I was so shocked I couldn't move. Annabeth came up behind me. "My… sisters?!" I asked. The younger one, Andi, got right up to my face. I noticed her skin wasn't perfect, but she was tall for her age, about 5'7. "Yeah, Kelp Face, so get used to it. I don't like it, either, but I don't wanna die out there!" then she whispered something in her older sister's ear. "Andi, stop. Mom wouldn't want you to act like this," Cara warned. "You don't know what Mom would've wanted! You only stopped partying and came home after it happened! I hate you! I hate you for taking me here! I wish you were dead! Then why don't you see what Mom would've wanted, and then we can talk!" She ran off, heading for the stables. "Oh, dear…" Chiron muttered. "I-I'm so sorry! She's still in denial, you know. I should go talk to her. But I can't, it's the same thing over and over. 'I want Mom over you! I hate you!'" Cara looked close to tears herself. I looked at Annabeth. "It's around 7:00," I said, "So, Annabeth, could you go talk to Andi, and I have to talk to Cara," I dragged their trunks inside, and shoved them to a side wall. Annabeth ran off, and Chiron galloped to Archery Range. "Come on," I told Cara. I walked her to the lake in silence, and we took the last canoe. After I rowed to the middle of the water, she spoke. "Percy, who are they?" She asked, pointing to the giggling naiads in the water. "Oh, those are naiads. Water spirits. Hey, guys!" I called to them. "This is my sister, Cara!"
They giggled some more and pointed.
She's Sally Jackson's other child? A blonde one asked.
"No, no, no, Poseidon's side. Like Tyson, only they're girls. And there's another one, Andi. They both look like me. Treat them with respect, please," I asked.
Yes, Percy Jackson. We will!
"Who's Tyson?" Cara looked like she couldn't believe there were more kids. "He's my--our-- half-brother. He's a Cyclops. He'd like you," I said. "Cyclops?! Well, I can't say I'm surprised. So, um, about my mom…" She started. "Oh, uh, you don't have to talk about her if you don't want to," I told her. "No, it's fine," she took a deep breath. "See, a few months ago, we found out we were half bloods. And almost immediately, weapons followed. Beautiful weapons too; knives, daggers, spears, bow and arrows, swords, shields, almost everything you could imagine. We lived with only our mom our whole lives. She took care of us. I mean, what Andi said was true; I went and partied a lot, even though I was under-age. And then one day, my mom went to a bank to withdraw money for Andi's school lunch account. And as she was walking out, some guy robbed the bank. She tried to escape, thinking Poseidon would help shield her or something. But the robber didn't even hesitate. Shot her right in the heart. I think the fact that Poseidon just used her for two powerful half-bloods, not love, was more of a factor in her death than the bullet wound was. And then the cops came, and the lawyers, then here…" She started sobbing hysterically. I didn't know what to do. I scooted over, awkwardly putting my arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into my collarbone. After a few moments of me being silent and Cara sobbing, some kids from the Aphrodite Cabin who were also canoeing cried out, "Woo! Percy's cheating on Annabeth!" Then they raced back to shore to gossip the news. Cara looked up immediately. "Cara, let it go—" I started to say, but then I saw her eyes. The whole eye, including the white parts, turned into a tiny hurricane. All of a sudden she let out a screech of pure anger, and water spouts hit each Aphrodite kid in the face, then I watched as a huge tidal wave picked up the boat, and I thought it was going to tip over, but it threw the boat over most of the length of the lake, and skittered to an uneasy stop at the shore closest to the dining pavilion, all the while the children were screaming, some even shouted curses in Ancient Greek. They scrambled out, and I heard one yell, "My hair! I just curled it!", another, "Not fair! This Versace is brand new!", and yet another, "Ach! My Gucci! NO!"
Cara laughed. I mumbled something incoherent, and laughed nervously with her. Did my eyes get crazy like that when I was mad? Probably. But the part in her story, I think the fact that Poseidon just used her for two powerful half-bloods, not love, was more of a factor in her death than the bullet wound was, really got to me. My dad cared. Sure, sometimes he didn't show it, but most times he couldn't. Gods couldn't interfere directly most times, especially when it came to their children. But I was alive this long, thanks to him. He gave me Riptide, the sand dollar used for the two river gods during the battle, he sent naiads to help me out, and he loved my mom. He would've loved other women, too, I'm sure of it.
After we got back to our cabin, Cara laid down on the bunk next to me. I figured she would sleep on the bottom, and Andi on the top. "So I guess Andi is short for Andrea, huh?" I asked, breaking an awkward silence. "Nope. Andromeda, actually. I told my mom, even though I was only about 6, I said, 'Mommy, that's not fair. I can't say that. It's too long!'" She giggled at the memory, while I thought about the origin of my own name. Perseus was a son of Zeus, go figure, and he decapitated the Gorgon Medusa's head, and then saved Andromeda while flying back. Oh, great. Now my sister's namesake was the lover of my namesake. What are the odds?!
I heard a terrified cry coming from outside, and we both ran out. I had to pull Cara down just as Guido the pegasus came galloping straight where our heads were. "Watch it!" I called, and then I saw who was on the flying horse. Andi's face was one of horror as she tried to slow the pegasus by pulling the reins. That just made him air-buck, and she had to clutch to his mane to keep from being thrown off. "Guido! Zephyr, 45 down!" I yelled.
Sorry, lord. Only trained to take directions from my rider. Which ain't a very good one, at that.
"Andi!" I yelled, exasperated. "Tell him Zephyr, 45 down!"
She took my hint and the horse landed gently in the ground. "Um, thanks, Jackson. That wasn't bad, you know. What did those even mean?" She asked. "Well, it's ancient, but if you don't know how to ride a pegasus, you tell him how to land safely. Zephyr is the West Wind, very gentle. And 45 down means at a 45 degree angle, fly to the ground. I wasn't sure if it'd work. But apparently it did."
"And you, blondie!" Andi started advancing on Annabeth, spluttering curses and spitting, "If you're so wise, were you really that dumb to make me ride a pegasus when I just got here?! You thought it would calm me down?! Even if I am a daughter of Poseidon?!" We had to pull her back, kicking and screaming, until I saw Tyson walking around. "Tyson! Help!" I yelled. He jogged over, and easily slid one arm over Andi's waist, pulling her into the cabin, while Annabeth ran to hers. "You have to lemme at her! I don't need stupid Whirlwind for her! Just tie one hand behind my back, and I'd still win!" She jumped around the cabin, before glaring at Tyson. "And who do you think you are, just busting in and carrying me off?!" she screeched, shoving herself at him. Tyson looked scared, then angry, and he roared, "I helped Percy and Annabeth! But I'll never help you, you big meanie!" He started bawling and ran out to find Heidi. "Don't you realize that he's only about 8 years old?! Uh, hello, his size practically gave him away! Oh my gods! Just sit down and shut up!" I yelled. "His size practically gave him away to be Shaquille O'Neal! I was supposed to know how old he was by how tall he was?! I'm 13 years old, and I'm 5'7. I look down at other kids at my school! It's not normal!" Andi ran and locked herself in my bathroom. I realized what her problem was. She got teased for her skin, height, and probably ADHD and dyslexia. I sat on my bed, and before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.
Haha! Nice way to end, right?! LOL JK and um next chapter, mostly just character descriptions. I might do that every other chapter, if someone else comes along. I making this up as I go, so hey! Right after I upload the character-description-thingy, I'll upload the next chapter, which will be continued from THIS CHAPTER CHAPTER 2 BECAUSE CHAPTER 3 IS CHARACTER DESCRIPTION! Thanks for reading, and I love the series, but I did not write, nor own, this delightful, wonderful, intriguing insight into a world I never thought was possible and so awesome but it is! Again, thank you!