Potion, Passion and Trouble

By:Potatoe Man

Chapter 1: Plan for love

I woke up to a tapping at my door. I heard a muffled voice saying something on the other side. The voice was distinctly female. I walked up to the door and opened it. I found myself face to face with Drew. She rushed in and slammed the door shut, checking the windows like someone was following her. She turned to me and smiled a flashing grin. I knew enough about Drew to know when she wanted something. "All right. What do you want?" I asked questioningly. She stepped forward and stopped inside my personal space. "do you, by chance have any stygian iron laying around unused?" She asked batting her eyelashes. I rolled my eyes at the action. "I think I have a little left over from making my art project. But why do you need it?" I asked her suspiciously. She batted her eyelashes faster. "just a project. I only need a little bit." she said.

I could feel the charm speak thickening and coming towards me in waves. I crossed my arms stubbornly. After every time she tried charm speaking me I felt really annoyed. She knew it didn't work on me, yet she always tried. "What do you need it for?" I asked again. She dropped the act faster than a hot rock. "It's my business for why I need it! Just hand it over." I didn't budge. "FINE!" she huffed. "I need it for a love potion I'm making. I need powdered stygian iron to finish it. I needed it by sun down and you're the only one I know of who has any of the stuff!" she exclaimed. I looked at her questioningly. Did she say love potion. I found my self very interested in the idea. "Why do you need it before sundown?" I asked, walking over to my bed and pulled out a small bag of the stuff.

She moved forward quickly and grabbed for the bag. I pulled it away before she could grab it. "I asked a question." I said snappishly. She put her hand on her hips and growled at me angrily. "If you don't add the last ingredient into a potion before sundown the potion ferments and it becomes a different potion than expected." she said like I should know this. I look at her, holding the bag out of her reach. "What would this love potion of yours become if it doesn't have the stygian iron dust." I ask pointedly. She glares at me until it is obvious that I won't give it to her until I get answers. "Ugh! You're so infuriating. Fine! The potion would still be a love potion, it would just be too strong. If any one got even a drop on them they would be tackled wherever they went. The powder acts like a balancing agent. According to how much you put in it, it could be for one person or multiple people, if they are or have been attracted to you at one point. It doesn't matter how small the attraction is either. It will work the same. Unless they never had an attraction to you, in which case said person would think you smelled like wine." she finished her explanation and held out her hand for the bag. I handed it to her reluctantly and she turned and walked out the door.

I stood there for a second before an idea hit me. I ran out the door and went to the Aphrodite cabin. Drew was just opening the door. I flew in and thanked the gods no one else was in there. Drew didn't appreciate it. She stormed up to me and growled, "What the hell. Get out." I looked over and saw were she was making the potion. I walked over and saw a bowl, spoon, various supplies and two plastic spray bottles. One was already full of a liquid that was a faint pink. Drew stormed up to me and grabbed my arm to pull me out of the cabin. I pulled my arm away and crossed them over my chest. She could tell I wasn't going anywhere. "What do you want! All I needed was the powder, not you." she said.

I looked at her and I blushed slightly at the idea that had come into my head. I readied myself and started talking. "All Right, look. I have a crush on someone, but I don't know if they like me back. I was wondering if you could let me use some of the potion since I gave you the stygian iron." She looked at me like 'Ok! What's new'. My mouth flew open. "You know!" I said, shocked. "of course I know. Even if I wasn't the daughter of Aphrodite, I would know. You aren't the most subtle person I know." I stared at her in horror. The only people who knew I was gay were the seven. Apparently it wasn't as secret as I thought. "Ugh. Just help me. I want to know if he likes me." her eyes widened in surprise, then she looked like something clicked in her brain. "Oh. I didn't expect that." she said in awe. I blushed all the way down to the neck of my t-shirt. Ok. So she hadn't known. Emphasis on the hadn't. I just told my biggest secret to the camp's biggest gossip.

My temper began to rise. I was angry at myself for telling and at her for probably going to tell. "I swear, if you tell anyone about me being gay you will look really funny with my sword sticking out of your forehead." I growled. She put her hands up pleadingly. "I won't say a word." I didn't believe her. "swear on the river Styx." she sighed like she couldn't believe I didn't trust her. "I swear on the river Styx that I won't say a word of this conversation to anyone." thunder boomed overhead. I relaxed a little. "Great! Now let's get this potion finished."