"Everybody up!"
Another day, another week, another year. I used to enjoy continuity, but now it's the bane of my life.
"Get up, Keira." Amy sat down on my bed.
Back when continuity meant spending day after day with my mom, with my mortal friends, it was a good thing.
"Do I have to?"
"Yes. Come on. We…"
"I'll pass."
"But we have…"
"Don't care."
"Oh, come on Keira! You're only ten, you'll get claimed soon."
"You said that last year."
"Breakfast!" The Hermes counselor Evan yelled.
"Go without me," I told Amy.
"Fine." She threw her arms up in defeat.
As soon as everyone was out of the cabin, I jumped out of bed and pulled out my notebook.
Dear Mom,
I started to write.
You see, my mom had always told me that writing out my problems helped. I liked to write letters. Letters made sense.
I'm very bored here at camp. If it was safe, would you still make me come every summer? You probably wouldn't, right?
I never actually sent the letters, I never needed to.
I wish you knew who my father was. It's seems all my problems center around him. Maybe I am just a daughter of Hermes. No, I don't think so. Ares, maybe? Hephaestus? Whatever. It's not like I'll ever know. I'll be home soon. Only three more days until the end of summer.
-Your daughter, Keira
I stowed the notebook under my bed.
Three days later, I walked over the hill to my mom's car.
"Hey honey!" Mom smiled as I got in.
"Hey mom."
"How was camp?"
"Whatever. Just… camp."
"Is this about your dad again, sweetie?"
"Who is he?"
She didn't know the answer. She never had.
"I don't know, hun."
I sighed. "I know… I know you don't. I just…" I took a breath. "Let's go home."
Home for me was a small house in Connecticut.
Home for me was my mom cooking dinner.
Home for me wasn't a stupid demigod camp.
I went through my getting home rounds. I went up to my room and looked for my letter box.
I kept all my unsent letters in it. I put all my letters from the summer in it. I looked at some of the old ones.
Dear Mom,
The first one I took out read.
It's kind of funny, seeing where I am now considering just yesterday I was a normal girl with a normal life. I'm a demigod, a child of a Greek god.
I couldn't bring myself to finish reading it. I had written this the day I got to camp.
I shoved it back into the box.
"Honey! Dinner!" Mom called.
"Coming!" I called back.
I didn't need to finish reading it. I remembered that letter.
This is the coolest thing ever! I just can't wait to be claimed. Do you know who my dad is?
-Your daughter, Keira