Playing Devil's Advocate

Looking Back

     "Why didn't you tell me that Garret is a werewolf?"  I yell at them.

     "Master Garret told us not to inform anyone of that fact until he is ready.  He usually tells them after he makes his decision, it is odd that he told you before deciding," Colten calmly replies.

     "Any other secrets I should be prepared for then?" I screech.

     "Everything is not as it seems Annabeth," Megan begins.  "Be prepared for anything that is thrown at you, even if it scares you."

     "We can't tell you the things you don't already know because they aren't our secrets to tell," Colten explains.

     "What will happen if you do tell?"

     "We'll get punished."  Megan replies bluntly.

     "But only if Master Garret finds out," Colten mumbles.

     I look out to the yard again and notice the pool that looks like it should be used for the Olympics.  "Is there a bathing suit I can use to swim?"  I ask Colten.

     "There's one in your closet," Megan informs excitedly.  "I'll show you where it is, come on."  She grabs my hand and begins to pull me to my room.

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     "Here it is," Megan exclaims holding up a skimpy one-piece bathing suit.  I looked at it in horror, it was probably three sizes too small for me to wear and it was revealing enough to pretty much be called a bikini.

     "No way.  I am not wearing that anywhere.  I'll just stick with my bra and underwear if that's the only option."

     "Oh, come on Annabeth.  Its not that bad.  Besides, swimming in a bra and underwear would be just like swimming in this."  She pushes the swimsuit into my hands.  "The least you could do is try it on."

     "Fine, I'll try it on, but I'm not swimming in it."

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     I start to come out of the water so I can dive in from the tallest diving board when I hear a chuckle.  I look up and see Garret at the edge of the pool.  "What are you laughing at?"  I ask annoyed.  I pull myself out of the pool and walk to the diving boards.

     "You do know that there is a bathing suit for you, right?" he asks as he chuckles again.

     "Yep," I answer right before I dive back into the pool.  I hold myself under a few seconds and swim towards the middle of the pool.  "So,  how many other secrets do you have?  Or are you going to wait until the decision is made to tell me?"  I ask when I come up for air.

     "I could let you in on a few right now if I wanted to," he says with the ever present smirk reappears.  "Why aren't you wearing the bathing suit that was bought for you?"

     "Its too revealing for my taste," I reply giving him a smirk of my own.  "Besides. why should I wear something that I didn't get a decision in wearing?"

     "You shouldn't, after all, you saw the loophole to swimming in the pool."

     I smile and swim over to him.  "You wanna swim, Garret?"

     "My trunks are inside, but, I think I'll pass this time," he responds.

     "I think we both know that you could strip down to your briefs to swim."  I smirk deviously.  "Besides, I just want to see a pup swim.  Seeing as how I've never had a pet, you could be the first." I push myself back to the middle of the pool and wait for my words to sink in.

     A look of anger crosses Garret's face before he starts to laugh.  "I can't believe you just said that. No one has ever been brave enough to say that to me before."  He laughs so hard that he doubles over.  "How long did it take for you to come up with that?"

     "As long as it took me to say it," I inform him.  "My mind doesn't have a filter to my mouth.  I kind of speak before I think."  I start to make my way back to him slowly.

     Garret looks at me and I can tell that he is still thinking about what I said.  "Well, if you're going to work for me, we'll need to work on that some."  I look at him and kind of gasp.  "So, do you want to keep swimming or do you want to go watch some movies now?" He asks as he chuckles.

     "Movies are good," I say as I start to climb out of the pool again.  "I'll just dry off and get dressed.  I'll find my way to the home theater if you just want to meet me there," I smile up at him.

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     I step into my closet and find the dress I had discarded earlier.  I change into it and put on the flats I had worn earlier as well.  I go into the bathroom and brush my hair and reapply mascara.  After I finish in there, I sit at the window and stare outside.  I don't really miss being home. I'm annoyed that I wasn't given a heads up about being taken, then again, who's given a heads up about being kidnapped?  I'm fine otherwise though.  Looking back on my life thus far, I had been pretty much ignored.  Its not that I wasn't popular, but I wasn't unpopular either, I was pretty much a floater, a wallflower,  at school.  Sometimes that's worse than being unpopular though, because you kind of just blend in and are forgotten.  Even the unpopular kids are remembered more than the floaters.

     My home life was okay, I wasn't abused, but being the youngest has a few downsides.  I was constantly expected to be like my sister or better, that might be why I "rebelled."  It wasn't anything big really, just skipping school once in a blue moon.  My dad was around sometimes but I never really saw him because of school and work schedules.  My mom was around more but the past year feels like its been a constant argument between us.

     My friends didn't really talk to me unless it would somehow benefit them (great friends, I know.)  If they did talk to me any other time, it was fine, but it was more of an occurrence.  I really don't miss my hometown, I miss seeing the kids at the daycare center, but I can get over it.  Eventually.

     I hear a knock at the door and I'm pulled back to reality.

     "Annie, are you okay?  Why are you crying?"  Colten asks when he opens the door.

     "Yeah, I'm fine.  I was just thinking," I laugh as I wipe away the tears.  "Did Garret send you to get me?"

     "Yeah, he thought that you got lost on the way," he explains.

     "Nope, just sitting and thinking," I laugh as I get up.

     "Okay," he says as he walks me to the home theatre.

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A/N:  I know, its been FOREVER since I last posted but I hope you enjoyed this whatever blurb.  I wrote this almost a year ago and never had the time to post it.  But I posted!!!  I felt like a little more insight to Annabeth was needed and my favorite line is in this post.  Let me know what you're favorite line/part/section has been so far.  Let me know what you think too. (Please?)  Vote/Comment/Hate Me For Life/Do What You Want/Have Fun. (Please don't hate me for life, but the other stuff, yeah, go for it.)

Thank you for reading thus far.  :)

-UnmaskedSecrets