Lol, hey people. I meant to update sooner, but there's this thing called school, and I'm a part of it, and it started.
Anyways, Ch. 14 is out, as you can tell, and my CJWG submissions are too! (Just a little plug to go tell you to check that forum out. ;) )
Oh, and some other news - we have surpassed a hundred followers! That's a big number!
Also, I would like to address an issue. Recently a few people have told me to stop putting little A/Ns in the middle of the story because it breaks the flow and stuff (it was one of the things I used to do that I don't anymore), and I took those out. You're welcome.
Reviews:
Daughter of Sally Jackson: Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Tbrucks: I love it too.
EloquentGirl: Well, here's the thing. I have a life, and stuff to do, but I'll try to update as much as possible. Glad you liked it!
Guest: Do me a favor, and google 'Camp Half-Blood'. What shows up? Yes, CHB is on the web.
1234booklover: Lol, of course I updated. And here's another update, too! Anyways, she should know better, but she doesn't. Sad like that. And, actually, you're pretty close to what a friend and I was/are doing to get revenge on another friend...
Guest: I have fixed those errors in my earlier chapters, but look around: Do you see my paragraphs being grammatically correct? There's something called improvement, and it's what I have done over time.
DISCLAIMER: I wouldn't need a disclaimer if I was Rick Riordan.
"Max, I would like you to meet my...friend, Mr. Darren." My mother smiled at me, then made goo-goo eyes at him. Mr. Darren nodded at me and shook my hand.
He was on the taller side, about six foot two, and had short dark brown hair. If I had to guess, I would estimate that Mr. Darren was forty-seven, not too old, considering that my mom was forty-nine. He had deep blue eyes, almost an inky navy, that seemed to move around like water. The man wore a dark green sweater with broad grey stripes, and navy jeans.
The expression on Mr. Darren's face was one of quirk, friendliness, and interest. He eyed me up a bit, as if staring into my soul - a weird, cliche term I didn't really like.
"Um...hi, Mr. Darne." I said, botching his name on purpose. Mr. Darren grinned a bit at me.
"Darren, actually." I nodded.
"So, Darren Darne? Okay." I was being difficult, and I knew it. Mr. Darren just sighed and gave me a forced smile.
"Why don't you...come inside?" Mr. Darren asked. He moved out of the doorway, and gestured for my mom and I to go in. Mr. Darren led us to the kitchen, and he and my mom started talking while he started making coffee. I just stood there awkwardly. I don't drink coffee, which I had already told him, so when he grabbed three cups, I wasn't exactly sure why.
And then a dog came trotting in.
"What's your dog's name?" I asked. Mr. Darren laughed.
"Oh, that's just Belle. She's not mine, she just likes to come in for a cup of coffee and a talk sometimes." So that was who the third cup was for. Weird. I had never heard of a dog that didn't belong to someone, yet stayed in their house, nevermind one that drank coffee and 'talked'. Heck, I had never heard of any dog that drank coffee! "So how has your life been, Max?"
I smiled thinly. That was a slightly odd question to ask. "My life's been fine. I a-was on the swim team, and I get straight A's."
Mr. Darren nodded back. "And what school do you go to? Goode, correct?"
"Yeah. Goode High. Weird name, if you ask me." I responded to his question - one that he had answered himself.
"Actually, I went there myself as a kid." Mr. Darren gave a bit of a laugh, a low, rumbly sound that came directly from his chest.
"Oh really? Cool!" I suddenly gained interest in this new figure my mom had taken me to meet. "I'm not surprised. I mean I don't think you don't live within the school lines, but you probably moved, right?"
"Yep. I moved...right after my career as an Off-Broadway actor failed." Wait, what? Mr. Darren was an Off-Broadway actor? That wasn't exactly the type of man my mom usually fell for, but who knew?
"That is like, the coolest thing I've heard all week!" By far, it was. It's not often your divorced mother hooks up with a failed actor that, dare I say it, seemed kinda…handsome, but there was probably still more to him.
"Yeah. I was off-Broadway, now I'm on Broadway." I nearly fainted. I wasn't a theater kid, but that was still really, really, really, really, REALLY cool.
"Wow." Was all I could say.
After talking to Mr. Darren for a bit longer - I was liking him more and more! - I got a text from someone. Politely excusing myself, I checked my phone. It was from Alex, asking me if I wanted to get ice cream or something. I wondered why, as Alex was still mad at me. I didn't ask though. After telling my mother, I said sure, and we planned to meet at Mikey Likes it down the street.
Even though Mr. Darren was cool and I liked him, I still needed some of my own time doing what I liked. Plus, I wanted to know why Alex wanted to meet.
I walked down the street, breathing in the New York City sounds and sights. It was pretty crowded, which wasn't unusual, but that was one of my favorite parts of the city.
The buses screeched at stoplights, people from all different backgrounds and ethnicities were walking, from business women with phones clutched to their ears to little boys wearing tie-dye shirts and jeans. I even saw one person in a giant blow-up pig suit, just strolling down the street like it was no big deal - and it wasn't, really.
No one paid him a second glance. This was New York, after all.
When I arrived at Mikey Likes It, Alex was already there, sitting at a table next to the window, slouching and staring at something on her phone. I walked over to her, and she looked up at me and managed a quick smile, one that looked kinda forced.
"Hey Max. How's it going?" She didn't answer for me, like normal, which was sort of a relief, but also sort of strange.
"Good, I guess. Should we go get ice cream?" I scratched my nose with one hand and gestured to the counter with another.
"Sure." She said curtly, and stood up. We walked over to the ice cream, and I had a battle inside my head, debating whether to get Mint Condition, which was mint ice cream with brownies in it, or Truffle Shuffle, which was chocolate ice cream, chocolate chips, and chocolate covered marshmallows. "Can I get a 2 Live Crew with Foxy Brown, please?" She asked the man behind the counter, who seemed to be in his early twenties and had dark, like, really dark, brown hair and an apron on.
"Sure. And what can I get for you?" He asked me.
I was still deciding, but I went on impulse. "Can I get a waffle cone with two scoops of Southern Hospitality?"
We paid for our ice cream and went back to the table Alex was sitting at when I got there.
"So. Why did you want to get ice cream with me?" I asked her, worried about breaking the fragile connection we had developed.
"I don't know. I guess I just wanted to do something with someone. Someone who does- nevermind." I didn't know what Alex was going to say before she said nevermind, but it didn't matter.
"Okay then. This was good. Fun, I guess. Ice cream tastes good." After that, we lapsed into an awkward silence.
Alex stirred around her milkshake with the blue and white striped straw. "Do you...do you ever feel like there's someone wanting you to do something, but you just...it's either something you don't want to do or something you can't?"
I suddenly got a glimpse of the Alex inside - the real Alex. I looked her in the eyes. "Yes. Yes I do."
Another cliffhanger - simply because I felt like it.
Reviews:
Nymph of Faeryland: I still wish you were still Silversky247. Also, we're not old yet...sorry to burst your dreams. But yeah, I guess we're in the good young days? Nymph, gnome, whatever. Same difference. I don't know what Elveland is. I know what Elvendale is - some sort of weird LEGO thing I was obsessed with in fourth grade - but not Elveland.
Le sigh. Speaking points...I miss those. You know what? That 1K word review took a lot of effort on my part. And I had to type it on a glitchy iPad keyboard that took forever! Be happy, Nyssa. I bet you're like, one of the only people on to get one that long. Oh yeah. Awkward things. Hehe...Mark's kinda annoying. But I also feel bad for him. Amy was cool. I have no idea what Pure Prairie League is. YES. WE SHALL WRITE ZE REVENGE. FRANK.
#LilithIsAGrump
Yes, I see what you mean.
SarcasticSylvat: Oh yeah, I think you did forget. Even if Frederick WASN'T with Helen, I'm not sure I would have made him and Max's mom be a thing. You see, he might be cool, but not as cool as a Broadway actor. You know what? I like Estelle too. I know you have things to write.
TheActualRealOne: Cool.
justapercyjacksonfan: Thanks so much! And of course hating Max is wholesome. I'm sorry to say that he won't really get any nicer as the story goes on - but maybe, who knows? Lol...good catch. The reason for that may be revealed later on, but maybe not. Glad to hear you like it!
And that's about it. Bye people.
-ThatGirlWithaCat/KittenLuv
