C.C's Spa and Resort

"You . . . C.C. . . . Circe!" I sputtered.

"Yes, my dear though I am disappointed you didn't figure out sooner." I backed up realizing that Percy was a man . . . I mean a boy . . . either way he was male. Circe laughed. "You need not worry. I mean you no harm."

"What have you done with Percy?" I asked, trying to picture Percy as a pig, squealing in a cage.

"Only helped him realize his true form." I scanned the room and my eyes fell on the cage with the guinea pigs inside. My eyes went wide. Guinea pigs is awfully close to pigs. Oh my gods Percy was a guinea pig. Perseus Jackson, supposedly the hero of Olympus and mankind, was a guinea pig. If the situation weren't so serious I would burst out laughing.

"Forget him," Circe said. "Join me and learn the ways of sorcery." I put my acting skills in hand and put a dreamy look on my face that made it look like I was thinking about her offer

"But-" I tried to say something but again she cut me off. I was getting irritated.

"Your friend will be well cared for. He'll be shipped to a wonderful new home on the mainland. The kindergarteners will adore him. Meanwhile, you will be wise and powerful. You will have all you ever wanted." What scared me was that I could envision Percy as a guinea pig in a classroom full of kindergarteners poking and prodding him. But I couldn't leave him no matter how much of a seaweed brain he was. I had a plan, and a plan worthy of Athena never fails.

"Let me think about it." I murmured. "Just . . . give me a minute alone, to say good-bye."

"Of course, my dear," Circe said. "One minute. Oh . . . so you have absolute privacy . . ." She waved her hand and iron bars covered the windows. Way to not make it obvious, I thought. She slammed the doors and I ran straight to the cage.

"All right, which one of you is it?" In answer they all squealed. I saw Percy's jeans and rummaged in the pockets until I found the multi-vitamins. I struggled with the cap until I got it open, popped a lemon chewable in my mouth, when suddenly the door opened.

"Well," Circe sighed. "How fast a minute passes. What is your answer?"

"This." I said drawing my knife. Circe was clearly surprised but it passed as quickly as it came.

"Really, little girl, a knife against my magic? Is that wise? She sneered. Was she mocking me? I think I know what is wise; I am daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom. She smiled and raised her hands to cast a spell.

"What will Annabeth's makeover be?" She mused. "Something small and ill-tempered. I know a . . . shrew!" Wow, I'm so scared. Couldn't she come up with anything better? Blue flames curled around me leading back to her fingers. She cast the spell but the only thing that it did was make me angrier. I saw my chance and jumped, my knife point at her throat.

"How about turning me into a panther instead? One that has her claws at your throat!"

"How!" She squeaked. I held up the bottle of vitamins for her to see, in response Circe growled at me.

"Curse Hermes and his multi-vitamins! Those are such a fad! They do nothing for you!" Yeah, right, nothing, that's why I 'm immune to magic. Wow and I thought she was supposed to be smart.

"Turn Percy back into a human or else!" I threatened.

"I can't!" She can't do much for someone who brags so much.

"Then you asked for it!" I didn't know exactly know what I was going to do to her. But that was my ADHD talking. Circe's servants tried to do something but she told them to back off until the vitamin wore off. But I hoped by then we would be long gone.

I dragged Circe over to the guinea pig cage, knocked the top off, and dumped the rest of the vitamins into the cage, hoping Percy got one.

A few seconds later the cage exploded and Percy and six other guys were there with wood shavings in their hair. I don't know how but thank gods their clothes returned to their bodies.

"No!" Circe screamed "You don't understand, those are the worst!" One of the men stood up. He looked like a pirate with a black beard and teeth to match.

"Arggh!" he yelled. "What's the witch done t'me!" He looked so familiar, then I understood why.

"I recognize you!" I gasped. "You're Edward Teach, son of Ares!"

"Aye, lass," Edward growled. "Though most call me Blackbeard. And there's the sorceress what captured us, lads. Run her through, and then I mean to find me a big bowl of celery! Argggh!"

Circe screamed and she left the room being chased by pirates. Well that finishes my job. I sheathed my knife and glared at Percy. Silence. Not even a thank- you for saving him. I should have just left him as a guinea pig.

"Ummm . . . thanks . . . and I'm really sor-" He started to apologize, but was cut off by me tackling him. Well he tried to apologize. I pulled away quickly and glanced at his face, he was bright red. Wow! A girl can't even hug her best friend without them going all red. Boys make things so complicated.

"I'm glad you're not a guinea pig." I said.

"Me too." He replied s I undid the golden braids from my hair.

"Come on Seaweed Brain. We have to get away while Circe's distracted." We ran past the destroyed spa until we got to the dock.

"Which ship?" I asked, thinking of far we would get on our rowboat.

"There." He said, looking at the three mast ship. At the moment the words on the side of the ship made no sense to me.

"But-" wondering how we were going to make it work. Percy must have read my mind because then he said.

"I can make it work."

"How?" I knew he was the son of a sea god and everything but that ship was so old. He didn't answer me, instead he grabbed my hand and dragged me to the ship. Somewhere behind us Blackbeard was yelling.

"Argggh. Those scalawags are a-boarding me vessel! Get'em lads." As we were climbing aboard I realized we weren't going to make it.

"We'll never make it in time." We got on board and he tried to figure out how to operate the ship when suddenly he said.

"Mizzenmast!" What the Hades! I looked at him like he should have been checked into a mental asylum but then a cable flew over my head and I ducked.

"Percy, how . . .?" I trailed off. How could he know? He was the son of Poseidon, it was in his instincts. And with that we set sail into the Sea of Monsters.