#gilly's asks

I really don't know.

I think the events of that night were probably very traumatic for anyone who knew Cammie, not to mention Cammie herself. And while Zach is definitely one of those people, and he was probably shaken from what almost happened and worried about Cam, I think if there's anyone who wouldn't let their eyes off Cam for the rest of the night, it'd be Rachel. That's her baby, and you best believe Rachel Morgan would use her combined super-mom and super-spy powers to make sure Cammie was safe.

I also think a close second would be Joe. He came way too close to losing another Morgan that night.

Something like "Yeah, I guess this could be fun." I think he might have been excited to get to know Cammie. But I don't know, I'll never claim to know what goes on in a teenage boy's mind 😂

I'm assuming we're talking about the "somebody knows" scene in CMH. If so, I actually have a couple ideas because I've wondered about this too.

The first and most simple explanation is that boys are confusing. 😂

The second is that I think Zach might have been a little spooked by how fast his walls were coming down for Cammie. I mean, he's still very mysterious and by no means an open-book, but he's the one who actually prompts her to ask him about his parents: "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," which is big considering Zach is VERY guarded about that topic, even well into their relationship. I also think that when Cammie says that her dad went missing, it hits close to home for Zach, with him never having a dad and all. When he says "somebody knows" I think he's saying that to himself as much as he's saying it to Cam. At least that's my take on this scene.

"I'm saying somebody knows," Zach said, not snapping, but his voice was sharper—stronger. "I'm saying you shouldn't act like there aren't any answers just because you haven't taken the time to look for them."

Like, tell me that that isn't the wounds of abandonment talking. I don't think he'd admit it, but I believe Zach has spent a lot of time wondering if he'd ever have any answers about his father. And like Cammie at this point, he hasn't really gone looking for them either. Because as bad as not knowing is, there's always the risk that knowing is worse. Of course, Cammie doesn't know any of this about Zach at this point in the series, which is why he comes off a little harsh. But I genuinely believe this might be his attempt at bonding—he just hasn't had a lot of practice. In this scene I think you can tell that Zach really wants to get to know Cammie, and he actually wants Cammie to get to know him. So maybe he spends the next two weeks trying to work up the courage to ask Cammie out, which he does in a very mysterious "spy" way with the brush pass note and all, but still.

Funny story... the first book in the series that I ever read was OGSY, so I was immediately introduced to Zach and thrown right in the middle of the Zammie timeline. Even though Cammie was still wondering if she could trust Zach, I immediately liked him and was ready to give him the benefit of the doubt. Plus, his name is "Goode" so in my mind I didn't think he could possibly be a bad guy. (The irony of then finding out his mother is kinda the Big Bad™ of the series 😂)

As far as when I think Cammie started trusting Zach, that's a good question! Whether or not Zach is trustworthy is something Cammie tries to figure out since she first meets Zach in CMH. She kinda seems to go back and forth from that point, especially after the Circle enters her life it becomes harder for her to know if she can trust him.

Which the whole Catherine reveal at the end of OGSY kinda damages Cammie's trust in Zach for a moment, even though he's still just as trustworthy as before. I think Cammie was on her way to really trusting Zach towards then end of OGSY, but finding out his mother was part of the Circle and the person to almost kidnap her makes her question which side Zach is on. And I think we as the reader can easily think "Well, just because his mother is part of the Circle, it doesn't mean that he is." And while that's totally true, I get why Cammie wouldn't initially come to that conclusion, because all her life (or for the most part) she's wanted to follow in her parents' footsteps and such a large part of her identity is rooted in being her parents' legacy, so it's harder for her to believe that that's not the case for Zach. Also, this is all happening when she makes the pivotal decision to finish her father's last and most significant mission of stopping the Circle. So I think that explains why Cammie is so shocked and hurt when she learns that Catherine is Zach's mother. She also may be hurt by the fact that he never told her (which is fair). Hmmm... kinda makes me think of another person that hid their connection to Catherine until she dramatically revealed it to Cammie and everyone else.....

Anyways, when Zach fights alongside Cammie in the tombs and saves Joe at the end of OGSY (and risks his own life doing so) I think it reestablishes her trust in Zach. So I want to say that Cammie started trusting Zach by the end of OGSY? It's hard because right after OGSY is when she loses her memory, which causes a lot of confusion for Cammie (I mean, obviously). For the most part though, Cammie shifts from struggling to trust Zach, to struggling to trust herself. And seeing how Zach is there for her in OSOT (especially when she faces the loss of her father all over again), and just how this boy loves her like it's breathing... I think it's safe to say that by the time we get to OSOT, they do fully trust each other.

Ummm I don't think he saw it... If the Code Black was delayed I don't know what Cammie would do. She's so adorably awkward at times and I think it'd be one of those moments that's very on-brand for one of Ally Carter's protagonists. I think they'd probably both be paralyzed with embarrassment but would try to laugh it off at the same time. Maybe play it cool? My guess is that it would probably be awkward. But who knows?

Ooohhh, tough question....

OGSY has a special place in my heart because it's the first book I read in the series. I love the whole Joe Solomon ex-Circle member plot, and how it's a turning point for Cam as she and her friends have to figure out what's happening on their own, now that their favourite teacher is gone. And I love how it marks the beginning of her pivotal decision to finish her father's mission with her finding Matt's journal.

BUT, that being said, I think DJGC has increasingly become my favourite over time. It's no secret that I love Abigail Cameron, and we do get a lot of her in book 3, but it's so much more than that. With the book starting off with a kidnapping attempt, you can really feel the shift in tone from book 1 and book 2. I love that it really drives home the themes of sisterhood and friendship, as the girls look out for each other, especially Macey. Which, I really love her character development in DJGC, and how her and Cam's friendship grows. There's also so many gut-punch moments in this one! Like, Macey and Cam's exchange at Joe's cabin in the aftermath of the kidnapping attempt, Abby and Cam's fight on the train, when Cammie's resting after the 2nd kidnapping attempt and she sees Joe Solomon CRYING!?! All that and DJGC has my favourite epilogue in the series, so I feel like it has to be my #1 at this point.

Yeah, I agree, Cammie definitely didn't trust Zach yet. Which is why I think Zach didn't really see the passageways until later in the series. I think, like Cammie's trust, he has to earn that. But I still think a little secret passageway tour scene in CMH could have been cute. Actually, one of my favourite moments between Cammie and Zach is when Cammie shows Zach her favourite secret passageway in UWS.

Anyways, if it did happen, I think it would go something like this...

I think there would be some flirty banter, a few awkward pauses, and of course, a lot more of Zach teasing Cammie.

Maybe when he thinks he's on a roll and in the middle of mocking Cammie for her seven-minute lecture on the historical significance of a 142-year-old bookcase-slash-door, he hits his head on a low-hanging beam. (Cam hits her head way too many times in the series. It's someone else's turn, okay.)

And maybe when he's busy shaking off the dust and dizziness they have a little moment.

Because Cammie's laughing.

And he can't tell if the dizziness he feels is because of her laugh or the bump that's forming at the top of his temple.

Because it's nothing like when Grant laughs at him and he wishes he could punch Grant without having to run an extra mile around the Blackthorne grounds in the morning. Or when Jonas laughs at him and he wishes Jonas could make it to the punchline without having his own asthma attack him.

No. When Cammie laughs at him, he can't remember a better sound.

It's the kind of laugh that lights up her entire face, even in the dark and shadowy passageways. It's the kind of laugh that makes him forget about the last fifteen years of his life, and he finds himself hoping that he could hear it for the next fifteen more.

But her laughter starts to die down and so does the sharp pain at the side of his head and things start to get quiet. Just a little too quiet.

"Come on, I can't be the first person who's done that." "No, just the first with a witness." "You can keep a secret though, right, Gallagher Girl?" "Just keep walking, Blackthorne Boy. The labs are this way."

So maybe he lays off the mocking for the rest of the tour (and he definitely refrains from pointing at himself and saying "spy").