Yes, I should be updating. No, I definitely should not be starting a new story. But it's a one-shot, and I felt like writing it. Enjoy!
Zoe Jackson sat at her desk and stared morosely at the blank sheet of paper. The paper stared back, mocking her. Eleven-year-old Zoe scowled and shoved her pencil into the electric sharpener again. The packing list idea was a total fail.
Zoe was going to camp for the first time. She had grown up in Camp Jupiter, but her parents were sending her to Camp Half-Blood this summer. She thought back to the previous evening. Her father had looked steadily at her and said gently, "We met there. I went there for six years, Zo. You should…you should see it. You should be there. And anyways, you can meet some of your cousins," he finished, referring to other children of Athena, who were technically Zoe's aunts and uncles, but whom they called cousins, since they were Zoe's age.
"But Bobby isn't going," Zoe had protested. It was just her and her father in the kitchen by then; Annabeth had slipped out with the others, Charlie walking quietly ahead. Her arm had been around Bobby's thin shoulders, and the twins had danced around Charlie, one on each side. Charlie was very good with the twins. They adored him. Bobby had been reluctant to leave his sister; Zoe and Bobby had always been two peas in a pod.
Percy had sighed and shoved a hand through his hair. It stuck up at ridiculous angles, but Zoe wasn't in a laughing mood. "I know, but we figured you're the oldest. You're mature enough to go, and you deserve some time to be your own self."
Zoe had opened her mouth to protest, but Percy silenced her with a look. "I know you love your brothers. I also know that you haven't gotten more than five minutes of solitude since Bobby was born. And I know you won't necessarily get that at camp, but you need to meet some more people your own age, especially girls."
"But I have Emily and Sammy," Zoe retorted weakly.
"Sammy's a guy," Percy said, "and Emily, however awesome, is still a year younger and quite a bit less mature."
Grudgingly, Zoe admitted defeat. "Fine."
Thinking back on it, Zoe allowed that Percy had posed good arguments. Even the solitude bit was true—at that very moment, Bobby was perched on his bed, rumpled covers over his skinny legs. His hair was damp and messy from his shower, and he was tapping furiously at the family iPad.
"Bobby," Zoe admonished him, spinning around in her chair. "You know you already used your screen time, and besides, last time you did that the hellhound showed up and we had to get Uncle Nico. Now cut it out."
Bobby looked up, eyes wide. "Oh no, I'm using the twins' time now. They're too young, so I get their time."
Zoe glared at Bobby, but he was the one person in the world immune to her dagger stare. "The twins are four and a half, who knows if they want their time or not?"
"I asked them."
"When?"
"Well…" Bobby hedged, rubbing the soles of his feet together, a habit of his that usually popped up when he was trying to get out of something.
"When?!"
"During dessert," he said in a rush.
"Bobby, you know that doesn't count, they can't do anything during dessert except eat. They practically go catatonic! Now turn the iPad off."
"Ah, sibling love," came a new voice. There, leaning in the doorway, stood the one and only Uncle Nico.
"Uncle Nico!" Bobby yelped, springing up and tossing the iPad on the bed. Not even stolen screen time was as good as the infamous Nico di Angelo.
Bobby was about to tug him into the room when Nico bent down and whispered something in his ear. Zoe caught the words "talk" "sister" and "Mythomagic" and before he even straightened up properly, Bobby had raced out of the room, presumably to go downstairs and play with Nico's Mythomagic deck.
"Let me guess," Zoe said wryly as Nico took a seat on Bobby's vacated bed, pushing the iPad aside. "Dad sent you to try and convince me to go to camp."
Nico frowned and muttered something to himself that sounded suspiciously like, "Annabeth...curse those genius genes." He then said, louder, though he didn't appear to realize it, "Why couldn't she have gotten Percy's idiocy instead?"
Zoe cleared her throat loudly. Nico looked up and appeared to be startled she was still there. "Oh! Sorry. I really have to learn how to whisper properly. The other night I was putting Olivia to bed and she spilled her milk all over her covers and I said…a curse word, and she repeated it really loudly and went, 'Daddy? What does that mean?' The next day her daycare teacher told me she had taught all the children the word. Luckily Will didn't find out or I wouldn't be here right now."
Against her better judgment, Zoe burst out laughing. Olivia was a naturally hilarious person, though that was probably mostly accident—she was, after all, only four years old.
Nico looked immensely pleased with himself, and evidently decided to take the plunge while he was ahead. "So anyways, Zo. Yes, your dad did send me to try and convince you, but I think I still have some valid reasons that you, with your logical mind, should appreciate."
Zoe quieted, considering this idea. "Okay."
Nico looked relieved. I wouldn't be relieved if I were you, buster, Zoe thought, but already her resolve was weakening.
"Okay," Nico began. An auspicious beginning indeed, thought Zoe sarcastically. "I mean, I'm sure Camp Half-Blood will be great for your weaponry skills and battlefield tactics and all that. And you really do need some time away from your siblings. No, don't protest," he said hastily; Zoe had opened her mouth defensively. "Seriously, Zo. I know you love Bobby and Charlie and the MnM's, but you can't be known only as 'Bobby's big sister' or 'Percy Jackson's daughter' forever. You have to have your own identity. And Camp Half-Blood is a good place to find it.
"Camp Jupiter is about blending in," he continued. "Less so these days, and I know that teamwork is a great skill. But you have to be an individual too. You also can't be only friends with your younger cousins forever. You've got to have some girlfriends your own age. And yeah, Em's awesome, but you're way more mature than her. She hasn't outgrown the silly stage yet, and you are more mature than half the adults I know." He paused for breath and Zoe jumped in.
"But those are the exact same things Dad told me," Zoe said unhappily.
"Hey, hold up!" Nico protested. "Not done yet, hello?"
Zoe giggled and quieted.
"Okay, one more thing before I get to my bit. You are very mature, and with your four younger siblings, I often find you acting the part of third parent. This kind of goes against my thing of you needing someone other than Emily, but you need to act your age. You need time to be what you are—a kid. Yes, you're a granddaughter of Poseidon and Athena, the oldest of five, and you take the responsibility very seriously, but you have to relax! Camp Jupiter is…not so great for that. Camp Half-Blood is much better.
"And now something new," he continued. "I went to Camp Half-Blood too, as you know. I also used to be much more withdrawn and serious. Camp Half-Blood is where I met your Uncle Will, and where I met some of my other best friends today. I know this might not be true for you, certainly not now and maybe not ever. But Camp Half-Blood is a second home to me. It's where I made my first real friends. Where I first had a crush. And yes, we were in the midst of dealing with Kronos and all that—excuse my language—crap, but the pressure formed real bonds, and…you know what? My speech is falling apart and you've got to get to bed. I just want you to think about it, that's all. That it might not be as bad as you think."
He stood up and crossed the room, bending to give Zoe a kiss on the cheek as he left. Zoe was quiet for a moment, thinking. Then she spun around in her chair and gave that evil paper a determined look.
She had a packing list to write.
Hope you liked it! :) If you read this story, please review! Quite honestly, I love follows and favorites. But I would much, much rather get a review, even if it's only a smileyface (or a sad one). Thanks! :)