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Author's Note: Here's Ch. 14. There's a nice build up to something cool coming. I'd like to thank djkauf for the wonderful editing and DC Comics for the wonderful characters.

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Chapter Fourteen:

I woke up to the alarm going off. When I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I was a bit confused. Last night, I fell asleep on the couch, I was certain of that. But looking around, hearing the buzzing I was definitely in my room. I groaned, gently stretching out and shutting the clock off. No point making my grandmother buy another. I rubbed my neck, it was a little stiff. As I was rubbing it, something came back to me. It was something faint---like a dream. I definitely remember falling asleep on the couch but there was something else too. Someone was there---I’m not sure if it was a man or a woman---but whoever it was picked me up. It definitely wasn’t my grandmother that’s for sure and I’m guessing Donna wasn’t that strong. Maybe one of Cameron’s men? The thought of a stranger carrying me to my room made me shudder a bit.

I got out of bed and went through my morning routine. Yesterday was on my mind the whole time I was in the shower. I couldn’t help but think I’d made a horrible mistake, agreeing to join their little group. I refused to think of them as Amazons, because let’s face it they weren’t. They were a bunch of girls playing pretend. It was kinda sad; I really thought I had found a kindred group there for a second. I’m sure they were all really good girls but I’m not really sure I fit in with them. It still bugged me though that they just happened to be in Chicago. It was just too much of a coincidence. I wish I could talk to Hera about it but lately my dreams had been nothing but the usual. Though I did have an unsettling one the other day about standing in front of the school in my underwear but instead of the usual, it was a pair of boxers. That one kinda freaked me out some.

When I dressed and got downstairs, there was a pile of mail sitting on the counter. The letter on top was a little unusual for us. It was ornate, the envelope made of a heavier material. The lettering was gold and fancy. I picked it up; it was addressed to me. But what surprised me more was the logo in the corner, a purple W, the sign of Wayne Enterprises.

“That came for you yesterday,” my grandma said as she placed some bacon and toast on the table for me. There were extra helpings of it.

“Why me?” I asked, slowly opening the envelope.

My eyes widened when I saw what was inside. It was an invitation, addressed to me, Cassandra Sandsmark. The lettering was gold and elegant, like on the envelope. I scanned it quickly and sighed. It was an invitation to a new museum opening. Before getting the grant, Mom had done some work for Mr. Wayne. He’d asked her to find some nice pieces for him to put on display in a new Greek exhibit at the Fields. It’s one of the reasons she got her grant so easily, seeing that he knew she did good work. But that was several months ago, I’d completely forgotten about it. I’d only met him briefly when he showed up here to ask Mom personally---which I thought was the coolest thing in the world. But he’d met me as Charlie, how in the hell did he know about Cassandra?

“Oh that’s lovely dear,” said my grandma, taking a glance at it. Then she tutted. “Two days, that doesn’t give us a lot of time to find you a dress.”

“A dress?” I squeaked.

“Of course, you can’t go to this in jeans,” she laughed.

I paled. A dress. I read further and paled even more. “It says Plus One.”

“That means you can bring a date.”

A date, I gulped. Why did life have to be so difficult? I wracked my brain, trying to figure out whom I could bring. Not that I wanted to ask anyone but surely someone would like to come and keep me company. I suppose I could bring Donna but that would be like kinda awkward. Besides, I’m sure she got one of these too, she is Mom’s assistant after all. I wonder if Connor…no that would be extremely awkward. Besides he’d never go to it, he hates things like this. There were only two other guys around my age I really knew. Eddie was definitely out of the question. I bit my lip, that just left Jay. But would he really want to go to this thing with a sixteen year old?

The ringing of the doorbell interrupted my thoughts. I sat at the table, my whole body numb. Why did life have to be so complicated? When Connor came in, he smiled, flashing me all his pearly whites. I blushed and tried to ignore him as the two of us devoured our breakfast in silence. The car ride to school was in relative silence, too. He asked me how the “tryout” went---apparently, he thought I was trying to get on the team too---so I told him it went well. Well for them anyway. He thought it was kinda cool that I was joining the ranks of the “elite”. He said it with air quotes, we both laughed.

School dragged on kinda slow. At lunch, Amy joined Cissie and me at our table.

“So where did you go yesterday anyway?” she asked, opening her little carton of milk.

“Artemis and her friends dragged me off to some spa in the big city.”

“That sounds nice,” said Cissie, smiling. “My mother and I used to go to a lot of those before she got so busy with work.”

Her mother was a big time businesswoman. She worked for a rival company of Wayne’s, owned by Henry Ballard. I think it bothered Cissie that her mom worked for a sleaze like Ballard. I know it would bother me. That guy gave everyone I know the creeps.

“A spa?” asked Amy, setting her milk down. “They go all the way into Chicago for a damn mud bath?”

I shrugged. “It’s some kind of exclusive thing, members only.”

“You get a membership?” I nodded; Amy smiled. “Well that’s better then, maybe we can shoot some love our way, pamper your friends like princesses too.”

We all had a laugh. Amy might get in, Cissie not so much. I didn’t say that though. She seemed like the kinda girl that might take something like that personally. I changed the subject after that, telling them all about my invite to the exhibit opening. I asked them if either was interested in going. Amy didn’t seem too keen on the idea but Cissie did until I mentioned when it was. Unfortunately, she had a piano lessons that night she couldn’t miss because there was a big recital coming up. It pained me that she never got to have any fun. I made a mental note to kidnap her and drag her to an amusement park as soon as I got the time.

The rest of the school day went by quickly. I had Eddie Bloomberg in three classes and it never occurred to me that when I got into my second one with him that he wasn’t there. Not that it really mattered much to me but I did feel for him a bit. He did look a little pale yesterday and let’s face, it probably didn’t help that I gave his coin purse a good squeeze. Not that I felt bad about that---he did deserve it after all---but I hoped it wasn’t anything too serious. I made another mental note, this one to ask Connor if Eddie was feeling any better or worse.

When the end of the school day came around, Artemis and another girl from the team were waiting for me. She was one of “Artemis’ Six” as I’d come to think of them. She was tall and black; her hair was long, down her back in tight braids. She had a beauty about her that made her look like an African princess. Like the others in the group, she was ripped. She looked a little more so than the others though, like she spent a lot more time working out than anything else. I looked her up and down and she did the same with me.

“Hey Cas, this is Karna” said Artemis, thumbing the girl.

Karna nodded. Seriously, what the hell kind of name was that. I wonder if it was her real one or a fake like all her friends. I smiled weakly and nodded. “What can I do for you guys today?”

“We’re going for a run then we thought we might head into the city. We thought you might want to tag along.”

“I can run for a bit but I’m kinda busy tonight.”

In truth, I didn’t really want to do either. I know I played nice yesterday and agreed to join their little play group but I wasn’t really interested in going back to that place. I know Antiope said she’d help me find whatever it was that I was looking for but I still didn’t want anything to do with her.

“I think we can live with that,” said Artemis smiling. “But you gotta come tomorrow; Antiope wants to discuss something with all of us.”

I nodded. I suppose I could come up with an excuse for that too but what was the point. As long as they didn’t make me miss the exhibit in two days I was fine with spending one more evening at that freaky place. “I think I can live with that.” I said; we laughed.

I followed them to the locker room. When we got there, Akila and Persephone were already there, dressed in sports bras and Lycra running shorts. They were insane if they were going to run in those. The other two members of Artemis’ group were there, too. They were dressed a little more conservatively. I didn’t know either of them but Artemis quickly introduced them: Laris and Anaya. Both of them were dark haired, Anaya’s skin had a golden hue to it, making her appear Middle Eastern maybe. She had Caucasian features though, a thinner nose for one. So it was possible she was a little of both. Laris was blue eyed and stern, her hair pulled back tight.

I dressed quickly enough then the seven of us hit the track. I thought maybe Akila and Persephone would complain about the cold but it amazed me that they didn’t. Even though I could see their breath, they looked perfectly fine. I kept pace with them for a while, the seven of us running as a group. It felt kinda nice for a bit but then got cramped. Our tight group didn’t last long. It was clear that Akila and Artemis were the superior runners. Laris fell off first followed by Persephone then Anaya. Karna kept good pace with me for a bit but she fell back too. I let Artemis and Akila keep the lead for a bit before I moved in on them.

"This is just a recreational run, you know,” said Akila as I passed.

I turned, running backwards. “I know,” I said with a laugh.

I turned back around and took Artemis easily. She tried to keep up this time, putting everything she had into it but like before, it wasn’t enough. Instead of showing off, I only ran one more lap before I joined the six of them at the bleachers. They were passing a little white bottle between them, popping one pill each. That gave me some pause.

“What are you doing?” I asked sternly, thinking the worse.

Artemis quickly explained. “They’re nothing bad. They’re these new vitamins; they sell them at the Spa. You want some?”

I looked at the bottle, reading the label: Ambrosia, Food of the Gods. I shook my head. “I don’t go for that kinda stuff.”

Artemis shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

After that, we went back to the locker rooms and changed. Artemis drove me home; Akila and Persephone were in the back seat again. As soon as I got in the house, I was met by Donna. She had a big smile on her face, the kinda of smile that usually met trouble. She was holding my invitation. I gulped, knowing what was coming.

“Drop your bag there but don’t get comfortable,” she said, taking out her keys.

I groaned. “I just came back from a run, can’t I shower first.”

“You don’t sweat remember.”

I groaned, why did I tell her that. My grandma came out of the kitchen with her purse, wearing her winter coat.

“Good, you’re home now the three of us can hit the mall.”

I didn’t need to ask for what. The two of them were going to drag me dress shopping. I tried to make a break for the stairs but Donna blocked me. She turned me around and pointed me toward the door. I grumbled a lot but I went along willingly. We spent hours in Woodfield or so it seemed. Donna and grandma dragged me from one store to the next. It didn’t take long to find the right dress---it was gold and ended just above my knees. Then we had to get shoes and accessories. They said there was no time for the salon but maybe tomorrow. Not if I could help it. We ended up eating dinner in the food court.

An hour after more shopping---groan---we finally went back home. Donna came with us. I think the fact that she had an empty apartment waiting for her influenced that decision. Not that either Grandma or me cared, we liked having her. It was like having an older sister actually, which was fun---some of the time anyway. Grandma went to bed early again, while Donna and I changed into our pajamas to watch some TV. On the couch, she sat behind me and braided my hair. I filled her in on the last few days; she listened without commenting, until the end anyways.

“You think they might be the real deal?” she asked, referring to the “Amazons”.

“I think they think they are.”

“Sounds too good to be true if you ask me.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

That night I made sure to go to bed upstairs. I wasn’t really looking forward to being carried upstairs by whoever. I asked grandma about it earlier but she said she didn’t know a thing about it. Donna didn’t know anything either. Which really freaked me? I spent the whole night lying there, trying to figure out if I was going crazy or not. Every once and a while I glanced over at my window, my nighttime sentinel standing watch. The bird didn’t even freak me out anymore, in fact I kinda felt secure knowing he was there watching over me.

I fell asleep without too much worry. The next morning, I woke and went through my routine. It felt kinda monotonous now but it was my life. Downstairs in the kitchen, Donna was actually at the breakfast table. Today was Thursday and apparently, she had no class tonight, so there was no need for her to sleep in. There was a plate of pancakes and bacon, far too much for the three of us. But my grandma was thinking about my new appetite and our morning visitor. Not too long after I sat down, the doorbell rang. This time Donna got up and answered, a little too happy if you ask me.

I caught the tail end of their conversation as the two of them walked into the kitchen.

“Its really fancy but I’m sure you don’t need a dinner jacket.”

I knew exactly what they were talking about. I glared at her, she smiled innocently.

Connor looked a little uncomfortable. “Ummm….I don’t know…”

I rolled my eyes. Donna was so going to die for this. I cleared my throat. “Connor, would you like to be my date tomorrow night for the exhibit opening?”

He blushed about as red as my shirt.”I…ummm…if it’s ok with you.”

I nodded. “The event starts at seven. If you pick me about an hour early, I think we can get there in time.”

We ate breakfast in silence. I kept giving Donna the evil eye; she finally stuck her tongue out at me. Boy was she going to get it now. After breakfast, Connor and I left. School seemed to drag on, I’m not sure why. Eddie was absent again and I cursed, forgetting to ask Connor if everything was all right. Now I was starting to get a little worried. At lunch, I found out I wasn’t the only one. Cissie kept looking over at the football table, frowning. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who she was looking for. I couldn’t help but smile. I guess it didn’t surprise me in the least, her having a crush on Eddie. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had one on her too. I knew it wasn’t Middle school anymore but Eddie was one of those immature guys who probably still teased the girl he liked. He probably knew it was social suicide for him to be with her but I’ve seen stranger things happen.

“I think he’s probably all right,” I said, trying to see if I could catch her.

“I don’t know, he looked really bad….” She cut off quickly, flushing.

I smiled. “You want me to ask Connor where he leaves so we can go check on him.”

She didn’t say anything at first. She continued to flush but then slowly nodded. I stood up, Cissie’s eyes widened. I don’t think she thought I was going to do it now. Then I walked over to the football table. The jerks were doing something stupid but stopped when they saw me. One of them whistled, I glared at him and he shut up. I crouched down and whispered in Connor’s ear. His eyes opened in surprise then he smiled. He turned and whispered Eddie’s address in my ear. I decided I was going to give the jackasses a show so I kissed Connor on the check---don’t ask me why---then walked away with a little sway to my hips. I’ve officially lost my mind now.

“I’ve got his address,” I said, pulling out a pen and scribbling it on a napkin. Amy looked at it and smiled as Cissie. “We can go Saturday if you’re free?”

Cissie nodded as she took the napkin, sliding it slowly off the table so no one would see. Amy teased her a little bit through the rest of lunch but it was all in fun.

The rest of the day went by faster than the morning half of it.

Artemis and company were waiting for my again after ninth. I was kinda dreading it all day. But I did promise I’d go with them today. So I dragged my feet a bit, as I exchanged my books for more books and stuffed it all in my bag. Once again, I drove with Artemis, Akila and Persephone. Apparently, Karna drove the others. We made good time. This time I remembered to ask for a cell phone---Persephone passed me hers---and I called my grandma. I told her I probably wouldn’t be home for dinner as I was going to be off with friends. We finally arrived at the spa about an hour after leaving the school, this time they didn’t blindfold me. Apparently, they didn’t need to; I was one of them now.

We didn’t have to go very far when we got inside. The spa apparently was cleared out except for about twenty or so girls my age. I think this might have been the group. I looked at the group; none of them were the ones I saw up here the other day. So apparently, there were two sides to this place: the ones allowed up here and the ones allowed down there. I looked at the girls, all kneeling in their white dresses; Antiope was in front of the group. She was standing at the dais, hovering above the rest. Instead of wearing her pantsuit from earlier, she was wearing a dress similar to the one they were wearing. But unlike them, she wore a purple sash and had a golden laurel wreath crown on her head.

I groaned softly. You’ve gotta be kidding me.

“We’re going to go change,” said Artemis with a smile. “Do you want us to get you a robe, too?”

I shook my head. “I don’t have to wear one.”

Artemis gave me a funny look but nodded. She and the others disappeared, heading toward a door off to the left. Me, I stood there and listened. Antiope was apparently in the middle of telling the assemblage some of her crazy babble. I only half paid attention, my eyes wandering about a bit. Though this was, the same exercising room from earlier, most of the equipment was moved off to the side. I rolled my eyes, wondering how all these girls could actually fall for her bullshit. It was clear that she thrived on attention and these girls were more than happy to give it to her.

The Artemis Six came back, robed just like the others. Artemis came over and brought me to the group. There was no point in resisting so I followed. I wondered what jewel of wisdom was so important that I needed to hear it too.

Antiope smiled at us, her eyes lingering on me for a few seconds.

“Now that we have all gathered my Sisters,” she said, opening her arms wide. “I have a very important announcement” She paused for dramatic effect. Then said in a louder voice. “The Goddess has spoken to me.”

There were a lot of gasps. I rolled my eyes. If my Goddess had actually spoken to her she’d probably have a heart attack.
“She has told me to prepare you for a great Change. The Change is coming, it will bring about a new world, a world where Womankind will rise above all else.”

Give me a break. I had to get out of here before she brainwashed me with this crap. I looked around, seeing Artemis a few girls over. I slid over to her and whispered softly. “Where’s the bathroom?”

She looked surprised for a second. “In the lobby, but surely you’re not going to leave now.”

I smiled. “I’ll be right back.”

I pushed my way to my feet and walked at a brisk pace to get out of there. Charis was not at the front desk, so I was alone. I looked at the creepy bronze Minotaur statue and shuddered. Who the hell would put that thing in a spa? I made sure I was alone before I bolted for the door. I stepped aside, shivering a bit---the cold didn’t bother me as much as it should have but it was still cold. I looked around, not familiar with this part of the city. But I knew from driving by that there was a coffee shop down the block. They probably had a phone that I could use. Coming here was a really bad idea. I knew it would have been but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. After all, they were kinda harmless. Now I knew they were kinda nuts, too.

I started walking in the direction of the shop, moving at a brisk pace. I wasn’t thinking straight nor paying much attention. I suppose it was my fault. Not paying attention leads to mistakes. That’s what happened when I walked by the alley. There was someone waiting, someone I didn’t see. He came out of the shadows, grabbing me from behind. He got the drop on me; my heightened reactions didn’t have time to react. At least not at first. He dragged me into the alley, several feet from the street. He had a knife to my throat, and overpowered me with Bo. When we were about twenty feet into the alley, far enough away from the road, he pushed me face first into the wall.

“Your money bitch” he slurred “NOW!”

Damn it.

I spun around, catching him by surprise. His arm was outstretched, the knife pointing at me. I was kinda glad it wasn’t a gun, not that that would have mattered. I snapped forward quickly, grabbing his wrist. I twisted it up, hearing a snap. He screamed but I pulled him toward me, kneeing him in the gut. I watched as the knife clattered to the floor. Then I dragged him further into the alley, his wrist still twisted in my hand. He was whimpering in pain.

“You made two mistakes, you jackass,” I said as I dragged him. “One you were actually stupid enough to try to mug me.”

I let go of his arm. He cradled it to his chest and tried to run. I stepped in front of him quickly, blocking him. Behind us was a dead end. I grabbed the front of his shirt and lifted him about two feet off the ground.

“Your second mistake” I said, pulling him closer. “You picked the wrong night to do it.”

I spun him around and tossed him into the nearby dumpster.

I groaned as I looked at the grime on my hands then wiped them on my jeans. I guess I’ll have to burn these now. I made sure he wasn’t getting out of the dumpster then looked around for his dropped knife. I picked up and angrily slammed it into the brick wall, driving it in so hard that it wouldn’t be easy to pull out. When I walked to the end of the alley, I looked around until I found what I was looking for. There was a police officer writing a ticket. I smiled and walked over.

“Officer, I saw someone with a gun in that alley back there.”

“Are you sure miss?”

I nodded. He tipped his hat and ran off in the direction I came from. I stayed around for a bit---out of sight---I watched as the officer came out of the alley a minute or two later, dragging the whimpering mugger. I didn’t wait around as he called for backup. Instead, I headed on my way. I passed by the commotion that was gathering. I locked eyes with the mugger as I passed. He started babbling incoherently as I passed, pointing in my direction. But no one was paying any attention.

I walked to the coffee shop and asked the guy behind the counter if I could use the phone. He was my age and I hate to admit it, kinda cute. I batted my eyes and he handed over his own cell phone. I took a minute deciding who to call. Then dialed the number. It rang once before he answered.

“Hello?”

“Hey Connor” I said, choosing my words. “Ummm…I’m in the city. I was wondering if you could maybe give me a ride home.”

"What, where are you?”

I told him the address. “I…ummm…it’s a long story, I’ll explain when you get here.”

“Ok, I’m on my way.”

We decided to stay in the coffee shop and get something. Besides Connor was dying to know what was going on and he was paying. Not that it was a date but I was kinda thirsty. Hungry, too. So after he got us some coffee and some danishes, we found a quiet booth and I told him what I was doing in the city. I left out the part about the guy trying to mug me. He nodded throughout my story, only speaking when I was done.

“You mean you got a membership at the Bana?” he asked shocked.

I nodded. “That it means much to me. Those people are nuts.”

He laughed. “Do you know how jealous half the girls at our school would be if they found out you got into Bana. It’s really exclusive; you have to know someone who knows someone to get in.”

“Believe me, they’re not missing much.”

He didn’t believe me so I told him what everyone was missing. I sugar coated it of course, leaving out everything about the real secret. But I did tell him it was like a cult in there, all smiley faces and white gowns. That kinda freaked him a little bit. After that, we changed topics and started talking about school. Which of course led to Eddie and Cissie. I asked about Eddie because I knew he hadn’t been around here very long or else I would have remembered him. Apparently, he transferred about a month or so before hand, I was still there then so I must have just missed him. According to Connor---who’d been in Little League Football with him for years---Eddie wasn’t a bad guy. But lately he was having problems, flares of temper and things like that.

It felt kinda strange, sitting her with him like this. I know I’ve been doing it all week at the kitchen table for breakfast and on the way to school but something about now felt different. I’m not sure what it was but I kinda liked it. I’m not saying I liked him---well I did, I mean he is my best friend---but I don’t like him, like him. But there was just something about him, sitting there with me that made me feel kinda gooey inside. And for some reason, I was kinda nervous about it.

“Ummm” he said, breaking our silence. “Why did you call me?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

He picked up his coffee and took a small sip. “Your aunt lives in the city, doesn’t she?”

I was about to say, “No, she doesn’t” when I realized that would have been a huge mistake. I was pretending to be Vanessa’s daughter, even though no one seemed to bother asking why I went by Sandsmark, my grandmother’s maiden name and not my mother’s---well my fake one anyone. My real mother was supposed to be my “aunt” now. Which I’m sorry to say was the stupidest thing I could have come up with. Why didn’t I say I was my own sister or something like that?

I realized he was waiting for my answer. So I gave him one. “I don’t really know her. My mother and she didn’t get along well and I’ve always heard these stories about her.”

Connor laughed and nodded. “She’s definitely interesting.”

I smiled. Connor knew my Mom really well. She didn’t care for him much, I think he reminded her of my father. They were both tall, dark and handsome. God, did I just think Connor was handsome. I wonder if he saw me flush. I turned my head away. Damn hormones.

We talked a little more about my mother/pretend aunt. Then he shifted his questions to the Exhibit opening. I was afraid he was going to go there. I tried to be as informative as possible but to tell you the truth I don’t really remember much. I know she went to a couple different places---pulled some old favors---and got some really nice pieces from some private collectors. Jameson Queen helped out a bit too, used his resources to track down some really hard to find pieces. All I knew for certain was the name of the Exhibit, Heroes of Ancient Greece. I’m not sure my Mom was too happy about it but a paycheck is a paycheck and Mr. Wayne pays very well.

After we were done with our coffee, Connor paid and the two of us went out to his truck. There was a commotion near the alley where I was almost mugged. There was a crowd gathered and a news van. I groaned, wondering if I’d overdone it. Connor looked over, his curiosity piqued.

“What’s going on?”

I shrugged. “Probably something trivial and boring”

“You want to check it out?”

I faked a yawn. I looped my arm through his; it seemed like the right thing to do. “I’m tired; can you just take me home please?”

He looked at me with a smile. “Sure thing.”

We got into the truck and he drove me toward home. There was a slight delay due to the weather. It was starting to snow, which wasn’t too odd considering the weather as of late. The whole of the country was going through some kind of deep freeze. When I was younger, my grandma always used to say that Demeter must have been having a particularly hard time moaning over Persephone whenever the cold got too bad. I used to think she was just telling stories, using my Greek Myth education to make me feel better. Now---especially after meeting Hera---I really wondered if Demeter was out there, bemoaning her missing daughter who was now currently in the Underworld with her Lord of the Dead, husband, Hades.

We finally arrived at my house about an hour later than we should have. On the way, I had used Connor’s cell to call and tell my grandma what was going on. I think she was a bit surprised but she didn’t question me. I said my goodbye and thanks to Connor. It was funny because I actually lingered at the truck a little longer than I should have. I’m not sure what I was expecting, hanging half way in his window like that. When nothing happened, I smiled and wandered slowly up the drive toward the house. When I got inside, my grandma was on the couch watching the news.

I heard a female voice coming from the set. “As strange as it may sound, the mugger, whose identity is being withheld, claims that he was attacked by the woman he tried to mug.”

I groaned. I figured they were there, covering my handiwork. My grandma raised an eyebrow as I walked into the room and flopped down on the couch next to her. The scene on the screen showed the alley then the camera zoomed in on the knife, sticking in the wall where I angrily left it. My grandma muted the TV and turned to me.

I sighed. “He caught me off guard. He was trying to mug me, what was I supposed to do.”

She laughed. “Agent Chase isn’t going to be happy about this you know.”

I sighed heavily; flopping my head down on her lap, she stroked my hair. “She can go screw herself.”

Grandma tisked. “That’s not very nice, definitely not very ladylike either.”

“I don’t care; I’m tired of being a lady anyway.”

“I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about that,” she said, gently wiping the tear off my cheek.

I didn’t even know I was crying.

“Is everything all right, sweetheart?”

“No” I said, the tears flowing, this time I knew they were coming. “I’m so damn confused.”

She helped me sit up and held me while I cried. I stayed like that for a while, crying on her shoulder. She didn’t ask any questions, she didn’t say anything comforting or try to give me advice. She just let me and it felt good. I blubbered for a bit and then gave her a rundown of the night’s events, telling her everything. She listened, not saying a word. I think it surprised her when I chose to call Connor and not Mom or even Jason---he lived in that area. But she didn’t say anything about it. Instead, she let me tell her my story. When I was done, she warmed up some leftovers for me. I ate quietly, wondering what the hell I was going to do about things. I was now pretty certain that I might have feelings for Connor and though that was scary, it was the least of my problems. I still had no idea who I was or what I was supposed to do.

“Even normal girls like me have problems” said grandma “and trust me, there’s not always an answer to them.”

I nodded. “I thought they were going to be like me.”

She nodded. “There’s a solution to that you know.”

“And what’s that?”

“Make them like you.”

I laughed. I don’t think that was even possible. But maybe it was worth a try. First, I needed to discover exactly what I was and what exactly I could do. That was going to take a lot of time and energy. And as much as it pained me, I’d need the use of The Bana’s exercise room to help me figure that out.