Okaaayyyy sooo I am really proud of myself. I typed 8 pages! Sorrt for the wait, though. My Social Studies teacher (how ironic) assigned a project on Black History Month and I was kinda occupied with that...anyways enjoy!
Chapter 2: Emos Don't Lie
"AHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed.
I don't think anyone heard me since I screamed mentally. But, who knows, maybe some weird force verbalized my thoughts and all of Athens, Illinois heard me. Including my dad in our little house not too far from school.
Yea, I was too scared to utter a noise, let alone something intelligent.
I guess the Cyclops could read minds because he sounded annoyed when he said, "Screaming won't help you, demigod!" As if he was trying to figure out why I was still able to form thoughts.
I'll tell you why. It was because the emo kid from earlier threw me a necklace with a dove pendent. In different circumstances, I would have stopped and thanked him for the pretty, shiny thing I received. But since I was about to get devoured by a hungry Cyclops, I thought that maybe I should save the "thank yous" for later.
Right now, you're probably thinking, "She probably took the necklace and choked the Cyclops to death, coming out with only a hang nail!"
Well…you're wrong. Instead of that, which would've been way cooler, I thrusted my necklace in front of me and said, "Stop, oh mighty Cyclops! I command…you to…stop…" my voice fading at the end.
Just then, my list of embarrassing moments received a new entry. The Cyclops started to laugh at me. Right in my face! It was the rudest thing ever! And it only made me angry.
"Who do you think you are, you big oaf?" I asked upset. "You are so dead now!" I exclaimed sounding braver than I felt.
Somehow I knew what to do. I pressed the jeweled eye of the dove and said, "Θάλασσα Περιστέρι!" "Sea Dove!" The "pretty, shiny thing" turned into a shiny dangerous sword and I was so surprised I didn't notice the way I had my sword angled. It went straight into the stomach of a very surprised Cyclops.
If the Cyclops thought he was surprised, then I was astounded. I was so surprised that I didn't register the fact that yellow dust sprayed all over me. I just kept on staring at my sword which had turned back into the dove necklace, hanging innocently in my neck.
The silence was heavy over my shoulders, so I broke it by saying, "This is a dream. I will wake up by my ultra annoying alarm clock, and then walk out of my house half awake with a bagel in my mouth and chase after my school bus."
Somehow I didn't quite believe myself. Maybe it was because I just realized I was covered in Cyclops gut.
I started to examine myself and with a groan I realized my new Aerosmith shirt wasn't very presentable anymore.
I looked up when I heard footsteps. It was the emo kid who through me the necklace. Now that I looked at him, he really didn't look that emo. He had long (for a guy) black hair that fell across his face, onyx black eyes, and olive skin. He was a well four inches taller than me and was wearing black baggy jeans and a black shirt with a white skull on it. Nope, definitely emo. But, still kind of cute.
"Thanks," I said truly grateful, "you helped save me, in a way."
"No problem," he said. "Have you heard of Greek Mythology?"
I nodded unsure of where this was going.
What he said next I was totally unprepared for. "Well, they're real."
I started laughing like a drunken squirrel, waiting for a sign to show he was joking. When none came, I stared at him like an idiot.
"Yea, they're real," he repeated, "And now we need to get you to camp."
Before I lost my dignity, I said, "Hold on a minute! You expect me to come with you to some camp I don't even know is real?"
He smiled cockily and said, "Well, yes, yes I do Anastasia Alexis Isabella Garlend."
I was infuriated. I forgot any thoughts of him being cute. Here he comes along tossing me a necklace which just happens to turn into weapon that happens to saves my life, not even introducing himself, then expecting me to follow him to an imaginary camp? Not only that, but he uses my full name. How does he even know it? I don't remember having classes with him. Does he even go to my school?
"Listen emo kid," I said barely controlling my anger.
"I'm not emo! And my name's Nico, Nico di Angelo," he said anger flashing in his eyes.
"Whatever. I don't know how you know my name but, but I'm not going anywhere with you under my free will!"
"Okay," he said. And then he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"What do you think you're doing?" I yelled. "You're not respecting my privacy or anything!"
I was fully aware that I was blushing.
"Stop struggling," he commanded.
I did as told, and suddenly a wave of darkness crashed over me and I felt nauseous. I heard voices all around, but couldn't see anything, so I started to scream. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. And I realized we were in something that looked like a summer camp. Huh, I guess emos don't lie, I thought wryly. I turned my neck and saw a bunch of enormous cabins. A little to my left was a strawberry field and after that, a huge amphitheater. I looked the other way and saw a training arena and an archery field.
"Wow," I whispered.
I heard a throat clear and looked up to see a middle man in a wheelchair and behind him, a lot of surprised campers wearing orange T-shirts holding swords in mid-stance. They looked like they had stopped what they were doing to see if anything would happen. For some reason, that annoyed me.
He glanced at me for a second and stared at my dove necklace that was dangling freely on my neck.
He sighed heavily and said, "Nico, you may put her down now."
Oh, yeah, Nico the emo was still holding me.
"Sorry, Chiron," he said looking anywhere but me.
We both blushed as he put me down.
"Thanks, again," I mumbled embarrassed for the tenth time that day. Sarcasm fully intended.
"Don't mention it," he replied equally as embarrassed.
I stared at the old guy half-expecting him to pop up and go, "ROOOAAARRRR!" With everything that happened today, how could you blame me? Instead he kind of stood up from his wheelchair and became a centaur. I stared at him and my right eye began to twitch. I felt as though nothing could amaze me.
Everything that happened today came back replaying in my head and I voiced the thing I understood the best.
"It's my birthday today," I said stupidly.
I heard a few snickers from the crowd of campers wearing orange T-shirts. I glared at them and yelled, "Shut up, oranges!"
"Definitely a child of Ares," I heard someone say.
"No, look at how pretty she is. She's a child of Aphrodite," someone else said.
"Yea, look at her pendent, it's a dove," someone else replied.
"But, her hair is black and wavy like Percy. Hey, Percy, you have a new half-sister."
The murmuring continued around me.
I started to get angry and didn't try to voice it as something polite.
"Don't talk about me like I'm not there!" I exploded.
They must've of not expected my outburst because a couple of them jumped.
"Incase your wondering, I have eyes and ears and I really don't want to be here right now. The least all of you gawkers can do is give me some space," I yelled, tears welling up in my eyes.
"My dad is at home right now, probably wondering where the heck I am, and panicking because he doesn't know whether he should call the police just yet!"
I couldn't say anything more because I was too busy feeling sorry for me and weeping silently.
All of a sudden, everybody gasped and they started whispering to each other again. I caught my name a couple of times and a few "I told you sos". I looked at them bitterly wondering why they refused to leave me alone. But suddenly, I gasped myself. My silver dove pendent, with the jeweled eye was glowing.
The light was so bright. It blinded me if I tried to look at it. So many colors were swirling around me. The light grew, and grew until it was gone in a flash. In its place was a golden trident with a miniature dove to the side floating over my head like the on my necklace.
I could tell what happened wasn't normal.
When I examined myself to make sure I wasn't covered in any sort of gut, I wanted to puke guts myself. I was wearing a short dress that stopped right at my knees. It had a white background with large yellow flowers and a green waistline with a flower bow. I changed my necklace into my sword and stared at my reflection. My dazzling, sea blue eyes were outlined with eye liner and balanced with eye shadow. My lips were beautifully decorated with bright red lipstick and my hair was loose and flowing standing perfectly in a way that I destroy the ozone layer every once in a while, with hairspray to get. To summarize, I looked stunning, but it just wasn't me.
There was an unbelievably long and awkward silence.
Chiron cleared his throat and said, "All hail, Anastasia Alexis Isabella Garlend, daughter of the sea god, Poseidon, earth shaker, storm bringer, Lord of Horses. Patron, Aphrodite, goddess of love, beauty and doves."
I know I said there was supposed to be growling in this chapter, but I lied about that *ashamed* I just wanted to see reactions.
Sooooooo next chapter, there wil be just a tiny Nico/Alexis moment!
