Half-Blood Means Two Things || Marauders Era | Percy Jackson ||

|| 8 - I Ride A Train For the First Time ||

"Charlie?"

My head snapped up.

It was dinnertime and I was sitting -- alone -- at the picnic table specifically set aside for Zeus's kids. The Hephaestus cabin had to build a new table because, you know, I existed now. Actually, they had to build a lot of new things since I'd blew up half of the dining pavilion.

Ayla was staring at me, concern written all over her face. Ever since I'd come back from Diagon Alley, she looked at me like I was one wrong word away from cracking. I had told her a hundred times that I didn't want to be treated differently because of my dad, but that didn't seem to register. I had hoped, at the least, that Ayla wouldn't act like everything had changed, but I'd been wrong. All of my friends -- who I used to be able to joke around with and pull pranks with -- now acted like I had a disease. Some people -- like Sawyer -- acted like it was a contagious disease. Others, like Jaelyn and Ayla and Griffin, acted like it was some incurable disease. Either way, I was sick of it (pun intended).

"Sorry, what?" I asked, bored.

"You've been sitting here for twenty minutes, stabbing your lettuce."

I looked down at my plate. She was right. All of the leaves were covered in holes from my fork.

Well, then, I thought, a little surprised. I hadn't even noticed I was doing it.

"So?" I raised an eyebrow. My voice was harsher than I meant it to be, but that was from lack of sleep. Ever since my dream, my nights had been restless and filled with the evil, ice-like eyes of Dameon. They weren't prophetic -- just repeats of what I'd seen the first time, but it still made it hard to get a good night's sleep.

My entire life, I tended to zone out, but after I'd been claimed, it happened much more often. Often enough for Ayla to be concerned. Then again, Ayla was concerned almost all the time. I guess that's what happens when you're friends with me.

Ayla's lips formed a thin line as she stared at me, worry creasing her brow.

I rolled my eyes.

In a week, I'd be on my way to Hogwarts, and (even if I had to spy on Dumbledore, and there was a teacher there that was trying to get rid of me) I was excited to go. I didn't know if I could survive one more minute of this babying. Honestly, a girl can only be asked if she's okay so many times before she snaps!

"I -- are you okay?" She looked like she wanted to ask me something different, but apparently my facial expression worried her.

Imagine that. I thought sarcastically.

My grip tightened around my fork.

"Charlie -- " Erin came up behind me and swung an arm around my shoulders. I could always count on Erin not to care if I was the daughter of one of the Big Three. "How's it going -- ouch!" Her hand recoiled from my shoulders. "Gods, got some static electricity?"

I shrugged. I tended to be... sparky.

"Sorry," I muttered, grabbing my plate and standing up. I felt hostile eyes on my back all the way to the trash can. I had to restrain myself from whirling around and screaming at everyone to mind their own business.

"Charlie -- "

"Ayla, I'm fine. I was fine when you asked half an hour again, and the hour before that, and the hour before that. I was fine yesterday and the day before that! I was fine a month ago and the month before that! Gods!" I threw my hands in the air in exasperation.

"I -- "

"As soon as I'm not fine, trust me, you'll be the first one to know!"

"Charlie -- "