CHAPTER TWO: THE WORST SUMMER EVER

"Via! Welcome home!" Stolas called out sweetly as Octavia shut the front door behind her.

Octavia groaned to herself, dropping her backpack into an imp servant's hands. She had just stepped through the door and could already see her father striding over to shower her with affection.

Stolas bent over a little, pinching Octavia's cheeks. "Oh, my little Owlette is growing up so fast! You're one year closer to university!" he exclaimed as if that was supposed to be a good thing.

"Yay," Octavia said cynically.

Stolas relented, letting go of her and stepping back. "You're just growing up so fast; you're almost eighteen, and I…it's just too fast, Via," he said, his eyes welling up as he gave Octavia a tearful smile.

Octavia rolled her eyes. If Dad was this emotional from her finishing her junior year, she didn't even want to see him on graduation day. "It's really not that big of a deal, Dad." She assured him dispassionately. She walked past him, heading for the stairs. "I'll see you later. I'm just really tired right now."

Stolas nodded, stepping aside. As she walked past him, he cleared his throat. "Erm, well, ah…before you go, Via…I wanted to speak to you about something," he said hesitantly. "Do you, perchance, have any plans for your summer?" Stolas asked, curiosity lacing his voice.

Octavia stopped. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously as she responded cautiously. "…Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just wondering because you spent all of your last summer, you know... chillaxing, as the kids say," Stolas explained with a hint of playfulness.

"Yup. And I'm gonna spend this summer 'chillaxing' too. I'm going to bed," Octavia stated matter-of-factly.

"Wait, Via," Stolas said, sighing. His expression turned somber. "These are... some of your most important, formative years. Trust me, you will have all of eternity to relax and do nothing. This is the last summer you'll spend as a high school student before moving on with your life."

Stolas stepped forward and grabbed Octavia's shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "You will never be able to go back." He warned. "Don't you want to do something... fun? Unforgettable, maybe?" Stolas urged, a touch of concern in his voice.

Octavia gave him a half-lidded stare, brushing his hands off her shoulders. "Nope. I'm going to bed, Dad. See you when I see you," she replied, making a beeline past him for the stairs.

"Via, what I'm getting at is, I just…" Stolas' shoulders slumped as he let out a dejected sigh. "I want you to make more friends," Stolas expressed, his tone softening.

Octavia groaned in exasperation. "Ugh. Dad, I'm fine by myself. Everyone hates me anyway."

"That is not true, Octavia!" Stolas said sternly. "You just need to... put yourself out there!" Stolas pleaded, his voice tinged with concern. He shook his head resolutely, putting his hands on his hips. "You need to be around people your age instead of those dreadful taxidermies in your room!" he said assertively, his voice turning to frustration.

"Your father is right." Came a raspy voice.

Octavia turned to see her mother, Stella, standing by the doorway, rummaging through her makeup kit. "You spend all day in that room of yours, doing nothing but wasting your youth away," Stella remarked, her tone much more stern than Father's.

"Why do you care? I'm getting good grades. Isn't that all you care about?" Octavia retorted.

"Of course not!" Stella said, bringing a hand to her chest indignantly. "I also care about your social connections."

"What your mother means to say is that we both love you very much, and we're worried about you," Stolas interjected, attempting to mediate.

"Don't speak for me, Stolas!" Stella scolded, snapping her makeup kit shut. "Octavia, what I'm telling you is that at your age, you ought to be meeting boys and girls of similar age, preferably of similar wealth, and forming connections with them," She asserted, stepping closer.

"But more importantly," Stolas added sternly, glaring at Stella as he placed a hand on Octavia's shoulder, "Octavia should be making friends that she can talk to."

"Of course, Stolas! I'm merely saying that those friends should be of a similar social status," Stella growled, placing her hand on Octavia's other shoulder as they glared at each other.

"Will both of you shut up?" Octavia yelled, stepping away from them. "I'll tell you what, when I get back to school after summer, I'll talk to more people. Until then, can I just enjoy my fucking summer? I only get two months to myself!"

Octavia turned her back on her parents, exhausted from dealing with them for the day. She just needed some rest; she hoped she would feel better the following afternoon.

"Octavia, stop," her mother said in a softer tone. "I'm... sorry. Your father and I want the same thing," she muttered defeatedly.

"That's right," Stolas chimed in, humming in approval. "It's why, together, we signed you up for... oh dear, where did I put it…"

Octavia froze in her tracks. "What...?" She slowly turned to face her father. "What did you sign me up for?"

Stolas chuckled a bit, reaching into a drawer. "Well, we figured that you could use a bit of a change in scenery. Soooo…" He pulled a bundled shirt out from the drawer and unfurled it, revealing a cartoonish pine tree with text underneath that read "Happy Camper."

"You've got a trip to Camp Deadwood coming up!" Stolas announced, his voice dripping with giddy excitement.

Octavia's eyes widened in horror, her jaw dropping. She looked to her mother, seeking confirmation that this was just a stupid joke. The fact that Stella wasn't tearing Stolas apart was not a good sign.

"Sweetie, Stolas and I rarely see eye to eye on anything," Stella drawled. "Your father and I had a conversation, and we reached an amicable agreement," she continued, her face cold and stern as she picked at her nail extensions. "You do not have nearly enough friends, and quite frankly, I want my bloodline to continue."

"Stella!" Stolas whispered disapprovingly, letting his hands drop to his side.

"What?" Stella shrugged. "I won't let our daughter waste away in her room and never develop the social connections to expand our political reach, and you won't let her be friendless, or something like that. For once, our interests align, Stolas."

Octavia stared slack-jawed at her parents. For the very first time since her father had cheated on her mother with that imp, they actually agreed on ONE THING, and it was that she needed to leave the house.

"This can't be happening. Dad, you're sending me out into the wild!" Octavia cried out.

Stolas' face softened as he looked at Octavia, crooning. "Oh, come now, a little break from all that screen time could do wonders for you! Think of all the plants you'll be able to see! Why, I'm almost tempted to come along with you," Stolas said, smiling sweetly.

Octavia whimpered pathetically, feeling her anxiety rise. There was nothing she hated more than the outdoors! What the fuck was wrong with Dad? He must have gone psycho to think this was even a remotely good idea!

"Via, this is nonnegotiable. I won't let you make the same mistakes I made in my youth." Stolas sighed, a wistful look washing over his face. "I won't let you squander the best years of your life," he stated firmly, attempting to comfort Octavia with a pat on the back.

"For the record, Via," Stella interjected, arms crossed. "I wanted to send you to a luxury resort. The summer camp trip was his idea," she said, glaring at Stolas.

"Let's not do this now, dear…" Stolas said wearily.

Octavia stood up, taking several deep breaths to gather her composure. Mum and Dad weren't going to be talked out of this one, so the best she could do was make do with her remaining time. "When?" Octavia said curtly. "When are you sending me away?"

Stolas winced, taking a tentative breath. "Well... tomorrow, nine in the morning."

Octavia felt everything go numb as she collapsed to the floor.