Avery’s POV
Another week had gone by and I couldn’t help but feel upset that I still hadn’t been claimed. The more time that has gone by, the more I resent my Godly parent. I try not to, but it just happens. It makes me upset that I could have been claimed so much sooner yet I might wait for years, like some of the kids, for my parent to claim me. Maybe I really was just a mistake.
I was sitting in my favorite tree in the woods when someone yelled up at me from below. “Avery!” Luke called, “Avery come down here!” My face was confused by his tone. He sounded upset, but I don’t know why he’d be upset about anything.
“Hang on!” I called down at him before I took one last view of the camp from the top branch of the tree top then started to make the long way down to the bottom. When I finally had about two feet left ‘til I hit the ground, I jumped and turned around to see Luke. His expression, like his tone, looked upset but it was a strange kind of upset.
“Yes?” I asked him while he had his arms crossed over his chest and was glaring softly at me.
“Why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday is tomorrow?” He demanded and my eyes widened at him knowing about it. I hadn’t told anyone when my birthday was besides Grey. I suddenly shied away from him.
“I don’t know. I just didn’t want to bother anyone with it and-”
Luke cut me off, “Avery come on. Your 18th birthday is important! Why didn’t you tell me? Next time I found out that you are keeping something from me, I won’t let you off so easily.”
“It’s just a birthday Luke. It’s not a big deal.”
“You only turn 18 once. Plus this is your first birthday at camp. You gotta make it one to remember, right guys?”
“Guys?” I asked then suddenly all my friends popped out from the bushes and tackled me. “Ahhh!” I screamed as I tumbled down with everyone on me. Laughing I tried to shove them all off, once everyone got off of me, Jacie smiled and held her hand out.
“That’s for not telling us.” Brianna told me once I stood up and brushed myself off.
I laughed again but said, “Honest guys, birthdays aren’t that big of a deal. We never even celebrated them at the orphanage.”
Everyone gasps like that was the most horrendous thing that they had ever heard.
“Looks like we’re going to be throwing you a huge party then,” Thalia smirked while I just shook my head frantically.
“No guys plea-”
My begging was cut short when Brianna yelled, “Time to get ready guys!” as if she was leading a charge. Everyone quickly ran towards the camp leaving Luke and I alone.
While everyone was running away, my hand was out, as if I could stop them. I looked over at Luke and glared at him, “This was because of you wasn’t it.”
“Ah come on.” Luke laughed, “It wasn’t all me.”
I rolled my eyes while he laughed again and wrapped me in a hug. “We’re going to make this birthday one to remember,” He told me while I groaned.
Luke let go of me and spun me around before I was turned so that I was facing him, my right hand in his. Jokingly, Luke bowed to me and faked an accent. “Farewell my lady, I shall see you on the morrow for I have to prepare for your birthday celebration.” With that he jogged away from me turning his head at the last second and sending me a smirk before I could stop him.
Laughing while I rolled my eyes then started to make my way back to the cabin. Luna joined up with me. “Where have you been all day?” I asked.
Suddenly, Luna seemed to panic. I raised my eyebrow as I watched her intelligent blue eyes widen and looked frantically back and forth until she looked up at me and met my gaze. “I was…attending something.” She quickly said and I immediately recognized it as a lie.
“Luna…” I drew her name out, showing that I knew she was lying to me about something.
A deep wolfish sigh came from Luna. “I’m sorry Little Star. I cannot tell you where I have been. You will find out soon enough though, I promise.”
“So now you’re keeping secrets from me too?” I asked, my voice rising. First Chiron, then Grey, and now Luna.
“Little Star, it isn’t like th-”
Quickly, I cut her off. “Luna just tell me, where were you? It’s a simple question, why can’t you answer it?”
Luna hesitated for a moment then hung her head down, ashamed. “I cannot say. I am sorry.”
I scoffed, “I can’t believe you.” I told her then stormed away towards my cabin, while Luna slowly cowered back until she was far behind me. Guilt slightly gnawed at me for being so rude to her but I was sick of everyone keeping secrets from me. What was so big about me that no one could tell me about.
On to way to my cabin, I spotted Grey. We locked eyes and stood frozen at the spot while we looked into each other eyes. I hadn’t seen my best friend since the time Luke and I were in the stables and she came in then quickly ran out when she saw me. She was good at avoiding me, I’d learned that quickly, though I never thought I would learn that period..
Sadness crept into my heart and I couldn’t even begin to explain how much I really did missed her. I had never been this long without her….ever. In my life.
“Grey,” I said softly, my voice longing and my eyes shimmering with tears.
“Avery.” Grey said back, her voice even softer than mine.
“I-I’ve missed you.” I said, looking at the ground then back at her eyes.
She sighed and said, “I’ve missed you too.”
I took a step towards her and spread my hands out in a peace offering sort of way. “I’m really sorry if I did something to make you mad at me.”
Grey shook her head, “It’s nothing that you’ve done, Avery. I promise.”
“Then why are you avoiding me?”
She closed her eyes tight, looking down. When she opened her eyes again, she looked into mine and shook her head. “I’m sorry, Avery. I really do miss you. You don’t know how much I miss you.”
I took another step and offered her a hand as if for her to take from my next words. “Then can’t we be friends?” My voice was shaking from emotion but I continued. “Can’t we go back to talking again?”
“You’d forgive me?” Grey asked, her voice hopeful.
“Of course I’d forgive you.” I told her, taken back by her thinking that I wouldn’t. “Grey, you’re my best friend. You’ve been my best friend since… since as long as I can remember!”
Grey smiled, “And we’re going to be friends forever right? Even when we die…or…” She laughed, “When you die and I’ll meet you in Elysium.”
I laughed as we both took two more steps and embraced each other both of us with smiles on our faces.
“So we’re friends again?” I asked.
“We always were, I was just being a bad one,” Grey said.
Hugging one more time, I pulled away and said, “Everyone makes mistakes.”
She gave a weak and grateful laugh then smiled at me. “Thank you.”
“Of course Grey. Now…” I wiggled my eyebrows. “How’s you and Nico? We haven’t had any girl talk about this!”
Immediately after I asked my question, Grey’s pale cheeks turned bright red. “Oh we definitely have to talk now.” I told her and pulled her towards her cabin while she explained her relationship with Nico. Apparently they had sneaked off together in the middle of the night and had a romantic dinner. While Grey told me excitingly everything that happened between her and Nico, I couldn’t help but have guilt gnaw at my stomach from the secret that I was keeping; Luke and I dating.
When we first made the ‘secret’ we both agreed that we wouldn’t tell anyone. I made Luke not tell Devin and Zach, his best friends, because they were from the Hermes cabin and what I learned about the Hermes cabin quickly is that you can’t trust them. Luke only agreed if I couldn’t tell my best friends. I hesitated at first but I knew that I’d have to agree. Devin and Zach wouldn’t be able to keep something like this quiet like Grey could.
After Grey had finished, her cheeks were bright red from blushing so much. The red was a completely different color from her pale and ashy skin so you could have probably seen it a mile away.
“So…” Grey said, leaning towards me from her legs crossed as she sat on the bed, looking down at me from the floor while I leaned back on the other bed in the cabin. “How are you and Luke.”
My cheeks burned before I could stop them and I moved my back off of the bed and buried my head in my hands that rested on my knees from me sitting down with both knees bent. I was afraid she’d ask this question, how was I not supposed to tell her that Luke and I were dating?
“Now you HAVE to tell me!” Grey said, her eyes wide and a huge smile on her face from excitement.
Raising my head, I looked up at her and tried to put a damper on my flaming cheeks. “We’re really good friends.” I said, my voice surprisingly steady. Technically it wasn’t a lie- just not the whole truth.
“Friends?” Grey asked, her eye brow raised as in ‘yeah right’.
I literally bit my tongue, trying not to let anything slip out as I felt guilt gnaw at my stomach. In a matter of seconds from me biting my tongue, I could taste blood. After she said that, my stomach churned and guilt felt like it was going burn through my stomach. This time, I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to stay quiet. When I opened my eyes again, Grey’s expression made me snap and I blurted, “Luke and I are dating!” Before my eyes went wide and I slapped a hand over my mouth.
This time, it was Grey’s eyes to get wide. “What.” She asked.
“Nothing!” I said almost as quickly as I had blurted out before.
“No, no you said that you and Luke are dating! Are you serious!?”
My mouth opened to try to say My eyes shut and I hung my head, guilty. “Yes.” I muttered softly but she still heard me.
“Why didn’t you tell me?!” She yelled, but her voice was surprisingly excited and not angry at all.
I raised my head to look up at her, “Are you mad?”
“Of course I’m not mad!” She told me, “I always told you that you guys were so cute together!”
“No, Grey, what I meant was are you mad that I didn’t tell you sooner? I mean…” I sheepishly rubbed my arm and looked away, “It’s been a long time since we started dating.” Looking back up at her I asked again, “Are you mad?” My eyes looked at her intently as I awaited my answer.
Grey tilted her head to the side then flicked it back, “A little.” She admitted then her face burst into a smile again, “But, Avery! I’m so happy for you!”
I blushed and muttered a soft ‘thank you.’
We both turned towards the door when Nico walked in. He nodded to me, acknowledging me and saying, “Hi, Avery.” Nico then turned to Grey and gave her a smile, “It’s almost dinner so you’d better hurry.”
Both Grey and I stood up and followed Nico towards the Dining Pavilion. I walked to Nico’s right and Grey immediately took her side next to Nico to which he instantly intertwined their hands. I send Grey a smile and she blushed, hiding away from me behind Nico.
“So what are you planning to do for your birthday tomorrow?” Nico asked, his eyes glancing to the side to look at me as we continued to walk.
I swiftly turned my head to him, “How do you know it’s my birthday tomorrow?” Bending forward, so I could see Grey to the side of Nico, I gave her and look but she shook her head.
“It wasn’t me.” She promised and I narrowed my eyes, confused.
Nico smirked and continued to look forwards as he walked, “Luke’s been telling the whole camp. I’d be surprised if someone didn’t know.”
Closing my eyes I let out a groan, my head looking up towards the sky. Nico chuckled and when we walked up to the tables, I stormed over towards Luke, who was talking to Devin and Zach, then punched him in the arm.
“Ow!” Luke exclaimed and rubbed his arm, jumping to turn at me. “What was that for?”
“Why the Hades are you telling the whole camp about my birthday?” I demanded.
Luke smirked and gave a shrug to which I glared at him then stomped away to sit by my friends at the Hermes table only to have Luke sit so that I was right in view and smirked at me, ‘love you’ he mouthed, his face sickly sweet.
‘Go to Tartarus.’ I mouthed back and he started to laugh out loud causing everyone to look at him. Instead of being embarrassed, like everyone else would have been, Luke just send me a smile then looked at Devin who was trying to get his attention. That stupid smirk wouldn’t leave his face though.
However much I hated him for telling everyone that it was my birthday tomorrow, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and smile at his childishness. I looked at him one last time before shaking my head at him, amused, then turned to talk to Jennifer and started to talk about strategies for the next Capture the Flag, even though it was more than a month away.
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A/N: Thanks to everyone who is leaving me such sweet comments!!! You guys don't know how excited I am when I get comments from you guys!! Please keep them coming so I can update sooner. Speaking of updating....start counting down because the big reveal will be in, not the next, but the next chapter. Two more updates and your lives will be complete!! Lol no just kidding but at least you guys will know who Avery's Parent is. Thank you for everyone who took the quiz!! It's been really neat to see who you guys think Avery's parent is!!! I love you all!! Stay beautiful!!
-Breann