Hi! This is my first fanfiction so please tell me if I'm doing something wrong and give your honest opinions when reviewing. Thank you and enjoy! Don't own PJO!
Artemis's pov
If I could kill my idiot twin brother now, I would. Apollo and I always spend time with each other the day before each solstice so Hera can't yell at us for not acting like "real" siblings. I pick where and what we do for the winter solstice (usually hunting, camping, hunting, hiking, and more hunting) and Apollo picks the summer place and activity (which is why I'm so mad).
At present, I'm standing at some beach in South Carolina (Myrtle maybe?) filled with arrogant males, desperate teenage girls, annoying senior citizens, and rude little boys. So, if you were in my shoes, you'd want to yell at Apollo for tricking you into this kind of vacation too (He said we were going white water rafting in Alaska!).
Apollo looked down at me with a sparkling smile. "Artie, it's not that bad. It's a sunny day, the water's cool, and you're with your big brother."
I glared at him. Usually, I'd say he's the younger one but since Apollo said "big" that means, in my vocab, he just called himself fat. "Well Apollo, what am I supposed to do here while you flirt with every girl on the beach? Build a stupid sandcastle and collect freaking sea shells? No way in Hades."
Apollo sighed. "As long as it's nothing magical or illegal, I give you permission to do what ever you want. Here's twenty dollars," he hands me the money, "and go change into a swimsuit. I also expect you to check back here in an hour when we will leave and go mini golfing instead if you want."
At least I don't have to pull out my puppy dog eyes to get out of here. I shrug "Fine with me but I choose where we go to dinner."
Apollo smiled again. "Deal. Now please go change before you get heat stroke." He then jogged off to a group off bikini wearing teenage girls. Typical Apollo ladies and gentlemen.
I then looked down at what I was wearing, silver camo outfit with jacket with my auburn hair in a side braid so my hair didn't block my silver eyes. I scowled, a goddess is average temperature in all weather unless sick or they catch temporary frostbite or heat stroke. . . Damn you Apollo.
After looking around the crowded beach, I found a changing booth. Stepping inside the shabby discolored booth, I flashed on a navy blue whole suit with silver swirls and a small blue beach bag with rhinestone stars (I'm twelve, live with it.) appeared.
I stepped out and started to stroll around the beach for something to kill time. After a few minutes, I found a Dairy Queen so I decided to put those 20 bucks to good use. I walked up to the store money in hand only to be stopped by about half dozen boys my visible age. The leader of this little gang stepped forward. He was a short ginger with shifty green eyes, a true bully in the mortal world but not a monster.
"If you know what's good for you girly, I'd give us your precious cash."
I sized up the group, knowing without a doubt I could take all of them in hand-to-hand combat in seconds. Sadly, it would be illegal to beat them all up badly and almost magic in so little time. So I pulled an Athena and used my mild wit to insult the idiots.
"So if I'm girly girl than your a lazy, good for nothing who has nothing better to do than steal from kids your age, and probably younger. And personally, I have more strength in one of my fingernails than all of you combined."
That extremely pissed them off. The little red head was about to pounce when some boy came out of nowhere and stepped in front of me.
"Leave her alone Reggie and go drown in the ocean." The boy said. He had light brown hair, was average height, and was a little scrawny which made me feel insulted. This boy, and the rest, was getting turned into a stag, with or without the deal with Apollo.
The leader relaxed and laughed at the boy with the rest joining in. "How about no Johnny. Where's your brother again? Still in the hospital from his last beating that we gave him for stealing from me?"
Even if I couldn't see his eyes, I knew Johnny was glaring and realized he was just trying to stop these jerks from doing this to others. I also doubt his brother did anything to them. They seem like the kind to pick a fight for no reason kinda like Ares.
Johnny's fists were clenched now. "He didn't steal your bike, it got towed you moron. Just leave the girl and everyone else alone." Artemis and Johnny kid one, bully and minions zero.
Reggie snapped his fingers and his minions stepped forward. "Not gonna happen."
They jumped Johnny and I jumped them. It didn't take long before we were fighting back to back kicking there buts big time. In a minute, all of them were out cold in front of the Dairy Queen Johnny and I were panting heavily.
"You're a great fighter."
I grinned and raised my head a bit "You're not too bad yourself, for a boy." His grin was similar to mine and didn't care about the insult. We made eye contact and when I looked into his midnight blue eyes they made me feel warm inside (Damn you again Apollo for making me rhyme.). Probably just the heat getting to me and reminding me of why I walked over here. "You want a blizzard."
He pulled his pockets inside out "I'm broke if you haven't noticed."
I smiled "My brother gave me more than enough money so it's on me."
He smiled "Thanks, and I'm Johnny if you didn't hear the death threats."
For some reason I laughed at his lame pathetic joke and didn't give a fake name. "I'm Artemis. Do you know if there's anything fun to do?"
Johnny smiled "I'll show you after that blizzard as a thank you."
"Perfect."
Apollo's pov
After flirting with girls, surfing, and catching up with some of my kids, I headed back to where I told Artie to meet me. She wasn't there but I was an hour and a half late so she probably went looking for me. I waited 30 minutes for her to show up and she didn't.
Artemis is never this late which worried me. What if monsters are swarming her? What if she got lost? What if she got kidnapped again?
With worry for my little sister driving me crazy, I decided to go look for her. I checked all the stores, changing areas and bathrooms I sent mothers to check, ocean, pier, and sport areas. After three hours of searching, all I had was that she got a blizzard with a boy of all things around four hours ago.
Then I finally find her building a freaking sand castle with a boy who fit the description of the kid seen with her at the Dairy Queen. I stormed over there, tripped on my own feet, and fell chest first on the sand castle. The look on her face would have been hilarious if I wasn't beyond enraged.
Artemis's pov
After our blizzards, Johnny showed me that this place was more than sand castles and sea shells.
There was an archery range which was worn down but fun none the less. Teaching Johnny the basics though was like getting Zoe to wear pink, nearly impossible. After awhile, he started to hit the outer rings of the target instead of passing birds and crabs. With Johnny insisting on taking a break, we went to the pier.
The rides ate up the rest of my money but I just made more appear when needed. Johnny even showed me a hiding spot in the floor of the pier the his brother found. We sat their talking until I decided we needed a safer place to chat.
So we talked while we were swimming until Johnny brought up never being able to make a lousy sand castle.
"You live near a beach and you've never made a sand castle?"
"No, I've tried like a thousand times but I can never get the sand right."
"That's the lamest excuse ever but I get what you mean. My older sister made us build a replica of the empire state building out of sand once and kept saying we had to follow a recipe."
"Do you happen to remember it at all after being tortured?"
I smiled "Yep, and you are finally going to accomplish the stupidest of summer activities."
Johnny laughed "Let's go."
That was how I ended up spending my time until Apollo landed on our sand castle looking enraged.
Where did he come from? Then what he said about coming back in an hour comes back to me as I look at the setting sun. I guess it's been more than an hour.
"Hi Apollo. Why do you look so mad?"
Apollo glared at me with such intensity I cringed along with Johnny (I told him about my brother being here with me). He then began to rant angrily.
"I've looking for you and worried sick for hours! I had no idea where the Hades you were! I thought you could have been kidnapped again or lost or something. Styx, I was even about to call the hunters to come track you and you were here the whole time!"
"I'm sorry Apollo. I lost track of time having fun with Johnny."
"I'm sorry too and I'm saying this because your scaring me."
Apollo still glared at us but his eyes quickly softened and he hugged me. He whispered "It better not happen next time though." Same old Apollo.
His attention shifted from me to Johnny as our embrace ended. "What are you?"
Johnny held his chin high "Grandson of Athena and my little brother's a son of Hermes." I had a feeling Johnny wasn't your average mortal but I never thought he was a legacy of Athena (sorry sis but he looks nothing like you).
Apollo stared at him "You never saw any of this, were never here, and if that isn't the case you'll be scorpion. Understand?"
Johnny gulped "Yes Lord Apollo, I swear it on the River Styx." I heard distant thunder to make the oath official. Johnny then looked at me with his midnight orbs "Promise me Lady Artemis that if you're ever in town to come say hi. Besides, our castle got crushed by your brother."
I smiled "Of course Johnny, I swear it on the River Styx and please never call me Lady Artemis ever again."
"But of course Missy." Johnny said in a British accent which made us both crack up.
Apollo on the other hand looked worried for some reason. "Time to go Artie." Before I could even say bye, Apollo grabbed my hand and we were in the his sun chariot aka mustang at the moment.
I turned to yell at Apollo "What was that for!"
Apollo said in a duh tone "You're a maiden goddess Artie, act like it. I don't exactly how you felt about Orion-"
"Because you killed Orion before I figured out he was like a second brother to me. Maybe more if I had the time with him."
"Exactly. I regret doing it but that was the only to keep you safe from what could have happened. If you broke your oath, not even Zeus could protect you from the effects."
I sighed "Apollo if there's one thing I learned there's always a loop hole. That's how Athena has children and demigods can know the future through your weird prophecies. Besides, I just want to not hate or just a respect a boy. I want a best friend Apollo, you don't count, and that will be my exception."
Apollo looked uncertain "And if he becomes more than a friend?"
I looked him in the eyes "The second he becomes a love interest is the last time I'll ever see him. I swear it on the River Styx." Thunder sounded and later I wish I never made that oath.
