DISCLAIMER:

This story belongs to Rick Riordan. I'm just borrowing his characters.

CHAPTER 4: The Diary

"Maya," I yell as a bird starts pulling at my hair.

She's laughing at me with Courtney beside her. Her stupid mechanical bird has been bothering me all morning. When I was learning greek earlier today, when I was in training and now as I stomped to the strawberry field to find her.

"Maya make it stop. Every time I fix my hair it's back pulling the strands out!"

Maya laughs some more before she makes it stops. The bronze bird flew into her hands and powered down.

I huff a thank you and head back to my cabin. No one is in the room and I'm thankful for it. I open the back pack my mom left for us and I see the diary we had dug up.

For the past two weeks I've been spending time with Piper, Nico and Jason trying to get better understanding of who I was.

When I brought up the diary to Piper she told me that it was normal for Aphrodite kids to keep one, but the grave thing was odd.

"Graves are not Aphrodite what so ever," she said while trying to nock an arrow. "That's strange. You should talk to Nico." I adjust her bow for her then leave.

I went to Nico cause only he could give me some insight.

"It's definitely magical, but you said you dug up the grave and there was no body?"

I nod.

He scowls.

"Well, what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure. If you say you're mom died and the grave had the right date then she should be dead. The tombstone is connected to her and the dates would be accurate," he explains. "But with graves like that her body should've materialized there the moment she passed away."

I chew my lips as I listen to him. I feel a hand on my shoulder and I look at Nico's dark reassuring eyes.

"I'm not the best at advice and such but you should talk to Jason. I know he can help you if you're feeling lost."

I nod and lean in for a hug that the the dark haired boy gives before I find Jason, who's ending a class.

I was greeted with a huge smile.

"What's going on?"

I give him a rundown of my dilemma.

"Christian you should read the diary. Stop trying to avoid it. Maybe it'll help you learn some things and cope with you're mother's death and this new life."

I frown. I wasn't trying to avoid it. The thought of opening my mom's diary felt scary. I was terrified of what I might find. I was scared to further damage the image of her that I knew. I voice this to Jason.

"The truth hurts sometimes Christian, but you owe it to yourself and your siblings to know the truth. Don't you think?"

"Yea. We do."

He smiles and hugs me. "Go open that diary."

Of course I didn't open it. I waited and now here I was sitting in my bed, alone, with a diary.

I unlocked the golden heart shaped lock. And opened to the front page. My mother's name was written in loopy, cursive handwriting.

July 13th, 1993

Dear Diary,

My mom claimed me today.

I was yet again trying to prove myself to Bret in the Hermes cabin. I told him that I could make people do things just by telling them and he wanted me to do it to him...I didn't tell him that I had never tried it on people...only animals. He said that if I didn't make it happen I was going to be scrubbing toilets for weeks.

I couldn't have that! I'm too pretty to scrub toilets so I made it happen.

I don't know how I managed but I made him draw a mustache and devil horns on Lacy's face. Lacy is the meanest daughter in the Ares cabin. When she woke up she sure did do a number on him. I think my mom must've been pleased because she claimed me today at dinner in front of everyone.

Of course Chiron scolded me for what I did. He said using my Gift for silly challenges was immature.

I really couldn't care however. I was finally out of the stupid Hermes cabin! Aphrodite was such a better place.

I have to go. My siblings want to braid hair! Love with all my heart,

Maria

When I finish the first entry I'm laughing. My mom at 13 reminds me of Maya. I continue reading until I've read my mother's whole diary. I miss lunch and my classes.

My eyes can't stop reading each line and sucking up the new information. I cry a lot and sometimes I'm laughing. My mom reminds me of myself.

When I read the last entry about me being born I close the book. Everything was explained. The weird grave, why we were always on the run, why my mother didn't tell us about our lineage sooner. My heart grew heavy as I thought about Aphrodite. She was a wicked god that had caused my mom so much misery. I wondered how Piper was okay with her mom's obvious mistreatment of her kids and the way she meddles in their lives.

I grab my medallion and run my thumb over it. It brings me comfort. I close the diary and stick it back into the back pack.

I leave the room to find Jason. He's down by the arena dueling it out with Percy. I watch as the two shirtless boys go head to head.

The sound of imperial gold on celestial bronze and their grunts fill the arena.

Jason has the upper hand. He disarmed Percy and I think the fight is over but Percy charges Jason and they're both on the ground.

Percy snatches the sword from Jason and presses the blunt side to Jason's throat.

"I win."

He gets up off of Jason and helps him up. The two boys spot me and wave me over. Percy's green eyes are glowing bright from winning. His black hair soaked in sweat and pushed out of his face. They smile at me.

It was the end of summer everyone was going to school so the camp was emptying out.

"Hey guys!"

They say hi to me and Percy leans in for a hug and I straight arm him.

"No, you're sweaty" I say, pushing his sweaty body away from me. He laughs.

"What's going on," Jason asks.

"I read the diary."

"Are you okay? Do you feel better?"

I shrug. "Yeah I think so. I don't feel confused or unsure of who I am anymore," I say.

"That's good," Percy says. "You deserve to know about your mother and that's what you did. Half the battle of being a demigod is accepting that you are one."

I stare at Percy with a look of total shock on my face. Jason did as well.

"What?!"

"When did you become so wise," Jason says.

He shrugs. "I'm 20 years old. I think I'm allowed to sound smart sometimes. Plus I think the wisdom thing is coming from my incoming beard. Look!" He lifts his chin up and I see two strands of dark colored hair. I start laughing.

"And now you're back to being seaweed brain."

"Soooo," I say, "everyone is leaving. Are you guys gonna go too?"

"Yeah. In about 3 weeks college in New Rome is starting up and Percy and I will be there," Jason says as he leads us into shade.

We all take a seat on a bench.

"What are you gonna do, Christian?"

"Umm I'm not sure. Chiron is thinking about sending my siblings to a school somewhere near Canada. A boarding school for boys and girls so that they can look after each other. So I guess I have time to go to college."

"You could always go to New Rome," Percy says. "They'll work with your ADHD and everything if you need it and you can live there and basically become anything you want."

"Like a teacher or a doctor?"

"Yeah. New Rome is the mortal world equivalent for demigods. They've got families and schools for the kids. So if you don't want your siblings to go, you could always go there with them."

"I want to go."

"Then come with us. We'll look after you."

I smile at them and then I frown. I don't have any money and then I remember the book bag and I jump up.

"Have I ever told you guys about my magic book bag," I say with a mischievous smile on my face.

They both shake they're heads no. I beckon them over and lead them to the Apollo cabin. Will is in there with Nico when we arrive. They're looking over a book with their faces screwed up in concentration.

"Hi guys," I say walking to my bed.

"Christian do you have horse fly wings?"

I give Will a crazy look. "What would you need with horse fly wings?"

I'm pulling the bag from under my bed while Percy and Jason make themselves comfortable on it.

"Nico and I are trying to make this thing and we just need to know if you have horse fly wings or not," he says exasperated. "So do you or do you not?"

I roll my eyes and stick my hand in the bag thinking about horse fly wings. A jar appears in my hands and I pull it out and hand it to Will.

"How did you do that?"

"I think what I want and pull it out. My mom gave it to me," I say smiling.

"Oh my gods! See if you can pull out a plate blue cookies like my mom makes them," Percy says. I give him a skeptical look and stick my hand in the bag.

I feel around and a plate appears in my hand. I hand it to Percy.

"Bro," he and Jason say at the same time.

"They really do taste like your mom's cookies," Jason says.

Nico and Will come over and we all eat the cookies together. I ask them both what they're doing after summer ends.

"I'm going to California but not New Rome. I got a scholarship with UCLA so I'm finishing my last year there so I can go to medical school," Will states with a cookie in hand.

Nico steals the rest of Will's cookie before talking.

"I'm going to the Highschool in New Rome. I have to finish my Senior year."

I nod my head. "I want to go to California with you guys. It sounds like a good place to go."

"It is," Will exclaims. "The air is clean, the streets are clean, and it's sunny. They've got great beaches too. If you come I'm gonna show you just how amazing it is." He's got one arm around my shoulder as he smiles at me. I can't help but reciprocate his excitement.

"Then I guess I have to talk to Chiron," I say getting up from the bed and placing the bag in Percy's hands.

"Protect it with your life," I tell him playfully serious.

"This thing spits out cookies that taste just like my mom's, I don't even think you're gonna see it again," he says around a mouthful.

I roll my eyes at him and start walking out of the cabin. Jason follows me out.

I give him a questioning look and he shrugs. "I thought you wanted some company walking to the Big House."

I smile.

Jason's really nice. He always goes out his way to make me feel welcome and part of his group and he's always getting me to smile and glow.

We're walking really slow chit chatting about nothing when I spot Piper. I wave at her and she comes jogging over, latching onto Jason's arm immediately.

"Hey guys! Where you heading to?"

"Big house," I say.

"Why?"

"Trying to sign up to go to New Rome so I can go to school."

"Awe. You're gonna leave me?! I thought we were finally warming up to being BFFs," she says with a playful pout on her lips.

I laugh. "It's not like that Piper."

She waves me off as if to say 'I'm just playing with ya'.

"It's okay. I'll be here. Remember to visit me," she says running back to her cabin.

Jason turns to wave her bye and he turns back to me.

"You guys are a cute couple."

"Huh," he says screwing up his face.

"I said you and Piper are a cute couple. She's really into you," I say giving him the 'DUH' look. He starts laughing.

"Piper and I aren't dating Christian. I mean we used to but not since 2 years ago."

"Whoa. Why aren't you guys together anymore? You two seem pretty great together."

"We just realized that it wasn't for us." I understand this to be a way of ending the conversation. So I let that part go.

"Well she's interested in you still," I say matter of factly.

"Christian you don't know what you're talking about. Piper is my really good friend."

"You're so dim." I roll my eyes at him and leave him standing in one spot dumbfounded.

"Wait. Wait! Why do you think that?"

I look at him as if to say 'are you serious?'

"The way she always touches you is one sign. The bat eyes she gave you just now and holding onto your arm is another. Every time you and Piper are in the same vicinity it really is YouandPiper. Meaning I never see you two apart when yall are around each other."

"I don't even know what to say," he says blushing.

"I mean there's nothing to say. You may be over Piper, but Piper isn't over you."

"But how do you know? She's an Aphrodite kid, maybe that's just how she acts with boys."

I roll my eyes. "I'm a girl. It's something we do. It's a way of flirting. And even if you wanted to be right about that assumption, Piper is Aphrodite but she isn't like that with anyone else here at camp."

Jason looks as if I've just rained on his parade.

"You're cute when you're shocked," I laugh.

We walk a little ways before he speaks up again.

"Thank you."

I shoot him a confused glance.

"For telling me about Piper and the compliment," he explains.

"Ohh," I smile, "you're my friend Jason. I think it's my job to let you know these things."

My face heats up a little bit and Jason smiles bigger.

"You know you're cute when you glow," he says.

My face heats up big time. I'm thankful for the fact that we've made it to the Big House.

Chiron is on the porch in his true form.

"Hello Chiron," I say.

He smiles down at me.

"Hello Christian. What can I help you with?"

"I was wondering if I could go to New Rome this fall to start school. I wanted to know how that would work and what I needed to do."

"That's great. Have you finished high school?"

I nod my head.

"Well I'll send word to New Rome about your interest in going to their school," he says.

"What about Courtney, Maya, and Blaise? Can they come to?"

"They could. The choice would be theirs, however. If they decide to go to New Rome, I will send word. If they do not I've already found them a great charter school to go to, where there are protectors to shelter them."

I nod my head and give Chiron a thank you.

"Well that was easy," I say to Jason.

"What are you gonna do about your siblings," he asks.

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm going to tell them."

"What if they say no?"

I scoff at him. "We're a family. They're not gonna say no."

-/-:-/-/-/-/-:-/:-/

"What do you guys mean 'no'?!"

I found Maya and Blaise before dinner started to ask them about new Rome. We're by the pavilion but far enough to have a private conversation.

They both look at each other then back at me.

"We don't want to go to New Rome, Christian. We're tired of moving places. We haven't even been in camp for a month and you're trying to leave. What are you running from," Blaise says.

"I'm not running from this camp. I'm trying to go to school. If you guys don't come with me to California Chiron is sending you two to a charter school," I retort.

They look at me blankly.

"So you guys really want to separate?"

"Why are you saying it like that," Maya groans.

"Because that's what yall are doing!"

"Listen. We're happy here. New Rome isn't for us, yet. We have a few more years before college. If Chiron can get us into school then we're just gonna go to the school he has to offer."

"Fine."

Blaise sighs. "I'm sorry."

"Me too," I whisper.

"We're still a family though, right," Maya asks.

"Of course we're still a family. I just can't believe we're gonna split up," I say.

Blaise wraps his arm around me and Maya.

"Christian you deserve to do your own thing. You've been looking out for us for your whole life. Go to California and live like a 17 year old should."

I smile at him and we all group hug.

"Hey," a little voice shouts. We turn to find Courtney standing there with her hands on her hips.

"I want to hug too," she says burying herself in the middle.

We split up.

"I can agree to your decisions, but Courtney is too young. She's coming with me."

"Yeah I totally agree," Maya says.

"Plus I don't think she would've went anywhere without you," Blaise chimes in. I smile.

"Where are we going," Courtney asks.

I start explaining to her the plan.

"But will we see Blaise and Maya again?"

"Of course," all three of us say at the same time.

She smiles. "Okay good but can we eat now?"

I nod and we all disperse. Maya goes to sit with all of the other tinkering kids, Blaise heads to the table with the boisterous Ares kids and Courtney bounds into the lap of Dionysus. How did she make the grumpy man like her? No one seems to know.

I head to the Apollo table and make my offering. I'm not too hungry so I nibble on some rice and chicken.

The Caribbean seasonings remind me of get togethers at my grandma's house. I look down at the plate and realize what I had conjured up. It's rice and beans with chicken and baked macaroni.

My grandmother made us this meal every time we saw her. My eyes water a little bit. I will the tears away and slip away silently.

No one notices my departure from the eating pavilion, so I walk around the lake a little bit.

"You okay?"

I nearly jump out of my skin. I turn around to meet blue eyes and a smile that quickly turns into a frown.

"Why are you crying," Jason says wiping my tears away.

I'm not even sure when my tears started but now that I'm conscious of them I'm sobbing.

Jason pulls me into a hug and I'm grateful for the contact because it feels reassuring. I cry for gods know how long and he stands there with me the whole time.

By the time I've finished his shirt is soaked with tears and snot and I feel bad.

"I'm sorry," I whisper.

"It's just a shirt, Christian. I'm more worried about you. Are you okay?"

I nod my head.

"You're lying."

I can't look him in his eyes and a new onslaught of tears are rushing down my face.

"They don't- they don't want to come to New Rome. I've never been apart from them. Ever. And now it's like our mother died and things are falling apart! My mom made me promise to make sure we didn't split up and now- now they wanna go their own way."

I fist my eyes furiously trying to make the tears disappear. Crying was such a weak trait.

"Christian. It's okay," Jason whispers. "I don't know what it's like to be in your position, but I have been in the position where I traveled with 6 other people and everyday I had to brace myself with the idea that maybe one of us would die- and that did happen. A lot of people died and I lost a lot of people who didn't deserve it. You'd think we'd try to stay together because we all faced these dangers together but that's not how people work. You understand? They go their separate ways to do the things they want to do. Your siblings not wanting to go to New Rome will hurt, but their doing what they think is right. Just because they're not going doesn't mean you should turn down the opportunity to go to college. You hear me?"

I nod my head.

"So cry because you deserve to cry, but tomorrow you have to be strong again. Okay," he whispered.

I kept my gaze fixated away from his face and nod again.

He grabs my chin and pulls me to look into his eyes.

"You understand?"

"Yes," I whisper.

He smiles at me and wipes a few stray tears from my face.

"You're really pretty you know that?"

I huff and blush hard. My heart starts racing and I try to break away from him but he keeps his grip tight.

"I have tears stains on my face. I'm not pretty right now."

This time he scoffs. He gives me that are-you-nuts look.

"Yeah and so what? I still think you're pretty," he says pointedly.

"I- Jason- Umm thank you."

He smirks at me and starts laughing. "You're glowing."

I roll my eyes and punch him in the chest. He lets go of me to clutch the spot and groans. I laugh and grab onto his arm.

"Thank you for letting me cry on you," I whisper.

He shrugs. "No big deal."

I smile even wider and get on my tip toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. Now it's his turn to blush.

"You're glowing," I say mockingly.

I have no idea if I'm good at the angst-y stuff but I think it was great.