#gilly's asks

[gildengirl]

Do you think Zach was with Cammie the whole night watching her after she almost jumped off the roof in OSOT?

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.

Edit: Also. While I think Zach loves Cammie and always wants to keep her safe, he's not one to pull an Edward Cullen and just stare at her while she sleeps lol.

[gildengirl]

What do you think was running through Zach’s head when he and Cammie laid eyes on each other that evening in the dining hall when he first arrives in CMH?

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 😂

Actually, @incorrectgallaghergirlsquotes has a fic called "Operation Blackthorne" which features a lot of Zach's POV of CMH and I LOVE it!! 10/10 would recommend if you're curious about Zach's POV in CMH. It's way better than any thoughts I could add to this topic lol.

[gildengirl]

Why do you think Zach avoided talking to Cammie for two weeks after she told him what happened to her dad?

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.

The third idea is kinda a continuation of the second (idea 2b I guess), but I have always wondered exactly how much Joe was involved. Like, it's no secret that Joe is kinda playing matchmaker throughout CMH. I mean, these are the two kids he cares most for in the world, so you best believe he's keeping an eye on them. JOE SOLOMON SEES ALL. Especially when it comes to the daughter of his best friend. Zach essentially told Cammie "there's answers, you just haven't looked for them" after she told him that her dad is MIA (presumably KIA) and she later goes into the passageways and CRIES!?! If Joe knew about that, Zach would totally be getting a lecture similar to the one we see him get in the CMH epilogue. The two weeks that go by is maybe just because Zach was put in the time-out of his life. But idk, that's just a silly little headcanon.

[gildengirl]

When did you start trusting Zach? When do you think Cammie started trusting him?

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.

Really though, I think there are moments from CMH onward where Cammie trusts Zach, even if it's just in that moment, because she's falling for him! And like how it's often hard to pinpoint when you fell in love with someone, it's equally hard to pinpoint when you started trusting them, and I believe that's the case for both Cam and Zach. They're also spies in a world of spies, which arguably makes trust a harder thing than love. But, we know they have plenty of both those things in the end.

[gildengirl]

When Cammie’s strapless bra fell off when she was with Zach in the hallway do you think he saw it? If the Code Black had been delayed a minute or two what do you think Zach’s reaction would have been? What would he do and or say? What would Cammie have done? Did Zach cause her bra to become lose because before they started dancing it wasn’t giving her any problems?

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?

Do I think Zach caused it to fall off? I mean, I sincerely hope not. Listen, there are few things on this earth more useless and unreliable than a strapless bra. How we have made technological advances like AI and still haven't improved upon this invention is a total mystery to me. Also, I think the probability of a wardrobe malfunction increases exponentially in a fictional setting, even more so in a romcom type book. So I think Cammie's defective strapless bra was a predestined thing. And while Zach can be an absolute menace at times, especially in CMH, I don't think he had anything to do with it. At least not on purpose.

[gildengirl]

Which is your favorite book in the GG series and why?

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.

OSOT is up there too but I'm trying to be decisive here

[gildengirl]

Why do you think Zach signed his notes to Cammie with just “Z” instead of “Zach” ? To be classified and mysterious?

I for sure think he did it to be classified and mysterious. This is the same guy who kissed Cammie movie-style in the foyer and asked her out via brush pass. Also, let's not forget that time he jumped out of a train with a parachute like that's just how everyone gets off a train. Classified and mysterious (not to mention dramatic) is just his style. Him and Cam are really made for each other in this way. I mean, his trademark is pointing at himself and saying "spy" so of course he signs his notes to Cammie with "Z".

[gildengirl]

Even though it is clear Cammie didn’t trust Zach yet, if she had allowed him to follow her into the passageway in book 2, what do you think would have been said and done?

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").

But he still calls her "Gallagher Girl."