Adore

Chapter Four

    My Family is Weird.

Consciousness was a fickle b***h. It really tried its utmost best to keep me out for as long as possible. And I wasn't even that injured! Damn.

Well, I can definitely say that it was only partially successful because I happened to have glimpses of things going on around me. Sometimes interact. Whatever floats my boat. Anyway.

The first time I was conscious enough to at least tell that I'm awake, I immediately noticed voices around me, talking in excited whispers.

"Dude, you sure are lucky. To think, a hot bomb shell like this suddenly appears in front of you and drops to the ground!" a male voice full of mischievousness said cheekily. It sounded like it was near the foot of my bed.

"Yeah, I mean, come on, this is supposed to be a sign from Aphrodite, right? Right, Connor, my dear brother?" another said, his voice eerily like the first one.

"Of course, Travis! Luke must've prayed to her for a hot brunette that would immediately fall for him!" the first guy said, uh, I think.

"Why in Hades' sake didn't we think of that?"

"I have no idea!"

"Shut it, guys. You might wake her," a new voice, rich and soothing, hushed the two up. It sounded like it came from the right side of the bed. I desperately clamped my eyelids shut, wanting to see who were the owners of those voices, but common sense kept screaming at me that I might learn more if I feigned sleep. And since common sense had never steered me wrong, I decided to listen to it.

"Aww, Luke, you're killing the mood here," one of the two voices that were so alike said. Maybe they were twins or something.

"Travis, just go and find your Strawberry or something," the new voice said, his hinting on exasperation.

"Haha! Luke has a point there. Come on, Bro! I'll help you bag a certain Daughter of Demeter."

"Hey! That's not what I-! Connor, let go! You're wasting valuable blackmail material here!"

"Yeah, but I'm gonna get blackmail over you, so it's a fair deal!"

"Connor, I'm older than you! Listen to me! Connor-!"

Their voices were suddenly blocked as a door creaked open and close. Hmm. Those two were quite the spectacle to listen to. They really would make an entertaining show to watch.

"You can open your eyes now. The two blockheads just went out."

I snapped my eyes open in shock and the first thing I saw were two blue eyes, exactly like-!

"You were the one who found me and Grover," I said, looking at him. My voice came out a bit raspy, so judging by that, I was probably out for like a day at least.

"Yeah, I was. Scared the Hades out of me, too," he said as he moved closer. He was sandy blonde, tanned, a bit on the tall side, his handsome roguish features lit up by lips that were tilted in an amused smirk. He looked like he was between 16 to 17 years old. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, and a leather necklace with five different-colored clay beads. He also has a scar that ran through the left side of his face, starting up from his chin up to just below his eye. His eyes held the mischievous twinkle that teachers would often peg as a troublemaker.

"Here, drink this." It was only then I noticed that he had a tall drink filled with what looked like iced tea. It had a small paper parasol stuck through the maraschino cherry, and a green straw, much like those you get on hotels.

"Thanks." I smiled at him as took the drink out of his hand. Well, tried to. My grip was still weak seeing as I've only awoke a few minutes ago, so the glass fell straight from my grip. I shut my eyes, not wanting to see the glass break into a million pieces, but, curiously, I heard no sounds of glass breaking. I hesitantly opened my eyes, only for them to widen seeing as the guy caught the drink inches before the glass' demise.

"Careful, you're still weak. Here," he said as he held the drink in front of me, the straw directly in front of my mouth. I looked at him, a questioning c**k of my eyebrows escaping me.

"Drink, I'll hold it for you." I looked at him, blinking before smiling a thank you at him. I took a sip from the glass and I almost coughed out the stuff. Why? It tasted like chocolate cookies. Liquid chocolate cookies. The kind that my mom makes. Talk about weird.

"Hey now, don't spit out the nectar. How are you going to heal faster? Will said you had a nasty concussion and two ribs cracked. Well, that wasn't surprising seeing you faced off against old Mr. Bull himself, but hey, I'm giving you all the credit here. So, drink." I looked at him, eyebrows scrunched up with confusion. Nectar?

He chuckled at my look and nudged the glass closer to me. "Nectar. Drink of the gods. It heals us demigods, though, you have to take it in little amounts if you don't want to suddenly burst into flames. Oh yeah, it also takes on the taste of something we like." I looked at him and just shrugged, sipping at the liquid cookies.

When the glass was halfway full, I lost control over a huge yawn that set the guy chuckling lightly. "Okay, that's enough. Get some rest, sleepy head. You'll probably get out of here by tomorrow, so when you do, just ask for me, okay? Name's Luke, by the way," he smiled, and what the heck? Did the sun suddenly get brighter or something? 'Coz I swear by Heaven that this guy- Luke- was suddenly surrounded by a faint shimmering light. I mentally shook my head at my thoughts and just nodded at him, smiling softly as I felt my eyelids flutter shut.

The next time I was aware was to hear furious whisperings, but seriously, this time I was not going to let them see I was awake. The first time with Luke was embarrassing enough, thank you very much!

"Chiron! Why did you help her? Are you telling me that this is the someone special I should be waiting for? She looks nothing like Lord Zeus! Heck, she doesn't even look like Thalia!" an angry female voice hissed, probably at my ex-Latin teacher.

"Annabeth, my dear, listen to yourself. You are accusing Lord Zeus of committing the same crime that led to Thalia's fate. Dear child, do you honestly think that the gods would let something like that happen willingly to their own children?" The calm voice of Chiron washed over my senses, making me mentally smile at him. Seriously, you couldn't even stay angry at him when he uses that tone of voice. Trust me, I've tried, but it's like he's charming his voice or something like that.

"Look at the Hermes cabin then, Chiron. I hate to say this, but the evidence is clear! They don't care about us!" the girl's voice whispered, vehemence dripping from her words.

"Child, you're a Daughter of Athena. Surely you know of the consequences of harboring such ideas?" Chiron's voice had a warning edge to it. Well, can't say I blame the girl, but man, she's way harsher than I am with the whole "my-parent-is-a-god-and-can't-show-affection" thing.

"I don't care! And now the gods are angry at who-knows-what and we're getting the brunt of their anger! It's not logical!" the voice hmped as there was a creak of the door opening and closing. I heard Chiron sigh and move towards me, his hooves clip-clopping on what sounds like a wooden floor.

"I hope, for all of our sakes, Annabeth, that you let go of the past and move on. The vengeful ones were always the easiest pickings for him." After that confusing statement, I lost the energy to stay awake and succumbed to blissful sleep.

When I woke fully, there was no one whispering in the vicinity, thank goodness. Though, a husky blonde guy with at least a dozen eyes all over the visible parts of his body was in the corner of the room. If I wasn't mistaken, this was Argus. He sat straighter when he saw that I was awake.

"Hey, Argus, can you help me up? My legs are kind of asleep here." His eyes all got wide at the same time. It kind of looked like he was stretching out his body. COOL.

I just grinned at him, putting my right hand forward. He stared at me for a few more seconds before snapping out of it and standing up. He went towards me and helped me get up.

"Thanks, Argus. You know, Lady Hera did good on you," I said brightly as I wobbled towards the only door in the room. "Hey, Argus, do you know where I could find someone called Luke?"

He nodded as he pointed to his left. I smiled at him and thanked him as I got to the door and wrenched it open. I waved back at Argus before closing the door. And the funny thing was, when I waved back, I saw that every inch of flesh that wasn't covered with his eyes was flushed pink. Now, why would that happen? Hmm.

Anyways, when I went out of the door, I noticed that I was being held inside the large farmhouse I spotted when I first came here with Grover. Well, it was dark at that time, but it still counted as my first time seeing it, right? Anyhow, as I was climbing down the stairs by the porch, as my incredible luck would have it, I slipped. I shut my eyes so I wouldn't see myself kissing the ground, but then, two arms caught me as I was sure was only a few inches above ground.

"Whoa there, Perce. You sure you're okay to be walking around now?" I snapped my eyes open as I looked at my savior. "Grover!"

"Heh. How are you, Mare?" He smiled at me as he hauled me upright. I smiled at him and hugged him. He was wearing an orange t-shirt with the words CAMP HALF-BLOOD emblazoned in big bold letters. His hindquarters were bare, showing off his goat legs and hooves.

"I'm fine, Hircum. The question is, are you?" I asked him as I released him and looked at him in slight concern. I mean, I wasn't the one who had to be carried by a newbie halfblood into camp, after all. He seemed to understand my unasked question because his smile faltered for a moment before returning full force.

"Let's talk about that in a minute. Right now, you need to meet our Camp Director. And Perce, please don't irritate him," he said as he started walking towards the opposite side of the farmhouse. I suppose we were supposed to meet with the Director. And if my hunch was right, I really need to make a good impression on him. Can't have him messing up my mind now, can we?

"Whatever you say, Hircum." I happily chatted with Grover as we went around the house.

"Hey, Mare, look." He suddenly said as he pointed to our surroundings. I turned to look and my breath got caught in my throat. We must've been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to the water, which glittered about a mile in the distance. Between here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture-an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, a circular arena-except that they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun. In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball. Canoes glided across a small lake. Kids in bright orange T-shirts like Grover's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods. Some shot targets at an archery range. Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings.

When I looked in front of me, my eyes widened to see Chiron and another man sitting down on a card table, seemingly immersed in their card game. Oh, dear whoever is my Dad, please don't let it be poker. I'd snap! Thankfully, as we got closer, I recognized the game as blackjack without the bets, which soothed my beat-the-snot-out-of-Gabe urge.

The man with Chiron was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes, and curly hair so black it was almost purple. He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would've fit right in at one of Gabe's poker parties, except I got the feeling this guy could've out-gambled even my stepfather. Another thing though, he looked more like Cupid's long lost brother or something. But, meh, I'm better off not pissing him off if he's really who I think he is.

"Chiron!" I called out, thinking that the faster this was over with, the better.

My ex-Latin teacher turned his head to look at me and smiled. His eyes were twinkling a little too much for my tastes.

"Ah! Here she is. My, Percy, I must say I'm quite impressed by your performance. Would you and Grover like to join us in playing? I'm afraid Mr. D has the biggest urge to play pinochle." He smiled at me, his eyes looking at me, expecting me to get his hint as he was shuffling a deck of playing cards.

I just smiled and nodded, hauling Grover, who was shaking in his hooves, over to the two empty seats next to Mr. D, who was scrutinizing me quite severely. Chiron then proceeded to distribute the cards.

"Well, I suppose I should welcome you here, brat. Don't expect me to be happy about it," he grumbled.

"Thank you, Lord Dionysus. The pleasure's mine," I inclined my head slightly, internally shouting with glee at the surprised look Dionysus shot at me. I then put my focus on the cards in front of me so he couldn't see the smug grin I harbored for a few seconds.

"Hmm. Not bad, brat. Not bad at all. You seem to have some decorum, a right better than the other brats here. Keep that up, and I won't have a reason to suddenly explain to your dear father the disappearance of his precious daughter." That got me completely unaware. I looked at the wine god, my eyes wide and my mouth hanging wide open.

"Mr. D, you know of Percy's parentage?" Chiron's voice shook me out of my shock. So even Chiron didn't know that the god knew anything. Huh.

"Chiron, I've spent thousands of years with my quarreling family. I would know their scents, at least. Hmp. Looks like you didn't fail as spectacularly as I thought you did," He aimed the last comment at Grover, who flinched and looked at the table, refusing to meet anyone's eye.

"Sir, could you tell me?" I looked at him, hope swirling inside me. I was finally going to know who my father was! Well, sure, the first thing I'd do was to slap him silly, god or not. I mean, he did leave without me knowing him, just a little. But then, after that? I suppose I'd hug him and never let him go. I mean, he is my father.

Dionysus, or Mr. D, looked at me with an eyebrow raised. "Surely you want your own parent to tell you himself, Persis Jackson. But then, I won't even tell my father about you. I, for one, don't want to kick-start World War III, seeing as it would result in lesser parties. I'm not that i***t half-brother of mine."

Okay. That earned my interest. Why on earth would my existence be a possible reason for the gods to start World War III? By the look on Chiron's face and Grover's wince, I'd probably say I was the only one out of the loop.

Mr. D sighed heavily, laid down his cards, then rose from his chair. "I'm tired of playing," he said. "I believe I'll take a nap before the sing-along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk, again, about my sudden change of view in your performance."

Grover's face was a mixture of hope and fear. "Y-yes, sir!"

Mr. D looked at me, and holy wonder of wonders, smirked, and said, "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. Mind your manners."

He then turned and swept towards the farmhouse with Grover in tow.

"Huh. I expected Mr. D to be, well, grumpier." It was true. I mean, hangovers could really be a pain in the neck. Why do I know? No, I haven't had a drink yet. I live with a drunk, remember?

"Yes, it was pretty mellow of old Dionysus to be like that to a halfblood. Yet, you must not judge him too harshly. His father grounded him here for a hundred years as punishment for disregarding one of his rules." Whoa. If that's so, then I have no choice but to admire him. I would have gone off the deep end like that.

"Well, if you put it that way. Huh. I guess you shouldn't really judge a god just from hearsay."

"Wisely put, Percy. Now, let us go to Cabin Eleven and get you acquainted with your peers. Shall we?" He trotted towards what I assume would be the direction of the cabin he said. I followed. "Ah!"

Chiron suddenly stopped and faced me, his eyes glinting merrily. "I believe this is yours, young lady." He handed me a horn. I looked at him, at the horn, then back at him again. And I slapped my forehead for forgetting. Seriously, how could I forget about my spoil? "Thanks for holding on to it, Chiron."

Chiron just smiled at me. "Come, Percy. There's a lot to see."

As we went, we passed by the volleyball pit. The campers that were playing suddenly stopped and nudged each other. One pointed to the Minotaur horn I was carrying. Another said, "That's her."

Most of the campers were older than me. Their satyr friends were bigger than Grover, all of them trotting around in orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts, with nothing else to cover their bare shaggy hindquarters. I wasn't normally shy, but the way they stared at me made me uncomfortable. It felt like I was in a zoo cage or an exhibit in a stuffy museum. Just thinking about it makes me want to shiver.

I looked back at the farmhouse. It was a lot bigger than I'd realized-four stories tall, sky blue with white trim, like an upscale seaside resort. I was looking at the brass eagle weather vane on top when something caught my eye, a shadow in the uppermost window of the attic gable. Something had moved the curtain, just for a second, and I got the distinct impression I was being watched. Creepy.

"Chiron, is someone up in the attic of the farmhouse?" I asked Chiron. He faltered a bit, and his smile disappeared for a few seconds before reappearing again. "Not a single living thing lives there."

"I see." It didn't have to be alive for it to be moving, especially in this world. "So, anyways, Chiron, exactly what goes on in those woods, besides being the home of nymphs?" I changed the subject tactfully.

"Yes actually. It's where we play- Ah. You'd enjoy it all the more if I didn't tell you." What?

"Okaaay? So, I assume we do something there that requires me to have skills in weapons, like the heroes of old. That's playing for you, isn't it." I looked at him, eyebrows raised. I mean, seriously. Is he expecting me to be dumb and naïve or something like that? Common myths about the heroes of old do center on said heroes fighting against a monster. It isn't hard to put two and two and get four.

Chiron just chuckled at my barb. "I forget that even though you are not Athena's child, you have the mental capability of one. Very well. Capture the Flag is on Friday night. You'd better ask Luke to accompany you to the armory later." Luke. That jarred something in my memory.

"Who's Luke?" I asked, feigning ignorance. I mean, I really couldn't let myself be discovered eavesdropping, now could I?

"The young man who found you. Apparently, he was also the one responsible in assisting your healing, with him giving you nectar." His lips quirked a little, keying me in to his amusement. Damn. He knows.

Anyways, we saw the archery range, the canoeing lake, the stables (which Chiron didn't seem to like very much, as he shouldn't), the javelin range, the sing-along amphitheater, and the arena where Chiron said they held sword and spear fights.

"Are fights really that bad here?" He looked at me, an eyebrow raised, and I realized the stupidity of my question. "... Nevermind." I mean, how can there be not fights? With the difference in personalities and quirks of the gods, which was probably passed on to their kids, I'm just surprised we had only two world wars.

"Hmm. Yes. And there's the mess hall, Percy." Chiron pointed to an outdoor pavilion framed in white Grecian columns on a hill overlooking the sea. There were a dozen stone picnic tables. No roof. No walls. Nice.

"So, controlled weather, too?" I looked at him and grinned. He just smiled and winked at me, motioning for us to move on with the tour.

Finally, he showed me the cabins. There were twelve of them, nestled in the woods by the lake. They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they were without doubt the most bizarre collection of buildings I'd ever seen.

Except for the fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds on the left side, evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike. Number nine had smokestacks, like a tiny factory. Must be Hephaestus'. Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass. And that is definitely Demeter's. Seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at. Okay, now that's Apollo's. They all faced a commons area about the size of a soccer field, dotted with Greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops, in which I had no idea what to make of. I mean, the camp itself was a weird mix between modern and ancient things that I just had to mentally shake my head in amusement.

In the center of the field was a huge stone-lined firepit. Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth smoldered. A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick.

"Hey, Chiron, wait for me, okay? I need to greet her." I told Chiron, smiling as I walked towards the girl.

"Greetings, Lady Hestia," I called out to the girl, smiling warmly. Hestia was my favorite goddess by far, after hearing of their myths from my mother. The girl looked up at me, startled, but then her lips tugged into a warm smile. The literal fire in her eyes blazed cheerfully, like that in a fireplace at a house.

"Greetings, young Persis Jackson. Thank you for taking the time for visiting family," she said warmly. I smiled, feeling the warmth her words exuded completely envelop me in a hug.

"You're welcome, Lady. I must be going now. Chiron isn't done with his tour. It was wonderful meeting you," I smiled, bowed and made my way to Chiron. Somehow, as I was walking back, I heard the whispered words she said. "May the gods bless you, child."

I looked at Chiron and had to stifle a laugh. His face had bemusement plainly written on it. "No one has ever paid homage to Lady Hestia in a long time. You really are special, child." I just laughed at his praise, blushing lightly. "I just want to acknowledge all of the gods, Chiron. They're all important." Chiron looked at me in slight amusement before setting off towards the cabins.

The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, looked like his-and-hers mausoleums, big white marble boxes with heavy columns in front. Cabin one was the biggest and bulkiest of the twelve. Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a hologram, so that from different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them. Cabin two was more graceful somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks.

"Let me guess. The bigger one is for Zeus, right? And the smaller one is for Hera," pointing to the respective cabins.

"Yes. And to answer your unasked question, no one has been living in Cabin one for awhile now," he said, his face darkening slightly. I looked at him in surprise. What? There was something going on here.

"I see." I just filed the question away in the corner of my mind, ready for rumination later in the evening.

I stopped in front of the first cabin on the left, cabin three.

It wasn't high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were of rough gray stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor. I peeked inside the open doorway and Chiron said, "Oh, I wouldn't do that!"

Before he could pull me back, I caught the salty scent of the interior, like the wind on the shore at Montauk. The interior walls glowed like abalone. There were six empty bunk beds with silk sheets turned down. But there was no sign anyone had ever slept there. The place felt so sad and lonely, I was glad when Chiron put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Come along, Percy."

What the hell? Or Hades, for that matter. Why was Poseidon's cabin empty? What's going on?

Most of the other cabins were crowded with campers.

Number five was bright red-a real nasty paint job, as if the color had been splashed on with buckets and fists. The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed wild boar's head hung over the doorway, and its eyes seemed to follow me. Inside I could see a bunch of rough looking kids, like they were made to fight. There were both girls and boys inside, though the loudest, and obviously the leader, was a brown-headed girl that looked to be fourteen. She wore a size XXXL CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirt under a camouflage jacket. She zeroed in on me and gave me a glare that would definitely rate a ten out of ten in my books. "Ares."

"Yes. Ah. There's Cabin Eleven. Let's introduce you, Percy."

Out of all the cabins, eleven looked the most like a regular old summer camp cabin, with the emphasis on old. The threshold was worn down, the brown paint peeling. Over the doorway was one of those doctor's symbols, a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. What did they call it... ? A caduceus.

"What the heck? What's going on with Hermes?" I asked Chiron, my eyes wide. What the he-Hades is going on? What's Hermes doing? I understand he's the Messenger God, but this is just asking for it.

"It's better if you ask Luke, Percy. Here. Let's get you in." He sighed as he knocked at the door. The door was opened by Luke. Or rather, a slightly smaller version of Luke, only without the scar and brown hair instead of blonde.

"Well now, I didn't think a slender thing like you would have been up and running in just two days! You're tougher than I thought! Luke certainly did his prayers right!" Okay. That voice I remember. It's one of the voices I dubbed as 'Twins' when they were with Luke in the farmhouse.

"Connor, stop harassing the new camper and get away from the door so we could see!" a voice, definitely female, squealed as Connor sighed dramatically and moved away from the door.

"Percy Jackson, meet Cabin Eleven," Chiron said as all the campers inside hurriedly stood up and bowed at Chiron.

"Regular, or undetermined, Chiron?" One of the campers asked. I looked at him, frowning.

"Unfortunately, she still doesn't know her parentage." Groans came out of almost every mouth.

Chiron smiled at them apologetically. "Percy, I have to teach at the archery range now. I'll leave you here with them, alright?" He smiled at me as he promptly turned around and left me alone to fend for myself against the wolves.

Luckily, someone took over as my knight and shining armor.

"Now, now, campers. Where are your manners? Hi, Percy. Remember me?" a guy in Bermuda shorts and an orange t-shirt with ripped off sleeves stepped up towards me, smiling cheekily. I looked at him for a moment before recognition flashed across my mind.

"Hi, Luke. Thanks for a few days ago." I smiled at him, properly thanking him for helping Grover and me.

"No problem, Perce. While you're here, I'm this cabin's councilor, so I get the shots at ordering you around, yeah?" Luke said, winking at me. Someone in the background wolf-whistled.

"Luke, don't hog her to yourself!" the guy earlier, Connor, I think, said as he came forward and lightly bumped Luke in the shoulder.

"Yeah. Just because you prayed for Aphrodite to give you a girl doesn't mean you can steal her away even before we met her," a guy who looked exactly like Connor, though shorter by a few inches, said as he approached us, an easy grin on his face.

"Nice to meet you, gorgeous. I'm Travis. Forget about Luke, baby, and come with me. You'll have a blast!" Travis winked at me, making me stifle my chuckles.

"Hey, forget about my stupid brother over there. He already has a delicious looking Strawberry at his side. Now, me, on the other hand, could get used to having someone sleep beside me. Currently available?" Connor said, slinging his arm around my shoulders casually, his eyes full of mischief. Travis just chocked on thin air.

"Katie is not my girlfriend!" he said, exasperatedly. By the sarcastic nods and knowing smiles of the surrounding people, I find that hard to believe.

"Hey, now, no getting close. I saw her first, guys. And now, I'm going to get her acquainted with the others, so, Connor, if you please," Luke said, chuckling as he took my hand and gently tugged me away from Connor's half embrace. He then proceeded to haul me out of the cabin.

"Luke, you lucky dog, you-!"

"Oy, Luke, mind sharing?"

"Not promising anything!" Luke yelled behind us, a cheeky smile firmly in place.

"Nice family," I commented, a small wistful smile tugging at my lips. Luke glanced at me for a few seconds before tightening his hold on my hand slightly.

"Hey, you're part of it now, whether permanently or not is still questionable though. Don't worry. I'll stick by you through thick and thin." Luke's smile could actually rival the brightness of Apollo's cabin.

"You're a natural charmer, aren't you?" I said, shaking my head in amusement.

"I try, Mademoiselle. I try."

"Erre es korakas!" an irritated voice suddenly cut through our comfortable bantering. I looked at Luke, my eyebrows raised. Who in Hades' name would say something like 'Go to the crows!' And whoa. I understood another language! COOL. Anyways, he just shrugged and went towards the direction of the voice. Naturally, I followed. What appeared before Luke and I was highly amusing and at the same time exasperating.

"You don't stand a chance, Clarisse," a grey-eyed blonde girl said, her face contorted with annoyance. I dimly recognized her voice as the one who was arguing with Chiron when I was (supposed to be) unconscious.

"We'll see, Miss Princess. We'll see." The girl who glared at me earlier, err, Clarisse, was arguing with the blonde.

"Yo, Annabeth. Language there," Luke suddenly cut in, making both the combatants look in our direction. The blonde, Annabeth, immediately blushed a delicate pink and smiled tentatively at Luke. Hooboy. Major crush alert.

"Hi, Luke," she said shyly. Whoa. Was this the same girl that was in a potential all out fight awhile ago?

"What did I say about that kind of language?" Luke said, shaking his head slightly. He looked like a doting father reprimanding his daughter. Sweet. Okay. I need to get my mind out of that direction. Work, rational mind, work!

"Not to say it?" Annabeth said sheepishly. She then turned her head towards me, and her smile melted off her face. "Why are you with her, Luke?"

"Well, I'm taking her out for a little while. She needs to find her own crowd, you know?" Luke said to her as he swung his left arm around me shoulders casually. Uh-oh. Annabeth's face was turning crimson pretty quickly.

"Who needs someone like her?" she said haughtily, ignoring Luke's stern gaze on her. I sighed. Only one way out of this.

"Excuse me, Annabeth was it? I'd appreciate it if you don't insult me because you really don't know me. You're approximately my age, correct? Please act like it, not some spoiled five year old child that craves attention from her parents." There. I said it. Doesn't mean I have to like it. She isn't a bully, but she needs to hear this now. Shaking, Annabeth threw me one last look of hatred and fairly flew away.

"Wow. Didn't know you had it in you, girl," Clarisse said to me, her eyes taking on an appraising glint.

"She needed to her it. I know I really don't know her either, but she needs to see that she isn't the only one that needs attention," I shrugged, looking at Luke's reaction. To my surprise, Luke smiled at me and nodded.

"Yeah. I agree that I had been spoiling her a little too much, even Chiron. Maybe that'll knock some sense into her. She's not a Daughter of Athena for nothing."

"Huh, you're not bad, kid. Name's Clarisse, Daughter of Ares, Cabin Counselor. Need anything, need someone to back you up, Ares has your back," Clarisse said as she turned around to trudge towards her cabin.

"Nice. First day here and you already impressed the head of Ares cabin. You really are something, aren't you?" Luke said, smirking slightly.

"Nice of you to notice. Now, come on. Let's finish this tour."