I woke up earlier than I intended to, and that really irked me. I'm the sort of person that likes to sleep in and with all the crap I had dealt with I couldn't just sleep in? I could tell this was going to be another whopper of a day.
I grumbled and said a few words my mom would have grounded me for, rolled over and sat up in the bed. A few clouds parted and the sun shone down into the cabin. It wasn't a unpleasant feelings, but it did help my foul mood...A little. I was not a morning person at all, trust me when I tell you that.
But thinking of that kiss that Nico planted on me did sort of make me smile. Well no it definitely made me smile. Sun was poring in from the clear roof now as I had sat in the bed for a few minutes which turned into almost an hour. Did I mention I wasn't a morning person? Well I was a lazy morning person too. So add that to the list of my hang ups. But it would have bothered me with all the sun pouring in. That just screams "get up lazy and start your day," but looking up into the heavens it felt like my dad was looking down at me. I know it was stupid. He was probably off being all Zeus like and ordering people around but a girl had to have her fantasies right? After all I grew up never knowing I actually had a dad and I got to meet him last night. I think that was what was making me feel and act all sappy. That just wasn't my style.
As I thought of my dad, I got out of bed and found my bathroom things. I was surprised that all my things had found their to my cabin, but I guess those satyrs moved pretty fast. And I really hated sharing a bathroom but I guess there was nothing I could do about that. Hmm, maybe I could use my Zeus' kid power and get my own bathroom. Now, that was a plan I could get behind. I giggled to myself as I pushed open the door to my cabin. Walking outside I realized once again I had no idea where I was going. Why couldn't they have signs up or something? I looked up and down the rows of cabins trying to see if I could just follow someone, but it looked like I was the last kid up and everyone else had started their days already.
Great, so that meant I had missed breakfast. I sighed and resigned myself to wondering around looking for the showers.
"So you're Zeus' kid?" a gruff female voice asked me. I turned around and found the source of the question. It was a real beefy girl with hair the color of dirty dishwater. Ugh, and she looked like she kicked butt for a living, and enjoyed it. Oh great, the welcome committee.
"The name's Dillon," I told her cooly. She was giving off enough attitude for the both of us, but I'm from Brooklyn we don't take attitudes from anyone. She was wearing South Park pj bottoms and a red muscle t-shirt which looked at home on her muscled arm. Geez didn't any of the chicks around here like braid hair and did their nails or something? Did all of them work out and stab things?
I could see the muscles in her neck tensing, "Just because you're a kid of the big three doesn't mean you go mouthing off to just anyone," she growled. She took a step toward me and I stood my ground my eyes flashing as she advanced on me. She must have seen the lightening skip across my irises because she stopped in her tracks as if she wanted to say something snarky, but she thought better of it.
She grinned as if I had passed some sort of test. "Clarissa. Ares cabin." she said as a way of an introduction. She jammed her hand out and I was forced to shake it. She nearly crushed my hand and my eyes swam with the force. Was there a weight room class here or something? I was starting to feel real inadequate all of a sudden. "Good to see another girl with some balls around. We got enough twits in the Aphrodite cabin." I had to giggle at that. At least I knew who to go to for a manicure.
"So you're dad is the god of war?" I asked.
She nodded and the muscles in her neck rippled again just for good measure. "Yep." I nodded, it wouldn't be a good idea to tell her he was my favorite god growing up. Seeing as how my dad was his dad and Enyo seemed to hate me already.
"So um does that make me your aunt?" I asked. This was starting to get confusing.
She chuckled, all big and beefy, just like a boy. "Not in the Greek sense of things. If we weren't half breeds yeah you would be my aunt, but thank the gods that ain't true. If you're looking for the can its the other way," she jerked her thumb back behind her toward the direction of the bathrooms. I nodded and turned to walk towards the bathrooms, "Hey capture the flag is tonight you got a team yet?" she asked. I turned back around to look at her.
"Percy said I could join him and the Athena cabin." I shrugged. It didn't really matter to me I had no idea what they were talking about anyways.
Clarissa nodded, "Then you're on my team. Meet us by Zeus' fist after lunch." I nodded and she jogged off. Like I knew where Zeus' fist was. I went back on my hunt for the showers. Strangely Clarissa's little thumb jerk proved very helpful. My sense of direction was as bad as my algebra and that was saying something. My dad was the Lord of the Skies and here I was wandering around like I didn't know my north from my south. Which I didn't and that was the upsetting part. I could hear the ringing of swords clashing and battle cries. These kids took the warrior stuff a little too far if you asked me. Good thing no one was asking me however.
I was the last one getting up, which was a good thing the showers were deserted and I liked it that way. At least the water would be hot again. I needed to just scrub myself and think things through. Something about being in a steamy shower with St. Ives Apricot scrub made everything all better. Bathroom time was a solitary activity for me and I always enjoyed taking my time. Much to my roommates annoyance, but me and Bre never got along. She was a natural born blue blood through and through and didn't like having to share her room with a scholarship kid. Especially not a scholarship kid who was smarter than her without trying. And a kid who had a mother who was a grease monkey. Never mind my mom went to MIT, and never mind my mom could afford to pay for me but why should she when I got the scholarship? Not that I ever told Bre that. She made up her mind about me even before I moved in. I thought a nasty thought about her as I stepped into the showers. That made me smile.
I should have known they weren't going to be normal ones, but this was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting those gross open air deals with the single room with the shower heads lining the wall. Making being the smallest girl with no boobs even more embarrassing. Or basically a living hell. But these showers I could handle. All the cabins had their own bathrooms and I sure hoped that the Zeus bathrooms were decked out like the cabin was. I poked around in the other bathrooms. One looked like it was outside with grass growing on the ceilings and birds chirping here and there. That was a little weird so I kept going. Another one was painted blood red with barbed wire around the door frame. I stirred clear of that one and I finally found the Zeus bathroom and it looked like one of those Manhattan spas from the movies.
I couldn't hide the smile as I pushed open the door and walked in. There was an actual dressing room with plush couches and fluffy robes hanging on golden pegs. The entire bathroom was all polished marble just like the Zeus cabin, and the shower rooms had doors. Hallelujah! I practically ran toward them, I snatched open the door and ducked inside and then I giggled at my antics. It wasn't like the place was buzzing with activity.
I stripped off my clothes and turned the water on full blast and as hot as I could stand it. There were several jets and I was like a kid in a candy store as I tried them all out. The steaming water beating down on my body felt good and it was loosening the knots of tension in my back and neck. It felt good.
I leaned against the wall and let out a long, deep, and slow breath. And I just cracked, I slid down the wall and sat on the floor, wrapped my arms around my knees and had a good cry. One of those teen movie snot fest cries too. Hey, I was allowed. With everything that had happened to me in the last 72 hours. My entire world had been dumped into a blender and pulsed. I went in an apple and came out applesauce. It was a lot to take in. I don't know how long I stayed in that shower, but when I stepped out I felt like now I could take on anything. And if the last 72 hours was any indication I was going to need all the resolve I could muster.
I toweled myself off and it felt good. A good scrub will do that for you. Now it was time to get down to business. I was here for a reason and it was time to find that out.
