I had a happy childhood. Really, I did. A family that loved me, and hopefully still does, a best friend was a half-blood like me, I was a fairly well-adjusted kid, if a little quiet. I think that's why no one expected me to ever be a problem at camp. They were wrong. At the risk of sounding cliché, it's always the quiet ones.

I suppose my feelings of resentment started when I first went to camp with my aforementioned best friend, Catherine.

Catherine is the daughter of Zephyrus, the god of the west wind. She's a traditional half-blood. Growing up together, it never occurred to me that we were that different. We were the two weird girls that no one wanted to be friends with. Naturally, we were inseparable. Two kids growing up in a small town in Texas who just happened to be able to bend some of the elements to their will, we really had no choice in the matter. Our birthdays are even the same day!

The summer we were both 11 our parents sent us to camp. It was 4 years ago now, but my memory of that first day is still sharp. After all, it was the simultaneously the best and worst day of my life. The day everything changed for good. I'm really not exaggerating. Much.

4 years ago

"Zoey!" Catherine's voice was muffled, but I could still hear her through the pillow I had clamped around my head. When I didn't respond immediately, she jumped on the bed.

"What?" I groaned, lifting the pillow a fraction of an inch and then slamming it down again when the stream of light coming in from my window hit my eye. Catherine ignored my question, hopped off my bed, and dragged me to the floor.

"Come on, my dad says we leave in an hour" she chirped. I love my best friend, but that girl is far too awake in the morning.

I've always liked Catherine's dad. He makes an effort to be there for his daughter, and he always seemed genuinely glad to see me. That day was different though. He was on edge the entire chariot ride there. Looking back on it, I think he knew what camp was going to be like for me, but didn't want to tell me in the hopes that he was wrong.

We got to camp around noon that day.

Chiron's tail swished back and forth as he led the new group of campers on a tour.

"And finally, these are the cabins you will be staying in."

"Do we get to pick?" a boy in the back called out, slightly anxious.

"No," Chiron replied with a smile, "you will be put in a cabin based on your parentage."

I had never been so excited in my life. Camp was beautiful, just like my parents had said. So far, it had been the best day I could remember. Chiron had dismissed us after showing us the cabins, and told us to be at the pavilion in time for dinner later, so Catherine and I headed down to the lake for a bit.

I made little boats on the surface of the water, giggling as Catherine raced them around the edge of the shore.

"And they're off! Catherine's boat takes the lead, not surprising really, and Zoey's boat has been mysteriously blown off track for the tenth time in a row." Catherine's race commentary had been steadily improving since we first started this when we were 8.

"Yeah, real mysterious Cat. You know someday your reign of terror on my boats will end."

"I doubt it. I can take you down any day."

I raise one eyebrow, then soak her from the waist down. It was her mistake, sitting so close to the lake's edge. She sat there for a minute, slightly stunned, and then proceeded to laugh so hard that she couldn't stop the tears from coming.

An hour later we went to the pavilion for dinner. However, Chiron stopped us before we could find a seat at one of the many tables.

"First," he said, gesturing towards the small stage at one end of the dining area, " you need to be claimed."