“Seriously?”
“Yep,” he says. “And Austin is a lot like Stefan in a way. He’s a smooth talker and could literally talk you into giving him the coat off your back, if he tried. But he’s also a really good thief.”
“He steals things?”
“Not like you’re thinking,” Dylan says. “Actually, one time he witnessed somebody pickpocket this old lady, so he went and stole the woman’s money back and gave it back to her. The thief had no idea it had even happened.”
I smile. “That’s awesome.”
“And Camden... he is the leader, I guess. There has to be one person in charge, if not, we would be fighting over what to do when it came down to it,” he explains. “Cam is so levelheaded, even during stressful situations. He makes rational decisions and we listen to him because we trust him. But he’s also a great fighter.”
“What will I bring to the team?” I ask, now feeling a little sad. “I can’t do anything special, Dylan. I’m... boring. Ordinary.”
“You’re anything but ordinary,” he says. “We can’t fully know what you’ll bring to the team until you’re out there with us. But I see you in class. You’re smart. You finish you work in half the time it takes everybody else, even though you wait to turn it in because you don’t want the attention. You are really good at figuring things out. It took Tristan two minutes to walk you through hacking into the computer in the administration office. If that had been me, it would’ve taken thirty minutes. Plus, you’re kind of cute. If we ever need a cover, you can be the distraction.”
I laugh. “I’m sorry. But kind of cute. That’s funny.”
“You don’t think you’re cute?”
“I don’t know,” I answer, shrugging. “Maybe a little, I guess? But where I’m from, cute doesn’t get you far. The women there are... breathtakingly gorgeous... those are the ones who go far in life.”
“Yeah, but if I’d told you that you are breathtakingly gorgeous you’d probably think I was coming on too strong,” Dylan says.
I shake my head.
“What? I was being serious. Your beauty is breathtaking,” he says. “But that is just a small part of something much bigger.”
“Thank you.”
“You want to know what I thought the first time we met?”
“Hmm... maybe... how can a ninety pound girl not do a pushup?” I ask.
“Nah, I saw you before then,” he says. “On my way back from my assignment that day, I got a ton of text messages about you from the guys. They all said pretty much the same thing—I met the girl of my dreams.”
“No. No way,” I say. “Even if one or two of the guys said it, Cam hated me when we first met. There is no way he said that to you.”
“I’ll prove it,” Dylan says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He clicks on something and scrolls for a few seconds before turning his screen towards me. I see Cam’s name at the top of the screen.
CAM: I met the girl of my dreams today. She’s so perfect.
If I didn’t see if with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it. But even seeing it...
“But he seemed so annoyed with me,” I say.
“As soon as I saw you, I knew that you were who they were talking about,” Dylan says.
“It’s just because I’m new,” I say. “The shiny kid syndrome will wear off. I just hope you guys will still want to be my friends when that day comes.”
“Trust me, that’s not going to happen. But if you don’t believe me, then we will just have to prove it to you,” he says.
I smile, liking the idea of that. I want to truly become a part of their team, even though I don’t fully understand what that means.
“We have detention tomorrow,” Dylan says. “We have to be up at six in the morning.”
“Uh, don’t remind me,” I say. “It’s all my fault. I’m surprised you guys don’t all hate me. I kind of hate me.”
“It’s not a big deal. Actually, I’m kind of glad it all happened. Not that you had a panic attack and we got in trouble, but I’m glad you were able to open up to us and tell us the truth,” he says.
“Did Cam tell you the story?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he says. “I hope you’re not mad. We just kind of all tell each other everything.”
“I’m not mad. I’m relieved. I didn’t want to have to tell the story again. It brings back horrible memories.”
He grabs my hand and squeezes it. “You know after next week, things are going to be crazy.”
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“The first week back is always pretty chill, but from now on we’ll be doing a lot of special classes and training. Last year, on Tuesdays and Thursdays I wouldn’t be done with class until eight o’clock. I’d eat and go to bed, hoping to do my homework between classes.”
“That can’t be healthy,” I say.
“It was fun, actually,” he says. “I love my classes here.”
“I can see why.”
“We should head to the dining hall,” he says. “We need to meet the guys there in five minutes.”
“Okay,” I say, shutting the math book.
We really didn’t get that much math done.
Sunday, September 16
Friends.
Saturday dentition wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. They put us to work in the library and what could’ve been an all day job only lasted a couple of hours because there were six of us. After that, we had the Saturday to with as we pleased, but Cam insisted that we should prepare for our mission.
I have no idea what to expect, but I know this much. Apparently, they put us in situations that are going to make us really uncomfortable. It’s like they know our fears and we are forced to work our way out of a super stressful situation, while being really high off the ground, or being in a huge crowd... but we won’t know until we get there. And I’m worried.
“Why do they have to take us all the way to Tokyo to do this?” I ask Cam as I pack my suitcase.
Cam is hanging out in my room with me while I pack on Sunday morning. We’re going to be getting on a plane in a few hours, and I’m a really nervous about what’s going to happen. What if I fail? What if I’m really not cut out for Spy School?
“It’s not all work,” Cam answers. “We get to have some fun. Plus, they want to help us experience different cultures. It’s also going to be us trying to figure out ways around the language barrier since none of us speak Japanese.”
“But somebody is going to be with us,” I say. “They said we have a chaperone. I’m assuming our chaperon speaks Japanese?”
“Our chaperone won’t help,” he says. “Not unless we get into trouble that we can’t get out of. Like, if it’s a life or death kind of thing. Other than that, they want us to learn and figure out how to do it on our own.”
“Who is our chaperone?” I ask.
“I guess we will find out in a little while,” he says.
I continue packing while Cam does something on his phone. I want to ask him about the text he sent to Dylan—the one where he said I’m his dream girl. But it feels weird to say something. But I should say something, right?
I debate back and forth and start to say something, but then chicken out.
Maybe I shouldn’t say anything, because I don’t want to embarrass Cam. Not that I think he would be embarrassed. Nothing embarrasses him. But I’m still curious as to why he sent the text to begin with.
“Hey, Cam,” I say.
“Yes?” he puts his phone away, giving me his full attention.
“How come you didn’t like me when we first met?” I ask.
“I didn’t not like you,” he says. “I just saw how much the other guys did like you and I wanted to be the voice of reason. They wanted you in our group before they even knew you.”
“I guess that makes sense,” I say, then bite my lip. I want to ask him about the text, but now I’m scared to.
“What is it?” he asks.
I shak
e my head. “It’s nothing. Never mind.”
“Come on, Zara. You can’t do that. I want to know what you were going to say,” he says.
I sigh. “I know. I hate when people do that. I’m just... scared to ask you.”
“Don’t be scared,” he says. “We’re a team. You can trust me. You can trust all of us. We would never judge you or get mad at anything.”
“I know,” I say, then just decide to be brave. “I was hanging out with Dylan yesterday. And I was talking about how you hated me at first.”
“I didn’t,” he says.
“But I didn’t know that at the time,” I say. “Anyway, he told me that you didn’t hate me. And then he told me about a text he got from you... from all the guys.”
“Oh,” Cam says. “That text.”
I nod, not sure what to say. I just bite my lip.
“I meant what I said in that text,” he says. “But now that I’ve gotten to know you, I mean it even more. I didn’t expect you to know what I sent him, but I’m not upset you know. You are... kinda perfect. At least, to me.”
“Cam, I am far from perfect.”
“Nobody is perfect,” he says. “I just happen to love all your flaws.”
His words make me grin.
“But I’m not the only one who feels this way about you,” Cam says. “And I would never want to make the rest of the guys on the team uncomfortable, so I won’t pursue anything, you don’t have to worry about that.”
“I’m not worried. You’re respectful.”
He grins. “I want you to be a part of our team, so I think it’s important to be friends. At least for a little while.”
“I agree.”
“Good,” he says.
Friends.
I like that the guys are my friends.
Besides, how could I choose one of them to date when I like them all?
No. We will stay friends. And someday, when I’m ready for a boyfriend, I’ll be able to choose.
Chaperone.
All the guys load their stuff into the back of the van that’s going to take us to the airport. Tristan walks over and takes my bag from me, putting it inside.
“Thanks,” I tell him.
I’m nervous about going to Japan. Nervous about the language barrier. But mostly, I am nervous about the fact that this is an assignment. I have no way to study for this test. No way to prepare. They just put us out there and we have to figure out what to do. It’s scary, and maybe a little exciting.
I was so bored with school. Bored with tests. But coming here... nothing is ever boring. Even Mr. Brown has started giving me different tests from everybody else—harder questions that take me longer to figure out. And I love it. I didn’t know what I was missing from my life until I came here.
I belong at Spy School.
As we are standing there, about to get into the van, a black SUV pulls up behind our vehicle.
“That must be our chaperone,” Cam says.
I turn towards the car and watch a blond man get out. He’s got on a black suit and sunglasses. He’s dressed nice. Really nice. He’s older, maybe early to mid-forties. He’s a nice looking man. It isn’t until he takes off his dark sunglasses that I see who it is.
My heart stammers and I’m not able to keep my mouth from falling open.
It’s Zach Stone.
Zach Stone is our chaperone.
Mistake.
Cam.
I look over at Zara and see her with her head on Dylan’s shoulder on the plane. She’s asleep, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything more beautiful.
Earlier, I had to tell Zara that we had to be just friends. I know she’s not ready for more. I can tell. But it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Plus, I know I’m not the only one interested in her. I look at my team and notice all of them are watching her—all of us jealous of Dylan... that he’s the one she’s sleeping on right now.
Honestly, I’m just glad she’s sleeping. She was shocked to see Zach Stone. More than that, he’s going to be our chaperone. He has answers to questions that she desperately needs. Answers about her parents’ divorce and why she’s here. But he has yet to say one word to her. I know that’s not going to last long. When we get to Tokyo, she will confront him. That is just who Zara is. She won’t let anybody walk all over her.
“Do you think we made a mistake—letting her on the team?” Stefan asks.
Out of everybody I thought would ask that question, Stefan is the last one I suspected.
“Why would you ask that?” I ask him. “We all decided.”
“I know,” he says. “But she’s...”
He doesn’t have to finish his statement. I already know what he’s about to ask. And maybe he’s right. Maybe she will be what makes our team fall apart in the end.
“But could you honestly turn her away?” I ask him.
He looks down. “No. Cam, she’s amazing. The way I feel about her aside, she fits into our team perfectly. I didn’t even realize our team was incomplete until I met her. Now I know what we’ve been missing.”
I nod, knowing exactly what he means.
“She is wonderful,” I say. “Even if, in the end, this all falls apart, I could never regret her.”
“Me, neither,” Stefan says.
Zara Summers was unexpected, that is true. But I find that the best things in life are those things that we didn’t plan for, or expect.
No, I don’t think Zara will be the end of our team. I think she will be what inevitably makes us stronger.
I can’t wait to see what our future holds.
Tristan.
I’m sitting by Zach Stone on the plane. He’s got a tablet in his hand and seems to be completely ignoring the rest of us, but I get the feeling he’s keenly aware of every move that everybody makes. I can tell by the way he glances up every once in a while, assessing every position we are in. If anybody moves, he watches them. I notice that he keeps a close eye on Zara, which makes me a little uncomfortable. What is his interest in her?
“Why didn’t you answer her call?” I ask him, breaking the silence between us.
He looks at me, not saying anything for a minute.
“I was busy,” he finally answers.
“You could’ve called her back,” I say.
“There was no point, when I knew I came coming to chaperone this trip,” Zach says. “Are you one of the boys who helped Zara break into the office to access her file?”
“I am,” I answer. “We all helped her.”
“What do you want with her?” he asks.
“She’s our friend. More than that, she’s part of our team,” I answer.
“One girl on a team with five boys?” he asks. “How do you think that is going to work out?”
I don’t answer because I’m not sure what to say. It’s actually something I have been thinking about myself. I’m worried that she will be the end of us all, but I still can’t make myself pull away.
“There is something about her,” I say. “She’s special.”
“I know,” Zach says. “Why do you think I wanted her here?”
“Are you going to tell her the truth?” I ask. “About why she’s here?”
“Eventually,” he answers. “I’m not telling you, though. You don’t deserve anything from me.”
“No, but she does,” I say. “You’d better not hurt her.”
Zach turns to me. “No, you’d better not hurt her.”
“Why do you care if I hurt her?” I ask. “She’s nothing to you.”
“She’s everything to me,” he says, then stands up. “Excuse me.”
I watch him walk away, wondering what he means.
The truth washes over me.
Oh, my gosh.
Zara is Zach Stone’s daughter.
The End.
Book 2, Truth, is coming August 10.
Letter from Scarlett.
Hey! Thank you so much for reading the first book in my new series, The Zar
a Chronicles. I am so excited about this series, because I realize that I’ve written a lot of books about Spy School, but we’ve never spent more than a couple of days on campus. It’s time to change that. I’m excited for Zara to learn more about this world and I’m excited that Austin, Cam, Dylan, Stefan, and Tristan are the ones who get to help her explore it.
If you did enjoy this book, it would mean a lot to me if you left a review wherever you picked this up. As a self-published author, it helps me out so much!
For more information on this series or any of my other books, be sure to check out my blog https://scarletthaven.net!
—Scarlett Haven
More Books By Scarlett
The Zara Chronicles:
Loyal (Book 1)
Truth (Book 2–coming August 10, 2018!)
East Raven Academy Series:
Ever After (Book 1)
Never Ever (Book 2)
Never Say Never (Book 3—coming soon!)
The Spy Chronicles:
Finding Me (Book 1)
Keeping Me (Book 2)
Losing Me (Book 3)
Stand alone books:
The Bucket List: Famous Online
The Day My Life Began
Bayside Academy Series:
Gracie (Book 1)
Unraveling Gracie (Book 2)
Hating Gracie (Book 3)
*This series is completed.
New Hope Academy Series:
Luck (Episode 1)
Fate (Episode 2)
Fame (Episode 3)
Wish (Episode 4)
*This series is completed.
Loyal Page 8