So, here’s the thing... I didn’t choose to be a demigod and if I could, I’d definitely choose not to be one. You’re probably reading this, thinking “Hey, that actually sounds pretty cool!” or “Dude, I love that Hercules movie.”, but let me clarify what being a demigod means because you’ve got it all wrong.
The gods didn’t bless us with glorious strength and test us by throwing snakes in our cribs. Well, except for Percy, but that’s because the gods hated him. Demigod life was much harder than that, instead of inhuman strength, the gods blessed us with ADHD and dyslexia, not to mention those serious absent parent issues. And, I didn’t even get to the part where the smell of your blood is like throwing a banner into the sky, signaling all monsters of your location. I hope, you know that they don’t come to socialize.
Now, my name is Ariadne Clark and yes, if you know you’re Greek myths, I am named after the only chick who could make her way through the Labyrinth without a sweat. That’s why I resort to people calling me Aria, it was so much more modern. Plus, I like to avoid being confused with Dionysus’ wife.
I was attending Goode High School for my junior year when I learned of my demigod status and it was kind of hard to believe because of who was relaying the message. Percy Jackson had been my friend since the beginning of sophomore year and there’s just that weird glint in his green eyes that screams trouble that makes me think he likes to screw with someone’s head. I mean, don’t get me wrong... Percy was a really cool guy and he had this weird loyalty thing about him, but he always had that fire in his eyes and that smirk that promised that he was up to no good.
Not to mention, all the weird things that happened when he was around, like the time a water bottle exploded when some jerk named, Evan was picking on our other friend, Tucker. So, when he tried to explain to me that gods were real and I was the spawn of one of their hot night’s out, I laughed in his face.
“Aria,” Percy muttered, clearly annoyed, but I wasn’t buying it. We were standing by the edge of the school’s pool, just after swim practice. No one was around and I assumed that they were all in the locker rooms. “You need to listen to me.”
“Look Jackson, you’re not fooling anyone!” I exclaimed with a grin, which only seemed to annoy him more. At the time, I didn’t notice that the water in the pool was churning and creating angry waves.
Percy mumbles something under his breath that I don’t catch, and they rakes a hand through his black hair. “Let’s go talk to your mom, then.” he then insisted which only caused me to glare.
“You’re taking this way too far, Jackson.” I snapped, my humorous attitude had evaporated. I hated that he brought up my mom, mostly because she ignored me half of the time.
He put his hands up in defense. “Just here me out, okay?” he pleads, his green eyes looked desperate. “You’re dad’s been AWOL, you’re entire life, right?” I couldn’t help, but glare at him. It didn’t seem to bother him because he continues. I was so close to pushing him into the pool and running. “And you’re ADHD, I remember that you told me. I’d bet that you’re dyslexic, too.”
“What does the messed up part of my life have to do with the nonsense you’re trying to make me believe?” I grumble, partially embarrassed. I couldn’t even believe that he was completely spot on.
“Everything!” he cries. He was starting to look serious and it scared me because either Percy was crazy or he was telling the truth. “I’ve had to deal with those same things and so have other demigods.”
My mind was whirling. He used that word, again. I was trying to sort out the things running through my mind, but they were jumbled and coming at me all at once. “Percy, if you’re trying to tell me that my ever-absent dad is a god, I might just have to knock you out.”
“Come with me to camp over break.” he suggests and I realized that he was waiting to tell me, to do exactly that. Break was only two days away, he had this planned. “It will make a lot more sense once we’re there.”
I looked at him in confusion. Throughout the years, Percy was always talking about his summers at camp with his amazing friends and perfect girlfriend. “To that summercamp that you always talk about?” I snort in disbelief because everytime I’d ask about it’s location, he’d change the subject. “I thought it was invitation only.”
“Oh my gods, Aria!” he yelled, fed up with my denial. The waves in the pool grow bigger, catching my eye. I stare at them in shock. “This is the invitation!”
Percy noticed me gapping at the waves in the water and let out a sigh, just as the waves ceased. I looked at the now calm Percy, then back to the now calm water. Maybe I was losing my mind or the water was synced to his emotion. “Sorry.” he said.
I took another look at him, then took a step back. “I’ll go with you to this camp, but I swear if this is a joke, I will knock your lights out.”
Percy grins and it doesn’t reassure me. “Meet me on the roof on Friday, after school.” he tells me and then heads off the locker room before I can ask. The roof wasn’t my favorite place, but the school allowed us to eat lunch out there, since it was impossible to jump off due to fencing around the edges of the building.
I headed to the locker room and changed, quickly because I was angry and wanted to get home. Part of me wanted to believe Percy because the idea made everything in my life make sense. It made an excuse for why my dad wasn’t around and it was especially better than what I was thinking.
When I got to our apartment, my mom was sitting at the dining room table on her laptop. “How was school, honey?” she called to me as I walked through the door, though she hadn’t taken her eyes off the computer screen. Her blonde hair looked messy and I guessed that it was because her case was too important to worry about her hair.
“Weird.” I answer, truthfully and go to sit across from her. I know she’s only half listening. The thing about my mom was that she was great, but we rarely spent time together because of her work. She was a lawyer and we’ve lived in New York, figure it out. She was always busy with cases and couldn’t really focus on me. Now, I understood it, but I could never help, but be a little bitter about it.
I started thinking about what Percy said and how he seemed to be certain of what he was saying. “Mom, where’d you meet dad?” I asked as I watch her work. She freezed as the words left my mouth. I was positive that she had been listening that time.
“You never asked about him before.” Mom murmured, actually taking her eyes off the screen to look at me. “Why now?”
I didn’t want to get into the explanation because it would probably just freak her out. “Can you just answer the question?”
She pursed her lips and her brown eyes were filled with worry. “I met him while I was vacationing in Miami.” she said, seeming a little embarrassed. “I didn’t even know I was pregnant until after I returned.”
I wanted to smile because my mom, Lydia Clark, the most stern and proper person on the planet had a one night stand. “You had a one night stand!” I accuse, bluntly and she turns red. I hoped it wasn’t because she was angry.
“It was a short relationship.” she clarified in her defense. “Long distance relationships don’t work well, Ariadne.”
I wrinkled my nose, my mom was the only one who refused to use my self proclaimed nickname. She always told me that my name was beautiful and I should appreciate it. “What was he like?” I pressed on.
She smiled as if she were reliving a memory in her head. “He was kind and gorgeous. And he had this feel about him...” she said, wistfully. “It was almost godlike.”
I froze at her choice of words. It was too much of a creepy coincidence.

Notes

uh, i dont know how this site works yet. just going with the flow. thanks for reading if you're reading? k, cool. holla.