I hated car rides, I hated plane rides, and I especially hated bus rides. And you know where I am, on a freaking bus. The bus wasn't too bad though, I had my own personal air vent. And my clothes were comfortable, denim jacket, new beanie, and loose jeans. Oh, and Lacy was next to me. She was curled up into a ball, sleeping on my shoulder. Now I know what your thinking, one of, if not the hottest girl in camp is sleeping on my shoulder. But I got used to it, Lacy was a touchy person, and I didn't complain. The school was in in Pennsylvania, so the bus ride was 3 hours, we had about thirty minutes left.
When I started going to the new school, I wasn't sure how it would be. The last time I've been to an actual school was before I ran from the orphanage, so this whole thing was new, but with Lacy with me, it wasn't bad at all. Actually, I have nothing better to do, maybe I'll look at the scrap book.
Lacy always had on different outfits, never sticking with one style, but one thing she always had on was her polaroid camera. She always had it when she wasn't at Half-Blood, and at the beginning of the year she made a scrapbook. I reached down and opened my bag, and I pulled it out and laid it on my lap.
It was brown leather and had thick pages, on the front it said: "Nick and Lacy, years at school." I smiled, it was something that she was doing in her freetime. I opened it, I liked going through the pictures.
The first picture was a picture of me and Lacy. We were on a bench. It looked like a selfie, Lacy was holding it up and smiling, that's how pretty much all the pictures are, Lacy holding up the camera and me either looking confused or smiling. I looked up right as she was taking the picture, she surprised me and I didn't even smile. I had on my beanie and denim jacket, she had on a pink t-shirt. I also saw crutches leaning on the bench, for the first month of school I had crutches because of an accident I had before, when my sister broke a few bones and wrecked my stomach, I'm good now but it was like that for a bit. Underneath the picture it it said: "First day of high-school!"
The next one was a picture of me and her at Starbucks. Binders and paper were all over the table we were sitting at, I was doing math. Lacy was making a face of boredom. The caption said: "Doing homework :(. I laughed a bit, I remember that class, math was the worst, but nearly as bad as english, my teacher was practically a monster.
I flipped the page, and I saw my favorite picture. It was me and Lacy believe it or not. She was hugging me by my shoulders and kissing my cheek. I was wearing what I always wore, denim jacket and beanie, she was wearing a white windbreaker. In the background there's a poster, it said homecoming. The caption said: "He asked me to homecoming!" Clipped to the page were two tickets, they were blue and they said "Dancing in the moonlight". I loved that picture, I couldn't help but smile every time I saw it.
I looked at the next one, and I chuckled. Someone else was taking the picture. It was me and Lacy at a Halloween party. I dressed as Jack Frost from Rise of the Guardians, I didn't even have to cover my hair. And Lacy dressed as Elsa, her hair was kept in a ponytail, and she honestly looked just like Elsa. I remember that night because there was a costume competition, and we won. Well, it was mostly because of the "Ice magic tricks" I was doing, it was a fun night.
Okay, I know I said the homecoming picture was my favorite, but it's actually tied with this one, or two pictures stapled together, but I could see both of them. They were each taken by a friend at a Christmas party. I had on a black sweater with a white button up underneath, Lacy had on a loose red sweater with a few snowflakes on it. The first was of me with the present Lacy got me. She got me a new beanie, it was dark blue with a black snowflake right in the middle of my forehead, unless you really looked you couldn't even see it, I loved it. And I haven't had a Christmas since I was a little kid, so in the picture it's Lacy hugging me while I was crying, I wa so happy, I couldn't help it. The one next to it is of me and Lacy in front of a fireplace. I was reading a book my other friend got me, and Lacy was sleeping on my shoulder, like she is now. It was taken from behind and it looks so good, I love it.
I heard Lacy yawn next to me. I looked over at her, she was stretching her arms. "About time you wake up." I said. She rolled her eyes. "Shut up Nick." She said with a laugh. She got off my shoulder and rubbed her eyes, like a little kid waking up from a nap. "Are we there yet?" She asked me. "About ten more I think." I told her. She nodded and sat back in her seat.
She looked over at me and saw I was looking at the scrap book. "You looking at that again?" She asked me. I looked at it and smiled. "Of course, I've never had one." I said with a smile. "Alright then, just don't hog it all summer." She said. "I'll think about." I said with a smile.
I heard the intercom go off. "Ladies and gentlemen we are arriving at your destination soon, thank you for choosing us, and have a great day!" The man on the intercom said. The pulled up to a bus stop, and was put in park. "Oh thank the gods." I muttered. "Just get out." Lacy said with a laugh. She got out first, she reached up top and grabbed her suitcase and my bag, or I should say she tried to. "Here let me help." I said standing up. I stood up easily reached up and got both bags.
Mine was a Swiss Army backpack, I found it at a goodwill near our school and I couldn't help myself. It was black, with a lot of pockets, after I cleaned it, it looked good as new. Lacy's bag was a bit different, it was a bright pink suitcase, it was shaped like a block and had a set of wheels at the bottom. I slung my bag over my shoulder and handed Lacy her suitcase. "Jeez, what would I do without you." Lacy said as she was pulling her suitcase. 'What would you do?" I asked her. She rolled her eyes at me.
We walked off the bus, and the cold air of New York hit me, felt good. I didn't where we were, but looked like a normal street, except not to many people. I looked around, this was my first time coming to Half-Blood from a school, so I had no idea where to go. "So, where to?" I asked Lacy. She looked around. "Just a block down the road, no too far." She told me. "Alright, at least were not in a bus." I mentioned. "Yeah, just follow me." Lacy ordered as she started walking.
It really wasn't a far walk at all, just a few hundred feet. To be honest though, I'm not sure what to look for, but I knew where it was when we got there. It has concrete steps surrounding a large pavilion. The actually pavilion was made of light wood, and the steps looked like the were made yesterday. But I knew it was where we were supposed to be, because there were about one hundred kids around, some wearing normal clothes and others having some kind of weapon on them. "Made by Annabeth a few years back, nice bus stop huh?" She asked me bringing my attention back on her. "Yeah it is." I say, amazed by how nice it looks.
"You wanna say that to me again?!" I heard a familiar voice yell. "Ugh oh." Lacy whispers. I looked over, and I saw the person I wanted to see the least. It was David, but he looked different. He hit puberty again apparently. His once long hair is now shaved off except for the new, army styled Mohawk. He looks like a soldier. He had on camo cargo pants, a black compression tank top that barely fit him, and combat boot. Along with his war-hammer strapped to his back, that made him super intimidating. He had gotten much taller, looking maybe 6'2, last I saw him he was my height, 5'11. I could tell he had been working out because the small tank top barely fit him, his muscles were practically coming out of his shirt. He was yelling at some kid. He had the poor guy pushed up against a wall, but the kid didn't look scared at all, just annoyed. He had on a blue flannel jacket with black jeans. He had straight long stringy blonde hair, it matched the color of a potato chip. And his gray eyes that were framed by circular glasses, they were the most identifying fact about him, like storm clouds. He reminded me of a scrawny Chris Hemsworth, if that was even possible.
"I'm talking to you punk!" David fumes, getting up close and personal with the kid. He had one kid on the kids shirt, and the other at his side balled into a fist. The kid just looked at him. "Really, I had no idea." He said flatly. His voice sounded like Tony Stark, kind of jerkish, but in a funny way. The kid flinches as David lifts his fist. He tried to grab David's arms, but to no avail. "Alright, that's enough." I said walking up to him. I shoot a dense ice blast at his balled up fist and cause his body to drop, hard. It cracked when it hit the concrete ground, but I still got a few laughs out of the nearby kid he was bullying crumpled to the ground when David let go of him, probably out of relief.
I didn't like to be the center of attention, but I'm not dealing with this crap this summer. He stood back up and stared at me. "Elsa, great to see you." David sneers. "What's up warchief?" Lacy teases from behind me. I heard a couple of campers snickering at that. David just looked at her.
I watch him shove the kid to the ground and walk up to Lacy's side. "Lacy, looking gorgeous as usual." He said with a smirk. He walked up to her, and smiled. "Please back up just a bit." Lacy said as she held her nose, but he snorts like a pig he is."Don't be like that, how 'bout you come with a real man." He held his hand out for her take, but the joke isn't funny. I had enough of him. I stepped in between him and Lacy.
"Alright listen up dickless, we're not going to have this whole thing again, so back off." I glower. He held his hands up to emphasize my doing, one now swollen and red from the momentary ice burn. "I wasn't doing anything, I won't bother you if you don't bother me." David finishes. He looked back at the kid one more time, and walked off.
I rolled my eyes and turned around to face the kid. I walk up to him and ask, "Hey man, you good? He looked up at me. "Yeah, thanks." he said. I held out my hand and helped him up. He brushed himself off, and pushed his glasses up his nose. "Well, I'm Benjamin, son of Athena." He told me with a smile. I look him over, trying to figure out how to introduce myself. "Nick, ugh, son of Boreas." I muttered, I've never introduced myself like that before, I don't want to be known as his son, why can't I just be known as Nick Snow. "Lacy, daughter of Aphrodite." Lacy introduces, but she sounded a little confused like me. "Well, thank you for the help, I hope we can become good friends." Benjamin said, he then walked off, leaving me really confused.
"Well, that was a nice little reunion." Lacy jabs. "Yeah, I just missed him so much." I said as I roll my eyes. "Well good for you that you stood up for Benjamin." Lacy congratulates me. I shrug my shoulders at her remark, "Eh, I've been there before."
We walked to some benches and sit down, but I could barely sit still, I was so excited for camp. But I heard tires screeching down the street. I stood up immediately. "What was that?" I asked. "Just the bus driver." Lacy reveals. I looked at her with wide eyes, but she looked dead serious. "Who did we hire, Helen Keller?" I asked her. Whoever was driving must have thought it would be funny to pull out the stop signs on the side as if someone sane would actually stand around for the bus to hit them "No dork, we hired Apollo." She told me. I laughed a bit, I thought she was joking, but she isn't laughing with me.
I saw a bus come up to where we were.I see a bright, red colored school bus with flame designs tacked on to the sides coming at us at ludicrous speeds. I backed up a bit scared, but Lacy seemed perfectly calm, like this was normal.
The bus pulls up to a screeching stop. the force of the halt causes most of the weight to hit the front as the back tires fly up momentarily, crazy driver. The door swung open, and there he is in all his glory. He had on a yellow tank top with blue skinny jeans, he also had on red sunglasses. When he spots me he lowered his glasses and beams. "Nick!" He said as he shouts out my name. "Hey Apollo." I greet awkwardly. He smiles at me, this time with his cheeks reaching its limits.
"Hop in, I'm the driver to camp." He explains happily. I didn't respond, I was preparing myself, mentally, I don't think I was ready for Apollo driving. I walked in and got in a seat near the front.
Lacy walked next to my seat. She probably notices my worried look. "You good Nick?" She asked me once she sat down. "I hope." I said under my breath.
It didn't take long for the rest of the campers to get on the bus. Most didn't even look twice at me, the only person who did was David, who gave me the evil eye as he walked by. Benjamin walked to the seat behind me, but it looked like he didn't want to talk. Apollo turned and looked at everyone in the bus. "Alright, hang on, well be there in two minutes!" He yelled back at us. I sunk into my chair. Two minutes...sounds like he'll be speeding a bit.
And without warning the bus' engine made a loud noise, and we took off. I wish he opened a window, because it was worse then the underworld. The bus went in the air and flew in a direction, but the rest of the campers were acting like this was normal, I hated my life.
But the ride was short, after two minutes of hell we got to the camp, right in front of the entrance. Once we stopped moving I relaxed my body. "Thank the gods." I muttered. Lacy just gave me a look. "You're fine, come on." Lacy told me standing up. I stood up, wobbled a bit, but I wasn't to dizzy. I regained my balance, and we all stepped off the bus.
Right as I stepped out the warmness of camp hit me, and I didn't remember how much I loved it. Scratch that, I loved everything about this camp. I could hear the faint sound of people playing volleyball and kids trying the lava rock climbing. The strawberry field smelled fresh, along with all the great smells from the pavilion.
"I missed this place." I said out loud. Lacy laughed. "I can tell, you look like you saw the face of god." She told me with a smile. "Well I like the camp." I told her. "Well, need to make sure that the salon is still in one piece, see you at dinner, okay?" Lacy asked me. "Yeah, see you." I told her. He smiled and walked off. But she turned around quickly. "One more thing, stop by the hair salon tomorrow so we can properly cut your hair." She said. "I will, don't worry." I told her with a smirk. She smiled, and walked away, and didn't turn around this time.
"Nick, I normally stay, but I need to attend to something, have a good summer." I heard Apollo say. I turned back to him just in time to see him drive off. The bus went in the air, and transformed into a nice sports car, and took off like a rocket, not even giving me a chance to say anything back. "Bye then." I said silently. "Nice ride." I heard Benjamin say from behind me. I nearly jumped out of my skin, he scared the crap out of me. "How long have you been standing there?!" I asked him. He was just staring at the bus as it drove off. "Just a bit." He said calmly. "Okay, well you need something?" I asked him. "Yeah, I know nobody except for you and the cute girl that walked by." He told me. I figured he was referring to Lacy, she was pretty cute.
I thought about what to do, then I had an idea. "I have some friends I want you to meet, follow me." I said.