Mossfire I also love that I am writing Percy as the disaster Bisexual that he is. I hope you're enjoying the rest of the story as well! Well Happy Reading!
It was a bit before Zoey, and I talked about what had just happened. Once Zoey had finished vomiting, I helped her get to a place away from the puke. That's when we came up to a large oak tree with half of its branches hanging over the protective wall. We walked over, and Zoey leaned against the tree, taking deep breaths. I watched her trying to make sure she was okay when I felt my stomach churn. I drank blood and thoroughly enjoyed it. I remembered the taste and how it lit up my tastebuds. I didn't stay lost in those thoughts for long because suddenly, I was witnessing Zoey coax a cat to come close to her. I smiled a bit as the cat seemed to just huff and puff the entire way to Zoey.
"You look like a little lioness, like in my dream," Zoey told the cat as she climbed up the wall, forgetting I was here. "Like my dream! You were in my dream! You're my cat!"
The cat sneezed in response, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the interaction. Zoey moved, sitting on the wall, and the cat climbed into her lap. Zoey then looked at me and smiled. I took that as a cue to climb up with her.
"Neferet did say we should sit in the moonlight," Zoey muttered, looking at the sky. "It would be better if those clouds weren't in the way." Then as if on cue and as I sat down, a gust of wind blew, and we were illuminated by moonlight. "Oh, thank you," Zoey said, and I smiled, chuckling.
"That was convenient," I said, my voice squeaking, and I realized that my affinity was no longer in play.
"I think I'm going to name her Nala," Zoey said frankly, and I smiled as I closed my eyes, turning my head to the moonlight, taking deep breaths.
I noticed from being marked how much the moon affected me. I felt more robust when it was full and bright and less so when new. I remembered how it was explained in my previous earth space class that the tide is based on the gravitational pull on the moon. I wondered if, as a fledgling son of Position, my strength was now based on the moon's phases. I smiled, thinking about what Lady Artemis's reaction to that would be.
I didn't realize that I had zoned out Zoey until I smelt this awful smell and heard Zoey get cut off. I took in another breath selling the air. It reminded me of the attic at camp half-blood; dusty, old, damp. It made my skin crawl as I smelled it; I knew it didn't belong here. Not in the open night. I looked around slowly, taking riptide out of my suit pocket, scanning to see where that smell was coming from. Then suddenly Zoey smacked my arm and pointed me down the wall, and I saw her. A young fledgling student. I clenched my jaw, trying to fight back the urge to yell at a stuck-up dark daughter when the fledgling looked directly at me, Zoey, and Nala. It was her. The girl who spoke to Zoey in drama. Elizabeth No Last Name.
I didn't have time to process that she was supposed to be dead when she saw the three of us, meeting our eyes, hers glowing a deep red. She made this horrible shrieking sound before whirling away around and disappearing into the night.
I blinked, looking over at Zoey and Nala to find that Nala had arched her back and was hissing with so much anger that she shook.
"It's okay, it's okay," Zoey said to Nala, trying to calm her down. Zoey's voice shook. "It couldn't have been a ghost. It was probably just some weird kid, and we probably just scared her and she—"
"Zoey! Zoey! Is that you?" I heard a deep voice yell causing me almost to jump out of my skin. Nala hissed again, leaping from Zoey's lap to the ground we were on just moments ago.
"Who is it?" Zoey called, looking behind us, so I turned around and got two flashlights pointed into my face. I brought my arm to my face trying to dim the brightness slightly. It didn't help.
"Of course, it's her!" I heard another voice say, which only made me wish I could see who was there more. "Like I couldn't recognize my own best friend's voice? God Heath, she hasn't been gone that long!"
"Kayla? Heath?" Zoey asked, and I looked over to her and saw just how much she was shaking.
"Yep! Whoo-hoo! We found you, baby!" The deep voice yelled again, and I just studied Zoey's body language tense as she moved back a bit. That's when I saw a definite football player scramble up the wall, flashlight in hand.
"Heath! Careful!" Zoey practically hissed as Heath wrapped his arms around her. "If you fall, you'll break something!"
"Not me!" Heath said, and then he sat next to Zoey and smiled at her. "Watch me; I'm the king of the world!"
"There is no need to forever make fun of my unfortunate ex-infatuation with Leonardo." Zoey sounded like she was holding back anger. "It's kinda like my ex-infatuation for you."
Ah, so there it is; I rolled my eyes, staying out of the eventual argument that would happen. I rubbed the back of my neck, spacing out when I heard heath speak again.
"We came all this way over here to bust you out," Heath said, and I stared at him, wondering how one person- two people could be so stupid.
"What?" Zoey asked, and then she sighed. "Turn those flashlights off. They're killing my eyes."
"But then we can't see," Heath pointed out, and she just waved away from our faces.
"Then just point them over there or something," Zoey said and dropped her hand as Heath and Kayla moved the flashlights away.
"Wow, your Mark is like colored in and stuff," Heath said, and I took a deep breath in trying to stay out of this reunion.
"What about me?" I heard, who I assumed was Kayla, call out. "I'm here too! Someone help me up there! Zoey, you would not believe the sale you missed yesterday at Bakers. It was a serious closeout, all their summer shoes at 75% off…."
"Help her up," Zoey said with amusement in her voice. "She won't stop talking till she's up here."
I watched as Heath moved to help Kayla up, and she giggled a bit. I just nodded and looked at Zoey, who looked almost betrayed. She then shook her head a bit and looked at Kayla. "So, how's Jared?"
"I dunno, okay, I guess," Kayla answered as she shrugged, not looking at Zoey. "We haven't talked much these past couple of days."
I narrowed my eyes to figure out what was going on between the two when a vicious cold breeze passed through us, and I smelt two familiar scents. One of which I had just learned the smell of moments ago.
"You've been drinking and smoking!" Zoey practically hissed at Kayla.
"She needed some fortification," Heath interjected, and I noticed Kayla nodding, staring at Zoey.
"Since when have you smoked pot?" Zoey asked her full attention to Heath.
"Chill Zo, it's not a big deal," Health said, and he got this goofy-looking smile on his face. "I only have a joint once in a while—they're safer than cigarettes."
"Heath," Zoey breathed, and I noticed how annoyed she looked with her body tense. "They are not safer than cigarettes. Even if they were, that's not saying much; cigarettes are disgusting, they kill you, and only the biggest lovers at school smoke pot."
"Nu-uh," Kayla interjected, and Zoey looked at her, furious. "Not just lovers smoke—at least not just once in a while. Chris Ford and Brad Higeons smoke. So does Morgan."
"Morgan, as in Morgie, who's a Tigette?" Zoey asked, and I rolled my eyes, drowning out the gossip.
I looked back at the moon as the wind kicked up again, and I could help but think about the Aphrodite cabin, Silena Beauregard in particular. In fact, my thoughts drifted to the battle of Manhattan, and deep anger started to resurface. I looked and noticed I still had Riptide in my hand. Then I heard the voice once more calming me down. You'll need that anger, just not yet. I put riptide in my suit pocket once more, and that's when I noticed Zoey talking just Heath, Kayla on the other side again. The cold air drifted away.
"Stop it, Heath; I'm trying to talk to you!" She yelled, and I immediately zoned in on the interaction.
"How about you talk, and I kiss?" That anger started to form again as I saw him get closer to Zoey as she struggled to pull herself away. I watched as she gripped his wrist, and he suddenly pulled back. "Ow! Shit Zo, you made me bleed!"
"Well, maybe you should have listened to her when she said no," I said, keeping my anger deep inside. I smelt his blood, and my senses went in full gear. It smelt sweet yet savory, and my mouth started to water. "I think you should leave."
"Who the fuck are you?" Heath asked me, and I stood up on the wall, carefully stepping over Zoey, putting space between her and Heath.
"I'm Percy Blofis. One of Zoey's new friends. You should leave." I answered, crouching, meeting his level, the anger threatening to bubble up.
"Percy, I can handle this," Zoey said, and I nodded and moved to get off the wall.
"Alright, You just holler if this idiot continues to be one," I told her and walked over to the oak tree.
As I stepped to the ground, I saw Erik Night there, holding both mine and Zoey's clothes. I felt my face get hot, and suddenly my attention was brought back to the wall as I heard Zoey start to climb down. She was sobbing. I didn't feel like it took me that long to get down from the wall, yet I could tell a lot happened during that time. I immediately checked my pockets for anything that Zoey could use to wipe her tears, but Erik beat me, holding a pack of Kleenex.
"You look like you need this," He said, giving Zoey a kind smile.
Zoey jumped slightly but then smiled back, taking a tissue. "Th-thank you."
"No problem," Erik said as he handed me my clothes and looked at Zoey. "Seems like you've been through a lot tonight."
Zoey giggled, wiping her nose sniffing before looking at Erik. "That's one way of putting it." She then looked at me, and I smiled at her, getting the message.
"Zoey, are you okay?" I asked, and she smiled, nodding back. "Well, if you're okay. I think I'm going to head back to the dorm to call home, think about my decision, get some food…." I rattled off things I needed to do, and I noticed how Zoey relaxed, smiling.
"I promise I'm okay, plus it's not like I'm going to be alone. Erik and Nala are here." She said, and I gave her a thumbs up.
Erik then looked at me, concerned, and I felt my heart skip, "Well, Percy, are you okay? You don't look too well."
"I'm okay," I said a bit louder than I meant to and smiled. "I just feel like calling home," I checked my watch, "it's now 6 am after all."
"Alright," Erik said in a tone that told me he wasn't convinced.
I waved goodbye to them both as I headed back to the dorm holding my clothes and bag, and was alone with my thoughts for the first time today.