𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Chapter 22

The book opens and the screen shown the chapter title
'I Settle My Tab'

|Sereia: It's funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality. Chiron had told me that long ago. As usual, I didn't appreciate his wisdom until much later. According to the L.A. news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.|

Ares rolls his eyes and sneers at the reminder of the news.

|Sereia: This crazy kidnapper (a.k.a. Ares) was the same man who had abducted me and two other adolescents in New York and brought us across country on a ten-day odyssey of terror. Poor little Sereia Potter wasn't an international criminal, after all. She'd caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from her captor (and afterwards, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather-clad man on the bus - Why didn't I remember him before?") The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St Louis Arch. After all, no kid could've done that. A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo and notified the police. Finally, brave Sereia Potter (I was beginning to like this kid) had stolen a gun from her captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun-to-rifle on the beach. Police had arrived just in time. But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred. Sereia Potter and her two friends were safely in police custody. The reporters fed us this whole story. We just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted (which wasn't hard), and played victimized kids for the cameras.|

They laugh.

Sereia: All I want..
She chokes back her tears.
Sereia: ...is to see my loving uncle again. Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew ... somehow ... we would be okay. And I know he'll want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store. Here's the phone number.
She gives the reporter the number.
The police and reporters are so moved that they pass around the hat and raise money for three tickets on the next plane to New York.

|Sereia: I knew there was no choice but to fly. I hoped Zeus would cut me some slack, considering the circumstances. But it was still hard to force myself on board the flight. Takeoff was a nightmare. Every spot of turbulence was scarier than a Greek monster. I didn't unclench my hands from the armrests until we touched down safely at La Guardia.|

"Why are you so scared in the air? You aren't scared when you're playing Quidditch." asks a Gryffindor. Many-especially the Greeks- look at her in disbelief. "It was explained in the beginning of the book." says Leo causing the girl to blush.

As the aeroplane lands, Sereia is the first to leave with Annabeth and Grover behind her. Outside Sereia breaths in relief.
Sereia: Never thought i would hate being in the sky.
They walk into the airport. They walk through security and the local press is waiting for them. Annabeth hides and puts her cap on.
Annabeth: THEY'RE OVER BY THE FROZEN YOGURT! COME ON!
The press quickly walks away and they meet Annabeth at the baggage claim. They grab their backpacks and leave the airport. They walk to the taxi's and Sereia stops them.
Sereia: Get back to Half-Blood Hill and tell Chiron know what had happened.
Annabeth: No.
Grover: We're coming with you.
Sereia: I have to do this part by myself.