My fifteenth birthday was arguably the worst and best day of my life. It all started at my birthday party that I was forced to have. We were having my annoying birthday party on June 17th, many months after my birthday. We have a pool so I always wait to have my parties on the last day of school.
It wasn't anything special, just Aunt Thalia, Uncle Nico (Not really my Aunt and Uncle, just close family friends,) their son Leo, my sister Silena, and my best friend, Mackie (Mackenzie, but if you call her that prepare to have one arm.)
I'm Zoë Jackson. My parents are Percy and Annabeth Jackson. They're both teachers at the high school in the next town over. In the summer they work a camp that I'm not allowed to go to yet, so I spend the summer with my Grandma Sally.
My sister is Silena Jackson, she's twenty-seven years old – if you're wondering why she's so much older than me, it's because my mom had her when she was sixteen. She still lives at home and goes to collage online. She has a four year old daughter, Callista AKA Cally. She looks exactly like our mom with the same hair, face, and eyes. After Cally was born, Silena's boyfriend left her, so she's alone.
"Happy Birthday, Zoë!" Aunt Thalia and Uncle Nico burst through the door.
"My Gods, Thals," my mom laughed. "Did anyone teach you how to knock?"
"No, my mom was to drunk for to teach me that," she laughed.
"Whatever," my mom said. "Just come in."
Next, their son, Leo walked in. He looked so cute today with his unruly black hair and electric blue eyes. I've had a crush on him since I was ten, he is a year younger than me but it doesn't really make a difference.
"Happy Birthday, Zoë," he said and came to sit by me on the couch. A door behind me opened and Silena walked out, holding Cally.
"Happy B-day, Lil' Sis!" she said. She set Cally down and she came running to me. "Aunt Zoë!" she cried.
"Silena, how's school going?" Aunt Thalia asked her.
"Great, but I prefer camp better," she laughed.
"I'm getting a little old for camp, you know," Aunt Thalia said.
"You're forty-six, old for camp is like five thousand," she said.
Thunder boomed in the distance. I never understood it but every time they said something Greekish thunder would boom. All my family was obsessed with Greek.
"Actually, I'll be forty-seven in December," she said.
My dad walked out from the kitchen. "Okay, so who's ordering the pizza?"
"My gods, Seaweed Brain," my mom said. She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. "It's been thirty-two years I've known you and you're still a Seaweed Brain." She walked into the kitchen and grabbed the phone.
The front door opened and Mackie walked inside. "I'm home!" she laughed.
"Hey, Mackie," I said. Mackie had long blonde hair and silver-grey eyes.
"Happy Birthday, Zo," she said.
I looked at the table in front of me; presents had accumulated in a pile. I told my parents if they were forcing me to have a party, I didn't want any presents or cake or anything! Did they listen to me? No, they didn't.
I didn't even dress for a party! My blonde hair in a bun, a tee shirt and jeans, and light green eye shadow across my eyelids to bring out my sea green eyes. I was a tom boy for the most part but I like eye shadow, but that's it. Zoë Thalia Jackson does not do parties, make-up, or anything else girly.
"Aunt Zoë, will you open my present first?" Cally asked from in my lap. She looked at me with intense grey eyes, like Silena and my mom. Her curly blonde hair tumbled to her shoulders.
"Of course I will, Cally," I smiled.
I sat talked with Leo and Mackie until the pizza arrived and then we all ate. My parents wanted to have a cake at my party but I said that if they were forcing me to have a party, I didn't want cake. Next, unfortunately I had to open my presents.
They were just the usual stuff, I guess: Makeup (groan,) an iTunes card, a new iPod, clothes and blah, blah, blah. We sat around and talked for a while. Leo, Mackie, and I were messing around with my cell phone when I found out who I was.
The three of us were texting my friend, Katie and we heard at the front door bust down. My sister pulled out a gleaming knife. What the heck? My dad pulled out a pen, pulled off the cap, and guess what. It turned into a freaking sword. My mom pulled on a Yankees cap and disappeared.
"What the heck is going on here?" I asked.
Aunt Thalia looked over at me, "You'll understand later, Zo," she said.
I saw a shadow and a giant dog burst into the living room. "Oh my God. That is not the puppy I wanted!"
"Zoë, stab it!" yelled my dad. He tossed me a smaller pen than his. I uncapped it and it turned into a two foot sword. The dog prepared to pounce on me and I threw the sword at it. It landed on him and he exploded into dust. "Oh my God. What just happened?" I exclaimed.
"Uh, Perce, I think it's time," Uncle Nico said.
"Wow, you really took a whole five minutes to figure that out," my mom groaned.
"Okay, everyone, get your freaking butts in the car," my dad said.
We all walked out to the driveway and I hoped in my mom's car. Aunt Thalia, Uncle Nico, and Leo took their car. Silena, my parents, Mackie and I took my mom's car. We drove into Long Island and drove up to a sign that said Camp Half-Blood written in Ancient Greek. Ancient Greek? I'm dyslexic, I can't even read English!
"Uh, Mom, what's going on here?" I asked.
"Um, Zoë we'll tell you once we get in the camp," she said.
We all got of the car and walked into the camp. People were fighting with swords and shooting bows and arrows. What in the world is this place?
A/N: So, here it is. The first chapter of 'The New Kid,' the compainion to 'My New Life.' You don't technically have to read the first one to understand this one, but I suggest that you do.
~ Silena Jackson ~