Hey all! im bored… they still aren't letting me go back to school. its been 3 days gawd! ya so im riting another chapter to pass the time. I got reli into it last night but my mom said I had to go to bed, so ya. arghhh the boredom is killing me! its killing me I tell u! ok every one I want to thank meiscool2 for writing me a review (she's the only nice one) and stormbrain cuz I luv her stories… and ailat (I thinks that's what it is…) cuz her reviews make me feel happy.

Jinx re-entered the room, wearing a bright blue tank top and shorts. Ingrid sat up strait.

"No way, we don't have to where Camp T-shirts?"

Jinx smirked "You do, seeing other then the clothes you wore here, its kind of all you have. I on the other hand, am a year rounder, so I have some of my own clothes. Its not like I live in the same orange T-shirt… you only have to wear it for summer."

"You can stay here all year?"

"Yea…"

"Can I stay here all year?"

"Yea I guess, why"

"Well I don't really have any where else to go."

There was a bit of an awkward silence. Then "Speaking of camp shirts, yours is gross from yesterday. If you want you can borrow some of my clothes, we look about the same size." she swooped down and rummaged around in a card board box next to her sleeping bag. When she emerged she was holding a pair of black shorts and a purple T-shirt. "Get dressed, it's getting late."

* * *

"So what about you?" asked Ingrid to Jinx, having just completed a brief summary of her life.

Jinx shrugged "My dad died in a fire when I was little, but I survived with only a little burn on my arm." she touched her shoulder self consciously, and Ingrid saw a tattoo there, a "J" with thorny vines growing all over it.

"Then I stayed with my dad's best friend, she lived in Germany, but she got cancer and died when I was six. Then I went to children's home, but then there were a bunch of freak accidents, and they started calling me "Fluch", which is Jinx in German. The nun there thought I was bad luck as well, so she sent to America when I was nine. Then the name Jinx sort of stuck, I like it better then my real name anyways." she studied her bacon with a far away look in her eyes. "Where I stayed in America was horrible. Every one hated me because since I came, there were weird things happening, fires, things floating around, bathrooms flooding when there was no one there, that sort of thing. I got so sick of it. I ran away. I lived on the streets in New York for about two months before a satyr found me and took me here. I've been here about two years, no ones bothered to claim me. Maybe it's because I'm not really, you know, good, at anything I do. Most kids here are a natural at something that their parents do, stealing, archery, horse riding, sword fighting. I just wasn't. I just have to work harder than every one else, and someday, I'll be the best, and my Olympian parent will regret not claiming me." She speared her bacon, as if it was her worst enemy.

"Whoa, Jinx, don't take it out on the bacon" said a voice behind them.

"Hey Orlando"

He sat down next to them. "Ingrid why'd you run away from me last night"

"I just wanted to be alone, ok?"

He put his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok. I just wanted to tell you something." he looked at Jinx.

"Oh, right! I forgot to mention it!" she said sarcastically, then added "Don't tell her" as if it was the stupidest thing in the world.

"Don't tell me what?"

Orlando ignored her "Why not?"

"Cause it'll just confuse her and give her false hopes, she's been claimed, it's final."

"Well maybe it'll just make her feel less upset by it"

"She's OVER it all ready"

"Will you two just SHUT UP and tell me already?!"

Jinx glared at Orlando

"I'm going to tell her" he told Jinx, then turned to Ingrid. "I don't think you're a child of Aphrodite."

Ingrid was shocked "Orlando seriously, I've been claimed, yea it sucks, but that's the way it is"

Jinx raised an eye brow at her.

"Yeah… but you don't smell like a child of Aphrodite. You smell… stronger."

Jinx rolled her eyes, but Orlando ignored her.

"You know how in the cab on the way here, I told you that you smelt like a powerful half-blood? well children of Aphrodite aren't exactly that powerful. I mean I do smell Aphrodite, but its mixed in with another sent, like night and… something else, something really old."

Jinx blew a raspberry.

"Oh my gods Jinx, shut up!" exclaimed Orlando

She regarded him. "No."

He groaned "You are seriously annoying, do you know that?"

"What's your point?"

He rolled his eyes and looked at Ingrid "Alisara, Lyra, and Eva are waiting for you at the archery range, they said they made plans with you for today. I'll see you guys at lunch" he walked away.
Ingrid turned to Jinx, her eyes shining. "Did you hear? They're waiting for me! Even though I'm a child of Aphrodite, they don't care!"

Jinx smiled, but it wasn't reflected in her eyes "You better go, you shouldn't keep them waiting!"

Ingrid jumped up and started to walk away but then stop and turned around. "Do you want to come with?"

"Really?" Jinx brightened

"Yeah, sure, come on, I'll introduce you!"

Jinx jumped up and joined her as they ran down the hill towards the archery range.

At the archery range, she found Alisara, Lyra and Eva quickly

"Hey guys! This is my friend Jinx; could she hang out with us?"

"Yeah sure! I'm Eva, and this is Lyra and Alisara."

Lyra turned to Ingrid "what took you so long?"

Ingrid blushed "I thought maybe you guys didn't want to hand out anymore cause of what happened… you know, last night, me getting claimed."

They exchanged looks. "well… yeah, we were a little shocked but we figured, who cares, its not like you suddenly change"
Ingrid grinned. Alisara turned to Jinx "You shoot a lot?"

"Well I like to, but I'm not that great." She didn't say it as if she was being modest, just as if she was stating a fact.

"I'll go get you a bow" but she had barely turned around when a big, tough looking girl interrupted them.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked

"Hi Phoebe."

"What are you doing?' she repeated?

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like you're hanging out with a child of Aphrodite." She glared at Ingrid.

"Well so what if we are? Who said we couldn't?" Lyra shot back

Phoebe glared and stormed off.

"You'll have to forgive Phoebe… she's just a little sensitive about Aphrodite." Said Eva, she turned to Jinx "Why don't you just use my bow? And Ingrid can use Lyra's.

They took turns shooting, and it turned out Jinx wasn't half bad.
"I thought you said you weren't that good" said Lyra

Jinx shrugged "I practice a lot."

"Good morning" said a voice behind them.

The hunters snapped to attention and turned to see Zoe Nightshade. Zoe regarded Ingrid coldly. "Phoebe has informed me you have been socializing with a child of Aphrodite. I see it is true."

"With all due respect, only yesterday you helped teach her how to use a bow."

"That was before her parentage was revealed. You are all forbidden to speak to her again"

Lyra bit her lip "Yes Lieutenant"

"What ever happened to 'Lady Artemis doesn't discriminate by birth?" Ingrid asked Zoe angrily. A flicker of remorse showed in Zoe's eyes, but she ignored her and turned to the hunters.

"Follow me" she commanded and walked away. Lyra, Alisara and Eva looked at her sadly.

'sorry' ,their eyes seemed to be saying 'We have to'

Then they turned and followed Zoe with out a backwards glace.