A/N: Dear audience, I've finally finished my latest chapter. It was a struggle, but I enjoyed the moment where I learned and commit into this. We've managed to catch up with other characters and how they connect to our MCs. A friendly reminder, I've tried to do something different with this chapter. I hoped you all enjoy this chapter :)
'By the Gods of Olympus! Eek!' I couldn't believe I'm here! I'm praying to you to wake me up from this awesome dream! If it's not Narnia then, I don't know what it is! Amen! I think I prayed to Jesus and then to the Olympians then, crossed myself concluding my prayer like any good Catholic would.
"Oh Hell naw." Hunter wailed in his Georgian accent. I read at the Greek-styled altar sign in front of us, it says, Camp Half-Blood. From this view of the hill, I could see everything from the full area of the place. I'm guessing there are cabins, a fireplace, kids hang around an amphitheater and a sweet scent coming from the strawberry field! Okay, I'm really starting think, I'm gonna fit right in. Blessed Jesus/Olympians!
"Did those three scarecrows took the wrong turn and got us into a camp for biracials?" Judging from the three flying pegasies soaring the sky.
I'd say we're in the right place, but the camp name is sorta offensive.
"At least this ain't juvie." I added.
"Juvie's better. This is my nightmare."
I could tell by Hunter's Look-out-world-I-bite look! (I should warn you: You better run! Really you better!)
Dear Jesus and the Gods, I do wish he actually excited about this. I mean this worth more than watching a Disney movie or getting an award from my girl scout days.
"By the Gods…" Montwittz blubbered. "I'll never take another taxi ride ever again for the upcoming centuries…" He easily lay down for a bit.
"Wow! I'm so not dreaming! This is like a dream come true." I'm jittering into a mood for singing, I don't think I'll ever stop talking as clapped my hands front my face. "Somebody pinch me!"
Felt a small pressure came from right cheek. I turned at Hunter and his eyes looking at the other direction and his impish grin tells. (Don't ask, it definitely hurts a lot.)
"Well, you said pinch me." He said, still averting to the other side. Whenever, he had the chance, he toyed or teased me when he's feels like it. Sometimes, I even wondered why, were the nice girls get bullied by their bad boyfriend? (I mean best friend whose a boy!)
"Hunter, I outta…"
"Ahoy there!" A familiar female voice yelled coming from the other side. I looked down it's Ms.P along with some friends a boy and a girl. Judging from it, they are older than us.
"Why y'all's standing right over there like lumps?" Ms.P yelled, "Get your butts down here or might get yourself an ass whoppin'!"
I know I suppose to tolerate the current Ms.P, but she kind of rude and the worst part she knows how to pull this off plus with a bit of sass.
The problem is she always gets away with it.
Considering, I am known to be savage within summers and autumns, but born with SAD – I'm a special case! I didn't thought my mood disorder were abnormal but mines gone on its own.
All my life I was home-schooled. Nor was I'm able to made friends at all. But It's amusing, I was considered the goddess of 5th grade when I re-enrolled to class. Man, the girls did not like that even a bit. Well, neither does Hunter with anyone else. I'm just worried we faced the same treatment in this new place like school did.
I hope for my sake this ends well.
Montwittz stood up and he shock himself. Boy for a goat man, he sure sheds a lot. He sure made good quality wool, I could think of many things to knit.
"Aghh… I could die happy now. Alright you two kits let's skit!"
Before we go meet Ms.P, Hunter sorta had an unfinished business with the pillar. (Trust me, you don't want to know.)
"Phew, I feel like 5 pounds calmer."
"Why of all things do you have to carve a disfigured hangman with the middle finger, huge googly eyes making it looks confused, bald and tongue out?"
"Excuse me. Yeeno this ain't hangman, it's a graffiti of Zeus in Chinese." He said showing off the characters, 宙斯 top of the unflattering, offensive, ugly craving. "Here's the thing, he's the king and I say I did a pretty good job of reflecting his stories."
Maybe, a little bit funny. Nothing personal, Zeus was never my favorite god and it does reflect my life decision cause of him. I think I'm starting to forget the whole cynocyphalies and Winston incident this morning.
Still befriending Hunter this long, I need to keep my guards up. We continued our way down and finally meet up with the gang.
"Well it's about damn time!" Ms.P complained as usual.
"Sorry," I apologized. "Hunter had a business taken care off. Wait! How did you get here so fast?"
Hesitating to answer, she give me the Mind-yo-damn-business vibe. Passively, she replied, "Child I'm gonna say this once and I ain't gonna repeat myself. Cus, I'm a hamadryad."
Shame but worth a shot.
Along with our former Biology teacher are two teens. One is blonde and dashing like a ray of sunshine glows from his blonde hair and light blue eyes. As the other one looks like one of those girls you normally saw when you took a field-trip to one of those native Indians tribe. Judging by her eyes, I recognized her somewhere, but who?
"Ugh, yeah not to be rude Ms.P," Hunter sneered. "But where the Hell are we!? If y'all ain't mind, can we also get a new goat butt? This one pretty useless."
"Who cares!? By the Gods, I'm free! No more sniffing snot nosed brats!" Montwittz shouted from his lungs.
Gross! He just kissed me by the cheek. I'm so getting goat cooties!
When it's Hunter's turn, he first got a taste of Hunter's fist of fury. Montwittz instantly fainted and slam to the ground.
We all stared in shock while, Ms.P couldn't care less by yawning.
"He started it!"
The blonde boy coughed a bit and quick to move.
"Fresh campers! Hello, Will Solace here son of Apollo. Pleasure to meet you both."
He grabbed both our hands, shook them gently. Judging from his sunny personality, he must've got from his father.
"Gabriella Francino charmed," I said as I tried to help Montwittz stand up. "Ugh, I'd shake more but I kinda got my hands full right now."
"Ugh… sorry about that." Hunter apologized scratching his hair.
"No worries, just let me handle him and Piper can show you around." He said as he picked up Montwittz.
"Yeah, alright newts. I appreciate you guys wouldn't be funny!"
"I wasn't tryin' to be a comedian, he was creepy and sheds. You'd do too if a goat-man tryin' fuckin' come at you!" Hunter keep shaking his watch at her face. "Can we move to the part of where we fixin' this shit!"
"We'll see about that Texan."
"Atlantan." I corrected for her. "He's freaknik y'all! You'll notice the trace of peaches and the Hotlanta hood smell."
She giggled a bit then, my hair flipped to my face.
That was for payback for pinching me. He's giving me the Don't-call-me-Hotlanta look. It's unmanly and not Southern. We've got used to slap ourselves silly naturally.
Priority checks, I'm so excited. This is like my latest thing in my bucket-list, if ever get one. While, I'll keep planning in my mind, the sourpusses both grunting along the way.
We started our journey in the divine cabin areas. Our guide explains the whole story especially the origin of Greek gods and why we're here. Seems Greek mythology is common knowledge here.
Ms.P kept on her stoic expression. She ignored any greets or recognition from the locals. All she was focusing on were the dancing nymphs. Like a sisterhood code for her kind.
Hunter the not know it all just kept listen to the rage in his head. He kept chanting something in Chinese, cussing about his life.
All color-coded cabins are circling the camp fire. I couldn't stop thinking straight. There's many possibilities these goddesses are my birth mother or Hunter's, but mines more exciting.
I had to admit since, this is Spring I thought camp always be jammed by the summers, but campers are all chilling out. All of them are wearing matching orange T-shirt with the word Camp Half-Blood and a pegasus logo. Fashion wise; totally dull and so bland. While, I'm totally loving this fantasy dream come true, but if I had to wear those, I'd rather get caught in polyester pants or I'll be meaner than Regina George.
Now, in comparison to deities of Olympus, they are so winging those out of fashion togas. Like total party mode.
"So quick question, who are your mortal parent?"
"Dad!" Hunter and I both answered at the same time.
"Okay, that makes it easier now." The guide girl said.
We've marched our way to a gray cabin with owl carved over the doorway and plain white curtains. The campers all focused on reading books and playing with devices to notice. If my Greek intuition's right, this is for Zeus' favorite daughter.
"Here is cabin #6 houses children of Athena."
Instinctively, I joined in to say, "Athena, goddess of Wisdom!"
"Wow, girl you really know your myth."
"Actually, I lived for it," I said.
"Yeah, this cabin homes to all of her children. I mean in here, you got a math homework, they'll finish the whole book in a day."
"Ugh… Can any of these blonde four eyes do anything useful like, fixing the shit I'm in?" Hunter asked abruptly.
"By the gods!" We turned over to Ms.P. A rustle of her leaves had fallen off.
"You a'right Ms.P?" Hunter asked.
"Sorry, I just remembered the Hunters are staying soon. I need to set up the cabin for them."
Now, it's just a girl sense but I'm suspecting Hunter's watch freaked her out. Honestly, I'm also interested with his connection to the retro watch. I'll just pretend nothing happened for now. Focusing on my moment.
"Still, she's a virgin goddess so, did the goddess of Warcraft and Wisdom lost her maidenhood?"
"My bet would be she got knocked up every night she dreamt of Albert Einstein?" Hunter said sarcastically while, knocking his head. Added a bonus point, he softly knocked my head couple times as well.
"But that how Athena gave actually born. Well not the Einstein thing (Gross!) Zeus gave birth to Athena from his thought. You know."
Hunter raised his left eyebrow and opened his mouth. "So you're saying that homegirl on the hill who had the damn statue got knocked up in the head with her baby daddies!?"
"Whatever you say, Hotlanta. We called these guys, the brain children."
"Wow, effective and useful. Never doubt a smart goddess for a second."
Hunter grunted. As I looked back at him showing him the biggest grin ever. I held an urge to say, Told you so boy. He retaliates with a head spat, that hurts. As he opened his hand. "Hey, I caught jumping spider. Aw, it's so tiny…"
Still with Athena as my mom, it would make total sense. I mean a straight A student with honors here. Receives multiple scholarship from many top universities at an early age. Also an honorary girl scout with a collection of all the badges and clean permanent record. This would be a total dream come true.
"Piper." A boy with glasses approached carrying some thick book.
Piper? No, it couldn't be her.
"Pace. Michael Pace. Too busy to make eye contacts, are you?" Piper gave him a wink and a finger bang. "How's the decoration? Any to your not likings?"
"Loved it, my cabin mates loved it and congrats for your father's comeback!" He complimented, as he turns over a page of the book he's reading. "Oh I almost forgot, I managed to find this."
He handed over a necklace with a 'D'-designed attach to multiple jewels. I suggest whoever this belongs to must be a tacky owner. See, I wouldn't wear something that stupid. This like a total Douche move that only girls like Mitzy Carbringer would wear.
"Oh I see, I'll return it to her soon." Piper said, gritting her teeth.
"Thanks. Nice to meet you… ACK! Spider!"
As Pace ran to the cabin, the other campers did similar action when the heard the S-word. Disheartened with doubting Athena, as she's not my goddess for I'm not an arachnophobic.
"Ey, might I borrow it?" Hunter asked, places the spider at a nearby flower. I looked him with confusion, he never interested with diamonds at all.
He looked clueless, then realized what we're thinking. "Oh Hell no! Im'ma just borrowing this shit for scratching my wrist. It's starting to get itchy you know!"
Piper hand over to Hunter the necklace. "Knock yourself out Hotlanta."
"Thanks, call me that again and y'all be catchin a come up soon!"
Instinctively, he used the pendant as a scratcher. "Oh, 神啊 that's the stuff…"
He starting to moan in relief while, keep sliding the pendant into his silver watch continuously.
Why I'm not surprised.
"Since when do you own a watch?"
"For your information, Cynthus here or whatever this shit is?" The watch had the pendant stuck in between as it reeks the mixture of dog sweat and heavy perfume. He kept scratching with the diamond covered pendant. "Short story, it was my bitch-y mother's! She gave it to my dad, found it in his secret drawer which, I'm not supposed to open."
"Must be nice of her to give you something behind." I told Hunter, even though he hates the watch, it does suits him. Compare to me whose grandmother hated me to ever consider.
"Lucky indeed…"
After visiting other cabins except for Hera, Hephaestus and Ares cus' 1. Hera remained faithful to her husband, 2. We aren't good with tools or war and 3. Some of gods sleep with men yes, Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo and most gods you know had same-sex affairs. Not that it's a problem, I'm proud ally at this kind of stuff.
Like Ganymede from the taxi, he is Zeus's only male lover. Poseidon has Nerites his charioteer and Apollo had plenty. There's plenty of LGBTQ+ myth themes in Greek mythology and I do love them. Well as for me and Hunter, we're straight.
Standing in front of the last cabin #10 and let me tell you guys.
It is like a total Barbie's Dream House, if your mother is the Goddess of Love and Beauty then, this is the place you'd live in. Many girls looking like Barbie with perms, it's like I'm about to step into the heels of Fran Drescher from her Nanny era!
I held myself in, trying to act cool for the possibility of my half-siblings. "Oh. MY! HEART…!"
Hunter on the other hand covered his ears as usual. He always annoyed when I do my best Mariah Carey's.
"Oh Great Jesus, thank you! In the name of the Father, and the Son and Holy Spirit. Amen!" I couldn't hold myself made the Sign of the Cross concluding my gratitude to Jesus. "I'm totally standing in front of the Vision of Love!"
Hunter start scratching his butt with the pendant.
Hunter being the downer batted. "Really? Cus' all I see is a circus full of petty clowns all in boujee pink whom uses animal-tested make ups, acting up all Southern belle shit and stuff like dem' back-stabbin' hood rats in Buckhead and probably tell shitty stories how they met someone famous like Tristan McLean in their dreams."
"Oh My God!" I made another Sign of the Cross. Set up a small prayer again for something else.
"Finally! You get it!"
Ended my prayer, I pushed him aside and went straight to Piper who is putting on headphones. "You, you… You're Piper McLean! Thank you Jesus! This issuch an honor!"
Okay, right now. I all star-struck again like meeting Tristan McLean's daughter of all people! How could I be so stupid for not noticing?
"That's right…"
"Oh, so that explains the beads and feather in the braids! You're Cherokee!" Hunter pointed. "We had many Cherokee villages in Georgia, you heard?"
"You know, I'm such a huge fan. I watched all your father's movies! Like I love him! Even my nana and aunties held a shrine dedicating to you. We even made a Sicilian pizza with his face on it!"
"How… saucy." Piper said.
"Say you don't mind…"
"No."
"I'll hold her, you run."
"Oh, sweetie why bother thinking for Dumpster Queen's old news father? They both ends up a total failure one of our beautiful mother's regrets."
We turned and it was a group campers looking fabulous in the same Tees. Only more glamorous and way better hair.
"Oh great, they brought the clowns." Said Piper.
"Wait! Aphrodite-"
"-Is Tristan McLean's baby's mama!?" Her silence speaks all.
Yeah, didn't see that one coming either.
"Drew, I thought I saw a birthday clown, but I guess you came early from scaring the kiddies with that mask you're wearing." Piper said in disdain. "Oh I'm sorry that's just your face!"
"Always the comedian, Miss Movie Star. I suppose you're showing these fresh-worms into our cabin?"
"Yo! You sister with that heffa?" Hunter stopped scratching his arm, point his thumb at the Asian girl who clearly overused her makeup, a perm that so in touch and hands full of jewelries.
"Yes, unfortunately."
"Ouch, I thought Doja Cat's raps were bad."
She came by to have a look at my face and then, outfits.
"Hi there! Gabri…" She ignored me, focuses on my hair instead. Once she's finished, she gave away a nasty grin like Regina George's faux smile.
"Is that Baby Gap or did it came from your father's second hand jeans?" Oh man, I wore the wrong clothes today! Thanks nonna forcing to wear something she made for the family reunion! Still, got a chance for myself!
"Honey, it's Hermès . I'm shocked you haven't noticed the way it stitched and the color how it matches my skirt? Got it from the runway in 2013. Now, I might be fan of Juicy Couture but they are so out of touch. Perhaps, you should switch brands might not be bad, maybe DKNY?"
"Really!? I thought Hermes only sell handbags. Well, no offense hun, it's not my fault, you were born a fashion failure. You might as well give up if you'll ever dream meeting hot guys like Advone Neil." She showed me the cover of People Magazine with the hot guy with blonde hair, blue eyes and OMG, he is gorgeous.
"Don't worry. I heard Donald Sutherland is recently divorced. You should audition to be his new wife/granddaughter." She sneered in satisfaction, already met her and I send a small prayer for her face full of zits.
Like the girls Bronx Community High School, the other girls from the house went with the flow. First day of camp, I already felt humiliated, this isn't what I signed up for.
"A'right, we get the big picture you is the head of this circus." Hunter stultify with a yawn. "Can we bounce of this boring-ass tour, homeboy need a shower and a way to get this shit off!" He continues his scratching his back of his neck with the pendant.
"Oh my Gosh! No, you didn't!"
Drew the Drama Queen viciously march to Hunter and snatched the pendant. 'Aow bitch!', guess we know whose that belongs to.
"Did you used my necklace for scratching!?"
Hunter nodded and moved his hands, swaging as he's in a rap video. "Yeah, it had my initial for D'mitri so, might as well use for something useful like scratching my ass." Looking at her gaze, she's really pissed.
"You disgusting pig! I hope D feeds you to the harpies or spend the rest of your pathetic life as a leopard rug!"
Oh no! This is bad.
As the other girls are all hide inside their cabin. It's like they about to brawl. Turn this page over, it's not gonna be pretty for Hunter.
Oh Jesus, you guys should see what happens next, cut the story short Hunter and Drew really gone at it. Hunter grabbed two nearest stoneto throw them at the witch. Thankfully, missed the target.
Me and Piper try to restrain him as he demand for release and the chance to smash or put someone in the infirmary and hopefully she had insurance.
"Let me go! Urgh! I ain't done with her ass!" Hunter demanded, struggle for release.
Whoever she is, I'm starting to think Hunter's mother isn't really good terms with Aphrodite and Hunter is Aprhrodite's mother.
All the others campers looked around at us. Some are shocked while others are laughing. I've never been so humiliated in my life, I had to hid the fact Hunter's my friend, oh God.
"Once, I'm grab you! I will cut you and tear to pieces and turn you into sushi!"
"Hunter!" I pulled him harder as I could. "Calm down! Heel!"
"Please, sweetie. You, yourself born as an embarrassment." Drew taunted.
"Like you Fatty Acid Sea Cow! Like yo momma so stupid, she met your jackass daddy and gave birth a fucking hoodrat like you!"
Drew grunted. "You! You! You baboon!"
Piper all of the sudden loss focus and turn around while, I'm still focus on not getting Hunter in jail again. It doesn't do any good with befriending one.
"Argus, hey. Didn't see you dude?"
Both Hunter and my heads to turned. We saw a surfer dude only not in a freaky way. I'm known for my vast knowledge in Greek mythology, but right now. I don't know who or what surfer dude is.
"Ugh… Gaby? Who is this? Who the fuck is he?"
"No clue. No clue at all."
Just looking at his pupils covered body, eyes all moving individually.
We ended up in the Big House, brought by Argus. Needless to say, I never thought we'll be in trouble on the first day here. Also, I just learned a new myth character, it turns out Argus is a giant with 100 eyes created by the Queen of Olympus herself.
For once, I didn't know what was I doing nor was I'm being a plain bigot.
Still, He is calm and collected with no killing intention. Needless to say, never judged a book by the cover. Yet, style wise the whole place is like a decent office. In this room, a boom box is playing preppy Neapolitan Italian music from the 60s, my nanna and nannu listens to.
Even if my heritage Sicily Italian, I wouldn't listen to music that just plain bad. I personally liked R&B and Pop music but I only listen to icons such as, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé , Whitney Houston and Mary J. Blige.
Meeting Greek Gods can be a good thing, but singing with these legends made my teenage dreams come true.
I mean nonnu always thought of me as a good singer, he told me I don't need singing lessons when I gifted by Jesus with singing voice like Ariana Grande, like if I ever cared in the first place. (Yeah, not a fan to be honest.)
Meanwhile, Hunter whose still mad and try to invoked Argus to release the wrath. No matter how many Hunter's failed multiple attempts with beginner kung-fu punches and all of his eyes paid no attention. It's like he had no interest or whatsoever by his aggression.
"Hunter," I warned him, "would you stop bothering him!? He had enough!"
"Yo, it's not like homeboy march and shove my ass out of the window? Check it out!" Hunter continues his appalling attempt, I'm starting to think Argus was created with no emotions, "See, see, it ain't like homeboy ain't fear of bullet shot to his weird-ass eye. Man, I could do this all day!"
"Alright, Muhammad Ali. We get the big picture now, why don't you act up here? It's your fault we're here in the first place!"
"Why so down Gaby?"
"Hunter, don't make it worse than it already is! You tried to strangle a camper whose mother she had that I don't!" Jesus! I do wish Aphrodite is my mother. That way I could show Drew the outfit that'll make her down to her knees!
"Hey Gabs! Check this out!"
Hunter picked out and throw couple of stuffs, a rusty sword, a collection of cassette tapes, a bag of arrows and many more. Same Argus didn't acknowledge the mess.
"Dimitri Wong! Stop it! You're making a mess!" I warned.
"Hey, it nothing serious plus I probably sell millions with these shits!" He just threw away a book. "Whoever this office belongs to, he didn't got one thang that'll help me off this damn watch!?"
I picked up the book from the floor.
"Can you please act like a human being for one minute!?" I yelled. "This is the best day of my life! I cannot let you of all people ruined it!"
We stood frozen when, the door lunged at us.
Bibliographies:
- Apollo: the Olympian god of Sun, Healing, Prophecy, Music and Archery. Son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis. Roman form: Phoebus Apollo.
- Athena: the Olympian goddess of Warcraft and Wisdom, a maiden goddess. Daughter of Zeus and Metis. Roman form: Minerva.
- Aphrodite: the Olympian goddess of Love and Beauty. Wife of Hephaestus and lover of Ares. Roman form: Venus.
- Zeus (宙斯): the King of Olympus, son of Kronos and Rhea. God of Sky, Lightning, Law and Order. Roman form: Jupiter.
- Hera: the Queen of Olympus and goddess of Marriage, Zeus' wife/sister and known to curse all his mistresses and step-children. Daughter of Kronos and Rhea. Roman form: Juno.
- Hephaestus: the Olympian God of Crafts, Blacksmith and Fire. Son of Zeus and Hera and married to Aphrodite. Roman form: Vulcan.
- Ares: the Olympian God of War. Son of Zeus and Hera, the lover of Aphrodite. Roman form: Mars.
- Ganymede: cupbearer of Zeus and God of Homosexual Desire. Originally a Prince of Troy that was kidnapped by Zeus.
- Poseidon: the Olympian God of Seas, Storm, Earthquake and Horses. Son of Kronos and Rhea, King of the Ocean and father of Percy Jackson. Roman form: Neptune.
- Nerites: the charioteer of Poseidon and his male lover. Son of Nereus and Doris, known to be the first boyfriend of Aphrodite.
- Hamadryad: a special kind of nymph that formed a connection to a specific tree species and known to teleport among their species.
- Argus: a mythological giant who had 100 eyes all over his body, servant to the goddess Hera.
- Hotlanta: an old abbrevation of Atlanta, do not call Hunter Hotlanta. Only Atlantan can call Atlantan this!
- Satyr: a half-man, half-goat with their bottom. Counterparts of the nymphs and followers of Pan.
- SAD (Seasonal Affection Disorder): a mood disorder that affects during the current season, mostly operates during Fall and Winter where the person will get more emotional than before.
- Pegasus (singular: pegasi): a legendary winged horse, son of Poseidon and Medusa and brother to Chrysoar, the golden boy.