𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐄

𝐈𝐈𝐈

"H-hi, I-I-I'm Gro-o-over." he managed to complete the sentence after much effort.

Selene glanced at Percy from the corner of her eye, and by then, he had already risen and moved to her side. She took a step back, attempting to discreetly hide behind Percy. Grover was starting to frighten her just a little, evident in the subtle nudges she gave Percy as he approached.

"Is he a stammerer? Is that normal?" she hissed at Percy.

He slightly smacked her arm by the third time she nudged him, "Grover usually doesn't act like that," he murmured back.

Grover, with a puzzled expression, started leaning closer to her, while she instinctively leaned back, eyes wide. "Why do you smell so much?" He inquired, his nose too close to her.

The room fell silent, and everyone exchanged confused glances. Selene raised her arm and sniffed her armpit, "I'm not smelling. I took a shower before coming!" She then turned to Percy, pointing at her armpit with a serious expression. "Check if I'm smelling."

Percy took a step back, shaking his head. "I'm not sniffing your armpit!"

"Not that kind of smell." Grover responded, "You smell like nature."

"Like a rat?"

"No," he tilted his head and stroked an imaginary beard. "More like... The sweat after a chariot race during the night."

Selene rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, responding with mock relief, "Oh, much better. Now I'm relieved. Thank you."

"Grover are you alright?"

Grover, now even sweatier and nervously twirling his curly hair, seemed to be at a loss for words. His eyes darted around, and his hands fumbled with the hem of his bright orange Camp Half-Blood shirt.

"Yes. Of co-o-ourse. Why wouldn't I be?" He started walking towards Percy's room, "Let's have a word Percy, please?"

Selene instantly understood that it meant a word with, and solely with Percy, so she wasn't invited in. Well, probably for the better. But, she couldn't lie—Grover was kind of funny. Like, the kind of person she wished she'd met sooner and had around for longer.

She casually strolled over to Sally and offered to lend a hand. She helped her take the delicious aroma-filled dishes out of the oven and place them on the table.

Sally, setting the turkey on the table, inquired, "So, you guys don't usually celebrate Thanksgiving at the St. Michaels' Institute?"

Selene paused, her thoughts clouded by a faint recollection. "I'd say we did... It's just, I don't know, it's so weird. I can't quite remember, but I'm pretty sure we did. There's this fog on my memories."

She strained her memory, but little came back to her. Fragments of being seated at a table, sharing a meal with the other kids, and Sister Natalie offering something lingered. Selene vividly recalled fixating on Natalie's hands, which strangely still resembled claws to her.

"Oh okay." Sally replied. "What about the kids? Have you bonded with them?"

"Bonded, not exactly. They're a tight-knit group, and I'm just there. It's like they're a complete family, and I'm somehow the outsider who landed there last." She raised her head, seeing that Sally had her head hanging to the side, lips pursed together. "Oh, don't worry. It's not like I have enough time on my schedule to bond with them either. I'm quite content with the way things are currently."

Sally smiled at her, "I'm glad you and Percy are acquainted," she said. "Sometimes I'm afraid he's too caught up on his father's business to actually enjoy being a teenager. It worries me they'll shape him into someone he's not."