22. Let Me Be Wrong

"I'm glad you could make it!" Luna greeted. "Where's your friend?" she asked, as her eyes quickly drifted behind Thalia, expecting to see the annoying elfish boy (Thalia's words!).

"Couldn't make it," Thalia shrugged.

"Pity. I made too many muffins!" Luna joked, as she stepped aside and let her in. The room was as busy as a beehive. There were people of all shapes and sizes walking around, raiding the hors d'oeuvres and fruit punch and crowding the couch in front of the TV. Thalia walked around uncomfortably as Luna departed to bring out more muffins. She looked for a nice empty corner to stay until the party was over. As she settled at one of the vacated tables, she looked around the room. She couldn't really see anyone of her age, just kids no older than ten years old, not that she would talk to them anyways. She just didn't want to be the only teenager in the room.

She puffed as she rested her cheek against her palm. Her short nails tapped the wooden table as she stared off into the distance.

"She looks ugly with that spiky hair! OW!"

"Don't be mean!"

"Well it's true…" Thalia heard a couple of kids whispering behind her. Normally she wasn't mean, but her boredom was taking hold. She spun around and stared at the kids with blazing blue eyes. The two girls who had been whispering gulped and power walked back to their mother who was sitting on the couch watching a football game. Thalia turned back, smiling at herself, and started doodling on the table.

"Brats," Thalia murmured under her breath as she imagined drawing a spaceship and watching it take off when suddenly, the chair next to her squeaked.

"Hi," a voice said. Thalia looked up to see a pretty geeky boy with acne and the beginnings of a beard. He looked young and old at the same time. It was kind of hard to tell his age. Thalia gave one those "hi, but I don't want to talk" smiles, and went back to doodling.

"How old are you?" he asked. Thalia looked up. He wasn't getting the clue that she didn't feel like talking.

"Why is that relevant?" she retorted. The boy shrugged.

"What's your name?" he said, taking a bite of an apple he plucked from the centerpiece of the table. She rolled her eyes.

"Thalia."

"Nice name," he said, taking another bite, juice rolling down his chin. "I'm Grover."

"Hello Grover," Thalia said unenthusiastically.

"Hmm, you seem upset," he said through a mouthful of apple.

"Oh for heaven's sake," Thalia sighed, as she put her head on her arms. She felt a tap on her arm, and she peeked through her unruly hair.

"Want a cupcake?" he asked, as he held a vanilla cupcake with purple frosting on it.

"What the hell," Thalia said as she grabbed it and used her fingers to whip up the frosting and eat it.

"So, what are you to the Robinsons'?" Thalia asked, as she licked the last of the frosting off the top.

"Mrs. Robinson donates money to this orphanage I live at," he answered normally. "She would come to volunteer and I'd help her. We became friends, and then she-" he paused to lick frosting off his third cupcake. "she invited me to the party." Thalia felt a little bit sad that he was an orphan. She was lucky she had had parents, but half the orphans lose their parents to the other side or are abandoned. She didn't want to know what had happened to Grover, so she didn't ask. Grover glanced at her.

"I don't have one of those sappy stories, by the way," he said, as if he had read her mind. He rolled his eyes playfully. "Everyone thinks that. They think I live a terrible life, but I really don't. I live with a bunch of my brothers. Well, not blood brothers, but I consider them brothers. Yeah, my mother died when I was born and my father sort of disappeared, but I don't feel bad about it."

"Don't you miss them?" Thalia couldn't help asking. All she could think about were her parents and though she'd never admit it, she missed them. She missed her absent father and the person her mother used to be. Guess you could say she was orphaned in a twisted way. Grover smiled.

"I'll always miss them, but me and my brothers believe in reincarnation. My parents could be in this very room right now," he smiled, as he casted a quick glance over the crowd of people. Thalia admired him in a very quiet way. If only she could believe in something like that.

"And it's a fun life right now anyways!" he continued. "Since most of us can't drive on our own or anything, we get to take care of this huge strawberry field. Sounds like a bore, I know. But I love it!" he said happily, with a dreamy look in his eyes as if he could see the plump strawberries before him right now. "Not to mention it keeps our orphanage afloat," he added as he took another bite of his cupcake.

"Sounds like fun," Thalia said. She realized her muscles, that were usually wound up around people, were nice and relaxed and she actually felt comfortable with him; lshe had known him for a long time. Must be his secret super power or something.

She spent the next hour talking to him about completely random things. Starting one conversation, but going completely off topic a few minutes later.

"And that's why unicorns are real!" he said slamming the table proudly.

"No way. I'm telling you, it wasn't even a horse! It was a buck with one antler," Thalia countered. Grover rolled his eyes. Thalia actually chuckled, and she felt pretty weird about it too. He grabbed another cupcake and was shoving it into his mouth when Luna called out for people to gather. They stood up and joined the crowd as Luna fought to light the candles on Tim's blue cake. After a corny song, which Thalia didn't sing to, Luna and Tim and some random person started passing out cake. Thalia refused, but Grover grabbed it greedily.

"How can you still eat?!" Thalia asked as she watched Grover stuff his face in disgust. Grover laughed, a pretty weird laugh, and stole another piece of cake. She spent the next twenty minutes watching Grover eat until she grew tired. She glanced at her watch; 6:34 PM.

"I'm gonna head out. I'll see ya some time Grover," she said. She heard a muffled bye as she walked to find Luna and let her know she was leaving.

Grabbing her bag, she left their building and headed back home. She listened to her music as she strolled down the street. The sun was just about to dip behind the buildings, tinting the sky a brilliant orange. Thalia watched as the colors transformed so smoothly you barely noticed it. After a few minutes, the orange turned into a bright pink, then the pink started to disappear, revealing a darkening blue, already dotted with small stars.

She made it home to find her mother plopped on the couch. She was staring blankly at the ceiling with a hand resting on her bloated stomach. There was an open beer can on the coffee table, with pieces of pineapple lying around. Dropping her bag, Thalia walked over to her mother and kneeled down next to the couch.

"Ma, you okay?" Thalia asked. Her mother's eyebrows creased.

"My stomach hurts," she said softly.

"Do you need pepto?" Thalia asked, but her mother shook her head and reached for the beer can. Thalia watched in her thickening depression as her mother drank. Her mother sighed and put the beer back on the table and Thalia just stood up and walked to the kitchen. What is it going to take for her mother to realize what she's doing? But Thalia sighed when she realized her mother probably knew. And that she's doing all this on purpose, just trying to numb the pain of her missing love. If only you'd realize I'm here for you.

She was rummaging through the fridge for the jug of milk when her mother ran past her, almost knocking her into the fridge and puked into the trash can. Okay, this must be some hell of a flu. But a cold feeling crawled up her back as another thought barged into her mind. Please no…

Thalia walked over to her mother and held her hair, waiting for her fit to pass. When it did, her mother stumbled back and sat on one of the stools of the island.

"Ugh," she moaned as she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Mom?" Thalia called. Her mother didn't answer, she was too busy swallowing the bile that kept coming up her throat.

"Mom!" Thalia said a little louder and her mother looked up.

"What?" she asked irritably. Thalia took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself for whatever the outcome.

"When was your last period?" Thalia asked hesitantly.

"What?" Her mother asked absently.

"When. Was. Your last period?" Thalia asked again, beginning to get impatient.

"I don't know. Christmas?" Her mother answered sloppily. Thalia's blood ran cold. Please! No!

"Mom, I need you to think hard, okay? This is important. When?" Thalia said seriously, hoping that this was just an effect of the alcohol.

"Gah! Christmas!" her mother said exasperated as she jumped off the stool and walked back to the living room. Thalia grabbed her hair. Her back touched the fridge and she slid down to the floor. They were already in March. I should've known! The throwing up, the gaining weight, the cravings!

"No, please," Thalia whispered as she rested her head on her knees. She glanced at her mother as she turned on the TV and started eating another slice of pineapple. I have to make sure. I don't want to assume. Tomorrow after school, she'd get the tests and make sure. But she was hoping that she was wrong. Please, let me be wrong.

Sorry I took long guys! I didn't mean to, but I got a little busy and this chapter stumped me a while! lol So, I really hope this chapter came out well! And yes arry the banana, that is a word, except you missed an "e" XD Sorry I took long! Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts! They mean a lot. So, like always, let me know what you thought and if I missed a word or misspelled something. Thanks and hope you enjoyed :)