I (still) don't own anything. Also, please note that Drew's opinions do not necessarily reflect upon my own. I'm trying to make this slightly realistic so there may be some instances when Drew says or thinks things that aren't very nice.
"We are here, Miss Tanaka."
I wake up from my nap with a jolt. The drive from the airport was so long that I did not even realized I dozed off in the backseat.
The Mercedes slows down to a halt, stopping right in front of a hill topped with an enormous evergreen tree. I check my surroundings and realize there isn't a building in sight. All around me are trees, grass, dirt, fields and other nature-y stuff. I feel that strange, unpleasant sensation I always get whenever I'm detached from civilization.
"Where are we?" I ask my chauffeur, a bit dazed.
"3.141 Farm Road," he replies, "This is the address Mr. Tanaka gave me. This must be the camp he wanted you to go."
I scoff and look through the window. A battered sign reading 3.141 Farm Road stands in front of a picturesque valley. "Doesn't look like much," I comment.
While I wait for my chauffeur to perform the usual tasks, such as opening the door for me and unloading my bags, I admire the manicure I got in Tokyo. However, after one whole minute passes, I notice that the chauffeur hasn't even left the driver's seat. I stare at the chauffeur's reflection on the rear-view mirror, eyebrows raised,
"Your father specifically asked me to never step foot out of the car once we've arrived at our destination," the chauffeur simply says, "I suppose you have to bring your belongings to camp yourself."
Glaring at the chauffeur, I huff, "Fine. But you didn't have to sound so smug about it."
Opening the car door myself, I step out of the Mercedes and take out my luggage from the trunk. As I struggle to remove my stuff out of the car, I instantly regret packing my entire makeup collection.
Daddy wouldn't mind if the chauffeur leaves the car for a tiny bit, would he?
"Help me with my bags," I tell the chauffeur in my most persuasive voice.
As if in a trace, the chauffeur gets out of the car and marches toward me like an automaton. "According to your father, someone is going to meet you at the hill," he informs as he heaves my heavy, hot-pink suitcase onto the dirt road.
I inspect my manicure. "Anything else?"
The chauffeur shrugs. "Mr. Tanaka did not say much. He did mention something along the lines that this camp is for special kids like you."
"He probably means problem kids with dyslexia and ADHD," I grumble to myself, "Great. Dad sent me to Stupid Camp. Wouldn't be the first time he tried that."
"Your father also said that this summer camp may be... a tad too active for you," the chauffeur adds meekly.
"Great," I mutter, "Dad sent me to cheerleading camp."
My suspicions are confirmed when I hear a high, peppy voice exclaim, "Hello!" A teenage girl in a bright orange T-shirt dashes down the hill, waving her arm wildly at us.
With a nod, my chauffeur tells me, "Goodbye Miss Tanaka. Have fun in-"
"Leave," I order. With that, the chauffeur gets back into the Mercedes makes a U-turn. He zooms past me but not quick enough for me to not catch the bewildered expression on his face, like he just realized he defied my father's orders.
I suppress the urge to smirk and turn my attention back to the enthusiastic teenage girl approaching me.
"Hi! You must be the new camper Chiron was informed about," the girl greets cheerfully. She holds her hand out for me to shake. "My name's Silena."
I shake her hand. "I'm Drew."
Silena beams, showing off dazzlingly white teeth. "Nice to meet you, Drew. Need a hand with your luggage?"
I try not to stare at her while she helps me carry my belongings. Although Silena seems to be only around fourteen or fifteen years old, she is definitely one of the most gorgeous people I have ever met. Long, flowing dark hair, striking blue eyes framed with carefully drawn eyeliner, a willowy build that belongs on a runway - I wouldn't be surprised if my fashion-designing wannabe-stepmother ever tries to recruit her.
We hike up the hill and I finally get a view of the place I am doomed for the rest of the summer.
"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," Silena says, holding her arms out in splendor.
Standing on the crest of the hill, I can see the entire camp. Immediately to my dismay, I recognize that Camp Half-Blood is, like, a legit outdoorsy camp. Kids in orange T-shirts like Silena's perform various camp activities that I couldn't care less about. Canoeing, archery, running around - this is definitely not a place for a city chick like myself. All Camp Half-Blood needs is an overly optimistic name, like "Camp Cheer" or "Camp Glee", and then I'll feel like vomiting.
Silena gabs away, pointing around like a tour guide. "We're standing on Half-Blood Hill, which is the main marker of the camp's boundaries. See that blue farmhouse down there? That's the Big House. Mr. D, the camp director, and Chiron, the activities director, live there. The infirmary is also found in the Big House. Beside it are the volleyball courts..."
"What sort of camp is this?" I interrupt, "Like, I was told Camp Half-Blood is for 'special kids'. Care to elaborate on that?"
Silena pauses, looking quite unsure. "Oh. I assumed since your mortal parent personally told Chiron about sending you here that you know already..." She clears her throat. "Never mind that. Usually Chiron likes to have a little chat with new campers. However, right now he's too busy organizing a welcome-back celebration for a few campers who just returned from a quest-"
"Quest?" I repeat.
"Yep!" Silena perks up, "Three campers, Percy, Annabeth and Grover just prevented what could have been the biggest war of the millennium! To think that some people thought they wouldn't make it back alive-" She notices my perplexed expression. "Sorry, I'm making you even more confused, aren't I?"
"Very," I reply.
Silena sighs. "I'm terrible at explaining things. What you're soon going to find out will probably be the biggest news you'll receive in your life. Well, I guess the orientation film will suffice." She starts to descend Half-Blood Hill. "Come on. Let's go to the Big House."
We head down to the Big House, Silena pulling my hot-pink suitcase effortlessly and I trying not to look like a wimp, even though the weight of my bags are killing me. On our way there, we see a bunch of hot, high-school boys in identical orange T-shirts playing volleyball.
"This is a co-ed camp?" I inquire. I watch as one boy, wearing what it seems to be furry leggings, spikes the ball with tremendous force, causing the others to shout in awe.
"Yeah," Silena responds. She notices me noticing the volleyball boys and smiles slyly. "As you can see, there are lots of cute guys here. Campers range from around eight years old to college-age."
I smile back. "Suddenly, I don't feel so disappointed about being here anymore."
Silena tosses her head back and laughs, catching the attention of the teenage guys. "Drew, I have a feeling we're going to get along swimmingly."
She slings her arm around my shoulder as if we've known each other for a long time. I wonder if this is how it feels to have an older sister, or at least a friend who actually likes you for reasons other than your unlimited credit card. Not that I mind too much about having companions who worship me.
It is only when Silena and I enter the Big House that I realize that a couple of the good-looking volleyball boys had hooves.
Please drop me a review, and if you have any ideas for Aphrodite OCs, let me know. Thank you!
