The next morning I slept in past noon. I woke up, grabbed my duffel, and asked a girl in the cabin the way to the showers. The showers were separate from the cabins, an impressive, large white marble building with pillars and front steps. I headed toward the girls' room when a tall brown-haired girl stepped out. She saw me approaching and took a battle stance in the doorway.

"Boys aren't allowed in the girls' bathrooms!"

"But-"

"What's your name and cabin? I'm-"

"I AM A GIRL!" I screamed. Gosh, this is embarrassing. A few people turned and looked at me.

"You're… Oh my gods, I'm so sorry!" The girl actually looked upset. Not the reaction I was used to.

"It's alright," I lied, blushing furiously. Could she just move out of the way? I didn't need her apologies.

"No, it's not! I just assumed- Augh, I'm a terrible person! I've been in Aphrodite cabin for too long!" She sank down to the floor in despair. I stepped over her and walked into the bathroom.

When I stepped out twenty minutes later, the girl was still there, sitting on the steps, but now she looked happy. When she saw me she jumped up and waved, smiling a toothy grin.

"Hi! I feel awful for what I said before! I shouldn't have assumed like that, it's just that boys sometimes go into the girls' side and I thought… But I was wrong and… I'm sorry!" She smiled triumphantly, having said what she probably spent the last twenty minutes rehearsing.

"Seriously, it's fine." I smiled back.

"I'm Piper McLean, by the way. Head Counselor of Aphrodite Cabin."

"Danny Winchester. I haven't been claimed yet."

"But you're older than 13! But I shouldn't assume…"

I laughed. "I'm 16."

"Well then, you should have been claimed by now. Or are you new to camp? I don't think I've seen you around."

"I arrived last night."

I didn't think it was possible, but somehow her smile grew bigger.

"Oh wow, you're really new! You'll probably be claimed tonight at dinner. Parents usually wait for a crowd before they reveal themselves. Any suspicion who yours might be?"

"Umm, a woman. Probably Hecate."

"That's be awesome! Plus, Hecate's cabin could really use some more people. It lost a lot during the Second Olympian War."

"War?" I asked, startled. There's been wars? I never thought of monster hunting on such a grand scale. I felt totally out of my league.

Piper saw my expression and tried to reassure me.

"Don't worry, we haven't had a war since we dispersed Gaea last summer." I had no idea what she was talking about, but I grinned and nodded. I felt around my bag for my cell phone. If I had any cell reception here, maybe I could finally read up on all these Greek gods everyone keeps talking about.

Piper must have sensed my disinterest and left after telling me how excited she was for the claiming tonight. I started walking back toward the cabin to deposit my duffel, staring at my phone. Four bars. Nice.

"Watch where you're going! Oh it's you." I walked right into Pollux, but he didn't seem annoyed.

"I was looking for you, but you already set off on your own! Did you wanna grab a bite?" he asked. He guided me toward a dining pavilion of sorts. There were no walls or roofs, but it was enclosed by Greek columns. There were a bunch of tables set up, but only a few campers loitering around.

"Now, technically it's forbidden for campers from different cabins to sit together for meals," Pollux began, "but it's not actually meal-time, is it? I sit at table 12, with Mr. D. Come on, you should probably meet him. Zara obviously already let him know of your arrival, but, as the camp director, he likes to meet the new kids." Pollux and I slid into seats across from Mr. D., a short, balding man with a black beard, who was chugging down a bottle of coke.

"Aah!" He looked up. "Nothing like the real thing."

"Excuse me dad," Pollux interrupted. "I'd like you to meet Danny Winchester. He just arrived last night."

"Actually, I'm a girl," I cut in. I gave them the appropriate five seconds to digest this fact.

"Wha-Why didn't you correct me earlier?" Pollux stammered, turning to look at me.

"I had bigger things on my mind."

Pollux turned back to Mr. D. "Sorry, she just arrived here last night."

I pretended not to catch the tone of his voice and stared very intently at the tablecloth, white cloth with purple trim.