After we leave the Big House, I immediately punch Will in the stomach.
"Why did you sign me up for the quest?" I bellow, luckily not drawing anyone's attention since everyone is at their activities. "I just got back, Will!"
"You could have said no!" he curtly replies, reaching for his aching stomach.
"No one denies quests!" I start, putting my face right in front of his and clenching my teeth, "No one."
"You said you needed excitement in your life, Aria! Plus, why wouldn't I invite my two closest friends?" he asks, enraged. "And I've never been on a quest. Don't you think I deserve one after being at camp for ten years?"
I ponder this for a quick second. Will is twenty and has no idea what he wants to do with his life. Maybe he does deserve it.
Not that I'm going to admit that to him.
"Do you even know who this girl is? What she looks like?" I quip.
Wills face flushes. "Well, err… no."
"Then how in Hades are we finding her?" I put my hands on my hips.
He shrugs. "Why should I know? We haven't gotten together to make a game plan yet."
"Then you better get to it, buddy," I force out. Will rolls his eyes at my "total bogus-ness" – those are his own words from past encounters – and walks away.
I turn away from his and head back to the amphitheatre, when a sudden Lion King reference hits me. "I'm surrounded by idiots," I grumble, unpleased.
When I get back to the amphitheatre, everyone shouts at me, asking me where I was and what happened. I shrug them all off and lift up my hands, still holding my flute. I use that as a baton while several people scramble to reach for their music. A unanimous agreement that we're playing the same song, and I don't even say anything.
We start the song, and I just move my arms up and down absently, counting for four over and over in my head.
One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four.
My arms start getting tired and I notice that the hour is almost over, so I cut off the whole band, telling them that we're done for the day. A few sighs of exasperation and screams of resent come out, but I don't comprehend them. I jump off the edge of the stage, gently landing on my feet. I leave the amphitheatre without looking back, and I can tell people know something is up.
I'll let Chiron break it to them all later.
Suddenly exhausted, I make my way to the blindingly gold cabin where I reside for my summers. I sluggishly pull myself up the steps and through the door to the girl's side, throwing myself down on my bed. I stare up at the ceiling for what feels like forever, taking in the strategically placed tiles that depict Apollo riding around the sun in his magical chariot.
I turn over so my head is facing my portion of the wall, which is covered with photos of camp through the years. I sit up to get a closer look at them.
One is of Will and I, myself at fifteen and Will at eighteen. Will has me in a headlock and is giving me a noogie, which I angrily glare at him for. I laugh a little.
Another is of one of my capture the flag teams, consisting of the Apollo, Hermes, Demeter, Aphrodite, Athena, Iris, Nike, and Dionysus cabins. This was when I was Sixteen, last year, after the Battle of Manhattan. It was our first game in months, but no one had forgotten how to play or the best way to win. I had reached the flag first and brought it back to our side, so everyone was cheering. In the picture, I had my arm raised by Will, much like a referee does to the victorious wrestler in a match. In the other hand was the red flag, waving in the wind. Gathered behind us were all of the campers on our team, dancing and cheering victoriously. The most notable of all the people were the Connor Stoll, who was jokingly trying to steal the flag from me; Katie, who was laughing and hugging Travis, despite their hate for one another; and Annabeth, who had brought Percy over for the picture, kissing Percy. The whole scene put together sparks past memories of all of them.
I stare at the collage of pictures, mesmerized until my sisters come into the room. "Dinner's in ten, Aria," one says, poking my back.
"Thanks," I mumble.
"What's wrong?" another sister, Madison, asks.
"Nothing," I quickly say, turning to them all. "Does it look like something's wrong?"
"Well, you're usually more-"
"-vivid," one finishes from the other side of the room.
"Maybe I have jet lag," I say, crossing my arms.
"You hate planes, though," Madison says, suspicious.
Crap.
"Maybe I have car lag, then," I quickly say, correcting the mistake like that's actually the reason I seem down.
They all murmur and shrug, deciding to leave me alone. They file out of the room for dinner, not saying anything else. Katie comes through the doorway, remarking, "I hear that you're down in the dumps."
I nod. "I just hate how we have no plan for what in Hades we're doing with this quest," I say as soon as my siblings are all out of earshot.
"Did you confront Will?"
"Obviously."
She shrugs. "I'm sure we'll be fine."
"Whatever."
She pulls me up and off of my bed. "Let's go get some dinner," she says, mock enthusiastic.
I imitate her tone. "Okay! Lets skip to make it more fun!"
She laughs. "Yeah, no. I'd prefer not to look like an idiot, thank you very much."
"Thank the Gods that I have a friend with as much self-decency as myself," I say goofily, walking like a monkey to the dining pavilion. Katie laughs again.
We part at the doorway, her heading to her table and me heading to mine. I sit across from Will, as always, and say, "How's it hanging, handsome?" suddenly happy.
"Like a lamp on the ceiling," he says, smiling. It seems our troubles have washed away.
Chiron stands from his seat with the big guys up front, stomping his hooves for the camper's attention. Will and I both turn our heads, and the rest of my table follows suit.
He clears his throat. "Campers, something has happened today," he starts. "First of all, we have lost a camper. She ran away or was taken without our noticing. We suspect she left a week or so ago." A murmur of confusion goes through the tables. "Second of all, a quest has been called to find her. Will the participants please stand?"
Will and I uneasily look at each other, the troubles coming back. We stand, and look towards the Demeter table for Katie, who has also risen.
"These three are going to go save Allie Lark."
