The Half-Blood Switch: The Campfire Sing-Along

"Clover, I think I'm getting bored," said Maddie Chase as they went out of the amphitheater. "It's still the same song every day."
"Come on, Maddie," said Clover Chase in an exasperated tone. "It's tradition. Besides, it's for the gods."
"Yeah, I know, but I wish they'd spruce it up. I'm sure the campers thought of the same thing."
"Maddie, please—"

"Can you tell the Apollo cabin to change the song?"

"Come on, Maddie—"

"Can you do it, Clover? For me and the campers," Maddie explained.

A lot of thoughts raced around Clover's head. Her mind is like a blender, mixing ideas into a colloid, too small to distinguish but too big to be mixed into a whole. One part of her mind said, Do it, Clover. You wouldn't want to disappoint your twin sister, would you? Besides, you agree with her: It's the same song every day. But the other part said: You are a Roman. Don't even try to break tradition or Apollo will kill you. The former has a point; the latter also has a point. Which should she choose?

She had come to a decision. "Fine, Maddie. I'll ask him tomorrow—"

But she'd been interrupted by a hug from her twin. "Thank you, Clover!"

Clover knew the perfect person to talk to: Austin. He was usually the one leading the sing-along, and she knew that he's kind enough to hear her out. So she went to him before archery class.

"Hey, Austin, can I talk to you for a second?" Clover asked with trepidation.
"We have five minutes before class, so make it quick," replied Austin.
They walked to the archery field. Then Clover said, "Uh, my sister's kind of bored with the Apollo cabin singing the same song every night. Do you mind if we can help you spruce it up a bit?"
"What do you mean, 'spruce it up a bit'?" Austin asked.
"You know, creating new songs and tunes, make it a little more modern, you get the idea. . . ." Clover's voice trailed off. She could see that he looked a little bit . . . angry. But he laughed.
"Are you serious, Clover? Those songs are thousands of years old. Besides, how can you make one in such a short notice?"
"Well, I could, if you could just let me—"
"You are a daughter of Hecate, not Apollo's. Now come on. We'll be late."
"Oh, Maddie, what do I do?" Clover moaned.
She paced back and forth in front of her cabin. Capture the Flag was already over and the campfire is going to start shortly. "Austin denied my request, I'm screwed, and now you don't have what you want!"
"Don't worry, Clover," Maddie reassured her twin with a pat on her shoulder. "I know now what we're going to do. If we can't do it rationally, we do it radically."
"What do you mean, 'radically'?"
"You'll see, Clover, you'll see," said Maddie with a smirk. "Just bring your guitar."
The twins proceeded to the amphitheater, with Clover bringing her guitar this time. Their friend Iris Katsaros reserved her a seat.
"Clover, what are you doing with that guitar?" said Rosetta, one of their friends.
"You'll see, Rosetta," said Clover, keeping the plan to herself and her twin.
The Apollo cabin began the sing-along, with the usual songs to the gods. Clover tolerated this a bit, until finally Maddie pinched her, signaling her to carry on the plan: interrupt the singers.
Clover got her guitar and strummed a chord, which got the attention of the campers. "This is a song to the gods, and to all of you, who are aiming for a dream," she said.
She then began to sing "We'll be the Stars" by Sabrina Carpenter:
"We are young, we are gold,
Trying things we didn't know,
Looking at the sky, see it come alive."
The campers were moved by her words. Clover's singing is as clear as air, flowing smoothly while the rest of the song goes on:
"All our dreams, became our hopes.
Climb out every locked window.
Rode a lion's mane, and fell upon the rain.
We can reach the constellations,
Trust me all our dreams are breaking out."
At this point on, an Apollo camper named Alcyone began to harmonize with her, including Iris.
"No, we're never gonna turn to dust,
Yeah, all we need is us,
Don't be scared to close your eyes, no we're never gonna die, we'll be the stars.
Oh, no we're never gonna step too far,
Yeah, we're holding on to who we are.
When it's time to close your eyes, they will see us in the skies, we'll be the stars."
Then Apollo came and started playing the lyre. Clover hesitated, still playing her guitar, but he beckoned her to keep singing. The Muses and the Graces were at her side.
"Let me in, hold me close,
Fill my heart with simple notes,
So when it's hard to see,
They are there, reminding me.
Take my breath, and hold me high,
So I can feel the city lights.
Glowing under me,
It's in our reach, we're breaking out,
No, we're never gonna turn to dust,
Yeah, all we really need is us.
Don't be scared to close your eyes, no, we're never gonna die, we'll be the stars.
"Oh, no, we're never gonna step too far,
Yeah, we're holding on to who we are.
When it's time to close your eyes, they will see us in the sky, we'll be the stars."
As the song progresses, more instruments were played, more singers sang, and it became a choir. Clover and Maddie were amazed. The camp is actually more awesome than she thought. At the center, the enchanted campfire blazed yellow, reflecting the mood of the campers.
"We can reach the constellations,
Trust me, all our dreams are breaking out.
No, we're never gonna turn to dust,
All we really need is us,
We'll be the stars.
Oh, no, we're never gonna step too far.
Yeah, we're holding on to who we are.
When it's time to close your eyes, they will see us in the sky, we'll be the stars.
Oh, oh, we'll be the stars.
Oh, oh, we'll be the stars!
Oh, oh, we'll be the stars,
Oh, oh, we'll be the stars."
Silence engulfed the camp in a blanket. Then that blanket was removed when the camp was shook with the voices of happy campers. Clover hugged Maddie and their friends, and she was delighted, exhilarated, happy, and surprised at the same time. Then everyone said, "TO THE GODS!"

Notes