Chapter 1

The crash. The funeral. The tears. The sadness. The loss. All of it jumbled together to form an unbearable pain in my chest. Everything that happened these passed few days has been a blur, a huge, foggy blur. I don't remember most of it; I'm trying to forget, trying to piece myself back together, but my heart has been shattered into far too many pieces for me to locate all of them. All the glue in the world wouldn't be able to put me back together. Nothing could, nothing but my mother. Even though I know she's never coming back, I still think she's going to come walking back into our small apartment the following morning with her sweet smile plastered to her face, opening her arms for me to run into. People have told me hundreds of times these past few days that it wasn't my fault, that there was nothing I could do. But deep down, I blame myself. If I hadn't have let her go, she'd still be here, she'd be with me.

A day or two after the accident, I received a call informing me that because Sally Jackson was the only family I had left and she's no longer with us, that I'd have to be placed with a family. The news brought tears to my eyes. I didn't want a new family; I wanted my old one with my mother and I back in our apartment, discussing what's coming up in her new novel. But to say I wasn't surprised when I received a follow-up call, telling me where I was going, would be a lie. My jaw literally dropped when she told me the name of the family that was going to take me in. The Chases, a rich and famous family with a worldwide sensation for a daughter. Most people would think it would be cool to stay with a celebrity, but after the file I read, I'm not so sure.

I'd received a file in the mail the day I'd gotten the call. Inside was a biography of the entire family to let me know more about them so I'm not totally lost when I arrive. It discussed Annabeth and her career, of course, but it also spoke of her two stepbrothers, Bobby and Matthew. They seem to be the troublemakers of the house, pranking the other family members, spray painting the walls, sneaking into their sister's room and drawing mustaches on her face in Sharpie markers-Personally, I thought this one was hilarious. Their father, Fredrick Chase, was a huge airplane fanatic and often reconstructed old planes back into working order which would explain why they had an airplane hanger built into their house. Martha Chase was Annabeth's stepmother and according to the file, they had a strained stepmother/daughter relationship. They have an extremely hard time getting along. The two constantly bicker and scream and yell, throwing insults at the other. The file said that Annabeth lost her mother at a young age and she still has a hard time with her death. It also said Little Miss Popstar has an attitude problem which only angers Mrs. Chase even more.

The family doesn't seem bad, but I'm a mellow, laid back kind of guy and I doubt that I'd fit in with all the chaos going on inside the house.

That's basically what happened and it explains why I'm currently exiting the plane in San Francisco, California, searching for the Chases outside the airport terminal.

With so many people bustling around, it's even harder for me to located the family that I'd only ever seen in photos. Swiveling my head back and forth, I searched from the left to right and finally, I found them. But it turns out them was a him and him was not Fredrick Chase. Confused? So am I.

There was a short, thin man holding a white sign with my name scribbled across it in black dry erase marker. He had silvery gray hair neatly slicked back and a freshly pressed gray suit, shiny black loafers on his feet. He was an older man, probably in his mid-fifties and held himself in such a way that screamed "proper". His poster was stick straight and not once did he slouch. White gloves covered his long, slender fingers. A golden pocket watch was tucked into his pocket which he frequently pulled out to check the time almost like he was afraid he'd be late for something.

I was about to go over to him, but I hesitated. This man had this air to him that made him seem unapproachable and his fancy clothes did nothing but make me feel silly with my ratty t-shirt and holey jeans.

Contemplating my options, I realized I only had two choices: a) pretend I didn't notice him and leave, or b) suck it up and go over to the creepy guy who will take me to a famous family I'd never even met. Let's go with A. No no, option B. I went back and forth in my head, unable to make a decision. But I didn't have to because the man in the suit lifted his eyes and they rested on me. He stuck up his right hand and made the "come here" gesture with his pointer finger.

I sighed. Option B it is.

Placing the strap of my duffel bag over my shoulder, I strode over to him, taking as much time as possible by constantly slowing my pace. When I reached him, he stuck out a gloved hand for me to shake and said:

"It's so nice to finally make your acquaintance, Percy. My name is Walter and I'm the Chase's butler. They sent me to retrieve you and bring you to the house." Cool. He has a British accent.

"Nice to meet you, too." I replied, shaking his hand.

"Come. The Chase's are expecting you." He led me out of the terminal toward a glossy black limo. Walter took my bags and placed them into the trunk before opening the door and ushering me inside.

Let me just say, limo's are nice. The inside had leather seats with a mini fridge in the corner, sporting all different kinds of sugary beverages. There were lights on the ceiling, flashing vibrant colors throughout the interior. DVD's were neatly stacked beside a huge flat screen TV built into the side of the limo. A digital panel with a touch screen sat next to me on the seat with a list of songs ranging from pop to rap to hip hop to country to rock. Any song you wanted was at the touch of your finger. There was no doubt in my mind that this was the Chase's personal limo.

I grabbed a Coke out of the fridge and sat in the seat at the left side of the limo, opposite the TV. Opening the tab, I took a long sip and tried to relax, soaking in the quiet before the chaos that will no doubt occur. I stared at the blank TV screen, attempting to calm my nerves, but the butterflies that decided to take residence in my stomach obviously didn't get the hint that I wanted them to move out.

"Percy" I jumped, not at all expecting Walter to appear on the screen, especially not so suddenly either. "Sorry to scare to you, but I wanted to inform you that we'll be arriving shortly and I thought it best if you take a moment to yourself before you're smothered with questions." That's what I'd been trying to do before you gave me a heart attack.

"Ok. Thanks, Walter." He disappeared and the screen became blank once again.

"Oh. One last thing, Percy. Then, I'll let you be," He said, once again appearing on the screen. "I know of what happened to you recently and I know you probably loathe the fact that you have to be here at all, but I want you to know that you're not alone. I lost my mother also and I know how hard this will be for you so if you ever need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to ring me. And if you don't want to talk about it to me, I'm sure Annabeth would listen. I'm not sure if you've been told, but she too lost her mother about…what was it….seven years ago, I do believe. She'll understand what you're going through and I'm positive she'd be glad to help you cope."

"Thank you, Walter, for everything. You don't even know how much I appreciate it. This whole thing has been really hard for me and I thought I'd have to go through it alone. Before, I doubted that anyone would really care because no offense, but the Chase's seem kind of…well…stuck up. And too busy with their own lives to really care about mine. Oh that reminds me. Why did the Chase's, one the richest families on the planet, want me, a loser who can't get above a C average and has no possible future in acting or whatever. Hell, my grades can't even get me into a good college and I'm awful at anything that involves standing in front of large numbers of people and talking or singing. So, why me?'

"Because you're mother would have done the same for him. You probably aren't aware of this, but your mother and Mr. Chase were friends in high school. Those two were inseparable, attached to the hip, until your mother met Poseidon. Then, they grew apart; Sally spent too much attention on your father and not enough on Mr. Chase. Eventually, she forgot about him altogether. As you can imagine, Mr. Chase was devastated, his best friend in the whole world no longer had time for him. When high school ended, your mother and Poseidon married and later on had you. Sally was happy until your father started his new job. He worked as a marine biologist and was gone at sea for long periods throughout the year and when he did return home, he was always in a hurry and would make excuses to leave the house. One night, he'd told your mother he had a business meeting, but she was suspicious and followed him. Instead of work, he went into a tiny house at the edge of town and met a woman. Sally recognized her as Amphitrite, his secretary at the firm he worked for. She quickly caught on that he was having an affair and she left him. Poseidon was outraged. He left their apartment screaming and yelling about how he never wanted to see her again and when she needed him most, he wouldn't be there. And I'm sorry to say this, Percy, but he kept his promise."

"What do you mean?"

"That's not important right now."

"But it's important to me."

"Anyway, back to the story," Walter continued, ignoring my statement completely. "Poseidon and Sally divorced and he later remarried to Amphitrite which is how your half brothers came along."

"Half brothers? Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me I have other family that I had no idea exists? Why aren't I going to stay with them? Why do I have to live here and not there?"

"Once again, it's not important so I suggest you stop asking because I can't and won't answer you're question. You're wasting your breath."

Just as I opened my mouth to retort, he said:

"We're here." He hopped out of the driver's seat and hurried to get my bags.

As I stepped out of the car, I took in my surrounds and- Oh my gods. The house that stood before me couldn't have shocked me more even if it grew bunnies ears and called itself the Easter Bunny. It was enormous and as you can imagine, incredibly expensive. Now, I expected a big, crazy fancy house, but this, this is not a house. This was a mansion on steroids. With its brown, clay bricks and high, marble pillars outlined in gold, it could have easily been worth over 2 million dollars which I don't doubt the Chase's paid without putting a dent into their bank accounts. Tall windows covered the brick and because they lacked curtains, you could see into almost every room of the house. From where I stood in front of the house, I could see a giant in-ground pool with a diving board and waterslide that appeared to be 9 feet tall in the backyard. The driveway was pale concrete with three of the most jaw-dropping cars I'd ever seen. Two Ferraris, one lime green and the other a cool blue, and a fiery red Maserati Spyder that I'd do anything to take a spin in.

"Like what you see?" Walter asked, standing beside me . I hadn't even realized he was still there. I nodded, still trying to wrap my mind around this place.

"I can tell." He replied, placing his hand under my jaw to push my mouth closed. I haven't even seen the rest of the house and my eyes are already as wide as golf balls. I wonder how I'll look when the tour's over. Probably like a statue caught mid-scream. Or with my luck, I'd probably start drooling. That'll make a great first impression to the Chase's.

Walter walked me to the front door and pounded with the golden knocker attached to the solid wood. Almost instantaneously, the door opened and revealed two young boys who are no doubt Bobby and Matthew.

"Are you, Percy?" The one on the left asked.

"Yeah. And you're… Matthew?" I said, unsure of which twin was which.

"No," he grumbled, " I'm Bobby. He's Matthew. Everybody gets it wrong." Okay, so Bobby is the one with the blue shirt and Matthew is the one with the green shirt on. Alright, that makes things a bit easier.

"I'm sorry. Hi, Bobby. Hey, Matthew."

"Hello." They replied in unison.

"Come on in." Said Matthew, spreading his arms in an exaggerated gesture.

"Make yourself at home." Bobby joined in, mimicking his brother's hand movements. I laughed. I like these guys already.

"Thanks." I walked between them into the living room which was just as nice as the outside. Upon walking in, there's a huge, stone fireplace right in front of you. To your left you'd find, a wall made entirely of glass and another huge flat screen taking up the whole wall beside it and a soft white carpet with a couch to match. A dark wooden table sat in front of the couch with a bouquet of flowers, all with vibrant summery colors. To the right, there's a marble staircase with a polished wooden railing alongside it, leading to the upper levels of the house.

"Mom, Dad, Percy's here." Bobby shouted, his words echoing through the room.

Fredrick and Martha walked down the steps, looking awfully dressed up for just being in their home. Mr. Chase wore a suit similar to Walter's, but his suit was more of a charcoal gray and his tie was blue while Walter's was black. Mrs. Chase wore a silky green, party dress with sparkly gray heels. Her earrings matched the color of the dress and were shaped like stars which I found appropriate considering the whole family was…well…stars.

Mr. Chase was the first to speak when they reached the bottom of the steps.

"Percy, it's so wonderful to finally meet you. I'm Fredrick and this is my wife, Martha," He said, gesturing to his wife who stood beside him. " I see you've already met the boys." Sending them a knowing smile, he ruffled their blond hair that perfectly matched his own.

"They've been so excited that there's going to be another boy in the house. They try to play all their games with Annabeth, but she has absolutely no interest in that." Martha added.

"Well, I'd be happy to play with them. I've always wanted a brother and I think mom wanted another son, too, but she never found another guy that she really loved. After my dad, she hardly even dated."

"You're clothes are upstairs, Percy. Go change and we'll get going." She said, clearly trying to change the subject before we venture too far into the topic of my mom. I silently thanked her. I don't want the boys asking me about her; it's too soon for that.

Registering what she said, confusion swept over me. Clothes? I have clothes. Just because I live with them now, are they going to make me change my style? I don't like dress shirts and slacks that make you feel suffocated with the thick material. I want my clothes, my old t-shirts and ripped up jeans.

"Umm…clothes?"

"Yes, it was supposed to be a surprise, but we wanted to celebrate your arrival by throwing you a party. All of our closest friends will be there and it'll help you to get acquainted to everyone. It's at the Castellan's house; we were going to have it here, but their house is bigger and far nicer than ours." I didn't know how that was possible considering this house was by far the most amazing I'd ever seen.

"Go get dressed. Then, I'll fetch Annabeth and we can go," Mr. Chase said. "Matthew and Bobby will show you to your room."

"Alright. Thank you, Mr. Chase."

"Please, call me Fredrick. Mr. Chase makes me feel old." He replied with a chuckle.

"Then, thank you, Fredrick."

"There, that sounds better."

"Let's go, Percy." The twins exclaimed, leading me up the steps and down a hallway lined with doors on the second floor. Three of the doors were ajar, two on the left side of the hall and one on the right. The first door on the left was a bathroom, the third door on the right was a bedroom with bunk beds, loads of videogames, and Legos which were strewn across the navy blue carpeting. The walls were painted a forest green. It was obvious that this was Bobby and Matthew's room.

Then, the boys stopped at the sixth door on the left, which was the last one that stood open, and walked inside.

"Welcome to your room," they said simultaneously before bowing dramatically. It's creepy how they can talk at the same time. Must be a twins thing.

The room had a king-size bed covered with a fluffy, white comforter. Two brown pillows laid at the head of the bed as decoration. There was a small window looking out across the yard and a bedside table on the left side of the bed. A TV was in there, too, which wasn't much of a surprise considering there seemed to be one in every room. The walls were white and bare which kind of bummed me out. Back home, my walls were painted an ocean blue-my favorite color- which reminded me of the sea and brought back happy memories of my mother and I's annual trips to Montauk.

"It looks lame now, but you can put up posters and stuff to make it look less plain." Matthew said.

"Yeah, it used to be the guest room so there's not much in here, but you can get it painted to make it more homey if you want." Bobby added in.

"Thanks, guys. You're really making me feel more at home."

"Your welcome, Percy. Whatever you need, we got your back."

I smiled, a real genuine smile, the first real one since my mother.

"We'll let you get dressed. You're clothes are on the table beside the bed."

They left quietly, closing the door behind them.

Before I got here, I'd thought it'd be awful and I'd hate it immediately, but honestly, with those little guys around, it won't be that bad. They're funny and adorable and they could keep me company. And I could keep them company, especially because Annabeth seems to be doing a poor job at it.

I dressed quickly, hurriedly buttoning the buttons of my sky blue dress shirt before pulling on the black slacks and buttoning them, as well. Slipping the loafers onto my feet-how they knew my shoe size, I have no idea-I left the room and took the stairs two at time.

When I reached the bottom, I found the Chase's standing in front of the front door, waiting for me expectantly. But now, I saw a new face among the crowd and she was even more beautiful in person than the photo in my file. Her blond hair ended just above the middle of her back and was curled in perfect ringlets that I knew were natural. She had flawless, sun-kissed skin that made mine look almost transparent and the most amazing gray eyes I'd ever seen. Her dress was a radiant red that shimmered whenever she moved with matching heels clad on her feet. To say she looked good would be the biggest understatement of the century. She looked stunning.

"Ah, Percy, there you are. Ready to go?" Mr. Chase asked.

I nodded, unsure whether or not I could speak after seeing his daughter.

"Good. Let's get going then. Don't want to be late for your own party." He joked.

They led me out the front door and to the limo I'd arrived in. Walter stood in front of it, posture still as straight as a ruler. Does that man ever let loose? When he saw us, he nodded at Mr. Chase and sent a small smile my way, opening the door for us as he had before.

We climbed into the limo and sat in the smooth leather seats. Well, the Chase's sat gracefully while I slumped in the seat. Feeling out of place as they eyed me critically, I quickly straightened to mirror Mr. Chase and the others, crossing my ankles and folding my hands in my lap.

"So, Percy, what was it like in New York?" Bobby asked curiously.

"It was good except it's really noisy with all the traffic and people, but it's really a beautiful place. I loved looking up at the skyscrapers and just marveling at how tall they were. One of my favorite things was this place called Montauk and my mom and I would go all the time together. I think that's what I'm going to miss most of all from New York."

"Sounds like a nice place."

"It was."

"Where did you go to school?" Mrs. Chase asked.

"Goode High."

"Oh, Fredrick, that's where you went, wasn't it?"

"Yes, I went to Goode. I'm not sure you know this, but I went to school with your mother back when I lived in New York."

"Walter told me. He said you guys were close."

"We were, but then we grew apart. We didn't start talking again until she left your father."

Before I could respond, Matthew shouted:

"We're here." I joined the boys by the window and looked out with them. The Castellan's house was nice, but in my opinion, not nearly as nice as the Chase's.

The house was a pale blue and just as big as Mr. Chase's house, maybe even a bit smaller. It had similar pillars, too, but they seemed oddly out of place while the Chase's seemed to mesh with the house perfectly. There were two smaller windows positioned beside the front door covered with thin white curtains. The backyard was amazing. A concert stage was built next to a row of tennis courts that were placed just in front of what looked like a go-kart track. A sparkling fountain stood tall in the very center of the yard, shooting crystal clear water through a spout on a statue of a man holding a stick with two snakes coiled around it. A caduceus. Hermes. That's right. Luke's father is Hermes Castellan, one of the best travel agents you could ask for, but for a high price.

The whole was house was magnificent, but compared to the Chase's, it seemed like nothing special. It was hard to believe that Martha Chase thought this house was nicer than their's. It may have had some nice touches like the go-kart track, but I'd pick the swimming pool over the tennis courts any day.

I followed the Chase's into the house and was met with partygoers everywhere. Some were talking, others dancing, singing along to a song I was unfamiliar with. One couple was making out on a couch in the far corner of the living room and another was staggering around, their words slurred.

Mr. Chase led us further into the house to the basement where we were bombarded with people, asking questions and smiling, patting me on the back, introducing themselves. So many voices spoke at one time, making it impossible for me to tell who was saying what.

"Enough, enough, the boy's not used to so much attention at one time." Mr. Chase shouted to be heard over the booming voices.

The crowd slowly receded and went back to what they were previously doing.

The Chase's dispersed and went their own separate ways, doing Zeus knows what.

I stood by myself, unsure of what I should do and where I should go.

Suddenly, I caught sight of Annabeth walking back up the stairs. Deciding it was between standing there like a loner and following her, I quickly ascended the steps. When I reached the top, I lost sight of her in the mass of people. I circled around the house until I found her sitting in a rocking chair tucked nicely in the corner of the living room, eyes glued to her IPhone 5.

I shouldered my way past the party guests and stood beside the arm of the chair.

"Hey. I don't think we've been introduced, but I'm-"

"I know who you are," Annabeth said, her eyes never leaving the screen. "And I don't care so leave me be and do whatever strange, poor people do."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know anyone here and was wondering if I could…maybe…hang out with you."

She laughed, right in my face. But it was humorless and cruel. "Okay, take a look at you and then, look at me. See the difference? I'm rich, popular, famous, and pretty and what are you? A lonely little loser who has absolutely no future, no money, and nowhere else to go. Being seen with someone like you is social suicide. I might as well hang a sign around my neck that says "I'm with living with a dirty orphan whose mommy didn't want him."

My blood boiled in my veins, ignighting into a bright flame that can only be tamed if I shot down Big Head and her enormous ego.

"I'll have you know my mother cared about me, loved me." I shouted, my voice reaching an earsplitting pitch.

"Then, why'd she ship you off to live with us so she could live her happy pappy life?" She spat cruelly, matching my tone perfectly.

"Because if you weren't so caught up in yourself you'd know that she's dead. She died in a car accident. She was rear ended by a drunk driver on her way to the grocery story and swerved out of control. She was killed on impact, but you'd know that if you cared about anyone but yourself for once, you narcissistic bitch!" Now, I was furious. She can belittle me, but there is no way in hell she's going to talk about my mom.

Annabeth gasped, eyes wide, mouth ajar, her fair skin pale.

"Oh my gods. Percy, I didn't know. I-"

"You would if you'd get your head out of the clouds and back down to earth." My voice was calmer now. Reality settled in and I came back from my monster-like rampage. The party was silent, not a soul moved, not a voice was heard, no sound emitted from the radio. Everyone was dead quiet and listening to our exchange.

I turned away, unable to stand another minute of looking at Annabeth, and sprinted through the house as fast as my legs could carry me. Stopping at the bathroom, I pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind me. And broke down into tears, sliding down the wall behind me as I blubbered like a baby.

This was how I'd imagined living with the Chase's. Feeling like I out of place, unwanted, unloved, and now my biggest fear just came true. I didn't fit in, I didn't belong and I certainly never would, as Annabeth just made clear as day. No one cared, no one. They don't care, all this stupid family does is make me feel inferior to them. I'm just their charity project to look good for the press. That's all I'll ever be. My mom used to tell me that all I'll ever need to be was myself, but now everything is so strange, different, alien. I'm being forced into fancy clothes, going to house parties in multi-million dollar houses crawling with celebrities. Now being me feels like a bad thing, now I stand out and aren't accepted, loved, like I'd been back home. But no matter what, I won't let them change me. As my mom once said, "Don't change for anyone, but yourself, Percy. If you like the way you are, then stay that way. You're a wonderful person and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." And I like the way I am. I won't change and not a soul could make me. Not the Castellan's, not the Chase's, not Walter, not anyone. When I turn 18 and leave to get on with my life, I'll be the same walking out as I had been walking in.

So, if Miss Priss wants to change that, she better bring a mop to wipe up her tears when she fails miserably. She wants to make my life hell; well, two can play at that game.

Best of luck, Chase. You don't know it yet, but you're gonna need it.

Let the games begin.

Hello, wonderful readers. Hope you like the chapter. Leave a review and tell me what you think. Continue? Don't continue? Love it? Hate it? Let me know.

OH and a huge thank you goes out to those who have read/reviewed/followed/ favorited my other Percy Jackson story, Inmate 518. If you haven't read it yet, give it a shot. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

Thanks,

~TwistedTrident~