Welcome to Camp

I looked into the mirror at my reflection. My long auburn hair was pulled back into a ponytail and my gray eyes shined, because it was the last day of school and I was finally free of homework, and bullies, and (shudder) preps. I wore the t-shirt from my school's most recent production, Les Miserables, and a pair of jeans, nothing fancy. A crescent moon hung from a silver chain around my neck. My name is Natalie Jones and I lead an almost normal life. The reason I say almost is because I always see things like half men, half lizard, almost vampire type creatures. I've seen dragons, and half men half bulls. I've seen so many unusual things that for a while I thought I was going crazy.

I live with only my dad because my mom left right after I was born. That's why I kept the necklace, she gave it to me. I guess it made me feel better knowing she cared for me, whatever little bit that was.

Just then a knock interrupted me from my thoughts. "Natalie! Are you up yet? I'm sure Grover will be happy no matter how you look!" my dad teased. I sighed as I rolled my eyes.

"HE'S JUST A FRIEND!" I yelled. As much as I hate to say it, my dad's probably right (although he does have a girlfriend). We go to Goode High School and at the beginning of the year he would always follow me around scrunching up his nose like he smelled bad something. One day I asked him if I smelled bad and he said yes. I guess at the time it was funny, so I laughed. After that we became fast friends, almost inseparable.

Grover has thick, curly hair and he always wears this Rasta style hat. He walks with a strange limp but could probably outrun anyone in school. And he has never worn shorts… ever. One day he introduced me to his only other friend, Percy. Percy had unruly black hair and incredible green eyes. The thing that made us instant friends is the fact that he had ADHD and Dyslexia, just like me.

I grabbed my backpack and was out the door in seconds. I ran towards the subway station where I was supposed to meet Percy. Going down the stairs I caught a glimpse of a large cat tail that quickly darted behind an alley.

"Nothing to worry about, probably just a cat." I whispered.

"What was?" whispered a voice behind me that made me jump ten feet in the air. "Somebody's anxious today." Percy teased. I rolled my eyes.

"I saw something!" I defended. Percy's hand crept to his pocket. He always does this when something unsettling happens. I guess it's just a security thing.

In a split second his hand flashed from his pocket to my wrist and he dragged me back up the stairs.

"But… we have to get to school!" I protested, trying to pry my wrist out of his death grip.

"Not right now." Percy said. "Where was it?" I pointed to the ally. "C'mon!" he demanded, picking up the pace even more. I stopped suddenly..

"What are you doing?" I asked stubbornly, giving up on my wrist because it was not coming out.

"I'll explain later." He answered. Just then I heard a low growling noise inches away. We turned slowly and froze. "The Nemean Lion." I heard Percy mutter beside me. He reached for his pocket and pulled out a pen.

"Percy," I said, my voice cracking with fear. "I don't think that will do anything." Percy smiled and uncapped the pen. The pen grew into a 3 foot, bronze sword. The sword seemed to give off an eerie glow.

"Natalie, Riptide, Riptide, Natalie." That's just Percy for you. He was always trying to make me laugh (Although most of the time it didn't work, now was one of those times).

Percy lunged at the lion while I just stared dumbfounded. He acted like he did this all the time! Percy stabbed towards its head as the monster stepped aside. This time the monster was on offense and snapped at Percy. Percy, who was turned around at the moment was inches away from its mouth when I recovered from my shock and pushed him out of the way.

"What was that for?" Percy yelled.

"You were about to get your head chopped off by a giant lion!" I defended.

"Natalie for your own safety, go and get my mom. She needs to take us to camp."

The lion was stalking up to us now.

"Percy, I'm not leaving you, this is suicide!" I yelled.

"I'll be fine, I promise. Just make sure you get to camp." Percy said.

I noticed Percy tensed as he said those words, like he was remembering something.

"No! I won't leave you!"

I glanced nervously at the lion who was tensing up his back legs. Percy seemed to notice too. We had witnessed enough cat fights to know this little kitty was going to pounce.

"Natalie go NOW!" Percy demanded.

I was really shocked now. Percy had never yelled at me before. He was dead serious. I turned on my heel and left the alley, but I wasn't going to leave for good. I would help Percy, even if it meant dying.

Suddenly an idea struck me. I had noticed how Percy always stabbed at the mouth but the lion was smart enough to keep its mouth closed. If I could get the lion to open its mouth long enough, Percy would be able to stab it in the mouth.

I crept back into the alley were the lion was circling around Percy. Percy was on the ground, completely exhausted. The lion was just toying with him now. It was only a matter of time until he decided to have his lunch. If I was going to do this I'd have to do it quickly.

While the lion was occupied with Percy I snuck around to the back. I grabbed the tail and pulled with all my might. Percy looked up and noticed me. Our eyes locked for just a moment. Then Percy got up and raised Riptide. Just as Percy was about to give the final blow, an arrow hissed through the air and landed in the lion's mouth. The monster exploded into yellow dust on contact.

My mouth hung open. Then, a group of girls filed into the ally. Suddenly Percy's eyes lit up.

"Thalia!" He ran over to a girl with short black hair and electric blue eyes. He started to give her a hug, but then remembering something, but his hand out for a handshake. But I wasn't really staring at Percy and Thalia; I was staring at the girl in the front. She had auborn hair, just like mine and she had all the same facial features, except for her eyes. Her eyes were silvery yellow, like the moon, while mine were gray. The girl looked about 12 years old.

I guess I was still looking dumbfounded because one of the girls said,

"Look at her, she looks quite stupid." She said it like she was from the 15th century. The girl in the front shot her a murderous glare.

"My apologies m'lady." I closed my mouth and turned to that girl. I mean seriously, who says m'lady, and espescially to somebody younger than them. This girl needs to be locked up in the mental hospital now because there is no way she's from the 1400's.

"Okay, why do you sound like you knew Christopher Columbus, and did you just call her my lady? Who says that? And last, does somebody care to explain?" I spat. I didn't mean to sound so snotty; it just came out like that. Thalia stepped forward.

"Natalie your mother is a Greek goddess and you must go to Camp Half- Blood and train to fight monsters like these." I was absolutely shocked.

"I still have a few questions. First, goddess? They don't even exist! Second, you never answered my first question. And third, who are you?" I asked pointing to the auburn hair girl.

This time the auburn haired girl stepped forward. "Natalie, your mother is a goddess from the Greek myths. You know about western civilization, don't you?" I nodded. "Well, the Gods move with the heart of the west. Everything in Greek mythology moves with it. First Greece, then Rome, and so forth. Mount Olympus is above the Empire State Building for example. And the reason she sounds like she knew Christopher Columbus is because she did. She is immortal, we all are. As for whom I am. I am Artemis, goddess of the hunt." Then, I fainted.

When I woke up I was in a bright, cheery room. Behind a big oak door I heard to voices. One was male, the other I recognized to be Artemis.

"I think the news was too much to handle." Said Artemis.

"I see. Well, she should be waking up soon." Said the male voice. Then the door opened and Artemis and a… a… a horseman? No, we learned about this in my Latin class. He was a centaur!

"Oh good! You're awake!" Artemis exclaimed. "

"Hello Natalie. I'm Chiron. I am the activities director here at Camp Half- Blood." The centaur introduced himself.

"Camp whatta?" I asked.

"Half- Blood, half god, half mortal. You are a half- blood, or a demigod." Chiron explained. I noticed Artemis shift uncomfterably. "Once you recover you will move into the Hermes cabin, until you're claimed by your Olympian parent." Chiron explained. Artemis gave me a sympathetic smile.

"Natalie, can I talk to you?' Artemis asked.

"Sure." I answered. Artemis grabbed my hand and dragged me out of the big house and into broad daylight.

While Artemis was leading me wherever she wanted to lead me I was taking in the scenery. I've been to camp before, but never a camp like this. A normal camp would have fencing, horseback riding, and they would make bead necklaces in arts and crafts. This camp had real sword fighting, Pegasus riding, they made sculptures off gods in arts and crafts, and they had forges where campers made their own weapons. The only similarities seemed to be the archery range and the canoeing lake.

Artemis dragged me deeper into camp until we came to a cluster of buildings shaped in a perfect u. Each one was unique. One was red and had a boars head hanging above the door, while one was low to the ground and reminded me of the sea. Another one was big and majestic and the one right next to it was similar but more feminine.

"The cabins." Artemis explained. Artemis stopped in front of a cabin that looked like a normal summer- camp cabin, except it gave off a silvery light, it was cabin 8.

Artemis stepped on to the porch of the cabin and placed her hand on the door. "Soon." she whispered. I stifled a laugh.

"Are you talking to the door?" Artemis smiled.

"You have a good sense of humor; I suppose you got that from your father. " I was about to say something when she continued. "Natalie, I just want you to know that no matter what happens your mother will always be there. Do not fall into the trap of Kronos, you are much too powerful." I looked at her.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out. Look away." She commanded. I turned and there was a bright silver light then deathly silence.

Just then someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around ready to kill whoever dared touch me right now, but I had to smile when I saw who it was. "Percy!" I exclaimed.

"Natalie, I'm glad you're up." Percy smiled. I crushed him in a bear hug and only then did I notice the girl with him.

I took a good look at her. She was as tall as me and Percy, give or take an inch. She had an athletic build and tanned skin. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a pony tail with a few curly strands hanging over her face. She was extremely pretty, but the thing that caught my attention was her eyes, stormy grey like mine. But the look in those eyes was pretty obvious. She was jealous of me and Percy.I decided it would be fun to play this up a bit.

"There's someone here you might want to see." Percy said releasing me from the hug. We walked back towards the house I woke up in (Percy explained this was called the Big House), but I made sure to walk close to Percy, and giggle a little, and even (gag!) twirl my hair a bit. Percy and I walked ahead and that blonde girl stomped behind us very childlike. Suddenly, I could hear foot steps behind me.

"Guess who!" said that all too familiar voice.

"Grover!" I said trying to hide my excitement, but not succeeding.

I turned around and gave him the biggest hug ever. I breathed in his familiar goat smell. I'd always wondered why Grover smelled like that, I guess it's some kind of soap he uses.

"Grover, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"It's a satyr's job to find half-bloods in the mortal world, and I found you. Now that you're here there was no need for me to stay at Goode so I came here." He answered.

"Hold on a second, did you just say satyr, as in half human, half goat?" I asked. That blonde girl rolled her eyes.

"Wow Percy, your girlfriend is so very observant." She retorted sarcastically as she turned to leave. I glanced down at Grover's legs which were in fact goat legs. I felt a deep blush come to my cheeks, not only from the embarrassment of it, but that Percy finally caught on to what I was doing earlier.

Without thinking, I charged at her, knocking her down into a giant mud puddle. This of course ruined her white shorts.

"Watch it newbie!" she spat as she pushed me into Grover who let out a scared bleat. We grabbed each other's hair at the same time and pulled. I yelped in pain but she just smiled.

"I have two little brothers at home; you're going to have to do way better than that." She taunted.

"C'mon, Natalie, Annabeth, you're acting immature!"

I smiled evilly, so Annabeth was her name. "Annabeth," I laughed, "what a stupid name, so I guess its fitting." Her face fell.

"Never… call… me… stupid!" she snarled. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Grover turn to Percy,

"Do you have any popcorn?"He asked. Percy sighed and dragged him away, probably to tell Chiron.

Annabeth pulled a knife. I thought fast, I was unarmed and I couldn't dodge that blade forever.

"I just think you should know that I am an expert at the ancient art of…origami." I said nervously. Annabeth cocked her head.

"Paper folding?" I backed away slowly.

"I was hoping you wouldn't know what that was." I muttered.

"Idiot."She sighed, and then she lunged.

I dodged easily and rolled to a standing position. Again she lunged and I dodged. We repeated this cycle many times until I saw the opportunity I'd been waiting for. We were standing right across from each other; she had her knife in her hand and was preparing to lunge. I ceased the opportunity and did a high kick that knocked the knife out of her hand. The knife flew through the air and I caught it by the handle.

Annabeth gasped as she slowly backed up towards the tree. Then, with all my might, I threw the knife. It landed not even an inch from her face. Bull's eye.

I knew at that instant that I had won. I sauntered over to a petrified Annabeth and pulled the knife from the tree. I dug the blade under her chin,

"Now, who's my boyfriend?"I asked.

"N-nobody." She stuttered. Then, Annabeth gasped.

"What? You don't think I can be smart after all we've been through. I just think you should know that I have a 4.0 GPA, and I managed it with dyslexia and ADHD!" Annabeth shook her head as she stared at something above my head.

"You've been claimed!" She stuttered. My heart sped up.

"Really? By whom?" I practically yelled.

"By my mother, Athena, goddess of wisdom and battle." She answered. I looked above my head just in time to see an owl fade from the air.

"Of course I have to be related to you." I muttered.

"Excuse me!?" Annabeth demanded.

"Nothing!" I put on a fake smile. "Can't wait to move in!"