Sherlock

I ran down the hill, spraying mud everywhere. "Sherlock, don't look back!" I heard my father cry. I sprinted, panting, and collapsed on a rock. The Cyclops bounded towards me, growling.

"Help!"

My foot was stuck under the rock, and I couldn't move. I threw a stone at the monster in an attempt to fight him off, but it just made him angry. When I lost hope in surviving the encounter, two teenagers ran up behind the cyclops. One was a girl, with blond wavy hair, and one was a boy with dark hair and a strangely weary, but attractive, face. The cyclops turned and within 5 minutes he was on the ground, golden blood gushing from his leg.

"Hey, are you okay?" asked the boy. I was still surprised by his American accent, although I'd flown to America with my dad. I nodded and motioned to my foot, which was still stuck. The girl looked behind her, telling the boy that the cyclops had died.

"Thanks," I mustered, as I managed to get my foot out from under the rock.

"No problem. I'm Percy, and this is Annabeth. Let's get you to camp...I'm assuming that's where you're headed?" I nodded, standing up. Annabeth studied me.

"You're a demigod, hm?" she asked. I nodded slowly, confused by the term "demigod," but assuming that's what I was after my mom's explanation. "How much do you know?"

"My dad explained that I'm going to a special camp, and that my mom was a-a-" I shook my head in disbelief. "A god." They nodded knowingly.

"We get it if you're in shock. We'll bring you to camp and get you some nectar if you need it," Annabeth explained.

"Thank you."

The next few hours were a blur, as we walked into the strange camp and to the hospital. I lied down on a bed and they gave me a weird drink. "Just drink it," the nurse said. "It will taste amazing." It did-like toast and jam, strangely enough. After downing the whole cup, I felt much better. Percy came in after I rested a little.

"You doin' okay, kid?" I nodded, smiling at his friendliness. "They give you the nectar?"

"It was incredible!" He grinned.

"I remember my first time having nectar. Just don't drink too much, you might burn up." He said it casually, but I believed him.

"O-okay." He chuckled.

"It's the drink of the gods. Half of you likes it, and the other half can't stand it. Anyways, you need to meet Chiron. He heard about your trip here. Come on." He stood and I got out of the bed happily.

We walked through the camp, and I witnessed things I never thought could exist-flying horses, teenagers dressed in armor, fighting...it was incredible. He showed me around, and explained what places were for what. But what really surprised me was the horse-man, Chiron.

"Hello, Percy. And you must be Sherlock," he said. He chuckled. "Yeah, I know, I'm an ass." I grinned and nodded.

"I didn't even know that centaurs existed, I mean, finding out my mom was a god was surprising enough but-" He smiled.

"You'll learn more crazy things. For now, you need to get settled in. Do you have any bags, or anything?" I shook my head, still in awe. He nodded and looked at Percy. "Take him to the Hermes cabin. Get him settled in. I want to talk to you afterwards."

Percy led me to a bunch of cabins. Now that I saw him closer, I observed that he had green eyes and his hair stuck up a little in the cutest way. He and Chiron seemed determined and serious, but with me he was playful and kind. Wait...what? This wasn't normal. I shouldn't be thinking about a boy like this…

"The Hermes cabin will be where you're staying until you find out who your mom is. Hermes was the god of messengers and travelers, so his kids take in the newbies." He shook his head. "Sorry. Newbie's a strong word."

"Nah, it's fine," I assured him.

"Okay. Well, just watch out with those kids. Hermes is also the god of thieves, so…" I nodded.

"I'll make sure I don't get anything stolen." He smiled.

"You'll need a sleeping bag, I guess. I'll get one from the store. So, yeah. Need anything else?"

"Um, Percy? There was a kid my dad brought with me. It's vague, I'm just remembering him…" My mind palace was disrupted somehow, but I recalled a short blond boy that my dad had introduced to me and flew with us to America.

"The Mist will do that to you. It hides magical things from mortals and sometimes demigods."

"Well, he...he came with us here. I don't know where he went when the cyclops came after me and my dad. I hope he's not hurt. My dad said he would protect me."

"He was probably your satyr. Half dude, half goat. They protect the campers before they come to camp. I'll check with Grover to see if there are any missing satyrs."

"His name was John."

"Oh, okay, thanks." Percy nodded. "I'm going to the store to get your stuff. You can go to your cabin and meet the Hermes kids." I nodded uneasily.

I was going to have to be with kids, I realized. Like all the time. I was a tad antisocial. Well, I kind of hated being around strangers. Somehow, Percy was different, but everyone made me nervous. Even kind Chiron. I walked over to the Hermes cabin, where loud indie music played.

Around 20 kids stood in the cabin, jamming out to whatever song was playing. Some played air guitar, some sang along, some threw themselves around in a manner that resembled dancing. The walls were peeling yellow, and sleeping bags were strewn across the floor. Some kids would've loved the sight, but I instantly resented it.

Someone noticed me and grinned mischieviously. "New camper!" Everyone cheered and ran over to me.

"I'm tired, could you-" I tried to explain to them that I didn't want to talk to anyone. They slowly returned to their dance party and I found a little space behind the door. I sat there and observed them, listening to their conversations and learning about them. None of them came to talk to me, thankfully, and I rested as much as I could. Percy came to drop off my things, and I realized he'd gotten more than just a sleeping bag: toothbrush and toothpaste, orange "Camp Half-Blood" t-shirt, and a little notebook with a pen. In it was written "You seem like the writey type. I hope you have fun here at Camp Half-Blood. -Percy." I sighed with longing, hoping against hope that my crush would go away soon.