Nico
"I DON'T WANT TO ANSWER THIS STUPID QUESTION!"
She looked me right in the eyes and screamed, and she got up and ran away. I saw Cody blushing furiously and staring at the ground. Will started lightly chuckling, and I forced a small smile. Travis and Connor told me to do it as a stupid prank of some sort. I mentally kicked myself for doing it, and I argued with my subconscious that I would never tease my siblings like that...
Would I?
Cody glared at Will and me, and he ran off, following Ariana.
"Ariana, wait up!" I heard him call before he ran out of sight and earshot. Connor looked at me and raised his hand for a high-five, which I slapped away.
"It's your fault Ariana is so upset," I spat venomously. Connor's grin faltered, and he put his hand down, folding his arms. Travis slung an arm over his brother's shoulder.
"Geez, Neeks, no need to be so uptight about it," Travis said casually. I bristled, and I had to resist the urge to slap both of their faces, to wipe those smug smiles off their faces.
"Don't. Call. Me. Neeks." I whispered threateningly, and I stormed away before I would lose control, Will scurrying after me. I whirled around, and I raised a hand to stop him.
"Don't follow me. I want to talk to Ariana alone. I'm not trying to be rude...Just please try to understand." I said, and Will nodded. He turned away and walked back to the campfire, everybody there sitting in solemn silence, the fire low and pitch black. I saw Connor approach Will, looking guilty, and he said something, causing Will to shake his head and sit back down where he was.
The first place I thought Ariana would be was the cabin, and I checked, but she wasn't there.
Okay...next place. The lake! I blended into the shadows and silently stalked toward the lake. I stopped behind a bush. Ariana was sitting with Cody.
I wonder what Leo would think about this whole dilemma...I thought to myself.
"Um, Ariana, I know you'll probably hate me for asking, but do you like me?" Cody asked tentatively. Ariana whipped around, locked eyes with him, and replied flatly.
"We literally just met a few hours ago, Cody. No, I don't like you." She looked away and got up.
"Look, it's getting late, and I'm not about to get eaten by a harpy. I'm too young to die!" She waved goodbye and walked towards our cabin.
Oh, Styx. I gotta get going! I quickly rushed to the cabin and sat down on the bed before she got there, acting as if I totally hadn't been spying on her. Totally not.
She stomped inside, sat down on the bed, and blatantly refused to even turn her head in my direction.
Silence.
"Hey, I'm sorry for teasing you during the campfire," I said after a while. I really did mean it.
"Uh-huh. Sure you are." She said. I was irresistibly reminded of the time Bianca told me of our fatal flaw; grudges.
There was another silence.
I stood up, walked over to her, and sat next to her.
"Look, I really am sorry. You should probably know that is not a thing I would've done on my own free will." Ariana unfolded her arms and locked eyes with me.
"Stolls?"
"Yes.."
She tried to stand up and march outside, but I stopped her by grabbing her wrist.
"I want to kill them! Let me go-AGH, GODS OF OLYMPUS, YOUR HAND IS COLD!" She finally gave in and fell back upon the bed. I cracked a small smile; Ariana was seething was anger, which I could understand.
"Calm down for a second, will you?"
"Hah! You, telling me to calm down?! I'm perfectly calm! I'm just going to walk outside and decapitate those stupid pranksters! It's something any calm, rational person would do!" She laughed maniacally, which kind of unnerved me.
"Hate to break it to ya sis, but that's the complete opposite of calm." I looked her straight in the eye and saw a manic gleam in there that I had never seen before.
Geez, she can be angry!
"Ariana, calm down. You're going to blow a gasket!"
"I don't care! As long as I can make those iMMATURE BRATS RUE THE DAY THEY EMBARRASED ARIANA REAGAN CAMPBELL!" She yelled, finally getting the best of me and breaking free. She bolted out the door, and I leaped up and followed.
"Ariana, NO!" I called after her. Everybody poked their heads out of their cabin doors and were confused to see me chasing Ariana towards the Hermes cabin. Then, oh joy, they realize she's after Travis and Connor. Ariana stopped in front of the Hermes cabin. She knocked on the door, a maniacal grin spreading across her face. Travis opened the door, paled, then ran out before Ariana could do anything.
"CONNOOOOORRR!" Travis screamed, sprinting as fast as his legs could take him, Ariana following...
"I AM GOING TO KILL YOU, STOLL!"
Connor looked outside and saw his brother being chased by an insane twelve-year-old, widened his eyes, and ran out after Travis.
Then Cody dropped into the fray.
"Oh, Styx..." He muttered as he stood out the door for a moment. I saw Leo trying hard to stifle his laughter, Harley at his side, and failing miserably. "Ariana! Stop! YOU'RE JUST GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE!" He called as he bolted after her.
"Leave me alone, Cody! I'm going to kill these two!" At just the right moment, Cody picked up a rock, flung it in front of Ariana, and she tripped and fell over.
"Argh!" CODY!" She screamed.
(I was chasing her the whole time to be fair, so don't you dare say that I was a bystander unless you want to feel like the victim of a sword-kabob.)
I jogged over, "helped" her up (Ariana kicked me in the shins and got up herself) and then she turned around to face Cody and me.
"Can I at least kick them?!" Before anyone of us could respond, she walked over to Travis and-
"OWWW!" Travis howled. Ariana kicked him in the crotch. She then proceeded to Connor and kicked him in the stomach, leaving them groaning in pain.
Ariana stomped off back to the cabin, and she seemed satisfied with herself.
"I'm fine now." She said, grinning. "G'night, Neeks!" I stared at her in disbelief.
"Um, good night." The lights went out, and she fell asleep. I couldn't sleep, however. I was up, thinking. I finally fell asleep after an hour or so.
