Chapter 1: New Home
The day it all changed I knew something was up. I got back three failed tests and a failed research paper. Then my computer crashed so I got an F on another paper, which I found especially weird because the teacher would have usually let me hand it in when the computer was fixed.
My name's Nick. I've got long, curly black hair and brown eyes. My boxing coach has been telling me to cut it for a while because I have to move it out of my eyes when I fight. I usually wear whatever t-shirt I can find with sweatpants and my favorite grey hoodie. If it wasn't the winter I wouldn't be wearing the hoodie, because the cold has never really effected me.
During lunch I went to the back and saw some kids smoking, and they asked me if I wanted a smoke.
"No thanks man," I said. "I don't smoke."
One of the guys came up to me, "You sure you don't want a smoke?" he took out his lighter.
"Nah, I box and my coach says it'll mess up my lungs."
"Just a little smoke." He started bringing the lighter closer to me.
I pushed his hand back and told him no once more.
"I don't think you heard me," the flame on his lighter got at least three times the original size. "Just a little smoke."
I started to back away, but the two other guys got in behind me. They all had lighters with huge flames.
"There might be something wrong with your lighters guys," I said, getting into a fighting stance. "I don't think the flames should be that big."
"Well, these flames actually have a purpose," said the first guy.
"Oh, really? What is it?"
They all started sparking their lighters, and the flames kept growing until they were the size of small blades. The first guy lunged at me and I sidestepped. He slashed at me so I put my guard up (it's a reflex) and the flames cut my skin. I screamed in pain as blood trickled down my forearm.
"Who are you guys?" I asked on the ground.
"Just know that we're the guys that're gonna kill you."
The other two came in for the kill, but before getting to me they turned into dust. The last one turned around got turned to dust before he could raise his guard.
"Nick!" my friend, Jessica, was holding a shining bronze sword in her right hand. She had long, straight black hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing her usual outfit; orange shirt, blue jeans, and necklace with five beads on it. Even when it was to come save me, she hadn't dropped her black leather purse. "Take off your shirt!"
"Not really the time, but okay."
"Really?" she said as she helped me get my shirt off. "You're making jokes now?"
"At least you'll remember me how I was."
She used her sword to cut my shirt and wrapped the two halves around my arms.
"Get up." She said.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
She touched her sword to her purse and it turned into the zipper. She had to rummage through her purse to find a walkie-talkie.
"Al," she said into the walkie-talkie, "It's Jess, he's hurt. Bring Nectar and Ambrosia."
I heard the familiar voice of my boxing coach on the other end say, "On my way."
"He's coming to get us," she said.
"Really?" I said sarcastically. "I wouldn't have guessed that from what he said."
"You're bleeding way to much to be sarcastic."
"Whatever. As long as we're waiting do you mind giving me some of that water?"
"What water?"
"I figured that's what's in that bottle."
She opened up her metal water bottle and sniffed it. "No way! Drink this!"
"What is it?"
"Just drink it!"
I took a sip and was surprised by the taste. "It tastes like pizza. What the hell is this?"
"Nectar. It's the drink of the gods."
"Sure it is."
Coach pulled up in a van after my next sip. "Get in."
There was a Ziploc bag of what looked like gold pudding squares.
Jess took one out and said, "Eat it."
After the drink worked so well I didn't question her. I took a bite and again it tasted like the pizza from my favorite place.
"Albero," Jess said. "Take us to camp."
"Uh, Jess," I said. "I hate to break it to you, but that summer camp you always talk about starts in, you know, summer. It's winter, kind of the opposite season."
"Do you have anything I could use to knock him out until we get there?"
"Sorry," Coach Al said. "I left it all at the gym. You could try that your latest theory of yours out on him though."
"Um, what theory?" I asked.
"Just that if someone eats the right amount of Ambrosia they'll pass out, not die." Said Jess.
"I could die eating this stuff?"
"Just don't eat anymore of it and you'll be fine."
"Sure pizza squares are going away," I said as I closed the bag and gave it to Jess.
"So, how much of us do you remember?" she asked after tossing the bag to the front passenger seat.
"What? I didn't hit my head."
"Just answer her question!" Coach Al was his normal, short-tempered self.
"Alright!" No matter how loud he yelled, he knew I'd yell louder, although he looked surprised in the rearview mirror. "We met this year after my mom sent me to boarding school for my senior year. You saw potential in me after my first fight and took me to your boxing gym to train with your coach. Coach Al saw that I could fight and started training me, and this weekend I was supposed to go to my first amateur match, but if we're going to camp I don't think that's happening."
"Wow," she just looked at me like I had told her that North Korea just launched nukes at us. "The Mist really worked hard on you."
"At least the Mist gave me a cool job," said Coach.
"What's the Mist?" I asked.
"Nick, this might be hard for you to understand," Jess put her hand on my shoulder. "The Mist gave you those fake memories. The You're what's known as a demigod. One of your parents was a Greek God."
"And my mom was an orca, right?"
Jess hit me on the side of my head, like she does when I piss her off. "I'm not joking!"
"Sure you're not."
"Some guys behind the school cut you with fire, and you're questioning gods?"
I thought about it for a minute. "You've got a point, but my mom always raised me to believe in one God, so if you're telling me any gods exist, you can probably guess which one I'll believe in."
I heard the boom of thunder.
"Watch what you say, kid!" Coach yelled.
"Alright I'll play along with you guys," I reclined the seat all the way down. "You gonna take a nap, or just me?"
"Take a nap," Coach said. "We've got a long drive ahead of us."
She put her seat down and I put my jacket over her.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I don't need it," I told her. "And I remember you not being able to sleep without something covering you."
"I guess not everything the Mist told you was a lie," Jessica said as she wrapped the jacket tighter.
All that happened three months ago, back in January. I've been at Camp Half-Blood since then and the Hephaestus Cabin still hasn't finished my weapon. But that's not the worst of it; I haven't been claimed yet. Jess keeps telling her sister, the head architect of Olympus, to get the gods to do it, but so far that hasn't helped. My guess is that they're waiting until I prove myself, and the next capture the flag, I will.
Okay, I know that's not how it works, if someone offers you a cigarette and you say no they won't pressure you. It's happened to me, and they didn't care. The weapon Nick will be using is completely badass, but you'll have to wait to find out what it is. Until then, please read and review!