The next chappie!!! Yahoo! ^_^ Sorry, it's just this story has been swarming in my head for days and I need to get it out. And oh my gosh…IT'S MONDAY!!! AHHHHHH!!!! I HATE MONDAYS!!!! And they hate me too…
DISCLAIMER: ARGH! I don't own anything!!! Gosh people, it's the author's story, not mine!
Chapter 2
Mrs. O'Leary Gets Clarisse Busted
"Ya sure ya want out here kid?" asked the taxi driver. I was used to this by now; I got it a lot. Half-Blood Hill looked empty to mortals.
"Yeah," I said, fishing in my pocket for money - and accidentally pulling out a couple gold Drachma by mistake. Handing the wad of cash to the driver I started to get out of the car.
"Are you sure, cause I'm not coming back," he warns me. I nod. Then he looks at the money and his eyes widen slightly. "You want change?"
"No, just keep it," I say, now annoyed. I had to go through this every summer. It kinda gets to you after you hit three times. I get out of the car and start walking up to the hill. I hear the car drive off behind my, and sigh in relief.
I thought that guy would never leave.
Besides, I didn't care about the money…at least, not until summer was over. Mortal money was useless to the gods.
I pass the spot where Thalia Grace used to be a pine tree. I finally pass up Half-Blood Hill's boundary line, and now I can see the whole camp - the Big House, the strawberry fields, the climbing walls with the lava below them (I'm starting to think that that was Dionysus' idea…), the dining pavilion, the canoe lake, the forest, and the twelve cabins…it's a pretty awesome view.
Before I'm here five seconds, Annabeth, blond hair streaming out behind her as she runs, attacks me in a hug.
"Um…nice to see you too," I choke out. Annabeth has some pretty killer hugs sometimes.
"Percy!" she cries. "I missed you!" She lets go and I take a deep breath, beginning to breath again. She looks at me apologetically.
"Sorry," she says.
"Nah, it's ok," I tell her with a wave of my hand. "So what's up?"
I never should have asked. I know better. But when it comes to Annabeth…well…
She starts out on a simple story about how being at her school goes…then it quickly turns into a full course architect thingy, and I can't even begin to understand what the heck she's saying. I just kinda daze off, nodding at the right times, saying "yeah" and/or "uh-huh" but never really paying attention.
It's then I start to get that weird feeling again. It's like, I'm seeing her for the first time all over again. I mean, Annabeth's…really, really pretty. And I don't know how else to say it. She turns to me and asks,
"You know?"
I snap out of it, realizing that I've been staring, and I have no idea what she just said. I blush, and look away, mumbling a "yeah, I guess". She looks at me funny, but shakes it off.
"C'mon seaweed brain, it's time for lunch. Plus, I think Chiron his annual welcome back speech," she says and walks off towards the dining pavilion. We get there and I take my normal seat at the empty Poseidon table. Annabeth waves goodbye and she walks over to the Athena table, a couple of her fellow table members (I guess you could call them family…) shooting my dirty looks.
For some reason, everybody at that table hates me. Oh yeah, maybe it's cause my dad and their mom hate each other. That would explain a lot.
My eyes start to wander around the other tables, seeing who's all here. I see Clarisse is still alive (dang it) and she's glaring at me. Let the fun begin. And I can see the Stoll brothers at the Hermes table, goofing of as usual. Big surprise there.
But then while I'm watching Connor make faces at Travis, who does it back. I roll my eyes, but I can't help but grin a bit. Annoying as they are, those two are really funny.
Then I see some other two that I didn't think I'd see. Amber and Ivy. Their both sitting at the Hermes table, on the far right side away from everybody else.
Ok, back up, I have to kinda go over this. The Hermes cabin is waaaaaay over-populated by Half-Bloods who don't know who their Olympian parent is yet. Which means, a lot of kids are there. And I mean a lot. Which also means that the table is packed. Which it normally is. And here I'm looking, on the right, there is actually a pretty decent sized space separating the two from the rest of the group. And I just find it so weird because there normally aren't any spaces like that available.
I look at them both for a couple seconds. Ivy looks like she's desperately tying to tell her 'sister' (I'm still not buying that) something. Amber looks the least worried as someone can look, and she catches my eye and waves. Ivy turns around, and again, our eyes lock. That same feeling of hate comes back when I see her eyes. What does she have against me?
I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Chiron, a centaur/activities director /immortal son of Kronos clears his throat loudly and (the few kids who actually hear it) tell the others to be quiet and listen.
"Well, the first thing I'd like to say is welcome back all who are returning this year, and another welcome to those of you who's first year it is here at Camp Half-Blood…"
And, big surprise, Annabeth's right. It's his annual welcome back speech…only I wonder why he's doing it now at lunch, rather then at dinner, when most of the kids are here. It's so…non-Chiron like. So here I listen to him go over the 'camp rules' for the other kids who are new, and explain what we do here, and blah, blah, blah, while Dionysus sits next to him, looking more bored then ever.
And to my relief, he raises his cup and says the normal toast of, "To the gods."
"To the gods," everyone else choruses. We do the toast, we scrape off part of our meal in the fire for the gods, and we eat. Er - I eat, I should say. Sometimes it really sucks to be alone at your own table.
~*~*~*~
After lunch, I decide to visit Mrs. O'Leary; the only lovable Hellhound out there. Seriously. She's a oversized lab-puppy…who happens to be black and the size of a bulldozer.
She tackles me as soon as I walk over, so all I see is this sudden dark form punching on me.
"WOOF!" she happily barks, and she starts licking me all over.
"Ok, ok, I'm glad to see you too. Down girl, ow! Get off, ow!" I try and shove her paw off me - it's got me pinned down like a helpless chew toy. I eventually get her off - thank the gods.
"Alright, alright!" I say, laughing. I'm technically her owner now, because when Daedalus died along with the Labyrinth, he left her to me. Which, isn't all that bad.
So, I look for something she might go after - I dunno, a giant stick? - so I grab a shield lying around and give it my best throw. She bounds after it. Ok, so this will work. After about a couple throws, my arm is seriously getting tired.
I look for someone passing by that I know, that can help me throw this thing. I see Annabeth passing and I take me chance.
"Annabeth!" I shout. Her head turns in my direction, and I motion for her to come over.
"Hey Percy, what's up?" she asks. Then Mrs. O'Leary comes bounding back to me, shield in her mouth. "Wha-? Is that-?"
"Just throw this," I say, tossing her the slobber-drenched shield. Annabeth grabs it, makes a face, but she throws it anyways.
And so, Mrs. O'Leary plays fetch with us until both of our arms are crying for us to stop. I turn when Amber comes jogging over, looking up at Mrs. O'Leary in what I can only describe as an expression of a little kid on Christmas morning.
"Ohmigosh, is that a Hellhound?" she asks, petting Mrs. O'Leary on the head.
"Uh…yeah," I pant. "The only nice one ever."
"Amber what-?" I hear the voice of Ivy ask as she runs over to us and her sister. She stops cold when she sees Mrs. O'Leary, and her gold eyes go wide for a second. Next thing I know, Mrs. O'Leary is on top of Ivy, licking her, barking and happily wagging her tail.
"Jackson, what the Zeus - OW!" she cries. Ivy struggles to get out from under Mrs. O'Leary, but it looks like she's just as stuck as I was. We rush over, and try and get her off. Amber breaks out giggling.
"Oh Ivy, this is just like that time when-" Amber shuts up when Ivy gives her the death glare. "Never mind," she says quietly, and returns to helping us. We finally got Mrs. O'Leary off of Ivy, but it took us like an hour. So now Ivy's drenched in dog slobber, her black hair and sticking up in some places, her dark jeans (which I just noticed are kinda baggy on her) look completely soaked, her Camp Half-Blood T-shirt now has a huge dirt print where Mrs. O'Leary's paw was.
"Who the heck trained that mutt anyway?" asks Ivy sourly.
"I-" but I can't finish my thought, because Mrs. O'Leary is on her again. And once we get her off, it happens again. And again. …and again. So, after about fifteen times of pulling Mrs. O'Leary off of Ivy, she's really mad.
"I'm sorry," I say, holding up my hands in defense, "I've never seen her jump anybody that many times during one day."
"Riiiiight," says Ivy sarcastically. "Well, if you can keep that busy, I think I'm gonna get out of here before she tackles me again." Ivy starts to walk off, and in her place Dionysus walks up to us.
"There you are Perry. Chiron's been looking for you," he says to me.
"It's Percy," says both me and Annabeth in unison. He rolls his eyes.
"Perry, Percy, whatever." He looks at Mrs. O'Leary and his eyes go wide for a second. "Hey isn't that Daedalus' Hellhound or something?"
"Yeah," I say. I explain it to him, but why I don't know. Didn't he realize that a Hellhound was at his camp?
…on second thought, he probably doesn't care. Halfway through my explanation, Amber walks off. But not to Ivy, to -
Clarisse?!
Mr. D walks off, but not before reminding me again about Chiron. I wonder what he wants me for. He stops and looks at Ivy. Dionysus opens his mouth, but shuts it after Ivy snaps,
"Don't ask."
Mrs. O'Leary suddenly growls, a low sound that a mortal would think is an earthquake.
"What is it girl?" I mumble, seeing that the hair on her back has risen. Mr. D's attention goes first on her, and then it snaps to Amber and Clarisse. Clarisse, looking just as huge and beefy as I remember her, is talking to Amber. Amber takes her outstretched hand, and holds it for a second while she closes her eyes. A small crease appears between her eyebrows, like she's trying to concentrate on something.
"Hey - no cheating!" Mr. D cries and breaks the two up.
Cheating? Well, Chiron said we were playing capture the flag later, but…how is holding someone's hand cheating?
Clarisse scowls, but then catches my eye and smirks at me. I don't like that look…She's up to something.
"What was that about?" I ask as Ivy leaves to join her 'sister'. Annabeth frowns slightly, as if in thought.
"Well," she said slowly, "Amber and Ivy have some kind of…psychic ability…or something, I don't know. I've only heard rumors." she shrugs.
'Psychic ability'?
"Oh."
And here's ch. 3. I still am not sure if I'm gonna keep writing this…hey but if I do, I might do an Ivy POV of something. Whatever, review please!