Luke and I Get an Amazing Offer

**Luke and I Get an Amazing Offer** is the twenty-eighth chapter of The Gift of a Best Friend. It was first published on October 28, 2016.

## Chapter

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**Annabeth's POV**
The summer went by fast. The fastest and funnest summer I’ve ever had.
In August, Jasmine, Luke, and I got our camp necklaces with one bead, which was Thalia’s pine tree at the top of Half-Blood Hill, for our first year at camp. Even Toothless was allowed to have one. Cassandra got her fifth bead.
Then we got a letter from Mr. D (we knew that it was him that sent it because he’s the only person in camp that spells our names wrong). It read:

Dear Anna Bell Chose, Janine Sunday, and Lucas Castleton.
If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin work at sundown today. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit.
Have a nice day!
Mr. D (Dionysus)

Camp Director, Olympian Council #12
“I don’t like those harpies,” Jasmine said. “Or Mr. D.”
“Yeah,” Luke agreed. “And does he really mean ‘Have a nice day!’?”
“Probably not,” Cassandra replied. “So what are you guys going to do?”
“I don’t know,” I said.
“I want to go home,” Jasmine said. “Do you, Toothless?”
He nodded.
“Have you been to her home?” Cassandra asked him.
Toothless shook his head.
“Just because he’s never been there doesn’t mean it’s not his home,” Jasmine said.
“I guess so.”
“Well, at least you have a home outside of camp,” Luke said. “You too, Cassandra. But Annabeth and I don’t.”
“I wouldn’t say you don’t,” a woman’s voice said from the door to outside.
“Grandma!” Jasmine said.
She and Jasmine’s parents came into our cabin. The rest of their family waited from outside. Jasmine gave them each hugs.
“Hey, Raylee,” Luke greeted. “What’s up?”
“Hi,” she replied. “And I think you know what’s up.”
He obviously didn’t, because he looked confused. “What?”
“We overheard your guys’ conversation,” Sarah said. “And for a while, we’ve been waiting to ask you and Annabeth something.”
“What?” I asked.
“Well,” Raylee said. “Luke, I’ve asked you this question a million times.”
“Oh,” he said, I guess realizing what she was asking us.
“What?” I asked again.
“They want to adopt us.”
I looked at them with my eyes wide. “Really?”
They nodded.
“My mom will adopt Luke,” Sarah said. “And Zak and I will adopt you.”
“What do you say?” Zak asked.
“Say yes,” Jasmine said, bouncing up and down with excitement. “Please. I want you to be my sister and my brother.”
“Actually, if I adopt Luke, he will be your uncle,” Raylee said. “And this way you guys can go to school if you’d like, and, with our powers, we can protect you from monsters, at least in our hometown. Or, in other words, they won’t be able to track you there. So you two could pretty much have a normal life with us. Or as normal as our lives are. What do you two say?”
Luke looked at me. “Do you want that?”
I thought about it for a moment. Do I want to be adopted? I know Jasmine does.
She would be my sister. She’s already my best friend. And I know her family cares about me more than my dad or stepmom ever did. They’re the kind of family I’ve wanted for two years.
I smiled at them. “Yes.”
“Yay!” Jasmine cheered and gave me a hug. Her parents smiled too.
“Ok,” Raylee said. “What about you, Luke?”
He thought about it for a second.
“What are you going to do?” he asked Cassandra.
“I’ll be staying at camp year-round anyway,” she replied. “But you should go. Not many demigods have a chance to actually be safe like this outside of camp. And when you get an opportunity like this, you would be an idiot not to take it.”
“But I don’t want to leave you.”
“I don’t want to either,” I agreed. “She’s my sister too.”
“Well, I can teleport you guys to camp whenever you’d like,” Raylee promised. “You could come every weekend to see Cassandra and train. And you could train at our house and she could come and visit any time.”
“Well, that makes it more tempting,” Luke said. Then he looked at Cassandra. “Can you handle being without me five days a week?”
She punched his arm. “Yes, I can. Can you?”
“We’ll wait and find out.”
“So does that mean a yes?” Raylee asked.
“On one condition,” Luke said, looking at Sarah and Zak. “Can I be Annabeth and Jasmine’s legal guardian?”
“I think you’d have to be at least eighteen to be a legal guardian,” Sarah replied. “Right?”
Raylee nodded. “Yes.”
“Ok,” Luke said. “Then can I be their legal guardian when I’m eighteen?”
Zak and Sarah looked at each other, had a silent agreement, then looked back at him.
“You can Annabeth’s legal guardian,” Zak said.
“But we don’t know you that well yet to allow you to be Jasmine’s legal guardian,” Sarah finished. “Though we do believe that you wouldn’t do anything bad to her since you have been watching her ever since you’ve met.”
“Well, you do have a few years to decide,” Luke said.
“So . . . ?” Raylee asked him.
He smiled. “Yes. You can adopt me.”
“Yes!”
“Yay!” Jasmine cheered, also giving him a hug.
“Ok,” Raylee said. “We’ve decided that we would try this new situation for a whole week to see how well it’ll go before we make it more permanent. What do you two think?”
“It’s a good idea,” Luke replied.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“Ok,” Raylee continued. “Now, Luke, a little warning to you: my husband, Cj, doesn’t exactly like that you’re going to be living with us now. I think it’s because you’re not related to him by blood, though he’ll never admit that, of course. But you will have to treat him with respect, except for when he’s being an asshole to you, which I think he will be sometimes. But Nick will be more your father than Cj, like he kind of has been for the past few years. Ok?”
Luke nodded. “Ok. Nick’s been there for me a lot more than my own father anyway.”
“I know.”
“Yeah, uh, speaking of which,” Cassandra said. “Don’t you need permission from both Luke’s and Annabeth’s biological parents to adopt them? I mean, they’re both still alive, right?”
Luke glared at her.
Raylee’s shoulders slumped. “Oh, shit.”
“That’s going to be fun,” Sarah said.
“I know. But let’s see how this week goes first, then we’ll deal with your parents. Ok?”
Luke and I both nodded, but we weren’t so excited anymore.
They have to ask my dad if they can adopt me. Will he let them, or will he not? If he doesn’t, do I have to stay at camp year-round?
Or, and this scares me the most, will I have to go back to living with him, my stepmom, and step-brothers?

I hope not. Well, I guess I don't have to hope, because I already know the answer, lol.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
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## Character Appearances

### Main Characters

* Annabeth Chase
* Jasmine Saturday

### Minor Characters

* Luke Castellan
* Cassandra
* Raylee Hollinger
* Sarah Saturday
* Zak Saturday
* Nick (mentioned)
* Dionysus (mentioned)