Chapter One
"Ugh, what's wrong with you?! How many times do I have to tell you that this is magenta, not pink!"
"Well, how am I supposed to know? I'm a guy!"
"You're a son of Aphrodite! You're supposed to know this kind of stuff!"
That's how I woke up this morning, and probably how I woke up every day at summer.
I rubbed my eyes and instantly saw the photo of James Franco in front of me. It put a smile on my face, like it did every morning. I stretched my legs, which was kind of useless since my bunk was kind of small.
"Good morning, Bella. You're early today." Piper said while putting on her shoes.
Piper McLean was our cabin counselor, and she was an awesome one at that. Well, compared to Drew anyone could be awesome. She was Native American, and she had amazing eyes. Sometimes I wished I could be as pretty as she is.
"Well, that means the argument started pretty early today." I joked.
Piper smiled. "C'mon, get dressed and let's leave for breakfast."
"Nah, you can go ahead. I feel like taking a long shower, anyway." I replied.
Piper looked at me and nodded reluctantly. "See ya, then." And I watched her figure disappear out of the cabin to meet her boyfriend Jason.
Truthfully, I just didn't want her to wait any longer for me because I knew she liked being at the pavilion early. And I like to say I took a long time getting ready.
And you're probably saying that all Aphrodite kids take a second to get ready, since they all wake up beautiful and stuff. That's a lie in my part.
I woke up with a bird's nest for a hairstyle almost every morning. The only time I woke up beautiful was when I received my mother's blessing, the day after she claimed me.
I shook my head, remembering the scene two years ago. I remembered I was sad and disappointed because I came to Camp Half-Blood when I was twelve, and I didn't know my godly parent. No one had claimed me until I was thirteen. It turned out to be Aphrodite, and I got moved from the Hermes cabin to hers.
I kind of miss being in the Hermes cabin, even if it was a bit too packed inside then. Now, it wasn't that much anymore but still. Demigods who weren't claimed back then stayed in there. It was kind of sad, seeing some of them were never actually claimed.
The one good memory I had back at the Hermes cabin was when Connor Stoll had asked me to the fireworks show on the Fourth of July. I actually thought he had a crush on me -and then it turned out to be a dare. It crushed me to pieces, because I actually thought he was cute. But that's okay, the fireworks show that year made up for it.
After I put on my shoes, I glanced at myself in the mirror and cringed. My hair was a mess. I desperately tried to comb it with my fingers but it didn't work. I put on some grape scented lip balm and I shrugged my shoulders, figuring I was okay, and headed out with other campers.
I smelled the sweet scent of strawberries and knew it was going to be a good day. Capture The Flag was tonight, and I couldn't wait to try out the technique I had learned from Jason at swordsmanship class.
I smiled on the way to the Pavilion. I sat down and as soon as I did, I felt something hard hit my back.
"Ow!"I called out and turned around.
Of course. Who else would throw a pebble at my back? The Stoll brothers. I narrowed my eyes at Connor, since I knew Travis would never actually dare to do that to me since I had once put on permanent makeup on him.
Don't ask me how I did it. Let's just say when you anger one Aphrodite kid, you anger the whole cabin.
I decided to ignore Connor for once. I didn't want Connor Stoll to ruin the beautiful day.
After I offered a part of my meal to the gods and sat back down the table, I heard Connor (not so discreetly) whisper to Travis, "What's up with Bella's hair this morning? It's like Chewbacca vomited on her head times ten."
That made me frown a bit, but decided to not let that anger me. Besides, it did look like Chewbacca threw up on me times ten.
"Bella, you should totally use some straightener on your hair and some mascara. Want to borrow some of mine?" Camila asked me.
Camila was a nice girl, and of course, a nice half-sister. It's just that she cared too much about her appearance. I think the reason why Piper and I got along so well is that we both simply didn't care about how we looked like.
"Maybe some other time, but thanks." I replied as usual.
The girls from the cabin always pestered me to wear makeup and do my hair, but I was just too lazy. And besides, it was summer camp. Who cares?
Well, apparently they did. But whatever.
The day flew by pretty quickly. I almost broke Silena Beauregard's record on the highest distance flown via Pegasus. I also shot bull's eye in Archery class, which made me pretty happy.
Right before dinner, Mason from Apollo came right up to me. "Uh, hey, Bella."
He knew my name? "Uh, hi, Mason." I replied shyly.
His eyebrows perked and grinned. "Just wanted to congratulate you on that shot you took today. Aphrodite kids aren't really the best at Archery but you did awesome."
Well, that was awfully nice. "Thanks, Mason. It means a lot."
"Yeah, no problem. I'll see you down at the pavilion?"
"Sure thing." I answered.
He waved and I waved back as I watched his strong figure go back to his cabin. Mason had bright blue eyes just like mine, and cropped blonde hair. He was very handsome, and one of the best archers in the whole camp.
"Seems like Mason Rivers has a crush on you." A voice beside me said.
I turned to my right. Oh, great, just what I needed. A dose of Connor Stoll.
Not.
"What do you want, Connor?" I asked him emotionlessly. "Unless you want another permanent makeover."
Connor's eyes went wide and shook his head. "No, thank you. I just came here to bug you."
I rolled my eyes. Of course that's what he came for. "Of course that's what you came for."
"Yeah," Connor grinned. "I think your reactions are pretty cute."
I stared at him like he was the Minotaur in pink lingerie. "You what?"
Maybe it was my imagination, but Connor's ears turned a little pink. "Just kidding. I'll see you at Capture The Flag. Heard Aphrodite and Hermes are against each other tonight."
And he went off to gods know where.
Did Connor Stoll just called me cute?
I shook my head as I went back inside the cabin. The boys were arguing over the manliest perfume and the girls were giving each other makeovers.
Typical night.
I sat down beside Piper, who was polishing her blade. She told me that it was a cursed blade back in the Trojan War, but she took it anyway.
"Hey, Piper." I greeted her.
"Hey, Bella. What's up?"
"Nothing much. I don't feel like doing my laundry today so I decided to just chill here."
It was true. If you looked at my bunk, it reeked of Pegasus droppings. Let me tell you, it wasn't a pleasant smell.
Piper chuckled. "You know what, Bella? You remind me of myself a lot."
"I know. You've told me that bunch of times."
We smiled at each other again as Piper hung her blade up the wall. Beside it was a picture of her, Jason, and Leo Valdez.
Leo Valdez was a kid from the Hephaestus cabin but I haven't seen his often around. They say he's working on a top-secret project. And as for Jason Grace, he's the son of Zeus.
I know.
You expect him to be boastful and the jock-ish type but he's the exact opposite. He's patient, humble, and kind. The first time he's arrived, I had a little crush on him. But the moment Piper stepped beside him, I knew she was his.
"Saw you talking to Mason and Connor outside. They ask you out on dates?" Piper asked, her lips curling into a smile.
My face scrunched up at the sound of Connor's name. "Gods, no. Mason just complemented me on my archery skills and Connor just hates my guts, trust me."
Piper laughed. "Nah, I don't think he hates your guts. I think he likes you, actually."
I gave her a look suggesting she was crazy. "No way in Tartarus does Connor Stoll likes me. Who in the world would like me?"
Piper's eyes widened. "Bella, I'm sure tons of guys here like you. You're beautiful."
Beautiful as a satyr high on aluminium cans. I rolled my eyes. "Sure, Pipes. Beautiful."
Piper laughed. "Whatever. C'mon, let's go and eat. I'm starving. Especially after climbing that wall. I almost fell in the lava."
Now that was a story I wanted to hear.
Camila butted in our conversation. "Almost fell in the lava? How did you not scorch of your eyebrows? One time Reneé Holtch almost fell in the lava and she scorched off both her eyebrows."
Piper and I looked at each other. It was going to be a long night.
* * * * * * *
I strapped the buckles of my armor tight. I think I got a size too big.
"Here, let me do it." Mason said, gliding right beside me and tightened my straps more.
My breastplate felt much better. "Thanks, Mason." I said, feeling a light blush creep on my face.
"No problem, Bella. Which route are you assigned to?" He asked.
"Uh, left side of the forest." I answered, remembering Piper's orders.
"Ooh, that's harsh. I heard that part of the forest is filled with the worst monsters."
I didn't really know how to reply to that, so I just nodded.
"Well, I'm one of the chasers, so I guess we won't be seeing each other until the end of the game." He said, sounding a little disappointed.
Or was it my imagination?
"I guess." I replied.
The horn blew. Mason's ears perked up. "Guess that's the cue. I'll see you, then."
I nodded my head and went over to where Camila was standing. She smirked at me and nudged me on the rib area.
I rolled my eyes as the final horn blew. We were on the red team this week. As I heard Piper's cue, which was 'treebark', and Camila and I ran to the left flank.
Moments later, we were at our post.
"I guess we'll be staying here for a while." Camila said in a hushed voice.
"Yeah..." I whispered.
After a full five minutes, I decided that I was bored. Nothing ever happens in the left flank because it was too risky with the monsters going on in the deeper part of the forest.
We both sat down in silence as the trees moved with the cool breeze. The air was a bit too chilly for a June day, but I didn't mind. I grew up in Tennessee, which wasn't too hot at this time of year.
Suddenly, I heard a crunch which was undeniably a footstep. I stood swiftly without a sound. Thankfully, our specialized armor from the Hephaestus cabin camouflaged immediately with our surroundings.
"Stay here, I'll handle it." I whispered to Camila, who wasn't much of a fighter. She definitely preferred to stay at the sidelines and watch people fight as she did her face.
She nodded her head quickly, obviously too scared to move from her post.
It was known that you could get lost in this part of the forest quickly. But that was okay, I wasn't really scared.
I moved closer to where I heard the sound. In a second later, the sound of crunching leaves was going to my right. I narrowed my eyes. This person wasn't too stealthy.
I decided to follow the camper. After a minute or so, the person stopped. I took the opportunity and suddenly grabbed both his hands and knocked off his weapon, locking him in a prisoner position.
He was obviously a boy, now that the moonlight had finally shown through the treetops.
He turned around while saying, "Okay, okay, you caught me."
It was Connor. I smiled smugly as I let go of his arms. "Looks like you're our prisoner, Stoll."
Connor rolled his eyes as he picked up his weapon. "Whatever, I was just -"
In that moment, bushes rustled behind us. We froze. It was no doubt a monster with the heavy breathing, and probably a big one as all the bugs in the ground were running away.
Connor and I looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Should we run? Or should we fight it?
The bushes rustled even more. It was a big monster. It was probably sleeping. Probably. Hopefully.
Connor backed away and silently went back to where we were before. Safe choice. I followed him until I recognized the dirt path I had taken before ahead of us.
All of the sudden, a roar erupted in front of us. The figure was growing larger and larger, until it was two feet taller than Connor and I combined.
I stared in disbelief as my mouth was open. What monster was this?! I couldn't describe it exactly, because it was too dark out, but all I knew was that it was really, really big.
"Run." Connor whispered.
In a second, we took off. I guess it took the monster a little longer to realize its meal was running away, because we were already far away when we heard another roar.
I panted heavily, since the armor was pretty heavy for a girl. I felt vibrations in the ground, and they seemed to be heading our way.
"Connor, what do we do?" I asked him in panic.
Connor looked calm and collected, the complete opposite of what I felt. "We hide. Look for a cave or something. It probably won't find us in there."
I nodded, looking around. I found a huge rock with dark green moss all over it. The thick fern which smelled strongly of juniper and apples covered the opening of the rock like a curtain. It looked like a small home, maybe for a nature spirit.
"We can stay in here for a while, but it'll probably be a tight squeeze." I whispered as the vibrations grow stronger.
"Perfect. Get in, fast." Connor said in a rush.
I figured I better not argue with this one. I went in first, and the cave seemed to grow longer and longer. I was sure this was some sort of magic cave.
"This is amazing. I bet the monster couldn't smell us from miles away." Connor whispered.
I didn't reply, I was too scared to.
We waited inside for a full twenty minutes (yes, I counted) until we heard another roar, closer to us.
I was sure Capture The Flag had ended, and I was sure that everyone else were looking for us. But the problem was, where would they look? I doubt they would look in here.
After a few minutes, it was starting to get cold inside the cave. I was sick of the silence and fear, so I silently sat down beside Connor, who was on the lookout.
"What are you doing?" He whispered.
I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm going to sleep."
"You can't go to sleep!"
"Yes I can, and I will. Besides, it's not like the monster can find us here. We'll get out of here in the morning."
Connor looked at me, although I wasn't really sure. It was pretty dark. "Fine," he whispered. "I'll stay watch, just in case."
I snuggled closer towards him, liking the body warmth he was giving. "Thanks, Connor."
"Yeah." He replied in a quiet voice.
It occurred to me that the last time I had thanked Connor was after the fireworks show, almost three years ago.
I drifted off to sleep quickly.
In my dream, I was walking on the beach barefoot in the sand. I was wearing a pale white summer dress, and my hair was beautifully curled.
I looked behind me and I saw Half-Blood Hill. The sky looked like it was very early in the morning so I didn't know why the harpies weren't after me.
"Hey, Bella!" A familiar voice called behind me.
I turned around and saw Connor Stoll, dressed very nicely in a white shirt and khaki shorts. He was also barefoot.
In my dream, I smiled and ran to him. He ran towards me, too. We embraced, and my body tingled at the sudden contact. It felt good.
The wind brushed both our hair to the left, but in my dream, I didn't care. I looked up at Connor and smiled. My dream self thought he was very handsome. And in my dream, he was smiling back at me in a dreamy way...like he liked me.
Our faces were inching closer and closer until a hazy white substance started to file in around both of us. Time stood still as the beach surrounding disappeared.
Mom appeared in front of me. "Hello, Bella."
I took it as a move to bow down, although feeling a bit disappointed and ashamed at the dream I was having. "Hello, Mother."
"I assumed you liked what you just saw."
I felt my cheeks turn hot and a scowl forming on my face. "No." I denied.
Aphrodite smiled at me warmly. "Ah, young love."
I scowled even more. Love with Connor Stoll? Impossible.
"If you want a future like that, my dear Bella, you have to follow my words."
I looked at her, anticipating. I wasn't too sure on what she meant about a future like that, but if it was about the happiness I felt, I wanted to. Maybe, just without Connor. Maybe.
"Follow where the breeze takes you." She said with a smile.
I knew my mother was beautiful, but right now she was the most beautiful lady I have ever seen in my life.
"Wait -what does that mean? Doesn't breeze go in all directions?"
Aphrodite faded away quickly, leaving me nothing but unanswered questions.
"Thanks for nothing, I guess." I grumbled.
And to end that note, I woke up to someone shouting my name.