haired Girl In That Kitchen, And Her Dad Had Been The Stray She'd Brought Home. She Watched The Two Men Looking At Hale As If They'd Never Before Laid Eyes On Him. "he's Better-looking Than The Last Vagabond I Had To Take In," Eddie Said, Standing And Carrying Empty Bowls To The Sink. "i'll Give Him That.

Of Course, The Downside Of Attending A Fictional School Is That Our Lacrosse Team Sucks.

Dancing. Come On. You Can Do It. It's A Lot Like Navigating Through A Laser Grid. It Requires Rhythm.' He Moved Her Hips To The Beat Of The Distant Music. 'and Patience.' He Spun Her Around Slowly And Back Toward Him. 'and It's Only Fun If You Trust Your Partner.' The Dip Was So Slow, So Smooth That Kat Didn't Know It Was Happening Until The World Was Already Turned Upside Down And Hale's Face Was Inches From Her Own. Count Me In, Kat.' He Squeezed Her Tighter. 'you Should Always Count Me In.

What Are You Looking At? Hale Asked. Why Are You Smiling? I Worry When You Smile.

We Wear A Lot Of Labels In Our Lives, And It's So Very Easy To Be Defined By Them. We Have Grown Somehow Accustomed To Thinking Of Ourselves As A Size Eight Or A Size Fourteen, As A Capricorn Or A Taurus, As Single Or In Love.

And So That Means..." "we Have To Rob The Henley," Simon Said. Kat Sank Onto A Truly Uncomfortable Sofa. "again.

Mariano The Second Had Been The Son Of A Fisherman, But He'd Suffered From An Unfortunate Tendency Toward Seasickness And Was Forced To Find A Respectable Career That Could Be Safely Conducted On Dry Land. So He Built Boats. Mariano The Third Built Bigger Boats. And By The Time A Girl From A Very Different Type Of Family Business Arrived At Their Shopfront On The Mediterranean Coast, Mariano The Fourth Had Built And Patented At Least Half A Dozen Of The Most Advanced (and Justifiably Expensive) Watercrafts In The World.

Like So Many Aspiring Writers Who Still Have Boxes Of Things They've Written In Their Parents' Houses, I Filled Notebooks With Half-finished Poems And Stories And First Paragraphs Of Novels That Never Got Written.

You See, Greg, My Mother Is Going Through A Feline Phase. Blinky Is A Persian,' Hale Said Simply, As If That Should Explain Everything. 'binky Has A Nasty Habit Of Shedding All Over The Living Room Furniture, You See.' Gregory Wainwright Nodded As If He Understood Perfectly. 'and So We Had To Get New Living Room Furniture, Which, Unfortunately, Does Not Go With The Monet.' Kat Stood There For A Moment, Staring Into That Small Window Of The World Where Someone Would Tire Of A Monet Simply Because It Clashed With The Couch.

You Look Disappointed To See Me, Zach," Macey Teased. "don't You Like My Jacket?

Talent Katerina Is A Dangerous Thing

Dangerous Things

I Think It's Kinda Nice.' And I Did. My Mom Isn't Famous For Her Pies. No, She's Famous For Defusing A Nuclear Device In Brussels With Only A Pair Of Cuticle Scissors And A Ponytail Holder. Somehow, At The Moment, Pies Seemed Cooler.

Learn Her Skills, Honor Her Sword, And Keep Her Secrets.

Someday You Will Know That The Heart Is Not Always As Wise As It Is Strong. - Uncle Eddie

In A Place Where Everyone Knew My Story, It Was Nice To Know There Was A Chapter That Only I Had To Read. :)

"we're Going To Be Okay." Here's The Thing About Being A Spy: Sometimes All You Have Are Your Lies. They Protect Your Cover And Keep Your Secrets, And Right Then I Needed To Believe That It Was True Even When All The Facts Said Otherwise.

I Always Finish What I Start

Go To Bed, Cammie,” My Aunt Ordered, Sounding Exactly Like My Mother. “no,” I Said, Sounding Exactly Like My Aunt.

Why Don’t I Know You?” “does Anyone Ever Really Know Someone Else?” “you Think Your Cute,” She Told Him. “you Think Your Gorgeous. But I’m The One Guy Here Who Knows Better.” “so I’m Not Gorgeous?” Macey Challenged. “of Course You Are,” He Started Away, Turned Back At The Last Minute. “but I’m The Guy Who Figured Out That’s Not All You Are." — Double Crossed By Ally Carter

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