Tpov
"So you had to spend the whole lesson with him?" Tess asked with interest as we each walked a basket of strawberries to the truck at the edge of the fields.
"Yep." I said inspecting one of the juicier ones and taking a bite out of it.
"How was that?"
I shrugged.
"You're a wealth of detail." She said sarcastically.
"I don't really know what you want me to tell you." I said putting the basket on the tail gate and picking up an empty one as she did the same. "Nothing really happened, we just did the lesson plan."
"Well that's boring!" she insisted as we made our way back out to the fields.
One of the nice things about strawberry picking as an activity was that it was one of the few times during the day you could actually have a semi private conversation. In other activities, you were generally cooped up with other campers who could hear what you were speaking about but in the fields people tended to break up into groups with their friends and spread out.
"Do you want me to lie?" I asked her raising an eyebrow.
"No." she said as we stepped between the rows of leafy plants. "But I expect you to use your incredible powers of charm and persuasion to do some decent flirting."
"He has a girlfriend." I said in exasperation.
"A horrible girlfriend." She muttered.
"She's still his girlfriend." I pointed out bending down to investigate a likely looking strawberry. "And she hates me."
"So what?"
"So why would I go looking for trouble?" I asked grabbing the fruit and straightening up to see her looking at me with a strange expression right. "What?"
"Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"
"Very funny." I said rolling my eyes.
"I'm serious." She said. "Why do you care what Crystal thinks?"
"I don't."
"Then why-"
"Because he's never going to break up with her." I said cutting her off. "Every time they 'take a break' they always end up back together. And besides, he's the most popular person in camp. What would he want with me?"
She frowned, looking as if she wanted to say something but nothing came out.
"I'm not going to try and force something I know isn't going to happen. All it's going to do is make his life more difficult and Crystal hate me more."
"But if you just-"
"We've been over this a hundred times Tess," I said tiredly looking for more fruit. "Adam is with Crystal, and they're going to stay together. Can we just move on?"
"It's just... I don't know what he sees in her." She complained.
"She's beautiful."
"So? She's a bully. The Ares brothers might have thrown those kids in the lake, but we all know it was her idea."
"Yeah. Well she doesn't exactly show him that side of her."
"So you're just going to put up with that?"
"What do you expect me to do?" I asked looking at her. "She's his girlfriend. I'm not even his friend. Even if they did break up nothing would change."
"So you're just going to ignore it?"
"Yep."
"But that's so not like you." She said in frustration. "You never give up with out a fight."
"It's not a fight." I said in flatly. "If this were a fight, I might actually have a chance, but I don't. Adam is a hero ok? Guys like him, they don't date girls like me. They date pretty, popular, princess types. Girls like Crystal. It's how it's always been." I sighed. "He's out of my league. It's that simple."
"So, you're just not even going to try?"
"No."
"You're just going to give up?"
"Yes. I think I've made that clear."
"But why?"
"Because Adam has made it clear the kind of person he is and what he wants. And it isn't me."
A moment of silence passed, leaving the depressing sentence hanging between us.
"Well I wish I could change your mind." She said eventually.
I didn't respond and we didn't talk for a couple of minutes.
"So what do you want to do for your birthday?" she asked curiously tossing a few berries into her basket and looking at me curiously. "It's coming up soon."
I grinned.
"Are you asking what I want to do or what I think you'd be willing to do."
"Oh gods." She muttered. "What were you thinking?"
"Nothing too crazy." I said honestly. "There's a venue not that far from camp where a couple of bands are playing that night."
"So you want to leave camp?" she asked frowning.
"Yeah. You want to come with?"
"I'll think about it." she said.
"Which means no." I said with a smirk.
"It means I'll think about it." she said grinning back.
We took our final batch of strawberries to the pick up truck and made our way back to the main part of camp discussing the bands that would be at the venue and if it would be worth getting caught sneaking out of camp.
"See it's not as bad for you though." I pointed out. "You go home and go back to school after break is over. I've been stuck here for years."
"When is the last time you left?" she asked curiously.
"Well technically last weekend." I said. "The Ares boys needed adult beverages for their shindig on their beach, but before that months."
"That's crazy." She said shaking her head. "How do you not get bored?"
"Why do you think I'm always finding new ways to amuse myself?" I asked with a grin.
"Yeah, good point." She said with a laugh. "Hey I gotta go though. I promised Andrew I'd meet him in the forge in five minutes. I'll see you later alright?"
"Alright." I said waving her off and started making her way towards the forge while I made my way to the cabins, wondering what I should do during free time.
I ended up with several other people, watching the basketball tournament the Apollo boys had started as well as a few other boys including some of my broters and Adam. I didn't sit with the other campers, Crystal and a few of her sisters were watching and I'd decided it was best to avoid them, but instead sat on the other side of the court looking through my journal.
"What are you doing?" Tess asked sitting next to me after several games had passed. Two teams were left and the championship match was about to be played just as free time was almost over. It was Kyle, Adam, and a few of the Apollo brothers vs. Austin, a few of my other brothers, and a boy from Tess's cabin.
"Window shopping." I said grinning looking over at the boys thoroughly enjoying the fact that in the teams of shirts vs skin, Adam had been skins.
"You know you could talk to him." She pointed out as the boys milled around waiting for the game to get set up.
"I'm quite happy where I am." I said as Adam stretched and she rolled her eyes.
"Well besides ogling Kall." She said looking down at the notebook. "What are you doing?"
"Securing my financial future." I said and she glanced down at the columns of numbers and list of names.
"You're still running bets on the capture the flag games?" she asked raising an eyebrow. "After Chiron caught on to your pickpocketing game this morning?"
"Girls gotta make money some how." I said shrugging and going back to calculating odds.
"You've been doing it for years." She said flatly. "I think you're fine."
"You want to place any bets?" I asked grinning.
"You think after years of watching people lose to you I'm that stupid?" she asked raising an eyebrow and I laughed.
"Who knows? You might get lucky."
"I think I'll pass," she said amused and chart. "Holy Hades, how much do people owe you?"
"Enough." I said grinning but before I could elaborate, there was a heavy 'thud' and someone swore loudly.
"Bruce!" Tess said her eyes going wide and scrambling to her feet, as we, and several other people jogged towards the court. Her brother was groaning on the ground clutching at his ankle.
"He's definitely sprained it." Kyle said inspecting the rapidly swelling injury, there were a few nods and murmurs of agreement from his brothers. "He should go to the infirmary."
"I'll take him." Tess offered as Austin helped Bruce to his feet then put his arm around Tess's shoulders as she looked at her brother. "You ok?"
He nodded and gave her a reply, but his voice was tight and together they made their way slowly towards the Big House.
"Well," Kyle said as people drifted off the court and back to the side lines leaving the players. "Now you're one short. Should we just call it a tie?"
"Thea can play with us." Austin said looking at me and my brothers nodded in agreement. "You guys cool with that?"
"Fine by me." Kyle said looking at Adam who shrugged, but the rest of the team didn't look too happy.
I was about to turn down the offer, thinking I should probably keep organizing my betting lists, as muttering broke out among the Apollo boys and the words. "She's a girl." Caught my attention.
"Excuse me?" I asked incredulously.
"Shut up Trevor." Kyle said scowling. "Odds are you couldn't catch her anyways."
"Thea can hold her own." Austin agreed.
"Alright." Said the fair haired boy Kyle had glared at in surrender, but he still didn't look happy.
"Kick his ass." Austin said grinning at me as he tossed the ball to the Satyr that was officiating the game.
The boys set up for tip off and I was unsurprised when Adam won it, but I easily saw the direction where it was going and sprinted forward, snatching the ball from Trevor's outstretched fingertips.
"What the-" he said I laughed, winked at him and tossed the ball to Austin.
The game moved quickly, my brothers and I much faster than Kyle's team, but the Apollo boys sinking three pointers effortlessly. Adam, for his part, was mainly used for defense because of his size and I had to admit he was difficult to get around. My brothers had an easier time of it, they were able to push him off the ball a little but this case it actually did matter that I was a girl. The size difference made it impossible for me to push him off, I might have been quick, but running into him would have been about of effective as smacking into a brick wall.
The score stayed pretty even and while I was having fun, by the end of the match tempers between the more competitive players were running high. We'd agreed that the game would end at which ever team hit fifty points first. Both teams were at forty-eight and a fight had broken out over which player had touched the ball last before it had gone out.
"This is a little ridiculous don't you think?" I asked Austin as our brother Seth and Trevor argued, standing offensively close to each other as they shouted.
"You know how Seth is." Austin said with a sigh. Like me, it seemed as if he just wanted to keep playing.
"Guys, it's not that big a deal…" Kyle said rolling his eyes. He'd already retrieved the ball and was holding it at his hip.
"Back off man!" Seth shouted angrily.
"No you back off!" Trevor yelled back as Adam, who was apparently uninterested in the scuffle, walked passed Austin and I in the direction of the sidelines no doubt to talk to his girlfriend.
"That's it!" Trevor shouted furiously and shoved Seth.
Instantly the boys began to fight.
"Calm down!" Kyle shouted irritated as he and Austin tried to break up the fight.
I hovered for a moment, wondering if I could help or should just stay out of the way when Kyle managed to drag Seth off of Trevor but stumbled as Seth continued to struggle, and was launched into Adam.
Adam was thrown off his feet into me and we landed forcefully on the court.
"Dude." I groaned, trying to push him off, feeling as if I'd been crushed. "Get off me. You're heavy."
"Sorry." He muttered pushing himself to his hands and knees, but his eyes met mine and I felt my cheeks burn.
He hesitated for a second and I realized my hands were still on his chest.
People were laughing now, one of my brothers wolf whistled, and someone shouted.
"Get a room!"
"Sorry." He muttered again helping me up but not looking at me.
"It's whatever," I said also looking away, I could feel my brothers smirking at me as I walked back to them refusing to make eye contact.
"Aww Thea." Austin said in a babying voice as a bell rang through the camp signaling it was time to switch activities. "Are you embarrassed?"
"Shut up." I said trying to push his arm from around my shoulders but he kept them there.
My brothers continued to make fun of me as we made our way back to the cabin, where I saw four kids roaring with laughter in the living room.
"What's so funny?" Austin asked suspiciously and I saw that Dennis was sitting with Kevin, Jessica, and Jackson, who was holding his bow.
"Nothing." They all said grinning at him and he looked at me his eyes narrowed.
"Why do I have a feeling that whatever is going on, it's your fault?"
"I've no idea." I said innocently and he rolled his eyes before looking at our younger siblings and deliberated for a second.
"I don't want to know." He said shaking his head and walking towards his room with the other boys and I sat with the tweens.
"Your mission was a success I take it?" I asked pleased to see Dennis looking as if he'd had fun.
"Yeah." Jessica said cackling while tossing me Chiron's keys. "Dennis was awesome."
"Well glad to know your first thieving endeavor was a success." I said grinning at Dennis's wide smile. "Wasn't so bad was it?"
"No." he admitted as Kevin gave him a fist bump.
"Well once again I've lead an innocent soul down the path of corruption." I said amused. "I'll see you guys later."
"Bye Thea." They chorus but I was surprised when Dennis got to his feet and followed me out of the room.
"Thea?" he asked following me into my room where my sister Patty was reading a magazine on her bed. Like Jackson, he had red hair that was pulled back into a long braid but she had the family hazel eyes.
"Yeah?"
"I have a favor to ask."
"What is it?" I asked sitting on my bed.
He hesitated for a moment, looking uncertain but then said.
"Could you teach me how to pick locks?"
"Sure," I said a little surprised he was asking and he smiled.
"Thanks."
"We could get started now if you want." I said.
"I can't." he said shaking his hand. "We're all supposed to meet at the arts and craft building to write our letters home." He gave me a quizzical look. "Aren't you coming?"
"Nope." I said leaning back on my bed.
"Why not?" he asked sounding a little disappointed.
"Haven't got anyone to write to." I said looking up at the ceiling refusing to make eye contact with him.
"Yeah, I heard about your mom." He said quietly. "Is there really no one else?"
"I've got an aunt." I said frowning. "But we don't really get along."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw he and Patty exchange an awkward glance.
"Well, I guess you could show me the basics during letter writing." He said and I sat up.
"Sounds good." I said sliding off my bed and unlocking my trunk. I pulled out one of the easier locks as well as my pick kit and grinned at Dennis. "Ready?"
"Yeah let's go." He said smiling.
"Still having a good first day?" I asked as we stepped out of the cabin and making our way with everyone else to the arts and craft area.
"Yeah." He said. "I met a really nice girl from the Persephone cabin. We're gonna try and get our shifts in the strawberry fields lined up tomorrow. Jess and Kevin promised that they and Jackson would teach me how to shoot his bow."
"Sounds like a fun time." I said as we stepped into the room to see the tables were already crowded with people writing letters and decorating them with the various supplies. Tess waved at me brightly as she decorated her letter with various paper gears which she knew her little sister Lilah liked.
"We can sit with her if you want." He said spotting Tess and looking up at me.
"Alright." I said and we made our way to Tess who was sitting on her own.
"Hey." She said grinning as Dennis and I sat opposite her. "Is it true?"
"Is what true?" I asked and her grin widened.
"That something happened between you and Adam after I left the basketball court." She said slyly. "Everyone's talking about it."
"Nothing happened." I said shaking my head painfully aware that Dennis was looking at me curiously. "He just sort of fell on top of me."
"Sexy." She said smirking. "Dennis cover your innocent ears."
"You're not that much older than me." He said scowling.
"It wasn't anything. Just an accident."
"I dunno." Tess said still grinning. "Crystal looks pretty angry."
Dennis and I both glanced over at Crystal who was sitting with Adam and Kyle, she did look rather unhappy.
"Well it doesn't really matter." I said putting the lock on the table and looking at Dennis as he was passed a letter from his mother and sisters. Several pictures fell out and he smiled looking at his family. "You ready?"
"Yeah." He said after scanning the letter. "What do I do?"
"Just do what feels natural." I said laying the tools on the table in front of him while Tess looked at us with interest. "Which ones do you think you should use?"
He glanced at the lock, then among the different tools that ranged from hook to rake picks and he eventually settled on one.
"Good." I said impressed to see he'd picked the correct tool for the job.
"Is it true you can do it without out these?" he asked me curiously inspecting the tool.
I grinned, held the padlock on my index finger and after a moment's concentration, it fell open.
"Whoa." He said his eyes going wide and Tess grinned.
"It's still better to learn with the tools though." I said amused at his expression. "The better you are with them, the easier unlocking them with your mind is. And this is a relatively easy lock."
"Alright." He said with a look of determination. "I'm ready."
"Ok the first thing you're going to do is put the tension wrench in the lock."
Apov
"You've got to admire her nerve." Kyle said amused glancing at Thea who was blatantly teaching Dennis how to pick locks about five feet from Chiron who was over seeing the letter writing and glaring at her. "She really doesn't care what anyone thinks does she?"
"She'd have to not." Crystal said sourly. "Otherwise why would she be here? Everyone hates her."
We ignored her knowing at this point just not to engage. She'd been in a bad mood since the basketball game and while we'd avoided a fight, it had only been accomplished by me doing one thing. Keeping my mouth shut.
"Thanks." Kyle said taking a stack of letters handed to him by Aspen and looking through them. "These are for you." He said handing Crystal a letter from her father and another I couldn't think who it would be from. He kept a couple that looked like they were from his mother and a couple of mortal friends. "Hey, you got one." He said in surprise handing me an envelope.
I glanced at it, then toss it on the table.
"You're not going to read it?" he asked in surprise.
"I know what my mom's gonna say." I said flatly.
"What?"
"She's upset that he didn't go to a model U.N. program in London he was accepted into this summer instead of going to camp." Crystal said scanning the second letter Kyle handed her. "She sent me one too." She explained showing us the paper and I recognized my mother's stationary.
"What else does she want?" I asked suspiciously, the letter looked too long to be just about that.
"Just wanted telling me she got me a dress for your cousin's wedding in January."
"Of course she did." I muttered darkly and while Crystal grinned, Kyle frowned.
"Seems a bit soon."
"My mom likes to be prepaired."
"So your dad's the God of law and justice, and your mom is a control freak." He said with a smirk. "Teen angst just didn't stand a chance against you did it?"
"Daisy likes to say I was born in my thirties."
At the mention of my sister, Crystal frowned but Kyle grinned.
"Speaking of teen angst. She still pretending to be vegan?"
"Only when we have company over and we serve meat." I said and he laughed.
"Classic." He muttered amused but then looked at me with interest. "So why didn't you go? London probably would have been pretty cool."
"He wanted to spend the summer with me." Crystal said wrapping an arm around mine and while this wasn't exactly the truth I let her think it. "Though if you'd asked she'd probably let me come with you. I know my dad wouldn't have cared."
Again I said nothing, mainly because Crystal had very little do with decision and I knew she wouldn't like it if I said so. The truth was, I just didn't want to go. I knew it was supposed to be an awesome opportunity, but honestly it sounded like two weeks of long boring meetings with people I wouldn't like and if Crystal did come, I didn't think I could take living with her for that long. As horrible as it sounded, I liked that our relationship was long distance during the year. After a summer with her I needed a break. At least here at camp I had activities to use as excuses to get away from her when she was being difficult. If we'd both been in London though…
"Well you'd better write something back." Kyle said looking at the letter from my mother that was resting between us on the table. "Because if you don't you know she's going to come charging up to camp."
"Mortals can't get through the boundary." I said comfortably.
"Have you met your mother?" Kyle asked indignantly while Crystal nodded and muttered. "She'd find a way."
"Yeah you're probably right."
I picked up the letter and scanned it seeing exactly what I expected to see.
I grabbed a piece of paper from the center of the table as well as a pen, trying to think of anything I wanted to write home about. Nothing came to mind.
My eyes drifted around the room and landed on Thea. She wasn't writing a letter either and I remembered a conversation years ago on my first night at camp, staring at the stars on top of the Hermes cabin before I'd been claimed. Her telling me about the months of hospital visits knowing in her heart that no matter what the doctors tried it wouldn't matter.
"Oh, make sure you tell her my Dad said he's going to be in DC in a few weeks." Crystal said brightly. "She said she wanted to meet with him."
"Right." I said a little distracted as Thea laughed and gave Dennis as high five as he opened the lock.
She noticed.
"You know you have to feel sorry for her." She said looking at Thea, but not sounding very sorry at all. "No one wants her."
"Why are you so mean?" Kyle asked glaring at Crystal, apparently unable to tolerate her nastiness anymore today.
"Excuse me?" she snarled.
"You know you could be a little compassionate." He said flatly. I knew why he was upset. His mother had also dealt with cancer but she'd beat it. "Instead of acting like a total ice queen."
"Are you going to let him talk to me like that?" she asked glaring up at me.
"You could be nicer to her." I muttered refusing to make eye contact with either of them and returning to my letter.
She made an irritated noise and stood.
"I'm going to sit with my sisters." She said furiously.
"You do that." Kyle said sounding just as annoyed and after making a huffing sounds she stormed over to a table that was covered in glitter and pink paper.
"Adam, you must be a saint." He said glaring after her. "Because I don't know how you put up with her."
"You didn't have to call her an ice queen." I pointed out.
"She's acting like one."
"Yeah, but now I'm the one who has to deal with it."
"I don't know why you do." He said sourly. "What do you even like about her?"
I didn't answer, mainly because I didn't have one. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I liked about Crystal. Objectively, I couldn't think of many things I liked about her, but my brain didn't seem to work right around her. Every time she seemed to go too far, she'd come around and smile at me and suddenly I'd forgive her.
"Doesn't make sense man." He said shaking his head.
