Chapter One: I Get Slapped By A Rainbow
Everything was beginning to return to normal again after the war. The Titans were defeated; Percy became a hero with Annabeth by his side, while I was left in my big sister's shadow. Nobody cared about the son of Athena, or so I thought before she came into my life. By she I meant the daughter of Iris, and she most defiantly and absolutely hated my guts.
"Connor wake up" I heard as my friend Nick, a son of Tyche, pounded on my door. His red hair the color of fire was just as messy and curly as usual, his eyes as green as a shamrock, and freckles dotting all over his face told you he was defiantly Irish-American, and he wore the camp's t-shirt proudly.
He was still excited because about 2 months ago he was claimed by his mother. He thought he would never be claimed, but because of the deal Percy Jackson made with the gods they would all have to claim there children by 13. She was about a year late, but that was good enough for Nick. He even got his own cabin that he had to share with his only sibling, a sister named Molly, while I had to share my cabin with 20+ people.
His cabin is shaped like a Las Vegas casino. It has a flashing "Tyche Cabin" neon sign and has slot-machines built into the beds and even has a miniature poker-table that all the Nike, Hermes, and Apollo campers try to compete at. (The key word is try. Nobody ever beats Nick as poker.) Every time I walked into his cabin after leaving mine my senses were overloaded with all the sights, sounds, and smells that were so different than my boring cabin. Every other cabin was exciting and the people who lived in them could do amazing things. Our only powers are being smart...
Nick's power was being lucky. But Nick had always been lucky, even before he was claimed. For example: The slot-machines in his cabin would give you a cheap little prize if you got 3 drachmas. Every time I pulled the slot I got all broken shields (the worst you can get) and was left empty handed. But when Nick or Molly tried they got a prize every single time! I was determined to get my prize even if you could find it at any dollar store in America.
"I'm up, I'm up" I moaned as I grabbed my glasses and looked around the same old boring room full of books that would take most people 2 lifetimes to read.
The plain beds were pushed against the plainly painted wall, which made sleeping very cramped and uncomfortable. I hated the stupid plain white curtains the most. The main point of interest in the cabin were the book shelves and desks which housed $1500 computers that had more features than military grade super-computers.
None of my siblings cared much about parties, video games, or friends. Most of them didn't even talk to one another. I cared about all those things. That is why I was practically was disowned and spent most of my time with Nick and Molly.
"We're gonna miss breakfast!" complained Nick, "You know how I hate missing meals." He stood at the door waiting for me to get out of bed.
I pulled on a pair of dirty jeans and the same orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt that I had worn yesterday. They were getting small on me sense I had my growth spurt and now stood about 5' 6", but sense all these new campers were arriving clothes were low in stock. I looked in the mirror and realized my short dirty-blonde hair was a mess. Why did I care? I had no one to impress. Girls practically avoided me like the plague. Looking at my cold gray eyes that all Athena kids had I felt disgusted.
"Why does everything about Athena's cabin have to be so boring?" I whispered to myself.
I walked back into the bedroom and found my old bright blue tennis shoes. I needed something to spice up my boring life. I walked out the door, which by the way had an owl whose eyes seemed to follow you hanging over it, which creeped me out.
We speed-walked past each cabin, trying not to be late for breakfast, until we reached the dining pavilion. Everyone was waiting for us. My half-brother Arthur smirked as I walked by. He was the one that turned everyone against me. From then on everyone had refused to wake me up. I now had to rely on Nick, who always just happened to wake up at the right time, to get me up.
"So you finally decided to show up." said Chiron in a calm fatherly yet stern voice.
"I'm sorry Chiron. It was my fault we are late. I overslept, I promise I won't do it again. I'm sorry I kept you all waiting." I said.
Chiron nodded and told us that we could start eating. We all got up to go to the fire to give part of our food to our parents. I scraped all of my scrambled eggs into the fire. It was the only food I ever gave my mother because it was my least favorite food for breakfast.
"Enjoy that, mom." I said to myself sarcastically.
I bet your asking why I hate my mother so much. Let me tell you. The only time I ever met her was when she brought me to Olympus to visit her for only one measly day. When I first saw her I was so happy I would finally get to talk to her face to face. But instead of being the mom I always expected her to be she spent 2 and a half hours insulting me and asking me why I couldn't be like her other children.
"George was America's first President. What have you ever done?"
Blah blah blah. I now made sure to isolate from anything that had to do with Athena, the goddess of unreasonably high expectations...
I sat down at our table next to my sister Nicole, who was the only person in my Cabin who would even be seen with me with me. She didn't talk to and annoy me and I did the same for her. We had a strict policy of being seen and not heard.
When we were all about to leave the pavilion to start our daily activities, I was about to go to swimming class (my favorite class), when Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood up with her eyes glowing. She began to chant a new prophecy.
"Three children of Athena, Iris, and Tyche
Must save the gods as the beg and plea
Or in 7 days they will wither and wilt
And we will go down with all they have built"
Rachel passed out and people rushed out to help her. Most of the other campers stood in awe at what they had heard.
"Will the children of Athena, Iris, and Tyche please stand up." Chiron commanded.
All my siblings and I stood up, followed by Mike and Molly, then a large buff man with a rainbow tattoo on his arm, followed by a short and skinny Asian girl whose hair had braids of all the colors of the rainbow tied into it and was wearing blue skinny jeans and a bright pink tank top. You could obviously tell the last 2 campers were from the Iris cabin by the way their eye color constantly changed; I didn't know either of them.
"Who shall go on this quest? Any volunteers?" asked Chiron.
Molly started bawling. If you knew Molly you would know that she wouldn't be the girl who you would pick to go on a quest. She was usually nervous and scared after she had nearly been turned into stone by Medusa. If she went on the quest she would die.
"I will volunteer." announced Nick as Molly mouthed a silent thank you towards him.
I was shocked. I had never seen him be so bold and brave that he was right now at this moment. He didn't look like that same 12 year old me who I used to know. He now seemed to look like an actual hero.
"Who do you chose from the Athena and Iris cabin to accompany you?"
No! No, please. Please don't say it. Please Mike! Don't say...
"I choose Connor." he said with confidence.
The look on my face was of pure utter shock. I was not prepared. I had almost no experience and had only arrived 2 years ago when I was 12. There were many other people from the Athena cabin who could do a way better job than me. I could tell my siblings were not pleased.
"And from the Iris cabin?" asked Chiron.
"The girl" Mike said almost so quickly it seemed like her almost wasn't even thinking about it.
Everyone looked shocked that he didn't pick the big buff dude but instead picked the short skinny little girl. Well everyone that is except for the girl. The look in her eye was one of a person who believed they could do anything they set their mind to.
"Are you sure you didn't mean the big muscular guy?" I asked confused.
The girl looked as if she was going to kill me. She walked towards with an anger I had never seen.
"How dare you think you your better than me! I am just as good as you, if not better. You don't know me."
She then did something I didn't know was even a look of scorn she shot a miniature rainbow from her palm and then slapped me across the face with it. I had no idea what to say or do. Lucky for me, she left before I had a chance to say another stupid comment. She literally stormed off to her cabin as storm clouds trailed behind her leaving me standing there dazed and confused.
I had just been slapped by a flipping rainbow! I knew that this quest was going to be the wildest journey of my life. I also knew that for some odd reason that I think I am in love with this girl.
