2.
"El!" My best friend, Lily, screams. She's short but strong, and her strawberry blond hair smells like strawberries.
"Hi!" I beam.
We peel ourselves off the floor and run to the cabin for demi gods.
There are less than ten demi gods in total, and I'm the only child of the big three. Lily is my closest relative as a daughter of Demeter. Most half bloods are children of Ares, Apollo and Athena.
Jack Jackson is here, he's a son of Ares and the one everyone goes to for alcohol. Despite being over six feet, muscular and covered in scars, he is always able to sneak past security.
"Judging by the fact that you're here, I'm guessing that the escape went well?" He asks.
"I'm a free woman. I still haven't realised that I'm never going back to that house again."
"Are you upset about it?"
"Fuck no. You know what they did to me."
"I'm surprised you went back there last summer. I didn't think you'd make it until you turned eighteen."
"What are you going to do about college?" Lily asks. "We know how much you wanted to go to uni."
"Well, look." I grin, pulling out a letter.
"You got accepted into private school.?" Lily gasps.
"On a full scholarship. I told the head teacher about my current situation and she agreed to keep my parents out of it. I'm over sixteen anyways."
"How did you even get offered a scholarship?"
"I sucked her dick, how'd you think?"
I lean against the counter in our kitchen and turn the kettle on. I could kill for a coffee now.
"I saw you were chatting to that werewolf boy, you know what they're like."
"He might eat you for dinner!" Lily giggles.
"I'd rather commit death." I say, pouring my drink. "He's just someone who lives in the same town as me."
"You know, I heard a fairy is joining us this year."
"A fairy?" I ask, "you mean Josh?"
"No, Elizabeth unlike you I don't use those terms. I mean an actual fairy. We haven't had any new fairies in years."
"Cool. You think they'll be my fairy godmother? Bibity bobity boo my life away."
I smirk at his confused face and take a sip.
"Remember when the three of us first met?" I recall.
"It was like Hogwarts! You had to come on your own, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I was Harry Potter. I remember when my letter came through they tried to hide it, and I found it when I was looking for a stamp."
"Why are your parents such arseholes?"
"Language Lily."
"Get that stick out of your backside." I sigh, kicking him lightly in the leg. "Last summer you were having me time how fast you could chug a litre bottle of beer."
"People change."
"Not always for the better."
"If you must know, I've met someone. She's helping me turn my life around."
"Well turn it back around I don't like this new you."
The bell goes, indicating us to move to the main hall.
"Let's go."
Oliver, Danielle and Luke are already at our table. Thomas hasn't returned.
There aren't many demi gods in England, I hear that most go to an American camp called Camp Half Blood. I've never been but I know people who have. They say it's better than Camp Magica because everything is designed for us. However, the gods send the half bloods off to suicidal quests. We may not have many half bloods but at least we don't have Apollo.
I look around and see Josh. I put my middle finger up to him and smile. There are also wizards and witches, semi-mers (beings who are human on land and mermaids/men in water), elves, banshees, and whatever else there are. Some don't even know what they are.
"Welcome back!" Says Philip, camp's leader. "I hope everyone has had a great year, if you're new please find your respective tables."
"We've got a witch here!"
"Where are the fairies?"
The young boy from before comes here.
"You're the son of Apollo right? Welcome. Try and survive."
"Elizabeth stop scaring children. What's your name, my name is Jack."
After the new campers join their tables, Philip gives a congratulations to a girl called Freya for running the water creatures club for the past five years.
"How do I join this club?" I ask, raising my hand but not waiting for a response.
"It's by invitation only." Freya says.
"Well can I get an invite?"
"Only aquatic beings can join. Otherwise I would've sent you one."
The other half bloods look shocked, they know who my father is but I'm not certain if other beings do. Instead, I smile and say ok.
Every Friday night, during summer, the other demi gods and I sneak out to go to town.
I'm wearing trainers that are light and make no noise when I step, and camo clothing to help blend into the grass. It's only a camo jacket from top shop paired with baggy dark green trousers and a black crop top, but its better than brightly coloured clothing.
I take the darkest back pack I own and take a pair of night vision goggles a god gave me for my birthday. I still have my hair in French braids and I know camp inside and out.
Werewolves are on duty tonight. I'll have to be extra careful.
Jack and Lily have already left, and now I climb out of the window.
"See you!" I whisper to Oliver. Then I dash across the cabin area.
I see Lily hiding behind some bushes. You couldn't see her unless you were a demi god and knew she was there, she's hiding behind the mist. This should be enough to fool most campers.
"Hey." I whisper.
"Aw El, you always go the extra mile." She giggles under her breath.
"The fuck are you wearing camo for? Should we call her solider?"
"We're going to a bar, not hunting."
"Shut the fuck up. And I thought we were going to the movies?"
"Well, I got these as a surprise. We're all nearly eighteen now so we won't get caught."
She hands me a card, and I look at it.It's a driving license, belonging to Rae McLean. The girl in the photo looks like me in the dark, and she's nineteen years old.
"I got one for myself and Jack too. You ready?"
"But I haven't prepared for a bar. I'll need to practice what I'm going to say, and what if they hear you call me El?"
"Hey guys, you ready?" Oliver asks. "Luke and Danielle said to meet at the bikes."
"Calm down, they won't. Let's go." She says, pointing to where we have bikes hidden.
I pick up mine and we ride. It usually takes just under an hour to get into town, when riding at a moderate pace.
We lock the bikes up and walk down the road, I've rehearsed what I'm going to say if I get questioned.
"ID please?" The bouncer asks Lily who passes her fake to him. He nods and let's her through.
It's my turn next, I hand it to him and relax. He looks at me, then at the licence.
"Summer What are you playing at?" He sighs.
"Excuse me?" I ask.
"You know mum would kill you if she knew you were here, go home."
"I'm not Summer, does she have this?" I ask, holding up my arm where there's a huge scar.
"You're not Summer are you? Please forget this ever happened. Go on in."
Once inside I go to the bar with Lily an order a WKD. My head is beginning to ache and my eye lids are feeling heavy so I'll have to have another energy drink to make it home.
"I always thought bouncers were at nightclubs." I say.
"Maybe its to save time, it is a Friday and pretty busy." Lily shrugs.
"I guess." I say, taking a sip.
I feel underdressed, Lily looks so cute in a white lace crop top and skinny jeans and I look like you're basic average girl who's here to save the world.
The six of us sit at a round table and drink. Most people here are in their thirties and above with few people our age. There's a young couple but we're easily the youngest here. I'm certain there are no other underage kids.
"I can't believe we'll be going to university next year." Jack sighs.
"Speak for yourself, some of us are sixteen." Danielle says, quietly so others around us can't hear.
"We're all applying for Leeds right?" I ask.
"Obviously."
"Why can't we go to one in the south?"
"Because I hate the south." I say.
"Rude." Jack says.
"Well every time I go down there to see family they make fun of my accent."
"But you have a southern accent." Lily says. She's from Newcastle, further north than I am.
"She does not." Jack scoffs. He's a Londoner and sounds really posh compared to Lily and I. "El say no."
I roll my eyes and take a drink.
I hear my full name behind me. We all turn to face the tv, which was playing a football game not too long ago, but now is playing the news,
"Could you rewind that?" Jack asks the worker.
"Sure," he says looking confused.
I watch the report.
"A search is underway for a seventeen year old girl who went missing from her home between last night and this morning. Elizabeth Jaeson was last seen in her home last night in Darlington, North East England. She was last seen wearing jeans and a shirt. Her mother says she has dark brown hair, light green eyes and freckles. She's tall and athletic. If anyone sees her please contact the police immediately."
There's several photos of me, and most are recent. The only good thing is that my hair is darker now.
"Shit."
"Quick," Jack whispers.
"No," I say holding him back. "If we leave now we'll only look suspicious. Besides, we're hundreds of miles away and I have a fake ID, if I get questioned I'll pretend to be Rae. I was mistaken for another girl at the door anyways."
"Ok," he says.