Chapter 4: Family of cult
"A fight?" He asked loud and clear as he made his way towards the crowded kids.
Grover looked up and smiled when he saw him.
"Help me out will you?" He asked as he took another game away from the referee.
"Well, a fight is not that bad. It might calm their nerves you know." He said his sea green eyes sparkles with mischief even at his age, which Anya guessed that is around the twenties or thirties.
He was wearing a purple shirt saying 'CAMP JASON'S DAD'. His pants were navy blue and he was only wearing some slippers. His black hair was a mess like he didn't even bother to comb his hair. There was a tattoo on his hand that looked like some lines and some letters.
All the campers looked at him and immediately they all started to wait for his decision. The others looked excited while the rest tried to not look that awestruck.
Anya didn't understand but she can get at least that this guy was someone awesome.
"Well, if it gets them to calm down." Grover said somewhat convince. "Okay fine but no intentional impaling got it?" He ordered though most of the campers weren't really listening to him.
"Yeah fine." Bandana girl muttered staring hard at the guy like she wasn't afraid of him.
"It's creepy how she looked as much as Clarisse." He whispered to Grover but Anya heard it. Grover only elbowed him playfully on the stomach with a smile.
"Well they are half sisters you know." He whispered back.
The rest of the crowd started going to where the arena was as they said and Anya doesn't really know if she'd follow or wait for Grover who was still in a conversation with the guy.
"Oh right!" He said and looked at Anya. "This is Anya, the new girl in camp." He said with a smile and he returned it.
"Hi! I'm Percy. Percy Jackson." He said looking quite good under the sun that made her blush.
"Hi." She answered quite shy and tried to hide her blush. Grover only looked mildly amused at her, probably sensing what actually was on her mind.
"You really are something Perce." He said shaking his head slowly in disbelief.
"What did I do now?" He asked looking innocent for his age as Anya thought.
"How'd you like it so far?" He asked her, ignoring Grover's knowing smile.
"I just woke up." She managed to say and wanted to kick Grover from the deepest of her heart.
"Oh." He said like he knew how crazy it was to just wake up in a camp like this. Then he turned his attention to Grover. "Did you explain to her already?"
Grover immediately realized his mistake and sighed.
"Sorry. I forgot. I got so excited talking about the baby that I didn't tell her the basics." He said scratching his head near the horns.
"Oh Bianca." Mr. Jackson said a huge smile on his lips. "That was something alright. I bet you're so confused when he told you, aren't you?"
Anya nodded at that. After all, she barely understood what actually happened.
"We should really stick at showing the new kids the Welcome to Camp video." He said as a matter of fact and looked back at her. "Where'd you find her?"
"Well, we got some information from some nymphs that they spotted a probable demigod. So I sent an Irish message that I might need some help and they sent Nico for that." He answered with a huff.
"I bet Bianca cried when he left." Mr. Jackson said looking quite worried.
"You know her. She wants to be with Nico every time. Even if Will's the one carrying her, she wants him to hold her hand." Grover sighed and Mr. Jackson laughed at that.
"Anyway, we got to give her the orientation! Where's Chiron anyway? I was expecting to see him." Mr. Jackson said looking around.
"He had somewhere to be, something about a meeting. Though he'll be back by evening." Grover said tilting his head. "Anyway, are you ready for the Welcome to Camp video?"
They made their way back the 'Big House' as they call it. It was a three story building that is painted baby blue with a white trim. Though, it looked like it needed to be painted again.
Inside they went in what looked like an office with oak wood walls. There was a computer. She took note for later purposes, and a huge screen TV. They sat on a couch that fits the three of them, with her in the middle.
And yes they made her watch the entire thing. It started a little funny with all the green people dancing around and singing. Then it showed the different places around the camp which made her mouth hang open.
"I have to climb that wall?" She asked in disbelief in between the video in which they only gave her thumbs up and a playful wink from Mr. Jackson.
The video continued and she was hands down confused. After all, she was raised in a Catholic foster home. So everything said in the video about gods and whatnot were pure blasphemy for her.
"This is not right." She said with a tinge of disappointment in her tone. She didn't expect to be lured in a cult, large enough to own a camp. "There is only one God. How can you be teaching this to children?"
"Hey, this is not like th—" she immediately cut Grover off.
"You expect me to believe this?" She asked her face probably going red. "I know I've seen demons and the likes but don't expect me to believe you just like that."
"Grover's a goat." Mr. Jackson said his lips forming an upset line.
"A satyr, Percy." Grover corrected.
"He's a satyr. You see those hooves and these horns." He said touching the said horns with his fingers as much as he can, though Anya thought he looked funny. "And you won't believe us?"
"Well prove to me that these gods exists. Then I'll believe you." She said as she crossed her arms not backing down.
"Fine. Is Mr. D here?" Mr. Jackson asked, scratching his neck and looking quite annoyed.
"He went with Chiron. So we're currently godless here." Grover answered with a sigh, his shoulders slumped. "We don't usually get kids like her." He mumbled to himself like Anya was a hassle.
"Okay, I got this." Mr. Jackson said with an amused smile. "My father is Poseidon, God of the seas."
"So?" Anya asked confused where the conversation is going. "Are you going to call him?" She asked a bit of sarcasm in her voice.
"No." He answered, as one of his eyebrow arched. "We are going swimming." He said standing, hands on his hips, like he created the best plan ever.
"No." She immediately answered, her hands turning to fist. "I don't like swimming."
The look on her face probably looked so desperate that Mr. Jackson and Grover only stared at her with concern.
"Good news then." Grover said trying to lift the mood. "Percy's not your brother."
Her face probably looked funny because Mr. Jackson laughed softly.
"Don't believe him. There are lots of perks being my sibling." He said as he ruffled Anya's hair. "I'm an awesome big brother. Just ask Tyson and Sam, they'll tell you how awesome I am."
Mr. Jackson's smile was so infectious that made Anya thought that he might be telling the truth.
"Not Sam." Grover chuckled. "She hates him for stealing her cookies."
"Again, those were mine." He defended himself, offended though his smile remained.
"Anyway, what other proof do we have?" Grover asked looking around the room as if an answer will pop out.
"Ah!" Mr. Jackson reacted making her flinch. "This is riptide." He said showing her a pen.
It looked like an ordinary pen. And she tried her best to see any redeeming features but she saw none. So she tried her best to comment.
"You name your pen?" She asked awkwardly and Percy smiled at that and shakes his head.
"I'm not the one that named it and that's not the point." He said and held the pen high. "See Riptide is not just an ordinary pen."
"I see." Anya tried her best not to laugh and look as if she's convinced. Give it to Mr. Jackson who can sound like an excited teenager even if he's an adult.
"I'm not finished yet." He said touching the cap and removed it.
All of a sudden, the pen transformed into a shining golden sword that left Anya's jaw almost hit the floor if possible. Mr. Jackson wasn't kidding when he called it special.
"Any more sarcastic remarks?" He asked with a huge smirk plastered on his face as if he had won the battle already.
"It was impressive." She said admitting at least that. "But that still didn't prove that the other gods and goddesses are real."
"Stubborn girl, aren't you?" Mr. Jackson asked looking quite annoyed and amused. "What now, Grover? Personally, I'm not an idea person."
"Neither am I. Why don't we put this on hold so we can come up with some amazing proof later on?" Grover asked, probably hoping she'd settle for a truce.
"Fine." She said with a smile. Cult or not, this camp might be fun.
"Anyway, tell us about yourself." Mr. Jackson said sitting back on the couch with a puff.
Anya immediately stiffened. She isn't really the type of person to talk about herself. And she isn't even the type of person who talks about her life to people she just met. It really just isn't her.
Noticing the awkward tension coming from her, Grover immediately spoke to the rescue.
"Let's start where you came from then. It's not that hard of question right?" He asked giving her a smile that she returned.
"I'm from Ohio." She said and looked at Grover.
"That's pretty far." Mr. Jackson commented. "I'm from New York."
Anya smiled at that. There's just something about Mr. Jackson and Grover that made her feel comfortable.
"I kind of run away." She said afraid that they might call and make her go back.
"That's okay." Grover said patting her head. "Most of the kids here, more or less ran away from home."
"Really?" She asked surprised that maybe someone is like her after all.
"Yeah. Everyone here used to see themselves as misfits. Take Percy for example. He got kicked out every year in different schools." Grover laughed pointedly at the other.
"Hey!" Mr. Jackson whined and slapped the back of Grover. "I have a reputation to keep."
"Oh please. Everyone knew about your records already." Grover answered with a snicker that made Mr. Jackson throw a throw pillow at him.
"The point is Anya," Mr. Jackson said as he flung an arm around her. "Being different is not bad. I have ADHD and dyslexia, but here I am alive."
"You have ADHD and dyslexia too?" She asked suddenly feeling right in place. She wasn't alone anymore. She felt like someone will finally understand her struggles.
"Yup. It's a common thing with demigods, like me and some legacies." He answered with a smile that made her remember what demigods and legacies are from the video.
"How old are you anyway?" Grover asked his brow scrunch.
"I'm thirteen." She answered confused why suddenly Mr. Jackson and Grover looked worried.
"That's not right. You should have been claimed already." Percy said looking annoyed at the ceiling.
"Did your mom or dad tell you about your other parent or something?" Grover asked concerned.
"I'm… uhm" she paused not sure if she can tell them. She actually thought that maybe no one would ask her about her parents. "I don't know them."
She looked at Grover and saw the concern on his face and he asked. "You're an orphan?"
"Yeah." was the only thing she can answer.
"Well that sucks." Mr. Jackson said smiling genuinely at her. "Seems like you'll have to stay here and be with us now, your new family."
As he said the words, she couldn't help but be happy. Immediately she can see herself, going up the climbing wall, doing archery, eating at the hall, sleeping at her cabin. And truth be told, she barely even cared now if they were a cult. Now she can start anew and have a new family.
"Yeah! That sucks." She said with a new found smile.