Finally this chapter is up! Thank you to the people that bothered to review! illahe2000 SarahWolfe16,shalalalalalala, howtobecrazzy101, and Emma , yes it was from avatar!CiaoKawaiirina, oh his lie is just from a show call Avatar the last airbender, teamleoluver, I am totally in love with those books too. Anyway, all rights go to Stephenie Meyer and Rick Riordan!

Chapter 8

Previously on Another Day Another Story "By the way Grover, I would like some golden lilies." I told him when Rosalie finished. Paul was still looking jealous, so I murmured something into Grover's ear to see if he would help me to get Paul rid of the green monster.

With a smile he said, "That is a great plan, Andromeda." While everyone else looked at us with confusion.

"Turning to the others I said, "Um, yeah we should take like a five minute break don't you think, yeah, okay, good, come on Grover." Grabbing his hand we ran to the nearest side of the woods, while everyone else was staring at us confusedly but thank the gods they didn't comment. We finally came to a shallow pool, pulling out a drachma and giving it to Grover, I manipulated the water to fall down in fine mist, "O goddess of the rainbow accept our offering." Good thing somebody had a flashlight, since there was no sun this way could work. (and yes it does work though because I sadly don't have water powers I had to use my kitchen hose and of course a flashlight.)

I gave a nod to Grover to proceed, "Juniper, Camp-Half blood" As I was waiting for her to appear since at first it was just her tree, I looked over at Grover and saw that he was trying to tame his curly hair. It was funny, seeing him trying to ready himself for Juniper even when it was just an IM. When Juniper appeared in front of us, and she saw who was calling her, Grover, she also tried to pat her green dress down and ran her fingers through her hair. It was all amusing, seeing what love made people do, and I couldn't help to ask myself will I one day be like this too?

"Grover! What's up?" Juniper asked Grover. Grover looking at her through love dopey eyes told her, "I wanted to ask you a favor for Andie." At the mention of my name she looked at me and realization crossed through her eyes, finally noticing me for the first time. "Andie! Sorry, I didn't see you, I only noticed Gro-'' She abruptly stopped a green blush appearing on her cheeks. Grover also blushed, "Don't worry, it's fine." She gave me another apologetic smile, "So what's the favor?" So I explained to her the situation, how Paul my imprint was jealous of Grover and our friendship, and how she could help me solve this.

She agreed wholeheartedly, and told me she would come by later. I heard the bushes rattle behind us, since the plan had been detailed out, I distorted the image with my hand. Turning around I saw that it had been Paul coming this way, when he saw us there was a questioning look on his face. Opening his mouth he spoke, "What were yall doing out here?"

Grover opened his mouth but before he could I beaten him to it, "I will tell you later." Paul looked like he was going to say something else but before he could, I gave him a little kiss in his cheek. That stopped him from questioning anymore so we started walking to the clearing once again. With me and Paul at the beginning and Grover trailing behind.

When we got to the clearing we saw that the vampires and the wolves seemed to be getting along fine, since they were laughing together at something that Emmett said. When we sat down I sat down next to Paul, of course, Grover on the other side of me. He still didn't seem that comfortable next to them, but he was getting there, as I thought this Embry caught Grover's attention and asked him what it was like to be a goat, which Grover in return asked him if he had to worry about catching fleas. I laughed along with everyone, seems that I do not have to worry he seemed to fit right along in the teasing atmosphere.

After everyone calmed down, the book was passed around to see who will read this chapter, and it was the last person to get it who finally saw the words. Esme Cullen. The mother vampire, looked surprised at being chosen but this didn't seem to faze her in reading the words in her clear bell-like tone voice.

Grover Unexpectedly Loses His Pants

When Esme declared that this was the chapter's name I knew what was coming up next and knew that the title's name would not please Paul. Sure enough when I looked over to check his expression. Let's just say that he was not please in fact he had a dark look in his face. Trying to erase it I grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze. I started to worry when he didn't squeeze it back until he finally did and I released air that I hadn't know I was holding in.

Confession time: I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal.

"That was rude," I was about to retort to Edward when book-me beat me to it.

I know, I know. It was rude.

Everyone seemed amused that even if I didn't speak I always seemed to defend myself. Edward specially seemed amused by this and it was a while before the chuckles resided. Specially since they seemed to hold a contest on who was the last one to chuckle. That is until they saw Esme's glare so she could resume.

But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was dead meat, muttering, "Why does this always happen?" and "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"

"Man, I can see why you ran off, Andie I was in complete hysterics." Grover said with wide eyes, I think that being Lord of the Wild had gained him a lot of confidence. Esme seemed to be the only one amused at this, a smile playing on her lips.

Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I wasn't surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom. Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown.

"East One-hundred-and-fourth and First," I told the driver.

"Ooh, I know where you live, Andie," Emmett said with a creepy stalker voice. I raised my eyebrow, an ability that I am proud to have, and said, "I don't live there anymore."

"Oh, well, where do you live then?" he asked.

"I ain't going to tell you!" I responded like it was the silliest notion I had ever heard in my life. He seemed confused by this while the others snickered in the background, "Why not?"

"Because, it is not my place to tell you,"

"How is it not your place to tell me?"

"Because it's the yellow pages' job." he seemed to accept this fact. Nodding his head he said, "Oh, yeah that makes sense, I have that book at home."

A word about my mother, before you meet her.

Her name is Sally Jackson, and she's the best person in the world,

There was a lot of awwing when Esme read this part, Esme looked up at me giving me a smile full of warmth and I knew that she knew how much my mom meant to me. And how could she not she was there for me in my most darkest time, she had given me a shoulder to cry on when stuff seemed to prove too hard to overcome. But with her it seemed less hard.

-which just proves my theory that the best people have the rottenest luck. Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative-writing program. Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family, and no diploma.

"I can't comprehend that if there are gods out there, then why is there so many hardships in life?" Cal voiced this out loud.

"You have to understand that the gods are limited too, as much as some might want to help. They don't have time for everyone, you know, and anyway they make mistakes too." I responded, for I once had thought this too, but now that I had gotten used to this life ,as much as you can anyways, I began to understand their ways more. Everyone was quiet after my answer and Esme resumed reading.

The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad.

I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile. My mom doesn't like to talk about him because it makes her sad. She has no pictures.

See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.

Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.

Everyone seemed to have sympathetic faces as Esme read this, but the most sympathetic came from Embry, hmm I wonder if I will ever get to know the story behind him.

She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get diploma, and raised me on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid.

"You will never be Paul's mate if you weren't," Seth teased me trying to, I guess, lighten the somber atmosphere. There were a few chuckles at this but the feeling wasn't completely gone.

"If that was true, Seth you would have been the one that Paul had imprinted on." I retaliated, trying to lighten the atmosphere myself. There were more chuckles at this, though it didn't come from Paul in fact he looked at Seth with a horrified expression. I laughed even more at his reaction and I started to laugh more when Seth threw Paul a flirty wink. This really set off everybody laughing.

Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nicknamed him Smelly Gabe.

I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts.

"Oh, so a perfect description, of Jared," Sam said nodding gravely. While Jared looked offended at first he seemed at a loss, but then his face lit up. In a perfect imitation of Sam's somber face he said, "Sam, you must be confused, your own stench seems to have clogged up your nose. Why, I can even see why Emily carries a bottle of Febreze with her."

Sam stood up indignantly and said, "Emily does not carry Febreze with her because of me!" Looking at her, "Right, Emily?" looking confident that she will say no. So surprised he was when she had a guilty teasing expression on her face.

"Sorry, sweetie pie." I don't know what was funnier Sam's face at this fact, or Sam being called any kind of sugary pie. Sorry, but this alpha didn't look like any kind of desert in my book.

Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along...well, when I came home is a good example.

I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television blared ESPN. Chips and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet.

That's no place for a child to live in, Edward's head turned toward Esme when he heard this particular thought in her head. Being that he was sitting right next to her, he whispered so low that even the Carlisle on the other side of her couldn't hear them. "Esme I am sure, there is a reason why that is the place she grew up in." Esme looked a bit more at ease at hearing his words. Edward thinking that his mission was accomplished of reassuring Esme, grew quiet once again.

Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar. "So, you're home."

"Where's my mom?"
"Working," he said. "You got any cash?"

"Man, Dro, I thought my dad was bad." Sam commented to me. I smirked over at him, "yeah, but fortunately I am in no way related to that," I paused thinking of a word to describe that vile man. "-tuckless walrus." They laughed at my words, Paul looked over at me and I'll like to say that all was all right between us. He even had that gleam back in his eyes when he looked at me.

That was it. No Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months?

Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuckless walrus

Haha, even now my opinion of that man, still hasn't changed. The others seemed to believe this also since they too started laughing.

in thrift-store

"Ooh, thrift shop!" Jake exclaimed. "What, what, what, what, what, what,what..." Jared groaned saying, "He has been obsessed with that song, since it first came out." Not long after that Seth, Cal, Hunter, Derek, Lucas, and Leah had joined Jake singing. Instead of it being annoying like I first thought, it was rather entertaining and fun, so much that even Paul and me joined in.

-clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something.

"Nothing made him handsome," I said remembering that poor excuse of a man once again. Alice hearing my comment, turned her head toward me and spoke in her silvery voice, "Aww, come on I am sure that the right stylist would make him look at least a little bit better."

"And let ,me guess you are that stylist?" I asked her not believing once how she was willing to go near that man. Even Esme and Carlisle looked disgusted at hearing her offer.

"Of course, though he needs to learn how to be a good person first." I laughed at that if only she knew.

"What's so funny?"

"Sorry, Alice, but I am afraid you are a little bit late if you know what I mean." Some of the guys shuddered at my words, I looked over to see that Paul was smiling fondly at me while Grover was slowly shaking his head, a smile on his lips.

He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting paychecks, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous,

"Did you know that you are most probable to get lung cancer when it is second hand rather than first?" asked Carlisle. Some shook their heads and some nodded. Carlisle looking satisfied that he had passed the message along nodded to Esme signaling that she had the floor once again.

-and on beer, of course. Always beer. Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our "father-daughter secret." Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out.

Paul looking alarmed asked me in a serious tone, "Did he ever touch you, Andromeda?" I looked at him fondly forgetting that others were in the clearing. "No, Paul, he never touched me, and anyway if he did, well his doom would have met him sooner." I said to him touching his cheek. Feeling the stubble on his cheek under my palm. Looking into his eyes, I lost myself in the seemingly endless black.

Leaning in I closed my eyes, once centimeter away, where I could sense the feel of his lips, Seth had to cough rather exaggeratedly, we stopped, I let out a frustrated sigh. Later I whispered, but then I thought, Oh what the heck. I grabbed him, on each side of his head and drew him in. There were some cat calls but it all faded away, when I felt Paul's lips upon mine.

When we stopped there was a tense silence until one of the guys, I don't know who, exclaimed, "Get a room!" there was a burst of laughter, but I didn't care I was with Paul and that made me happy.

"I don't have any cash," I told him.

He raised a greasy eyebrow.

"Eww," Rosalie and Alice exclaimed simultaneously, making them say jinx and laugh.

Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.

This made everybody laugh, "Not that I am complaining, but do you have a sarcastic comment for everything?" Jasper asked me between snickers.

I thought about it, "Nah," everyone raised their eyebrows at this, disbelief painted in their face, "just 4 out 5."

"You took a taxi from the bus station," he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, she ought to carry her own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"

"Then why is he still living there?" Leah, huffed out, "Am I right, Seth?" Seth who had been eating his hundredth slice of pizza, between bites said, "Right you are, Leah," everyone was watching the siblings with amusement until the end when the silence, left by them, was broken by large guffaws coming from Emmett.

Eddie, the super of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."

"Am I right?" Gabe repeated.

Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.

"Eww," it was the first time that I seen that Leah, Alice and Rosalie shared something together.

"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you loose."

"Your report card came, brain girl!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snotty!"

I slammed the door to my room, which really wasn't my room. During school months, it was Gabe's "study." He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, an doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.

I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home.

"I don't understand," Lucas bit out confusedly. Derek asked before I could, "What about?" Everyone was paying attention to the cute werewolf now, (To those who read Shadow Falls ironic isn't it?) "Well, she just said that it smelled like nasty cologne, cigars, and stale beer,"

"What about it?" Okay, he was confusing me, and judging from other people's expressions I wasn't the only one. "Well, then how can it be sweet?" At hearing his words, almost everyone face palmed, "Dude, she was being sarcastic." Derek one again beat me before I could say anything.

Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodds, or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn.

But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic-how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone-something-was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.

"Oh, no it's coming right? Oh my gods, what if Gabe was a monster all along?" Rosalie suggested. "Gabe might be a monster, but he wasn't the kind of monster killed by celestial bronze."

Then I heard my mom's voice. "Andromeda?"

She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.

She is such a sweet girl, I wonder if that is the same way my children feel about me? Was Esme's silent question, only answered when Edward looked at her smiling sweetly, and nodded letting all his love, for his adoptive mother, shine through.

My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room. Her eyes sparkle and change color in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She's got a few gray streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it's like she's seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad. I've never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.

"That is one sweet lady, if it was me, I would have long ago told Gabe his truths."

"We know, Quil, we know," the pack chorused out to him.

"Oh, Andromeda." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!"

Her red-white-and-blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought me a huge bag of "free samples," the way she always did when I came home.

We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I hadn't put in my letters. She didn't mention anything about my getting expelled. She didn't seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little girl doing all right?

Jared snorted, "Dude, if it had been my mom, she would have cared and she would have made me care for the rest of my life if you know what I mean."

I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her.

From the other room, Gabe yelled, "Hey, Sally-how about some bean dip, huh?"

"He can afford bean dip?" Leah asked incredulously. I laughed but I couldn't help but think, does that mean that she is question my ability to afford bean dip?

I gritted my teeth.

My mom is the nicest lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to some jerk like Gabe.

For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said.

"Ugh, that is what I hate the most when you get in trouble or something, the teacher always exaggerated what really happened," Paul said.

"Do you get in trouble often?" I wonder who Paul was, and how he generally acted.

Red tinting his tan skin, "uuuhm, not really." He mostly sounded convincing...nah not really. There was doubt in his voice but it was the pack's laugh that really told the truth.

I liked Yancy Academy. I really did. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself. I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr. Brunner. Even Nancy Bobofit suddenly didn't seem so bad.

Until that trip to the museum …

"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"

"No, Mom."

"Andie! How could you lie to your mom?! Don't you know that, that is the number one rule: to no lie to your mom?" Rosalie told me, I looked guiltily at her.

I felt bad lying. I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodds and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid.

"You always tell your mom what happens stupid or not. Or else the situation will become worse later on." Ah, Rosalie was so right, if I had only told my mom, I would have saved myself a lot of trouble.

She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she didn't push me.

"Oh, so did she pull you?" Emmett teased making the others laugh. I wasn't going to let it go, so of course I said the following, "Hey, Emmett you must have been born on a highway, since that is where most accidents happen." There was a collective gasp and then a roar of laughter exploded. He just kept on sitting there opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We're going to the beach."

My eyes widened. "Montauk?"

"Is Montauk pretty?" Alice asked me. "Beautiful," I responded , and to me it was.

"Three nights-same cabin."

"When?"

She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."

I couldn't believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.

"Yeah, because he probably lost it gambling." Paul half growled. "Shh, it's okay, Paul he isn't here anymore."

Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Didn't you hear me?"

"That man, is ugh.. I can't even call him an idiot, for that will be an insult to idiot people out there." These words seemed weird coming from the usually gentle vampire mother. But she looked like that if any of her children or anyone she cared in fact, she would do anything to protect them.

I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.

"I was on my way, honey,"

Before Esme could continue reading, Cal interrupted, "Honey? Honey?! If that man is honey then I don't know what I am."

- she told Gabe. "We were just talking about the trip."

Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"

"I knew it," I muttered. "He won't let us go."

"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your stepfather is just worried about money.

"Money that he wouldn't get to spend playing," Leah said disgusted. "I will never marry a man that has his head up his a-," she stopped mid-word seeing the panicked look Esme gave her, "butt, so much."

That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole. Sour cream. The works."

Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip … it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"

"Yes, honey," my mother said.

"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."

"We'll be very careful."

Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip … And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."

"And maybe if you went shopping for a life I hear that they have discounts for them at Dollar Tree, something that I am sure that even you could afford." Leah commented once again, and I couldn't help but think, she hasn't had a good love life, and hearing this things about a vile man, well, I wonder if giving the chance she would join the hunt...Nah, for one Artemis will have to be here.

Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week.

The girls laughed while the guys winced, some even looking at me warily almost seemingly like they wanted to cover their family jewels.

But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad.

Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought?

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."

"And then jump off a bridge and die." Everyone looked at Leah, who shook her head and raised her hands in the air, indicating that she hadn't been the one that said it. Everyone was surprised when she pointed a finger at Esme. The mother vampire looked like if she could blush, she would have, but then a steely determination entered her gaze and didn't flinch under our gaze making me smile at her.

Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement.

"Yeah, whatever," he decided.

He went back to his game.

"Thank you, Andie," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we'll talk more about… whatever you've forgotten to tell me, okay?"

"Ah, a mother's love is the best in the world." Carlisle said, nodding his head probably remembering his mother, I wonder what she would have thought of his son now that he is a vampire. Proud, a little voice whispered in my mind. I mean after all he was a doctor.

For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes-the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride-as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air.

But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.

An hour later we were ready to leave.

Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the car. He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking-and more important, his '78 Camaro-for the whole weekend.

"Not a scratch on this car, brain girl," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch."

"Like she would be the one driving," Paul sarcastically said, making me smile, for I knew what was coming.

Like I'd be the one driving.

"See, y'all are perfect for each other." Quil said making me laugh, "For once in your laugh you are right." Paul retorted, making the others laugh.

I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me.

"He can afford a paint job?" Seth took the lead from his sister.

Watching him lumber back toward the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement toward Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the staircase as if he'd been shot from a cannon. Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.

Everyone was laughing at the image that my words burned in their minds. Only Emmett seemed a little hesitant, "Dro, sorry but I can't wrap my mind around that certain concept." Taking pity on him Is aid, "Don't worry Emmett, one day we will go to Alaska and we will push a walrus off a ledge, perfect example." Emmett grinned liking the idea.

I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it.

Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets, and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in.

I loved the place.

We'd been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my dad.

"Awww, that is so sweet, this is like the greatest love story ever! I wonder if she will ever move on from her one true love." Alice said, oddly reminding me of Aphrodite, goddess of love. I couldn't help but think they could have best friends. "Hardly, she does move on from her oh true love." I said remembering Paul and the way he and my mom glowed around each other.

As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the color of the sea.

"What's the color of the sea, Andromeda?" Paul asked me. "I mean we have a beach here but, well it never really sparkles with the sun's rays," he seemed frustrated with the piece of sea he had gotten. "Well, the ocean is not really one color, instead it changes with the sun and what season it is. It is truly beautiful, and it doesn't need the sun for it's beauty to shine forward." I told him smiling, thinking of the colors of the ocean, blue, gray, pink at sunset, even purple.

We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work.

"Why is everything blue?" Embry asked me puzzled. I was about to respond when Esme beat me to it.

I guess I should explain the blue.

See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This-along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano-was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.

"Isn't it the other way around, shouldn't it be that you have a rebellious streak like her?" Jared asked. "No, it isn't," I answered sincerely, leaving him confused.

When it got dark, we made a fire. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Mom told me stories about when she was a kid, back before her parents died in the plane crash. She told me about the books she wanted to write someday, when she had enough money to quit the candy shop.

"Did she ever published her novel?" Carlisle asked, if not he would make sure that she did, after all that wonderful woman deserved netter than that garbage of a man like Andromeda had said earlier she needed a millionaire. "Yes, she did." he nodded at her answer seeming pleased.

Eventually, I got up the nerve to ask about what was always on my mind whenever we came to Montauk- my father. Mom's eyes went all misty. I figured she would tell me the same things she always did, but I never got tired of hearing them.

I always thought that all human beings needed a father figure, sure some say that you can't miss what you never had, but there will be a hole to fill in your heart, that can only be filled with a father's love, Carlisle thought. He also questioned the choice of the gods to leave their demigod children abandoned.

"He was kind, Andromeda," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."

Mom fished a blue jelly bean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Andromeda. He would be so proud."

I wondered how she could say that. What was so great about me? A dyslexic, hyperactive girl with a D+ report card, kicked out of school for the sixth time in six years.

"Who is also a sweet, beautiful, kind, human being, who wouldn't think twice in saving her friends." Paul was looking at Andromeda while saying this, and everyone felt like intruders at hearing this love statement. Everyone could also see the blush on the girl's cheeks, but you could also see her love for him in her eyes.

"How old was I?" I asked. "I mean … when he left?"

She watched the flames. "He was only with me for one summer, Andromeda. Right here at this beach. This cabin."

"But… he knew me as a baby."

"No, honey. He knew I was expecting a baby, but he never saw you. He had to leave before you were born."

I tried to square that with the fact that I seemed to remember … something about my father. A warm glow. A smile.

I had always assumed he knew me as a baby. My mom had never said it outright, but still, I'd felt it must be true. Now, to be told that he'd never even seen me …

I felt angry at my father. Maybe it was stupid, but I resented him for going on that ocean voyage, for not having the guts to marry my mom. He'd left us, and now we were stuck with Smelly Gabe.

Carlisle filled with curiosity asked the question that had been burning in his mind before. "Andromeda, why if there are gods, do they not take care of their own children? Do they not deem them worthy of their care?" he knew it sounded harsh but it was vitally important. Andromeda though knew he hadn't meant it in a mean way, "The ancient laws Carlisle, they don't allow them to interfere with their children's lives." Carlisle looked like his questions were answered, for now at least.

"Are you going to send me away again?" I asked her. "To another boarding school?"

She pulled a marshmallow from the fire.

"I don't know, honey." Her voice was heavy. "I think … I think we'll have to do something."

"Because you don't want me around?"

"Andie, that was harsh." Embry chastised me, "I know, I know."
"Then why did you say?"
"Because I didn't know at the time."

I regretted the words as soon as they were out.

My mom's eyes welled with tears. She took my hand, squeezed it tight. "Oh, Andromeda, no. I-I have to, honey. For your own good. I have to send you away."

Her words reminded me of what Mr. Brunner had said-that it was best for me to leave Yancy.

"Because I'm not normal," I said.

"Dro, normal isn't that good you know, for one it is super boring, and for the other well... there is no such thing." Emmett said grinning. His words making the others laugh, for one in agreement with the teddy bear of a vampire.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing, Andromeda. But you don't realize how important you are. I thought Yancy Academy would be far enough away. I thought you'd finally be safe."

"Safe from what?"

She met my eyes, and a flood of memories came back to me-all the weird, scary things that had ever happened to me, some of which I'd tried to forget.

During third grade, a man in a black trench coat had stalked me on the playground. When the teachers threatened to call the police, he went away growling, but no one believed me when I told them that under his broad-brimmed hat, the man only had one eye, right in the middle of his head.

Before that-a really early memory. I was in preschool, and a teacher accidentally put me down for a nap in a cot that a snake had slithered into. My mom screamed when she came to pick me up and found me playing with a limp, scaly rope I'd somehow managed to strangle to death with my meaty toddler hands.

"Oh my, Andie, so you never really had a normal year?" Esme asked clutching the area near her heart would be beating with her hand.

"Normal, what is this normal you speak of?" My words made everyone laughed, and I knew I had said the right words to set hear mind at ease.

In every single school, something creepy had happened, something unsafe, and I was forced to move.

I knew I should tell my mom about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds at the art museum, about my weird hallucination that I had sliced my math teacher into dust with a sword.

"Yeah, you should have, A, it would have saved us a lot of trouble." Grover said for the first time in a long time. I couldn't help but think he was right, "Oh my gods, it speaks!" Jake exclaimed, but I knew it was all right, apparently they had become fast friends.

"Oh, I am sorry was I meant to be offended? The only thing offending is your face." Grover retaliated, Jake seemed at a loss of words. While everyone was like "Ooooh."

But I couldn't make myself tell her. I had a strange feeling the news would end our trip to Montauk, and I didn't want that.

"I've tried to keep you as close to me as I could," my mom said. "They told me that was a mistake. But there's only one other option, Andromeda-the place your father wanted to send you. And I just… I just can't stand to do it."

"My father wanted me to go to a special school?"

"Not a school," she said softly. "A summer camp."

"I thought he couldn't interfere with you life." Carlisle asked me, his questions returning.

"Directly, this wasn't directly and anyway that's the place where demigods train." I responded.

My head was spinning. Why would my dad-who hadn't even stayed around long enough to see me born- talk to my mom about a summer camp? And if it was so important, why hadn't she ever mentioned it before?

"I'm sorry, Andromeda," she said, seeing the look in my eyes. "But I can't talk about it. I-I couldn't send you to that place. It might mean saying good-bye to you for good."

"For good? But if it's only a summer camp …"

She turned toward the fire, and I knew from her expression that if I asked her any more questions she would start to cry.

"Aww, that is so considerate, you know most children these days aren't like that. The first opportunity they get, they run away, not even caring for the people that took care of them for 18 yrs."

That night I had a vivid dream.

It was storming on the beach, and two beautiful animals, a white horse and a golden eagle,

"Are they who I think they are?" Edward asked me. I think that Carlisle, Edward, and Jasper were the ones that knew most about my world. "I don't know who do you think they are?" I retorted.

"The sea god, and the sky god." I guess when I told them that names had power they took it seriously. I just nodded.

were trying to kill each other at the edge of the surf. The eagle swooped down and slashed the horse's muzzle with its huge talons. The horse reared up and kicked at the eagles wings. As they fought, the ground rumbled, and a monstrous voice chuckled somewhere beneath the earth, goading the animals to fight harder.

Everyone in the circle(Haha, Mortal Instruments) was tense, waiting how things were going to turn out. Well, that is except me and Grover who knew how it all turned out.

I ran toward them, knowing I had to stop them from killing each other, but I was running in slow motion. I knew I would be too late. I saw the eagle dive down, its beak aimed at the horse's wide eyes, and I screamed, No!

The tension was crackling waiting to hear how the fight had turned, had the horse turned away, or had the eagle took out its sight.

I woke with a start.

Everyone groaned, so much for awaited answers.

Outside, it really was storming, the kind of storm that cracks trees and blows down houses. There was no horse or eagle on the beach, just lightning making false daylight, and twenty-foot waves pounding the dunes like artillery.

With the next thunderclap, my mom woke. She sat up, eyes wide, and said, "Hurricane."

"Hurricane? I thought that Long Island didn't see them that early in the summer?" Jasper asked in a puzzled tone. Esme giggled, I know weird, but true, "If you just wait, a little while you will get your answer." was the only thing she said.

I knew that was crazy. Long Island never sees hurricanes this early in the summer. But the ocean seemed to have forgotten.

"Hmmm, I guess you were right Esme."Jasper said.

"Hon, moms are always right." Esme said making the others nod in agreement.

Over the roar of the wind, I heard a distant bellow, an angry, tortured sound that made my hair stand on end.

Then a much closer noise, like mallets in the sand. A desperate voice-someone yelling, pounding on our cabin door.

"Hmm, things are about to get sexy." I was shocked at hearing Grover say that. "That's one way to look at it, I was thinking ugly at the time." Since only me and Grover knew what was going to happen, only the two of us laguhed.

My mother sprang out of bed in her nightgown and threw open the lock.

Grover stood framed in the doorway against a backdrop of pouring rain. But he wasn't… he wasn't exactly Grover.

"Searching all night," he gasped. "What were you thinking?"

"You weren't thinking that's the problem," Grover commented under his breath, not wanting Andro to hear him say it. Too late, did he saw a slice of pizza fly in the air, until it hit him in the face, much to the amusement of many.

My mother looked at me in terror-not scared of Grover, but of why he'd come.

"Andromeda," she said, shouting to be heard over the rain. "What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"

I was frozen, looking at Grover. I couldn't understand what I was seeing.

"O Zeu kai alloi theoi!" he yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you tell her?"

No one wanted to comment, they just wanted to know what happened next.

I was too shocked to register that he'd just cursed in Ancient Greek, and I'd understood him perfectly. I was too shocked to wonder how Grover had gotten here by himself in the middle of the night. Because Grover didn't have his pants on

"What!" I was startle out of my thought, making me jump a foot in the air. I looked at Paul puzzled until Esme's words registered. Rolling my eyes I sat down, "Paul, it just means, he was the same as he is now."

-and where his legs should be … where his legs should be …

My mom looked at me sternly and talked in a tone she'd never used before: "Andromeda. Tell me now!"

I stammered something about the old ladies at the fruit stand, and Mrs. Dodds, and my mom stared at me, her face deathly pale in the flashes of lightning.

She grabbed her purse, tossed me my rain jacket, and said, "Get to the car. Both of you. Go!"

Grover ran for the Camaro- but he wasn't running, exactly. He was trotting, shaking his shaggy hindquarters, and suddenly his story about a muscular disorder in his legs made sense to me. I understood how he could run so fast and still limp when he walked.

Because where his feet should be, there were no feet. There were cloven hooves.

"That's the end of the chapter," Esme announced. The pack, Grover, and me stood up, and stretched out our muscles from sitting down so long. I guess the vampires didn't need too, I noticed that they rarely moved. I put my arms around Paul when I was done stretching, he smiled down at me, but I could still see some uneasiness in his eyes. Where is she, she should be here around now.

Five seconds later, my answer came, when I saw a flash of green come hurtling out of the closest trees, and onto Grover's arms. Everyone was startled even the vampires, reacting fast the females were thrown to the back, even Leah and me, which was something that we didn't like. Even though I knew we weren't in trouble, and our respected mates stood in front of us. So we all saw Juniper and Grover eat out each others face.

At first we planned tp wait for them to stop, after five minutes, everyone was uncomfortable, until we all started to cough to get their attention from themselves. They managed to look embarrassed when they turned to look at us. Turning to Paul, "See, Paul I do not like Grover that way in any form or matter. I am sure that if Juniper had any doubt she would have crushed me with her tree." Juniper laughed at my words, while Grover looked down at her fondly. Paul looking sheepish, nodded at me, leaning down to kiss me. And kissed me he did, though at first it was gentle and sweet until it started to come with more force, I was about to melt in his arms. When I heard Jasper announced that he and Alice had to go, I wonder why?

Paul's problem of jealousy solved, we all decided to go home, and read the next chapter tomorrow. Though of course some stayed to ask Juniper questions, about her life as a tree. Something that seemed to flatter her to no end. I didn't stay though I just wanted to spend some time alone with Paul, without interruptions. Of course, my wish wasn't granted.

Hey, people long time no see...yeah sorry, about that all I can say is that life got in the way. Anyway review, and tell me what you think of this chapter, and who you think will come into play in the next chapter. Review Review Review, oh another thing, what do you think I would do with Annabeth, keep her a girl, and just friends with Andromeda, or turn her into a guy?