GOLDEN¹ | annabeth chase

i

inside, it was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number of bunk beds. 

sleeping bags were spread all over on the floor. 

it looked like a gym where the red cross had set up an evacuation centre. 

eve could still remember the two weeks she spent in there, unclaimed. now it was percy's turn to stay in there- indefinitely.

as they stood in the doorway, eve could tell that the kids were staring at percy, sizing him up. 

"well?" annabeth prompted him. "go on."

naturally, percy tripped coming in the door. there were some snickers from the campers, but none of them said anything.

annabeth announced, "percy jackson, meet cabin eleven." 

"regular or undetermined?" somebody asked.

percy didn't seem to know what to say, so eve spoke up,

"undetermined."

and everybody groaned.

a guy who was a little older than the rest came forward.

"now, now, campers. that's what we're here for. welcome, percy. you can have that spot on the floor, right over there.'"

the guy, luke was about nineteen, and he was honestly pretty cool to eve. 

he was tall and muscular, with short-cropped sandy hair and a friendly smile. 

he wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals and a leather necklace with five different-coloured clay beads. 

the only thing unsettling to eve about his appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash.

"this is luke," annabeth said, and her voice sounded different somehow. 

eve glanced over at her and annabeth immediately saw her looking, and her voice went back to normal. "he's your counsellor for now."

"for now?" percy questioned.

"you're undetermined" luke explained patiently. "they don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. naturally, we would. hermes, our patron, is the god of travellers."

percy looked around at the campers' faces, some sullen and suspicious, some grinning stupidly, some eyeing him as if they were waiting for a chance to pick his pockets.

"how long will I be here?" he asked.

"good question,'" luke said. "until you're determined." "how long will that take?"

the campers all laughed.

"come on," annabeth told percy. "we'll show you the volleyball court."

'"ive already seen it."

"come on."

she grabbed his wrist with her free hand and dragged both eve and percy outside. 

eve could hear the kids of cabin eleven laughing behind her.

when they were a few metres away, annabeth said, "jackson, you have to do better than that."

"what?" percy asked confusedly.

she rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "i can't believe i thought you were the one."

now eve was confused