Flowergirl, Percy Jackson

003. Ghosts

Lila's been sleeping at the Demeter cabin for the past week, since returning from her travels with Nico. The year she spent with him was honestly the best of her life. Coming back to Camp, everything is cast in new light - a better, clearer light. She doesn't feel so inadequate when she loses to Clarisse anymore; she improves everyday. She doesn't feel quite so stupid beside Annabeth, because she knows things about poisons and plants that Annabeth doesn't. They're a team, it's how it's supposed to be. She doesn't even groan and curse the gods at every minor inconvenience (okay, that one's only because there aren't any minor inconveniences anymore, only major ones, so she curses the Titans instead). 

After breakfast, it's time for inspection. Lila's ... well, she's not the neatest, so Katie Gardner drags her to her makeshift bed and practically forces her to redo it. Who knew she could be so menacing? Not Lila, that's for sure. Miranda only snickers at her sister's disposition and abandons Lila to her chores, ignoring her pleading eyes. 

She somehow manages to do her bed so it doesn't look that different from Katie's. Just in time, too, for Percy and Annabeth appear at the door. They both hate their chores - sorting reports and cabin inspection, so they do them together. 

"Huh," Annabeth looks around. "Nice." 

Percy steps in behind her. "Oh, hey." 

Lila doesn't really know what to say. It's the first time she's seen him since the prophecy and that awful council meeting, where everyone was crying. Not exactly the best welcome to camp, but it is what it is. "Hey," she settles with. 

They've Iris-Messaged over the year, but haven't met up more than twice. It's weird to see him in person, standing in front of her, but she smiles shyly up at him. He's grown a couple of inches again - so has Annabeth, so they're about the same height, towering over Lila. She's not even short, but Annabeth is pretty tall, so is Percy. 

"How have things been?" Lila asks, and then realises it's a stupid question. Everything is terrible. 

Percy scratches the back of his neck. "Uh, not that great." He stares at her for a second. "So... how's your family?"

Annabeth examines the windowsill. Lila stares at him. At least her question isn't as bad as his. "My godly one? Or mortal one?"

"Mortal," he nods, cheeks glowing red.

"Oh," Lila nods back. "Dead, then."

Annabeth sighs. They both look at her. "Sorry. You're both idiots." 

 It's a pretty accurate description. 

"The cabin gets a four out of five," Annabeth decides. 

"Four?" Lila gasps over-dramatically. "Why a four?" 

Annabeth looks at the floor, and it's covered in soil stains. Apparently someone's been bringing plants inside (even though Katie forbids it, for this very reason). The room smells faintly of fresh air and soil; Lila loves the smell, as do all the Demeter kids, but it's probably not Annabeth's thing. Also, Lila's bed is still a bit of a mess. She was overrating it a little. 

"Fair enough," Lila stops arguing. "Who've you got left?"

"Just Athena," Annabeth mutters. 

Lila scrunches her nose up. "Do you even have to check them? Just give them a five." 

Both Annabeth and Percy stare at her in horror, like she's said something completely horrifying. Okay, fine, Lila commits a little bit of fraud in her own inspections, but everyone in the Hermes cabin does it. Connor always gives the Demeter cabin zero out of five, which is definitely undeserved. Zero isn't even on the scale. How does the Hermes cabin ever beat Demeter's? You can't even see the floor there.