It was the dead of the winter in Maine. It was cold, distant, and dreary. The longer one stayed there, the longer the memories of the temperatures of Florida faded. Westover Hall increased the frostiness tenfold, as it loomed like an evil castle with a curse put upon it by the nearby ocean. The interior wasn't any less inviting, instead being worse, as to expect of a military school.
Andy walked down the stone hall, the echo her flats against the freezing floor ringing out, and only the howl of the fierce wind that came with the icy snow to distract her from the sound of the party going on in the gym. She felt uneasy, as if something bad was about to happen. This feeling came by often, never actually completely going away, as her entire life had seemed like one bad thing happened after the other, just like dominoes. She was only here in the first place because she'd been shipped off by her social worker, who was at a loss as to what to do with her. But Andy didn't blame the woman. Andy was ten, and had been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia years ago. Finding someone who'd want an imperfect kid like that was hard, especially with her track record of being kicked out time and time ago by her numerous foster families.
Andy was always blamed for mysterious and dangerous incidents that occurred at these houses. And after years of trying to find a family to belong to, the only person Andy could call her friend was her social worker. It wasn't willingly, mind you. It was only due to the fact that the pair always ended up together. The social worker was the most constant person in Andy's life, as they had been together since day one. Of course Andy would rely on her like a friend. But this woman had finally given up and sent her as a charity case to this monstrous place. It just seemed like the world couldn't cut her a break since she was orphaned; even the vice principal of this school, Dr. Thorn, seemed out to get her.
As Andy sighed and headed back to the gym she thought about how this sense of danger was heightened tonight. She ran a hand through her dark black-brown hair and wondered if Nico would ask her to dance. She'd bonded with him and his sister as soon as she got here. They had the same learning disabilities and everything. They were became her first and only real friends. She thought of Nico and her heart sped up. Andy picked a piece of lint from her dark blue skirt and wrapped her matching cardigan tighter around her as she walked down the hall, hoping Nico wouldn't think she was plain and simple next to all those older girls.
"You! Prince!" a thunderous voice boomed from the end of the hall and Andy automatically flinched on reflex. She reluctantly looked towards the source of the voice, knowing already who it must be. Dr. Thorn, dragging Bianca and Nico with him. Andy's sea-green eyes widened in terror and surprise, and then she was being pulled along by the adult too.
Once in the main entry hall, Thorn released them and Bianca immediately checked over the two ten year olds like a mother hen would. Then, everything changed. A boy, no older than fourteen, ran in with a sword and everyone gaped at him, frozen with fear. Not at him, but at what was behind him.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He said, lowering his weapon. "My name is Percy Jackson. I'll take you somewhere safe." He gazed at the three of them for a moment, then muttered, "Three? Grover said two." Andy perked up at that. Grover, that strange boy she had avoided at every turn. Grover had seemed barely aware of her existence, so she was avoiding him correctly after all. Andy almost smiled, something she rarely did, because she was good at something. But she couldn't exactly write that she was stealthy on her resume unless she was applying to be a criminal. Another useless skill.
"Yes Perseus Jackson, I know who you are." Thorn sneered as he attacked the boy with the sword. Andy stumbled back. Perseus? Percy Jackson swung his sword helplessly as he was pinned by some spike in his shoulder. Andy wanted to sneak up behind Thorn and put her skill to use to save this boy, but she was too terrified to do so. Instead, she clutched Nico's arm unconsciously, just as another spike barely missed Bianca's head.
"You four are coming with me. Quietly and obediently." Thorn glared at them and Andy gulped. She had been right about the danger all along. And now her, along with three others, were toast for sure. This older boy, Percy, seemed desperate to help the di Angelos and Andy. Thorn led them all to the woods and went down a snowy path with only dim flashlights to be their guide. Andy held Nico's hand, not wanting to slip on ice, and watched her breath in front of her as she breathed out. "In the clearing we will summon your ride." Thorn announced, to which Bianca demanded, "What clearing?"
"Shut up you insufferable girl." Thorn boomed and Andy edged closer to Nico as he mustered up the courage to yell back, "Don't talk to my sister that way!"
They had just gotten to the clearing when Andy stumbled at the edge of the cliff and Nico yanked her over to him.
"Thanks." Andy breathed, her face suddenly warm, and Nico shrugged, breaking apart from her to take out some Mythomagic figurines.
"By all means Son of Poseidon. Jump and save yourself." Thorn gestured to Percy at the water and cliffs below. "Though I'd kill you before you reached the bottom."
Andy whimpered. Was Thorn a terrorist? A murderer? A kidnapper? Was he hoping to get a ransom from taking them? Bianca and Nico mentioned no parents, and Andy's mom was dead. There would be no one to save them. Every word spoken made little to no sense to her. She was about to scream for help or mercy, though Thorn would probably just kill her faster for that act of insolence, when an invisible force knocked all four kids to the ground. Andy caught some mentions of Greek Gods, along with the clashing of swords and shields, but that was overpowered by the roar of a helicopter. Andy glanced up once, saw Thorn turn into something horrible, like the Boogeyman, and shut her eyes firmly telling herself, "I'm crazy. I'm going crazy. Crazy, crazy, crazy. I'm insane."
There was a sound then, like something lighter was being used as a weapon against Thorn. Andy opened an eye to catch a glimpse of arrows whizzing by and attacking the vice principal. The source of the arrows came from a group of girls around Andy's age to about Percy's age. One of these…hunters, Andy guessed, asked for permission to kill Thorn.
"No fair." Thorn wailed.
"Permission granted." Said another girl. Thorn then turned on Percy and his teammate, only for a blonde girl to jump on the monster's back and be taken down with him over the cliff.
"Annabeth!" Percy yelled.
"Let her go. You are in no position to hurl yourself off a cliff." The auburn haired girl stated simply.
Andy stood by as Percy demanded to know who this girl was, telling him what to do.
"I am Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt." Andy almost fainted right there in her little blue cardigan. Artemis? The Greek Goddess?
"Hold up, who are you people?" Bianca asked.
"A better question for you dear, who are your parents? The three of you." Artemis motioned to Nico and Andy as well.
"We're all orphans. Nico is my brother and Andy is our friend-"
"You are all half-bloods. One parent of thy was mortal, the other Olympian." This girl who called herself Zoe told them.
"Our lives are dangerous." Said another girl, who gave her name as Thalia. Everything was explained, monsters, demigods, gods- the whole bit. Andy thought about it for a moment, letting it all sink in. Mow all those accidents she'd been a part of made sense if these so-called monsters were after her.
"Wait, Grover…you're a demigod?" Bianca turned to the boy, who had joined in the battle.
"Satyr." He clarified, then cocked his head to one side as he looked at Andy. "I swore there was another powerful presence but it seemed to be always skirting around me so I wasn't sure. I figured I was just losing my touch." Grover said, causing Andy to look down in embarrassment. Grover took off his shoes, revealing that he was indeed a satyr with his hooves. And while the di Angelos seemed shocked, Andy just numbed herself to it.
"We'll take you to Camp Half-Blood. It's safe there." Percy told the apparent demigods.
"There is another option." Zoe cleared her throat, and Thalia cut her off angrily, "No, there isn't!" The two glared at one another.
"Bianca? Andy? Would you join me on a walk?" Artemis asked and the two girls went hesitantly, not sure how many more surprises they could take in one night.
Camp for the night was up in minutes, and Andy's belongings, along with the di Angelos', had all been retrieved. Andy was sitting beside Bianca in front of Artemis, and finally accepting this strange turn of events no longer seemed like a dream, when Percy Jackson entered the tent. Andy stared at him, drawn to him somehow. Andy still stiffened however when he took a seat directly beside her, but deep down, she felt like she could hug him right then and he'd happily comfort her. She was drawn to him in a way that Nico was to Bianca. However, those two were siblings. And Percy Jackson was most definitely not related to her.
Andy thought about what Artemis had said earlier on the walk. She could be immortal, a huntress…if she let Nico go. Andy hadn't had the time to contemplate her decision before Percy had entered the tent. The three older people discussed matters Andy felt were too above her, too dangerous to get involved with, so she sat there, thinking about what she should do. Immortality. It was everybody's desire. But being stuck in a ten year old body forever? Forgetting about Nico? Was that even possible? How could she? She snapped back to the scene in front of her as Artemis asked what conclusion she had come to. Andy held her breath. If Bianca refused, Andy surely would as well. She had no desire to be all alone and start over yet again.
"A new family." Bianca smiled dreamily. Well yes, the Hunters stuck together, and they were their own family but…This Camp Half-Blood…they could be her new family too. "Is it worth it?" Bianca asked and Zoe nodded to her. So Bianca nodded her head to Artemis, and she was made a Hunter. Immediately, she felt more distant, more powerful to Andy. Andy knew if she too accepted and pledged to Artemis, she'd feel connected to Bianca once more.
"What do you say, dear Andy?" Artemis fixed her gaze on the younger girl and Andy opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. She saw Percy out of the corner of her eye, and thought of Nico. He would need her since he'd feel deserted by Bianca.
"I politely decline Artemis." Andy finally told the goddess. Percy seemed to breathe easier and Zoe glared at Andy, like she had at Thalia earlier. Bianca looked away from Andy, maybe in shame or disappointment, while Artemis nodded like she had expected this.
"I understand. If you ever change your mind, you may join us." Then Artemis announced the ride to camp would be from her twin brother, Apollo. Percy and Andy were outside the tent, looking up at the school, waiting for dawn, and Andy without any expression plainly told him, "No one will even notice that Dr. Thorn, the di Angelos and I have gone."
Percy snapped his head towards the younger girl, as if she'd read his mind. She smiled sadly without showing her teeth. "You're easy to read Perseus, Son of Poseidon." Andy's smile fell and she seemed to deflate a little. Percy studied her. "You'll be claimed." He assured her.
"I gave up the Hunt...because I want to know who my father is. I've never had anybody like that in my life. My mother died when I was just a toddler." Percy then noted how she played with a white-silver ring with a blue topaz and aquamarine center, with dolphins running up on the sides on her finger. He pointed at it. "Was that hers?"
"Huh?" Andy followed his point and gaze to the ring and smiled for real, the first real smile he'd seen on her. Her teeth were as white as pearls. "It's all I have left of my mother. No pictures, nothing. Everything was lost in the fire." Andy paused then.
"What?" Percy questioned, watching her, trying to figure out her godly relative.
"Oh, it's just…I remember my mother giving it to me for some holiday or something, and she had told me it was enchanted to keep me safe until I met the sea's tide. Whatever that means. My mom was a marine biologist down in Florida, so she was big on stuff like that."
"So how'd you end up in Maine?" he raised an eyebrow.
"I've been up and down the East Coast. My social worker was running out of places to stick me, so I was sent here as a charity case."
"My brother was like that. My half-brother. A charity case."
"And now?" Andy's eyes piqued with interest.
"He's part of the family. He has a home. He was claimed by Poseidon himself. Tyson is really sweet, and childish. But he's strong and good with his hands." As Andy listened to Percy, she found herself wishing she could be Tyson. Then she would have a brother who spoke so highly of her and lovingly…what it must feel like to belong to a family.
"I want a family. But not the Hunters." Andy told him, adding the last part on quickly.
"You want a family that includes Nico?" Percy guessed and Andy turned beet red. Well, not like that, but as a friend sure. Percy laughed. "That's cute, how you're so adamant about this bond thing."
"Well Nico is my first friend…in a long, long time. I can't exactly leave him behind." Andy looked down at her feet nervously and Percy stared, wanting to hear more about Andy's mom and her own life and interests. He had a surging need to protect her and he ruffled her hair.
"Hey!" she sounded annoyed, but she laughed alongside Percy.
"Well, now you've got another friend. How about that?" he told her and Andy grinned at this. Percy smiled back at her, then looked east. "Andy, the sun's coming up!"
New story! I've been meaning to write this for like two years now, but I haven't had the chance, but now that I've written the rough draft, I'll start uploading. I'll try to add a new chapter each day, if you guys...
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