"Happy Birthday!"
"Happy Birthday!"
"Thank you!" I yelled back from the pavement up to the fellow gods who had greeted me on the way from their windows.
If you hadn't guessed, it's my birthday today. It landed on the 6th of June, thirteen years ago. Oh, wait, you don't even know my name. This is embarrassing. Here I am ranting about my birthday and you don't even know who you should wish it to! Well, pleasure to meet you, my name i– "AMBROSIA ROSE!"
Uh oh, that's my guardian. She's loud and insensitive, but because she's the queen of heaven and all that, I can't say that to her face, or else she'd scald me.
"What are you doing in that ridiculous get up?" Hera scolded disapprovingly. "And what are you doing out here when you are supposed to be at your hall?" she shook her head so hard I thought it was going to fall off. Unfortunately, I didn't have the pleasure of witnessing such an iconic event, but I still laughed in my head at the unlikely but absolutely hilarious scenario.
"What's wrong with this 'get up'?" I pointed to my favorite Finding Nemo T-shirt and my army boots and pants. "It's my birthday today, in case you've forgotten, and I get to wear what I want. I think it's perfectly fine," I said indignantly, marching at a fast pace to keep up with the goddess, heading to the party that was being held at my personal hall.
And why do I have a personal hall? And speaking to Hera like that without getting chuck down from Olympus?
For the rest of the world, I am Ambrosia Anna Rose, goddess of the daily running of Olympus – I know, laugh away, it's a stupid title, and a stupid name, but at least I have a purpose, not just a very random minor god; though when I think about it, it is pretty random. Between me and the goddess of marriage, I'm Sia Chase-Jackson, ordinary human being, with the exception of having the ability to see through the Mist, a cloud of magic that covers up all things magical from the humans.
I was born on Earth and raised on Mount Olympus. Unusual and peculiar, I know, but it was necessary, as Hera told me. She made an arrangement with the couple that were my parents before I was born to bring me up here and raise me under the disguise of a new deity. She said that they were dangerous people to be around, that having a baby with them is just not possible at the moment. She agreed to their deal, but claimed that they died tragically in a train wreck shortly after my birth. I don't believe it, but never made it known to Hera. I just had a feeling, that they were out there somewhere; that they wouldn't just hand me over to some immortal being and get themselves killed just like that. But I was wondering what kind of people they were, being able to reach Hera or even know of her in the first place. Weird.
Back to the business with Mount Olympus. I'm a prisoner here. I don't know a better description than that. Despite being a "goddess" and having people respect me with that title, I'm restricted to Mount Olympus – being in charge of its daily running, which didn't exist before I was brought here. I actually have to report on all the complaints about the muses being too loud or if Hermes needs a new storage area as if I was actually the goddess responsible for these nuisances. And I have to pretend to do it at "goddess" speed as well! It was all to squash any suspicions, Hera said. I'm just tired of being told what to do by Hera, but sadly, she's the only one who knows the truth around here.
We reached the grand bronze double doors leading to the hall which opened up to a party fit for gods raging inside. Despite it being only three in the afternoon, glasses filled with wine and jugs of overflowing with beer were passed around throughout the hall. Me, who just turned thirteen, can't consume any, but I sneaked some anyways. I find it funny that ancient communities of gods follows current rules and law of the modern world, it gives a good laugh from time to time.
"Hey, Rosie. You're getting older as the years go by, oh, I'm going to miss you so much when you leave us to frolic around on Earth!" exclaimed Apollo as I passed by, with Euterpe, the muse of music, draped aver his shoulders. I rolled my eyes at his remarks and continued on my path behind Hera.
Apollo had always been a thorn in my side that I couldn't get rid of. He would always talk about the day I was finally allowed to leave this god forsaken place, and meet tons of men and have demigods of my own. I would always laugh and brush of his comments, knowing him as a harmless flirt and teaser. Later, I would return to my chamber and daydream about going to school, having friends and sleepovers. You know, the usual stuff that normal kids do.
Despite my seemingly easy going relationship with Apollo, the twelve main Olympians are not as friendly as most minor gods, not that they are very friendly as well. They don't associate themselves with each other often, too busy with crisis in their own domain; their immense power detaching themselves from time and emotions. Not a very happy family.
I keep my distance from them, learning when I turned six that I'm different, but had to pretend not to know. That was a difficult time for me. I was convinced that I'm just like the rest of them, immortal and undying. It certainly messed with my mind for a bit. Note to parents and guardians: don't tell your children that they are, in anyway, a deity.
On this day, I would typically make a customary speech about thanking everyone and have small talk with the party goers. Today derived from the norm, it seems, as Hera was not leading me to the closet to have a change of clothes, where she would normally force me into a bed sheet they call toga – because we should always remember where we come from, our homeland, Hera would always say. But ironically, I've never seen her wear one. We arrived at the hallways that led to my bedroom and the closet when she took a left into the gardens. I gave her a confused look, but made no move to question her. She led me to the fountains and sat down on one of the stone benches.
"My dear," she said as she tucked a strand of my hair behind my ears affectionately, as if I was her own daughter. But I know better than that. One thing I've learnt from my time up here is that gods are fickle, and bipolar. One day, they'll cuddle you to death and the next, they'll do it literally.
"It seems just yesterday when I introduced you to Olympus," she sighed with fake nostalgia. I shivered.
"Can you just get to the point? I kind of have to make a speech and entertain people back there," I stated, a tab bit annoyed by her blatant show of affection that were obviously fake.
Her eyes flashed intimidatingly and a hint of her godly form shone around her figure. "Child, have respect or have you forgotten your place?" her voiced boomed. I casted my eyes downwards and let my posture take a more demure form to placate her.
"Now, where were we?" said Hera, her tone forcefully calm and collected. "Ah, yes, now, before you so rudely interrupted me, I was about to give you your birthday gift."
That got my attention; gifts from deities are a rare occurrence. They are not your typical presents like those I read in books. And even when it's your birthday, gifts are not a constant or must.
I sat up straighter and listened more attentively. Hera, sensing my newly attained attention for her, said, " Since you have been up here for the majority of your younger years, I deem you now responsible and mature enough to interact with mortals and have decided to send you to Camp Half-Blood for the summer."
I gaped at her for a second before I arrange my facial expression back to one acceptable by goddesses lest I anger her again, because her gift seems too good to be true.
"Thank you," I said breathlessly. A thousand emotions churned beneath; excitement, nervousness, worry, but one thing stood out amongst all that mess, a question. "When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow."
"Hey, G-man!" Percy yelled from the top of Half-Blood hill, a duffel bag slung over his shoulder.
"Percy!" Grover trotted up to meet Percy as he jogged down towards the Big House.
"How is it going?" Grover asked as he clapped a hand on Percy's shoulder in brotherly affection.
"Pretty good," Percy replied, shrugging.
"Hey I've been meaning to ask," Grover started as they turned into the ping pong room where all the cabin leaders had gathered for the summer meeting. "Where has Annabeth been?"
Percy stopped short in front of all the leaders at Grover's question, then attempted to brush it off nonchalantly. "It's nothing; some flu caught her and wouldn't leave. I'm sure she'll be fine in no time!"
They all gawked at him, not having heard such a blatant lie come from Percy himself. From their looks alone, it could be said that they did not believe him one bit, for they had not seen Annabeth in nearly six months' time. The excuse had always been that she was still busy with the design and building of Olympus and making plans for expanding Camp Half-Blood. This was not the first time Annabeth had been "ill" as well.
The intense silence was broken by Clarisse, ever straight to the point. "Prissy, you better tell us what is going on or I'll fry your fishy butt!"
"Clarisse!" Grover shouted in warning for her to stop her rant and to lower her electric spear number 5. Grover calmed down and said to Percy, "Tell her to get well soon." Grover, resigned and a little hurt that his friends were hiding things from him, understood in some way that if it had not been absolutely necessary, he would be let in to whatever secret they have to keep.
Percy ran a hand through the messy mop of his hair before stopping Grover who was moving to take a seat at the table for the meeting to start, and said in a low voice filled with sincerity and desperation, "Look, I would tell you everything if I can, you know I will, but I can't, and I'm sorry for that. But I can assure you that Annabeth is ok, no need to add that to the things you need to worry about."
Percy and Annabeth had been growing increasingly worried when a monster had attacked Annabeth while she was home lounging in the backyard. Annabeth, being already thirty-two weeks along, can't exactly defend herself. It was luck that had saved them this time. Percy had just arrived home, when he heard the ruckus and noise, and he came just in time too. A little later, he would've lost both his girlfriend and his unborn baby. This had caused them to be on high alert, monsters attacking even when their kid is not even born yet! Annabeth had felt so useless being unable to defend herself, a position she had rarely ever been subjected to and definitely not for such a long period of time.
Grover could see that Percy beyond worried himself and felt bad that he couldn't do anything to help.
"I understand."
I ran back to my room, passing by the loud music from hall, the party and the speech and all the deities were the last thing on my mind.
I threw open my bedroom door and started packing. Yes, I was that happy to finally leave this heaven of a prison. I know, I know. How many people get to stay in heaven? I have to say, the architecture is amazing. But surrounded by nuts going on and on about this and that, you just can't stand to be around them after thirteen years of their blabbering.
In the midst of my tornado like 'packing', which actually just consist of me throwing everything I own into a duffel bag that I just realized was magical as it expands to fit all that stuff, I realized that Camp Half-Blood is a summer training camp for demigods – amazing how much you can pick up when nobody thought you were listening, and I am not a demigod. And then I thought about how Hera is going to explain to all the other gods for me to leave my post and go 'frolic' around with their children. Do I have to pretend to be a demigod when I'm there? If so, who will be my fake godly parent? Certainly not Hera. Or will she now reveal that I'm actually just human? But if so, why send me to a camp for half-bloods?
All these questions kept rising from the depths of my mind, but I shook them away. This is my one chance to go see the real world, and whatever Hera asks me to do for the sake of keeping my identity a secret, I'll do it.