To Guest- I totally agree with you! I'm trying to get Sage to be smart, but not see the obvious… without making her too… not-Sage… :D And since when was Tyler a puppy? That's a new one! :P

"I thought Tyler was in today?" Sage peered around the hall.

"He was!" Callum called, running to her. She tucked the card and the cinema tickets in her locker, out of sight. "We saw him earlier and he had a gift bag for somebody."

"For who?"

"I don't know. Captain Buzzkill wouldn't let me find out." Callum jerked his thumb over his shoulder at Theo.

"Callum, people have secrets for a reason." Lilly told him sternly.

"I know, but I'm nosy and want to know!"

"No!" Theo and Lilly said together. Callum's shoulders slouched in defeat and he cast his eyes about the hall moodily.

"Brothers of yours?" Dean asked Sage.

"Yeah, they're triplets."

"Triplets?" Dean marvelled at them. "That's so cool!"

"It wasn't for Mom though." Callum smirked. "She loves me- uh, us to bits, but she didn't like carrying all three of us around for eight months." Dean grinned crookedly in understanding.

"Um, Callum?"

"Yeesss?"

"Isn't that the gift bag Tyler had?" Callum followed his brother's point, seeing something shiny and gold in a bin not far from them.

"I think so. You get it."

"You get it."

"You saw it first."

"Boys!" Sage protested. They were instantly quiet, looking as contrite as they could. "Lilly, you get it."

"But… it's in a bin."

"It's right at the top. Just walk past and grab it."

"Ew…" Lilly made a face. Theo watched her carefully, eventually relenting and following his older sister's advice.

"Trash picker!" Callum hissed, but Theo ignored him, casually walking towards the bin and snatching the bag from it with quick, lightning movements. He returned to them just as casually, already looking in the bag.

"Card, present and a box of chocolates."

"Yum." Callum grabbed them from the bag.

"You're eating chocolates from the bin."

"They're in the box, never been opened and were in a bag in the bin. I'll take my chances." Lilly rolled her eyes at him, but said nothing.

"Don't eat them anyway!"

"Why not, Captain Buzzkill?"

"They're for somebody!"

"Then why did Tyler put them in the bin?"

"I don't know. Why don't you ask him?"

"Oh, I can do that? Or will you drag me away again?"

"Theodore and Callum," Theo winced at his full name, "If you don't stop arguing, you'll both go in the bin." Sage warned, her tone light and airy with an ulterior tone of death.

"Put them in the bin anyway. I need something funny." Lilly mumbled.

"Too many couples?" Dean sympathized. Lilly pursed her lips.

"I hate Valentine's Day."

"You should join the Hunters." Callum suggested. His siblings stared at him, wide-eyed with warning and disbelief."

"Hunters?" Dean quizzed, shooting them all a weird, amused look.

"Um… it's this girl group and… they're really… sexist?" Callum tried, looking at Sage desperately.

"Or so Callum thinks. He's still at that 'girls have cooties' stage." Dean laughed.

"Won't last much longer then." He turned to his locker and Sage hit Callum upside the head for being an idiot.

"I didn't mean to!" Callum hissed, massaging the back of his head.

"Idiot!" She scolded quietly. Callum stuck his tongue out at her.

They were all smiling when Dean turned back.

August looked up from peeling the potatoes for the roast dinner later. Somebody had just slammed the front door.

Setting her potato and peeler down, she carefully ventured out into the main room, just in time to see Tyler's bedroom door slam shut across the hall.

He was bunking school. And had walked home too. He never walked home.

"Tyler?" She called softly, rapping her knuckles gently on the door. Her son didn't respond. "Tyler, sweetheart, what's happened?" She eased the door open, peering around cautiously. Her son was sitting on the floor, leaning against the end of his bed, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his face in his arms.

This was a Tyler sulk. Those didn't happen often, but when they did, something bad had happened.

Really bad.

August knelt next to him, placing an arm about his shoulders. "Tyler, talk to me. I can't help if you don't tell me what's happened."

He didn't reply at first, leaning into her shoulder. She automatically put her other arm around him- it didn't matter how old he was or was going to get, he always enjoyed his mother's hugs.

When he looked up, August felt her own heart crumble.

He was so young; he shouldn't be feeling that amount of heartbreak evident in his eyes.

August ran her hands through his hair, her expression softening. "She went with Dean, didn't she?" He just nodded, hiding his face in her shoulder again as his eyes burned. "Oh, Tyler…"

Sage studied her father carefully.

"Um… it's all booked, he got the tickets… and it's this Saturday."

"And Tyler?" Percy's tone was flat- he wasn't happy about her going out with a boy at all, especially if he had never met the brat- uh, kid before.

"I haven't seen him all day and he's not answering his phone." Annabeth glanced at her husband and there was some form of silent conversation flowing between them.

"Have Dean over Friday after school." Annabeth started, looking back at her husband carefully. "See what your dad says then." Sage opened her mouth to protest, but her mother's eyes flashed dangerously. It was agree to this plan and have hope or her father would stamp out all plans and lock her in her room, if need be.

"OK. Thanks." Sage sighed.

"Homework?" Annabeth suggested. Sage made a face.

"Can't be bothered." Her parents frowned. Even though it was insanely easy for their daughter, she never skipped homework. "I'll do it later." Or procrastinated.

"Sage?"

"Mm?"

"Homework." Annabeth said firmly.

"But it's boring."

"I know it's boring, but you could have it done in ten minutes. Go on. Now." Sage scowled and stomped out, grumbling curses. Percy- as only Percy could- hummed, as if to say 'Damn, that's your daughter', sitting forward in his seat and picking a green apple from the fruit bowl in the centre of the dining table.

Annabeth flicked the dishcloth as his head. "Shut up, Seaweed Brain."

"What about this cinema thing?"

"I don't know. Let's see how Dean is Friday and then think about it." Percy nodded, flicking dust from the apple and biting into it.

Hi, Charlie.

I've got a stack of your letters to reply to still, but I'll do that in a minute. I'm supposed to be doing my homework, but I really don't want to. I want to read!

Well, partially want to read. I'm currently sulking because Mom and Dad don't want me going to the cinema with Dean.

Let me explain- I can imagine your confusion. He was early for school today and produced a red envelope. Inside was a really nice card with two cinema tickets to see The Lego Movie. Childish, I know, but it does look funny.

It's not a date! We're just friends.

Speaking of friends, I'm worried about Tyler. Callum and Theo say they saw him this morning, but he wasn't in all day. And his Valentine's gift- whoever it was for- was found in a bin. I've got it here with me, but I've haven't opened anything. I'm not sure who it is for, so I'll take it back when I next see him. He's not answering his phone and Mom and Dad are keeping me in for some reason.

I must go. Dad's coming up to check on me. Talk to you later.

Love Sage xxxx

Sage had enough time to throw her journal aside and grab her Science book, opening it to a page with lots of writing on just as her father knocked.

"Yeah." She called. Percy peered around the door.

"Homework?" He quizzed.

"So exciting." Sage confirmed sarcastically. Percy watched her dubiously for a few seconds and then left, closing the door behind him.

Sage waited a full minute before snatching up her phone. She tried ringing Tyler to start off with, but it went straight to voicemail following two rings. That was odd, so she sent him a message instead.

Where've you been all day? I had no-one to insult biology with! Xxxx

She gave Tyler ten minutes to reply- finishing her homework in that time, as her mother said she would- and decided not to pester her best friend.

Not sure about Saturday- Dad's throwing a wobbly

Aw, what? Dean protested. Do you have any idea how many chores I had to do to buy those tickets?! Xxx

No. But Dad said you could come over Friday after school, so best behaviour. If he likes you, he might consider cinema on Saturday.

But best behaviour is just effort! WHY DOES HE TORTURE ME SO? Xxxx

Get over it, you big baby

Harsh. Real harsh, doll xxx

:D xxxx