Chapter Four

I found my way to the bonfire quite easily, even though it was pitch black, the pathway was lit up by thousands of fire lanterns.

It was like some of the parties they had at school, except everyone was in sort of training gear and was drinking some weird elixir that glowed. Called nectar…never thought it glowed, seriously, when ever someone takes a sip, it looks like they've put a torch underneath their chin, everyone giving themselves ghoul faces.

I found Lyra quick enough, her blonde hair high above the heads of everyone else, like a funny yellow beacon. She started swaying from side to side singing "We are the champions, my friend and we'll keep on fighting till the end", her goblet held up high in the air. "We are the champions" I chimed in, as Vanessa ran up and linked arms with Lyra. The three of us just sat on a tree trunk and sung like weirdos, some people gave us weird looks, some people smiled and mimed along, but no one else joined in with the singing.

As we finished the last part and Lyra did some amazing style of singing, which was a mix between yodeling and I guess soul, Percy walked past. He looked at the three of us, laughed a little, then I think noticed that it was me that was singing, gave a small nod and a smile, like you do and then walked off.

"Did Percy Jackson just smile you?" Vanessa asked in a hushed tone. "Urmm, I know his names Percy and yeah, we met earlier on in the hospital tent"

"Your so lucky, Percy like saved the world and he's so cute!" She squealed. I looked at Lyra, who was nodding her head in agreement, though obviously she wasn't as enthusiastic as Vanessa.

"Wow, when did he save the world?"

"About a month ago, him and Annabeth, oh and some guy called Grover went on some massive quest, since everyone thought Percy was the lightning thief and yeah he saved the world. He must be so brave." She looked like ice cream right now, melting at the pure thought of Percy.

He didn't seem like the kinda guy who had just saved the world, seemed like a pretty normal guy, though what would I know about how people who save the world are like.

I looked in Percy's general direction and saw him cozying up with Annabeth, she was sitting on his lap and he was nuzzling her neck, almost shoving his nose into her. I felt a small amount of bile rise up in my throat, yes they make a cute couple, yes it's sweet their together, but really do they have to be slobbering over each other like that in public?

"Obviously him and Annabeth got close during the quest" I said, taking a sip of nectar. Both Vanessa and Lyra looked towards the couple and both of them pulled faces, Lyra disgust and Vanessa looked like her heart was breaking. "Yeah they haven't been apart since then. She's so lucky" Vanessa moaned.

I'd had enough for starring at Annabeth and Percy, watching them being so romantic made me feel slightly upset. I started staring at my nectar, watching it swirl round my cup. "No matter how much you stare at your reflection, it won't get any prettier." Oh the sound of that sarcastic tone is just what I wanted right now. "Seb still bitter, carry on like that and we'll be able to use your tears as lemon juice, as you weep at our victory against you"

'Wow newbie my heart is breaking, my knees are shaking, I will never be the same again, your so bad"

"What ever, what do you want loser?" I was quite enjoying the banter, but I don't think I could keep on trying to be witty, at the end I would just end up swearing and that would ruin it.

"I heard you been flirting with Percy" he said, his tone mocking me, as he crossed his arms and gave me a look like I was a little kid, oh how I would love to slap his cocky face. "Bloody hell, we talked, for like two seconds and what is it with Percy? Is he like the king of this place."

"Word travels fast here"

"I gathered that and why the hell do you care if I talked to Percy?" I was almost standing up, although I would never reach the height of Seb, I would have to jump up and down constantly and that would destroy my anger. "I don't"

"Then why did you ask?"

"I wanted to know what kind of newbie you were."

"What kind.."

"Yeah, nice, mean, loner or slut" Great he has a ranking system. "Which one am I then?" He paused for a second, letting his arms swing beside him as he looked me up and down, his eyes resting slightly in certain areas. "Haven't made my mind up yet" and with that he walked off, with an annoying little swagger, oh he's such a prick!

"Did you guys hear that I had flirted with Percy?" I asked, turning back to Vanessa and Lyra, who had given up pinning over Percy for this evening and had turned the conversation to next weeks capture the flag game. Vanessa just shook her head, but Lyra kinda looked at the floor for a second before turning back to me. "I had, it was nothing big, but yeah people were saying that you had openly flirted with him and that Annabeth was really angry."

"What! We said hi, that's all, people are dicks."

"Yeah it can get boring here sometimes, everyone gets rumours made up about them. Vanessa's had loads"

"What have I had?" Vanessa said, pulling her eyes away from a group of muscly guys all comparing arm size. "Rumours made up about you"

"Oh yeah, they were all mean, but stupid."

"Guess this place isn't that different to high school then."

I spent a couple more hours at the bonfire, it was really nice, chat mostly with Lyra and Vanessa, though I did have a quick chat with some daughters of Aphrodite, who told me that I should come down to the hot springs with them and check it out, I told them I'd come down when I had gotten use to things a bit more.

Just as I was leaving to go back to my cabin, I bumped into Drew. "Always running into each other aren't we?" I laughed as he did a double take and noticed it was me. "I know I completely spaced and forgot you were here, how did you find it tonight?"

"Good, it was really fun, for the most of it"

"Oh, what do you mean most of it? What happened?"

I rubbed my eyes, feeling them droop and itch from the ash. "Just people spreading rumours about me, I mean it's only first day."

"What about it" he looked almost protective, his jaw clenching slightly. "Nothing too bad, just petty stuff, told to me by an ass hole. The way stuff spreads here you'll probably hear about it soon."

"Oh ok, but your alright?" he patted my shoulder slightly

"yeah I'm fine, I'm just gonna go to my cabin and lie down."

"Can I join you?" Drew laughed, "I kid, I kid. See you tomorrow Cora"

"See yah tomorrow." We both leaned in slightly and then Drew made the move for a quick hug, which I responded to. I hugged him back and then pulled away gently and began my tired journey back to the Artemis cabin. It's been a weird first day…I will dream tonight of punching Seb in the face and it will be a good dream and Drew might even make a appearance, but I will not be punching him.

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