love is embarrassing | j. grace

v. the voices in her head are a blessing

five. the voices in her head are a blessing

     A CAMPFIRE SOUNDED FUN IN theory, but in reality Ivy just wanted to go back to her empty camp and sleep for hours. She trudged down with her fellow campers to the ampitheatre, Annabeth had told her she could stick with her despite Dionysus having his own section as well. Ivy wondered why she'd break that rule but not the dinner rule.

Ivy looked all around for sight of Annabeth, but instead caught sight of Leo sitting around with his new-found siblings. Leo winked at her and Ivy smiled, he was comforting even if she barely knew him. She felt a tugging in her stomach, wanting to sit with him and have him share memories, but she couldn't. Ivy finally spotted Annabeth sitting near the front, Jason beside her. Ivy's heart skips as she runs towards them. She opens her mouth to begin but everyone around her starts singing.

Great a campfire sing-along.

Annabeth tugs Ivy down to sit beside her, singing along quietly. Ivy glances over at Jason who was looking around as if the campers were actually insane. Ivy didn't mind the singing, and she did in some ways long to sing along if she knew the words. But another part of her found it kind of ridiculous, did they really have the time to be singing right now?

Finally, the song ends and the centaur from earlier — Chiron — takes the stage.

"Very nice!" He comments, "And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I'm happy you have all arrived here alive and with most of your limbs attached."

Ivy can't help but feel queasy about that joke.

"In a moment, I promise we'll get to the s'mores, but first —"

"What about capture the flag!" A camper yells.

"Yes," Chiron says, "I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games."

"And kill people!" A camper from the Ares cabin shouts.

Ivy pales, "They're joking, right?" She asks Annabeth who only shrugs.

"However, until the dragon is brought under control, that won't be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report?"

A girl in an army jacket and red bandana stood uncomfortably, "We're working on it."

"How, Nyssa?" An Ares camper demands.

"Really hard," She retorts and sits down despite the complaints and grumbles.

"We will have to be patient. In the meantime, we have more pressing matters to discuss."

"Percy?" A camper says and Ivy notices the campfire dimming, as if affected by the campers moods.

"I didn't find Percy," Annabeth announces, "He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we're not giving up. We've got teams everywhere. Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis — everyone's out looking. We will find him. Chiron's talking about something different. A new quest."

Ivy's brows furrow and she looks to Jason, but he was already looking at her. Ivy's eyes grow wide as the boy quickly looks away, embarrassed.