Name's Julia Chase-Jackson. You've probably never heard of me but that's to be expected. Even if my parents are two living legends who've helped saved the world a few times, my older twin brothers, Luke and Nemo, and triplet younger sisters, Zoe, Silena and Lillian, soak up all the spotlight leaving nothing left for me.
I'm currently in my room drawing and listening to music, one of the very few things that helps pass time in my endless curse. In my room there are no windows, the only light comes from my two lamps.
The air grows cold and the shadows in the room retreat to the far right corner. I roll my eyes as outsteps a beautiful girl around my age. She's a daughter of Hades and hot as hell. She has inky black hair that goes to her shoulders, bangs that almost cover her eyebrows. She has golden brown eyes; her skin is a lovely caramel brown as she smiles at me which makes my heart melt. She's wearing a pair of overalls with a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and pink converse.
"Hey Julie," Ciara grins as she sits next to me, trying her best to look like she hasn't wasted most of energy traveling all the way from New York to see me.
"Ciara, you really shouldn't…" I start but she silences me.
"I was given the power to shadow travel for a reason and that reason is to see you," Ciara grins, taking my hand, making my heart beat even faster.
"That's very cheesy of you. Do Will and Nico know you're here?" I ask referring to her brother and his husband that take car of her after her mother dropped her off at camp when she was 5, wanting nothing to do with her. She had been dropped off when I was there visiting and we've been together ever since. She's only one that stayed with me all the way through this curse drama, while the rest of my "friends" are too scared to visit.
"They were too busy with little Bianca and Mateo. But, I did leave them a note," Ciara points her out before I can ridicule her on giving her guardians a heart attack.
"You know they're going to kill us when they find out," I smile, putting my sketchbook down as my music continues to play in the background.
"I know," Ciara smiles, "but I couldn't miss my best friend's birthday."
She says something else but I completely freeze up. Being stuck captive in your house all the time warps you sense of time. Especially when your family is home only 25% of the time. My parents are currently gone with some of their friends on a quest. It's been a few weeks and I wouldn't expect them back for a few months. The triplets were on their first quest, because of a trio from birth line in a prophecy. Luke and Nemo are too busy with their lives in the New Rome College and to stop by and say hi.
"Jewel, you okay?" Ciara asks, waving her hand in front of my face snapping me to attention.
"I didn't realize it was my 17th birthday already," I answer honestly.
"Well, you're 17 now! Hooray! Open you gift," Ciara smiles, handing me a green bag I didn't notice before with multi-color tissue paper.
The birthday card is short and sweet, and I toss tissue paper in Ciara's face as I open the gift. Inside is a new art journal with some really nice paints and paintbrushes.
"Thank-you! I was running out of room in my other one," I smile, giving Ciara a hug.
"I'm glad you like it. You know, I think if I eat something more, we could shadow travel to your Grandma's place? That's the real reason I'm here. Your Grandma doesn't want you to celebrate your birthday alone." Ciara said putting a hand to her neck.
"But what if Luke and Nemo…" I start but Ciara gives me a look that lets me know Grandma knows her grandkids better than we do. "Let's get you something to eat than," I sigh, getting up.
Ciara grins as we go downstairs.
Aunt Piper's horn of food is on the table. She gave it to us after the Fate's cursed me so I could eat when everyone's gone, because the oven is too dangerous.
I put out a glass and a plate before taking the horn. I put some chocolate milk in the glass and some barbequed ribs on the plate with mashed potatoes.
"Enjoy," I smile as Ciara takes some silverware and digs in.
It takes her about 15 minutes to finish and 5 minutes to clean-up.
"Man, I love that horn of food thing," Ciara smiles as I set it down next to the note for Luke and Nemo because of that one percent chance they stop by.
"Me too," I grin as Ciara puts an arm around the waist and we shadow travel to Grandma's place.
"Happy 17th birthday my beautiful grandbaby!" Grandma smiles. Her hair color has faded with age, but the brightness of her smile hasn't. She and I share almost all the same features. From hair, to eyes, to nose and height, we're very similar. The only difference is my face structure is bit more round then hers and I look a lot younger.
"How does it feel to be 17?" Grandpa asks. (All my siblings call him Mortal Grandpa because literally all them know Poseidon better then they know Grandpa. Of course, I've never met Poseidon so Grandpa's the only one I really know)
"Feels like I'm 17, Grandpa," I grin and Grandpa's own grins gets brighter at the name.
"You take after your father with your smart remarks," Grandma sighs, giving me another hug.
I smile with a well acted laugh. The statement's pretty true. I share my father's smart remarks, my parents' dyslexia and ADHD, my father's school grades, his ability to breath underwater and my mother's fear of spiders. That's all I have from my parents, everything else is from Grandma.
Ciara's the only other one here since Grandma and Grandpa's own children are either in college or off living half-way across the country. I may not have enough friends to throw a big birthday parties but I'll make the best of it.
"I take it Nemo and Luke forgot?" Grandma asks from the kitchen as we take our seats in the living room.
"I left them a note just in case they remembered last minute but I think they're too busy with studies. They really shouldn't be having that much trouble to be honest, with Athena's wisdom and all," I shrug as Ciara puts her arm around me.
"Well, if they were with you than you couldn't come see us since four demigods would attract too many monsters," Grandpa sighs giving me a squeeze on the knee which causes me flip out and almost hit Ciara in the face.
"Watch it you two," Ciara warns with a playful grin.
A few minutes later of talking Grandma comes out with a green/purple cake, my two favorite colors.
They sing me Happy Birthday, Grandpa's off key while Ciara and Grandma are harmonizing like angels.
Then, Grandma brings out 3 gifts in hand.
"You guys…" I start looking at the gifts. I know money's tight right now, so three gifts is asking a lot.
"The silver wrapped one is from you're parents. Save it for last," Grandma smiles, but there's something in her voice that makes me wonder if she's lying.
I shrug it off none the less and take the first present. It's a beautiful, hardback sketchbook with a set of brand-new colored pencils and my favorite ink.
The next are two sweatshirts, one purple, one green, that look extremely comfy.
"I need to get this one film," Grandma comments as she takes out her phone. It takes a few moments before she gives me the thumbs up to go ahead.
The present is small, and book shaped. I unwrap it to find a black, rectangle box with my name engraved in Greek.
I open the box to find a necklace with a locket. I frown for a split second before remembering Grandma's recording this. I look at the camera and smile before turning back to the locket.
"Open it," Grandpa tells me, who's sitting at the edge of the coach now.
I open the locket and where one would find a picture I find my parents looking back at me.
"Happy Birthday!" Mom and Dad smile.
"Mom? Dad?" I squeak as my parents smile back.
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-HeartLove