I curl my hair, and do my make up. Not much though. Only a little eyeshadow, and lip gloss.

I put on a purple sweater, and a black skirt that comes down to my knees. I put my black suede ankle boots on, and to finish the look off, I put on the owl pendant that Athena gave me. I hide the chain that holds my dad's college ring under my sweater. Now I am ready to go.

I grab my backpack knowing that I'll be back at school in fifth period. Hopefully. If this emergency doesn't take to long. I also grab my celestial bronze knife— it's not my sword, but it has purpose. A sword is too big to put in my bag. I shove the knife in the sheath, and put it the secret compartment in my bag.

I walk to the den where my mom is still working. “Hey, mom I'm ready.”

“To go where?”

“To camp. I told you last night.”

“Oh, yes, I forgot,” she says getting the car keys.

I walk to the kitchen and grab the bagel someone was cooking. Probably Ethan. He loves bagels.

My mom honks the horn. Wow, I didn't notice her go out.

I run out into the dryness of fall. It's still dark out, but by the time we get to camp it'll be pretty light out.

I get in the car. We start driving; I end up falling asleep.

---

“Hey, hey. Wake up,” my mom says softly pushing my arm. “We are here.”

“Right,” I say shielding my eyes from the light. “I don't know how long this will take, but I'll get a ride to school.”

I get out and shut the door. My my mom rolls down the window, “So I'll pick you up from school then?”

“Yeah. That sounds great.”

I walk into the woods and find the dirt path to camp. Up ahead is Thalia’s tree and the Athena Parthenos glowing in the sunlight. It was retrieved by the seven. I don't know who they are. All I know is that most of them moved to New Rome. I don't know the story nor have I asked for it.

I pass Thalia's tree and enter camp. It's beautiful this time of year. The grass is cut to perfection, the sun is shining bright, the cabins look great in the Omega circle they form, and wow! They painted the big house blue. It looks fantastic.

I walk to the big house and up the steps. Inside is Will with a young boy. I've never seen him before, and I know just about everyone at camp. I have met everyone. I also do the registration. Unless, he is new and came during the time I’ve been away. I am the head counselor for the Athena cabin, and am the camp counselor like for people problems. Stuff like that. So now I am pretty sure, he is new.

“I swear to the Gods Will!” I raise my voice. “If this is like last year, I will be so pissed!”

“Hey! Whoa!” he says taking a step back. “You look like you were Aphrodited. And no need to be cursing. This is truly important!” Will shouts. “Not a prank!”

I cross my arms offended by the comment ‘Aphrodited’. “So what is it?”

“Well, it is.” He says twiddling his fingers.

“I need you to help me steal something!” Connor says running in.

“Hey! That’s not fair! I called using her!” Travis shouts right on his tail.

Connor antagonizes, “You snooze, you loose.”

“But that isn’t fair. This race is between you and me, not you, her versus me!”

“You said there were no rules!”

“Shut up!” I scream. I would steal something if it mattered to me, but if it matters to Connor or Travis Stoll. . No way in hell am I am going to do that.

“What?” the boy I don’t know asks.

“You expect me to help you after what you did last year! Really. Are you that much of a moron? You made me miss school to waste my time. There is nothing wrong with you stealing a few things!”

“Hey. Calm down!” Will shouts. “It's not like you're behind at school. In fact, I'm pretty sure you are a month ahead.”

I spew a few curse words in Russian so they don't know what I am saying. (Aside from English and Ancient Greek, I speak fluent Russian, Latin, French, and Polish. I am learning Spanish. In highschool, I plan to take German along with Spanish. Maybe Chinese too.)

“Uh, what did that mean?” Travis asks.

“We probably don't want to know,” Connor says.

I start to walk out, but Will grabs me by my waist.

“Hey! Put me down right now!” I demand.

He sets me down on the couch next to that kid I've never met. I try to get up, but Will just pushes me down. Moments pass as I make a plan.

“And why are you keeping me here?” I ask Will.

“I owed Connor a favor, and well here I am.”

I try to get up again; Will steps toward me to push me back, but I stomp on his foot with my heel. He starts hopping around like an idiota(idiot in spanish).

“What was that for?” he asks angrily as I get up.

“For keeping me against my wishes.”

“Don’t you mean will?” Travis chuckles.

“No,” I reply walking out.

“Come on!” Connor says touching my shoulder.

I turn around, and whisk his hand away. “Find Lucas. Tell him I want a ride to school.”

“Just wait a minute, if I said I was going to. . .” He looks around for anyone. “If I was going to steal Clarisse's diary, what would you say?”

So this is the race: whoever get’s Clarisse’s diary first wins.

“I would say yes out of immaturity, but the logical side of me says no. Luckily, the side of immaturity is very, very small. I won’t help you with that. That is the stupidest anyone at camp could do,” I laugh. “Now if you won’t get Lucas, I will.”

I walk to the Hermes cabin in look for Lucas. Of course, he is watching tv.

“So this is what you do in the summer,” I say in the doorway.

“I didn’t here you come in Kenny,” he says looking at the tv.

“Don’t call me that,” I say in a serious voice.

“Kenny.”

I glare at him. He chuckles.

Lucas is sort of a big brother to me. When I got to camp eight years ago, he showed me around, took me under his wing. He taught me how to use a sword, and how to steal things. I was claimed my first week. We used to sneak out at night, and practice sword fighting. That’s how I became really good at fighting with two weapons simultaneously.

At the same time I was learning Russian. (It’s better to learn languages when you are young.) Two years is how long it took me learn the language. It only took me a year to learn French. It took me four full years to learn Ancient Greek and Latin together. (I learned Ancient Greek and Latin years 6-10. Russian years 6-8. French years 8-9. Polish years 9-12. Spanish years 14- present.)

I didn't go home for the school year the first three years I was at camp. Lucas taught me everything I know. For a son of Hermes, he is very intelligent.

“I didn’t expect you to be back so soon,” he says, eyes glued to the tv.

“Yeah, well neither did I. Will iris messaged me to tell me to get here. Then I find out that it was for me to help Connor steal Clarisse's diary,” I say walking in and sitting on an empty bunk.

He gets up, “I see. They tried roping you into that too. Anyone who does that is stupid. Clarisse is like thirty years old, why would they want her diary anyways? Well, nevermind. Connor and Travis are thirty years old too. I guess it’s that rivalry they had back when they were kids.”

He turns toward me, “Whoa! You look like you have been—”

“Don’t you dare say it,” I say with a glare.

“What happened to the ponytail, and jeans. Now you— you’re wearing make up!" he shakes his head. "What has the world done to you?”

“I like to impress.”

“Who? The whole school?” he says in a fatherly accent. “No boys better be making a move or they’ll have to deal with me."

“This place sure is empty,” I say changing the subject. Nobody else is in here, and only a few bunks look like they have used.

He folds his arms, and leans back adjacent his bunk like a rapper leaning against a wall.

“Yeah, this place is pretty empty. Everyone cleared out to go back home,” he says cleaning up his mess of clothes, and food wrappers. “How long till the school year ends, and you come back?”

“Four months, two days.”

“Ugh,” he sighs.

“I need a ride to school.” I say.

“All the way to Manhattan. Really?” he complains.

“Yes. Now let’s go,” I say getting up.

“What? You aren’t staying for the day?” he asks.

“No, I have things to do.”

“Come on,” he persuades.

“Lucas, you know you can’t persuade me to do anything.”

“Fine, lemme get my keys. And lemme change,” he says.

I leave, and head to the garage. They made it a few years ago. More kids kept coming and leaving, and some kids started driving.

Lucas is nineteen. He has a Red Hyundai Coupe Genesis; his family is sort of rich. Like myself, one of his parents died in a car accident, and he was left with the wealth. His mom was an actress or something. My dad was a historian talker on the history channel. He was also an actor in some movies.

I hop into the front seat. It looks like he has been keeping it clean. The floors are nice, and swept, and the whole thing smells like an air freshener.

“You ready?” he asks getting in. He changed from his camp shirt to a blue v-neck and leather jacket. His pajama pants are now black jeans with Nike basketball shoes. His blonde hair squashed under a Jordan flat bill.

“Creo que sí,” I answer in spanish.

“Yo sabo qué tú hablas,” he answers.

“What does that mean?” I ask. “I something what you speak?”

“You’ll learn,” he says pulling out onto the dirt road. “Wait. You know like five languages, but not one of them is spanish? You’re joking right?”

“Collate,” I say.

“What?! You know fluent Russian, Latin, French and Polish, but not Spanish!”

“I said shut it!”

“Okay fine, I won't bring up the fact that you can speak six languages fluently and one isn't Spanish. By the way, I learned spanish when I was in fourth grade.”

---

“Hey, sleepyhead! We're here!” he yells shaking me awake.

I fix my hair in the mirror while he gets out and opens the door. He’s a teaser, but he is also a nice gentleman. He opens the door; I get out.

“You know you can come visit anytime right?” I say hugging him.

“Yeah. I know. Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“See you in four months!” he yells. I wave my hand back. "Bye Kenny!"

I hear him shut the doors then burn some rubber back down the street.

I go strait to the office, and give the attendance lady the excuse that my mom wrote.

When I walk into seventh period, everyone looks at me. Whispers begin to murmur around the room. I take my seat in the front of the class.

“Gracias para unes nosotros Señorita GlenAnn,” my teacher says.

I get out my notebook, and turn to a fresh page.

“Hey,” they girl next to me whispers, poking me. “Hey. Answer.”

I ignore her.

“Hey,” someone pokes at me. “Hey! Hey, was that guy your boyfriend.”

“What?” I ask shocked.

“Everyone saw you hug him. Is he in high school? He’s hot too, and that car. Whoo.”

“No, he’s just a friend who dropped me off,” I answer.

“I don’t know? You two would make a cute couple,” someone else says.

No. No, we wouldn’t. I think. We would make a terrible couple. We would literally start fighting every five seconds.

Notes

Don't use google translate is terrible. Don't use it!

"Creo que sí" means I believe so.

"Yo sabo qué tú hablas" means I know what you speak.

"Cállate" means shut up.

"Gracias para unes nosotros Señorita GlenAnn" means thanks for joining us Miss GlenAnn.

Kendra's outfit
http://www.polyvore.com/kendra/set?id=191133804

Lucas's outfit
http://www.polyvore.com/lucas/set?id=192253666