Ch7

When I landed I was out of breath and tired. I fell onto my back in the grass, my wings still out. "Oh man. I missed flying so much." I stood when Travis and Nico came over.

"Pretty impressive." Nico said.

"Thanks." I said.

"You were beautiful." Travis kissed me but stepped back when Chiron trotted over.

"Alex." He smiled. "I think we need to get you some new classes."

"What do you mean?"

"How do you feel about fighting from the air?" He asked.

"You mean like with a bow and arrows?" He nodded. "Yes!" I shot into the air and spun. When I landed Chiron was laughing,

"We need to get you a bow and arrows don't we?"

I nodded and fallowed him toward the Big House.

So the next few days weren't like this: Eat, train, fight with Clarisse, she'd win a few, I'd win a few, eat, train, eat, sleep, and repeat.

I had started to get into a rhythm. That is until I noticed the new girl walking around like she owned the place and hanging with Nico a lot. Her and Nico were inseparable. She had brown hair and a lot of make up on. She never left Nico's side except to eat and during curfew. And she was always laughing and flipping her hair.

I felt something when I saw them together. It was like jealousy. But that wasn't right. I was with Travis. I shouldn't care if another girl was on Nico's arm.

Finally after three days I couldn't take it. During archery class I asked Travis, "Who is that girl always with Nico?" and pointed to them walking across the green.

"Oh. That's Drew. She's a daughter of Aphrodite. One of the only ones who can charmspeak." He said and shot. "She's just got back from the school year. Most kids have. There'll be way more campers by the time the summer's over." Another shot.

"Oh." I said. "Thanks." I couldn't help it. I hated seeing them together.

"Alex?" Chiron called, trotting up. "Something wrong?" I shook my head. "Then get up and practice. This is archery class, not gawking class. Let's go!"

I nodded and snapped open my wings and jumped into the air. Purposely brushing the top of Travis's head with the tip of my wing. I circled the targets and shot the bulls eyes from three hundred feet in the air. After about six shots Percy Jackson came flying up on a black Pegasus, his sword drawn.

We hovered there for a second, staring each other down. I turned my bow back to a bracelet and drew my curved sword.

"Impressive." Percy said, jerking his chin at my wings. "But do you know how to fight with them?" He kicked the Pegasus and it came charging toward me. Our swords clashed. I flew over him and smacked him upside the head with the flat of my blade. I dove under the Pegasus and grabbed its front hoof. Careful not to hurt the horse, I dove straight towards the ground.

"Blackjack! Come on!" Percy commanded. The horse whinnied. "Well, try harder!"

I kept diving until I was close to the grass and let go and let them land. Percy climbed off as Blackjack ruffled his feathers in annoyance. "What in Hades were you thinking?" He shouted. "You could have killed him."

"Take down the horse, you take down the rider. Everyone knows that. And I didn't hurt him or you." I said.

"Still. It was way too close. WE need them for training and battle."

"So what? In battle 'close' isn't good enough."

"This is training!"

"SO what! Practice like it's battle! If you don't take chances you'll die anyway!" I yelled in his face.

"Who's your parent?" He yelled.

"Ares, Squid breath!" I yelled and stomped off.

"Hey!" Percy caught up to me. "What's your name?" The anger wasn't completely gone from his voice but it was calmer. He stepped in front of me.

"Alex. Move." I pushed passed him.

"Hey. I'm not done talking to you." He caught me wrist. A couple had stopped and gasped. They knew if you touched me out of training you're going to end up with a black eye. Just like Clarisse.

"I don't like being touched." I twisted out of his grip and punched him in the stomach. He doubled over. "Now what were you going to say? Nothing? Good." I turned and walked away.

Soon Clarisse caught up with me and fell instep beside me. "You punched Prissy?"

"Yeah. So?" I asked, still adjittated.

She cracked a smile. "Maybe you're not as bad as I thought."

I stopped and narrowed my eyes at her. "What do you want, Clarisse?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I know by the way you look at Drew with Nico you don't like it."

I looked around. "What do you want?" I hissed.

"Hey." She held up her hands. "I'm trying to offer a temporary truce."

"For what? Details."

"The Ares and Hephaestus cabins are playing a joke on the Aphrodite cabin. Particularly Drew." I crossed my arms. "Everyone hates Drew. She knows she's a bitch."

"Fine." I said. "But if you tell Travis I swear I will burn you alive."

"Yeah, Sure. Are you in or not?" She asked.

"Details first."

"She dragged me into the woods and to a clearing where the four Hephaestus campers and the other Eleven Ares campers were sitting around a campfire.

"Its almost curfew. You know that right?"

"What? Miss Goody-two-shoes can't stay out late?" Joe, one of my half-brothers, asked ad laughed with his friends.

"Shut it, Joe. Or I'll break that cracked rib." I threatened sitting down. Joe stopped laughing and rubbed his side.

"Focus people. This has to go perfect of it will backfire on us and we'll all end up purple." Clarisse said crouching down. A Hephaestus girl, I recognized her as Nyssa, handed over a blueprint and Clarisse started explaining.

When she was done we broke and went to our stations.

"How silent are your wings?" Clarisse whispered to me when we were behind the Aphrodite cabin.

"You're asking me now?" I whisper-hissed. "Why didn't you ask before?"

"What difference does it make?" She whispered.

"Why do you need to know?"

"Because if you can get me onto the roof I can climb in the skylight and it'll be less noticeable."

"Fine. I can do that." I said and grabbed her under the arms. "Try not to squirm. When I say jump." I said and spread my wings. "Now." Clarisse jumped and I down-stroked as hard as I could. In four flaps we were on the rook.

"Harpies. Down." She silently dropped to her stomach. I fallowed but didn't have time to pull in my wings. I flattened them as best I could to the roof.

"Pull them in. Quick." She breathed.

"No. If I move they'll see me Just crawl over to the skylight. I'll cover you."

Clarisse used her elbows like in training and slid over and waited till the harpies were gone.

"Okay. I'll lower you in." I said.

She sat up and dangled her feet in. I grabbed her wrists and lowered her down. "Holy Hercules. What have you been eating?" I complained.

"Oh be quiet. You'll wake them." She whispered and dropped down with a small grunt and ran with silent feet into the bathroom

"I'm coming. Do you copy?" I whispered into the transceiver. Clarisse's voice came through the earwig I was wearing.

"I copy. Be careful."

"Gotchya." I lowered myself down, using my wings a kind of parachute. Clarisse came out of the bathroom. "The water is disconnected and the eyeliner," She held up a bag of the tubes, "is discontinued."

"I'll get the trunks." I pulled out a small spray-paint can. "Whoa." Clarisse whispered. "That wasn't in the plan."

"Relax. It'll just be Drew's." I shook it up and went to Drew's trunk and lifted the lid. After completely coating everything I closed the lid.

Clarisse and I both went around setting up the purple bombs to explode when they opened any type of door—bathroom, the rest of the trunks, the cabinets—covering everything in purple goo that will stain. We set it so the shaving cream was whipped cream, replaced the shampoo with orange dye, replaced the designer shoes with nursed tennis shoes, knowing it will make them have a heart attack. After we gathered the shoes the Hephaestus kids moved in and set up the tiny cameras while our siblings and we tied the designer shoes the roof, just out of reach without a latter.

After the prank we went back to our cabins and had a good night's sleep.

R&R?