Now…..loading….chapter 8…..please enjoy….. and review…..

It was obvious that Clarisse and Grover were now part of the group. No one objected when we started walking and they began to follow us. Tyson had said that we should find a doctor here (yes, in the middle of nowhere) and began walking towards the end of the forest.

Evalyn woke up every one in a while, saying something random like "I know French. Konichiwa!" and "Damn, I need some gum," and then passing out again. I no longer found what Evalyn said funny. Weird, how one second you find your best friends words hilarious one minute, and the next, they are your worst enemy and their words aren't funny anymore. My life…..sucks.

One time she woke up long enough to hold something up to me from Tyson's back. It was when she flickered to human form. She whispered, "I thought I was going to die before I could give you this." She opened her little hand, and right there were a hairclip and a rubber band. I raised an eyebrow, wondering if she's in that 3-year old phase when they give you useless things and expect you to treasure them forever.

She frowned, like as if she was reading my thoughts. Then she said, "Try stretching the band, with the thingy clipped on." She gave me a reassuring smile, which reassure me it did not. But, alas, I stretched it. Then, POP! The rubber band turned into a bow, and the clip turned into an arrow. "The arrow is indestructible and always returns to you," Evalyn said. I loved it, yet hated it. I mean, it was pretty cool, but it's from Evalyn. Who knows? Maybe it'll come to life at night and shoot me in my sleep? Sorry, ADHD, but still.

Anyways, I pretended to love it, and I gave my best fake smile. It probably would have given me away, but Evalyn passed out again before her eyes could detect the fake smile. If she had seen it, her internal fake-smile-detector would have been like REE-ROO-REE-ROO! FAKE… SMILE… DETECTED! REE-ROO-REE-ROO! So, yeah. She passed out. I pocketed the gift, wondering if I should ditch it. But something told me to keep it. I listened to that something.

We continued walking, but Clarisse pulled me over. "I know that smile was fake," She said, frowning. "Ev's my friend too, and I don't want her crying just because you were under-appreciative." She turned and kept walking. I nodded, to no one in particular, asking myself exactly when Clarisse started caring so much.

How long did it take us to realize that we needed a bath? No so long. Percy had started getting bad B.O. and it stunk (and he's a scarecrow. Imagine us people with real skin. Phew!) We found the nearest river and jumped in it. Someone had to keep an eye on Ev, because the current was strong enough to carry a 3 year old.

Don't worry, we weren't skinny-dipping or anything. But Percy had mentioned it, saying "We should wear nothing but a smile!"

"You wish, Seaweed Brain!" Clarisse had said, and jumped in. Apparently, the water had no effect on her mechanical parts.

We waded for a little, getting the stink off, then sat in the purple grass to dry up. I noticed that Clarisse and Evalyn were whispering, and wearing evil grins. What are these idiots up to? Clarisse stood up and beckoned Grover over. Evalyn and Clarisse were whispering something to him. He shook his head, blushing, but they persisted. Finally, they got up and headed towards Percy. I got up too, because I could just feel that something was up.

Grover walked up to Percy, smiling, and hugged him. Nothing weird there. Then Grover said, "Percy, I'm gay." And Percy's face turned the color of baloney. "I feel especially gay today, don't you, Percy?" No response. I looked over at the two red-faced idiots, wondering if they told him to come out of the closet. They were trying not to crack up. I wonder. Grover kept going. "Oh, gods, I'm so happy to have let that out." He sighed dramatically.

"G-g-g-Grover? Are you serious?" Grover looked at him, and said, "Yeah. I am. Are you happy?" "Not exactly. I-I mean, it's cool for me if you're cool with it." Grover frowned. "Uh, Percy, what exactly do you mean?" he asked, innocently.

"I mean, if you like guys, then-"

"WHAT? Percy, I'm not THAT kind of gay! I MEANT HAPPY! GAY AS IN HAPPY!" Grover screamed in his ear. He turned on his heel (or can I not say that, since he's a lion right now?) and walked back over the she-devils named Clarisse and Evalyn. I knew what part they had played in this, but seeing Percy's face, I decided not to say anything. Yet. Tyson tried to comfort him, but Percy stood as still as a pine tree. Eventually, we had to keep going, and Tyson carried Percy this time.

Clarisse was whispering madly with Evalyn, and I felt so left out. Normally, I don't feel that, but they were giggling so much that finally I screamed out, "Why don't you two just make out already?" Oops. I shouldn't have said that. Clarisse, in her cyborg outfit, gave me the Terminator look. "What'd you say, dipstick?" She looked like a shark. But all Evalyn said was,"Thalia, are we a little PMS?"

"Actually," I started to say, when Grover said, "Hmmm. What are the odds of that?" "Odds of wha- oh." He was pointing to a small shack that said DR. PHOEBUS'S VET/HUMAN CLINIC OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT. I don't know why, but the name Phoebus seemed to be familiar with me. "Finally," Percy said. "Someone can help Ev so we can get on with this quest."

"Well, let's go in, so that after we're done I can kill Thalia," Clarisse said.

Oh, yay.