...Yes, yes, yes, I know.

And I'm terribly sorry, but I'm really trying my best here!

And thank you so much for reviewing, or even just reading! I love reading all your reviews x) Well, I don't have much to say, except that, for those of you who haven't been keeping track (and I don't blame you), Clarisse and Piper are on day 3 of the spell right now :) Yay almost half-way through!

Another Plan Gone Wrong

"They're improving." Annabeth told Lou-Ellen a little suspiciously.

"Huh?" Lou-Ellen started from her daydream.

"Oh, don't act so innocent." Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I don't know what you did, but it's working."

"What are you- oh." Lou-Ellen blushed.

A smile flitted across the daughter of Athena's face. "I just hope it's not something you're going to get in trouble for."

Lou-Ellen shifted uncomfortably. "It would be better if you didn't know."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow and left. Lou-Ellen heaved a sigh of relief. She'd been expecting Annabeth to approach her eventually (she was a daughter of Athena) and the conversation had gone better than she'd expected.

The only problem at the moment was Drew. What was Lou-Ellen to do with the egoistic daughter of Aphrodite?

"I don't know where she's getting her confidence from." The girl thought dejectedly. "I liked her better when Piper beat her."

Lou-Ellen knew that Clarisse didn't have it in her to refuse a challenge, but there was no way for Clarisse to win this fight. The girl was already terrible with a knife. She didn't usually fight with a knife, and on top of that, she was in an unfamiliar body. Lou-Ellen had heard of Clarisse's disaster on the climbing wall, and she wasn't keen for Piper's body to get beaten up any further.

"But then," Lou-Ellen mused. "People can't see Piper McLean walking away from a fight- that's not good for her image."

A sudden thought struck her. Clarisse couldn't forfeit, but neither could she lose to Drew. So there was only one other option.

Lou-Ellen had gathered Piper, Clarisse and Jason in the woods to conduct a hurried meeting. She would need to enlist their help for her plan to work.

Piper stared. "You make it sound like it's as easy as stealing candy from a baby."

"Easier." Lou-Ellen assured her.

Jason looked a little hesitant. "Isn't that a little... low?"

"Do you have anything better, Sparky?" Lou-Ellen was offended.

Piper shrugged. "I'm with Drew. All's fair in love and war."

"I don't like it." Clarisse scowled. "There has to be another way."

Lou-Ellen rolled her eyes. "Are you really willing to take your chances? You could just go ahead with the duel..."

Clarisse's scowl deepened.

"This isn't an easy decision to make." Jason explained. "I mean, if this gets out of hand, Piper will lose her rank permanently. They're never going to trust any of us if-"

"We need to make a decision!" Piper cut in. "I trust Lou-Ellen."

"This is your way of getting back at Drew." Clarisse snapped. "But this is not the right way to handle this."

Lou-Ellen held up her hands. "Enough! I got you into this mess, so I'll get you out of it. My way."

Clarisse glared. "I guess we don't have a choice."

Lou-Ellen winked.

Lou-Ellen shook the contents of the bottle one last time, and it shimmered before reverting to its original colour.

"Perfect." She examined it a final time before setting it back on the shelf.

Clarisse was looking around nervously. "They'll be back any minute."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm leaving." The other girl winked mischievously. "Enjoy yourself."

The daughter of Hecate flitted out the door and was out of sight within moments.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Clarisse sat down on her bed and began polishing her knife, as though she were getting ready for the duel. She still wasn't comfortable with Lou-Ellen's plan, but she had to admit that it was ingenious. At least it made things less complicated.

Clarisse knew with certainty that she probably couldn't win a duel against Drew if she used a knife. Yes, Drew was an airhead, but after she'd gone on that quest, she had been training a bit more vigorously. And Clarisse had never really used a knife properly in battle, especially one as unique as Piper's. It was meant to be used by a daughter of Aphrodite.

Her musings were cut short as Drew walked in with a sneering glance at Clarisse. "Good luck, McLean. You'll need it."

Clarisse groaned inwardly. Not the same cliched line.

Drew picked up her bottle of moisturiser and began rubbing it gently on her face, examining herself in the mirror. It took all of Clarisse's willpower not to stare and to pretend as thought nothing was happening.

Suddenly Drew yelped, and Clarisse fought back a grin as she looked up. Her grin immediately turned into a look of horror as she realised what was happening. The spell wasn't working the way it was supposed to.

Lou-Ellen was chatting animatedly with her siblings when Clarisse stormed up to her and dragged her away. Ignoring the curious looks of her siblings, the girl turned to Clarisse with a broad grin.

"Well?"

Clarisse halted as soon as they were out of earshot and glared furiously at Lou-Ellen. "Your spell went wrong."

Lou-Ellen's smile froze. "What happened- what's the bag for? Is that bag moving?"

Clarisse looked at her grimly.

Lou-Ellen gaped. "Don't tell me that bag is Drew."

"You know how the spell was meant to give her warts all over her face, so that she'd be too ashamed to show her face in public?"

Lou-Ellen nodded uncertainly.

"Great job." Clarisse said sarcastically, reaching into the squirming bag.

The daughter of Hecate watched with bated breath as she pulled out... a toad.

"Oh." Lou-Ellen said faintly.

"Oh?" Clarisse was outraged. "Oh? You turned Drew into a toad, and all you have to say is OH?"

The other girl was taking deep, calming breaths. "Stay cool, just stay cool, and I'll figure something-"

"Not another spell!" Clarisse interrupted hotly, remembering to lower her voice to a hiss. "People are going to suspect me, because I was the only other person in the cabin."

"Nobody knows that." Lou-Ellen pointed out.

"What?"

"Nobody knows that you and I were in the cabin. We just need to keep Drew somewhere safe until we can figure out what to do with her."

"Do you have any other brilliant plans?"

"I'll take her." Lou-Ellen said decisively. "And I'll ask my mom for help."

"How do you plan to tell your mom that you turned your fellow camper into a toad?"

"Would you please calm down?" Lou-Ellen hushed her. "This is all under control."

"Under-" Clarisse waved the toad in Lou-Ellen's face. "Under control?"

Lou-Ellen took a step back. "Careful! You might strangle her!"

Clarisse dropped the indignant toad back in the bag.

Lou-Ellen suddenly giggled.

"Oh, so now this is funny?" Clarisse demanded.

"She is a toad."

A croak emanated from the bag.

The two girls burst into laughter.

FINALLY!

It took me AGES to write this chapter, because I wasn't sure what sort of spell to cast on Drew, and I wasn't very happy with the writing either. Mostly, I only find time to write at night, like late into the night, so when I re-read it the next day I'm always unhappy with the quality. I feel this one has turned out alright, even though I'm writing this on a very hungry stomach.

What do you think?

Comments, suggestions, feedback?

Leave a review! :D