Stereotypes
Chapter One: Macy, Cabin 5
Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or anything related to the books.
Ω
"Stereotypes. That one word is the bane of my existence. It's so stupid how people can judge your personality, your history, your fashion sense, all by taking one look at you. So stupid.
My name is Macy Ryan and I'm a demigod daughter of Ares. But according to stereotypes, I probably should be a daughter of Aphrodite. I have long, wavy blonde hair and moss green eyes. I love make-up and cute clothes. When I'm not at camp, I have sleepovers with my friends and we gossip about cute boys. But no one believes me. They think thaat I'm lying about the girly stuff or being the daughter of Ares. Because of stupid stereotypes. My siblings shun me because I hate fighting and am a peaceful person. Everyone at camp thinks that I'm a daughter of Aphrodite. I was actually taken out of the cabin because one of the new kids thought that I broke into the cabin. Imagine how embarrassed he was when he found out that I was really his sister. Well, not as embarrassed as me.
But, it's not like I look like any of my siblings. They are all tall and tough with huge muscles, will I'm barely five-foot two at the age of sixteen. I am also skinny and not very strong. I can't sword fight to save my life (trust me, I've been in that situation and barely made it out) but I'm good at archery. I have no upper body strength but am a fast runner. I love romantic comedies and hate gore. So, I'm not your average Ares kid."
Macy set down her pen and re-read the entry in the diary her mom had gotten her for her birthday. She sighed as she thought about how true everything she wrote was. Why couldn't people ever understand that even thought she was a daughter of Ares, she could like fashion magazines and chick-flicks? She tossed the pink notebook on her bed and headed out of the cabin towards the archery fields. Most children of Ares could barely hold a bow, but Macy was different. Well, she had always been different, but now she was separated even more.
"Hey Mace!" Macy's friend Anna yelled.
Macy smiled and waved. "Hey Anna."
"What's wrong?" Macy smiled. She loved how her best friend could tell something was wrong by the tone of my voice.
"Tony was messing with my stuff again." Macy said rolling her eyes which were filling up with tears that were threatening to spill out.
"Oh, Mace, it's fine." Anna said, hugging her best friend as Macy started to cry. Macy was always being tormented by her half-brothers, Tony and Hayden. "Who cares what they think? It's just-"
"Stereotypes." Macy finished bitterly. That stupid word that made her life horrible. Whoever invented them should rot in Tartarus, Macy thought. After about an hour of talking and comforting, it started to get dark out.
"See ya." Macy said waving as she headed back to the Ares cabin. She opened the door and headed straight to her bed, making sure not to waste her time with her any of the other stupid Ares kids. She had made that mistake too many times in the past. The conversation would start fine, and maybe they'd share a couple of jokes, but the Macy would say something girly or respond to something wrong and the tormenting and teasing would begin.
Just thinking this made Macy sigh and shake her head, smiling ruefully. Why couldn't she have been a child of Aphrodite? Or, still an Ares kid, but tough and a tomboy, not weak and girly? Curse the fates for torturing her like this.
She sat in her bed and opened her notebook to a fresh page. She grabbed her pink, fluffy pen and began writing furiously.
"Curse my mom for falling in love with Ares and raising me to 'be a lady' and to be so girly. Why couldn't she have taught me to be tough? Or at least have not given me all of my make-up and cute clothes? Curse the fates for making my life living Hades. They just love torturing me, don't they? They must laugh every time somebody sneaks up behind me and messes up my make-up. And they must crack up every time one of my siblings 'accidentally' stills their food on me at meal time. And most of all, curse Ares for having me. Why would he have even claimed me? Why not bribe another god into claiming me so I wouldn't disgrace him. I must be such a disappointment. So weak and girly, the opposite of the stereotype-curse that word-of what an Ares kid should be."
Macy set down her pen and felt better as she closed the book and stuffed it under her mattress where-hopefully-no one would find it. She closed her eyes as she heard Cam, the head of the cabin, scream "Lights out!" She laid in her bunk thinking 'Why me?' before finally falling into a dreamless sleep.
Ω
Macy stood in front of the mirror, trying to prefect her hair. She looked back at her reflection and smiled. Perfect. Until she heard her brother calling her name.
"Hey Lacy," Taunted her older brother Hayden.
"What?" Macy growled turning around, her hands clenching into fists. She absolutely despised that name.
"Oh, nothing." He said, raising his eyebrows evilly. "Just found something that I thought you might find interesting.
Macy was about to turn around when she saw something dangling between Hayden's fingers. Her notebook. Filled with all her secrets. Macy gasped in horror as Hayden opened it and began to read aloud.
"Stereotypes, the bane of my existence." Hayden read, laughing. Macy ran over to him and tried to reach the notebook but Hayden held it above his head, and he was already well past six feet.
"Give it back!" Macy screamed at him. It didn't do any help, though. He still held it above his head, waving it in the air. Suddenly, Macy got an idea. She swung her fist and punched Hayden in the jaw. She heard a crack and smiled as her fist connected with his jaw. She had broken it. Hayden dropped the book, cradling his jaw.
"Ow, ow, ow!" Hayden yelled. A couple kids laughed but most people stared in shock. They couldn't believe that little Macy Ryan had just broken Hayden's jaw.
Macy picked up her notebook off the ground and smiled a sickly sweet smiled and turned to Hayden. "Don't take my stuff again." She said, stomping on his foot. She smiled and grabbed her pen off of her dresser and wrote the entire scene in her notebook. She finished the entry and smiled as she read the last words in the notebook.
"Maybe I'm not so different from the rest of the Ares kids after all. Maybe, just maybe, we are related."
Ω
So… Did you like it? Love it? Hate it? I'll never know unless you review. Also, some ideas would be good. This story will be a collection of one-shots about campers that don't fit in with their cabin's stereotype. I'm thinking the next one will be about an Athena kid who hates books, architecture and learning. Also, take the poll on my profile to vote for who's next!
Thanks!
~Tay
