We start away from the big, farm house looking building. Sime and Mr. F still playing card games and drinking coke. Gower sitting there, gnawing on the pull tab of the soda can. I need to get over the fact that my History teacher is half horse. And that my best friend is half goat.
"You drool a lot when you sleep," Alizabeth says after we are probably one hundred yards away from that house. She seems to have ditched that butt kiss tone, which is for the better, because it sounds stupid.
"Um, thanks?" I reply. Everyone is walking around in blue t-shirts. They have the words 'Camp Half-God' written across the chest, and under that is a picture of Pegasus. Some of them have their camp number on their back. Alizabeth's has a big six across the back, and under that it reads Menrva. So I'm assuming that is the name of her godly parent.
"You'll be staying in the Trums cabin until you are claimed." We walk past a large vollyball court. And on the other side of the path we are walking is an archery range.
"Who's he?" I question.
"Hermes is what the Greeks call him. I'm sure you know who he is," she replies.
"Yeah." In the north west of camp, there is a large arena looking thing, and to the north east is a large open walled, eating pavilion. It has large columns and marble tables.
I am not saying I'm some sort of hunk, but it seems everyone stops to stare at me. I look back towards the big farm house and the curtains shift as if someone was standing there. Call me paranoid if you want.
"So who is that Mr. F guy?" I ask as we walk past a large open walled blacksmith shop. Again, people seem to stop hammering on their anvils, or stop pushing the bellows to look at me. All of them greasy and sad looking.
"Fufluns."
"Who?" I ask again.
"Dionysus, or Bacchus," she replies with a sarcastic tone. Like how am I supposed to know? What on earth is Etruscan Mythology anyway?
We walk into this large semi-circle of fourteen or fifteen cabins, all of which are decorated differently. One has barbed wire and landmines sticking up from the ground. Another one has amazingly chiseled architecture and large columns made from white marble. She guides me to one that is pretty normal looking compared to the others in the circle.
"Hey Liz. Is this the new guy Sime was talking about?" A tall handsome guy walks out from the cabin. His hair is ashy blonde, and he has a small scar on his cheek. He looks to be sixteen or seventeen.
"Hi John. Uh," Alizabeth says, the tops of her ears are as red as a brick. "This is Pherse. He is the new guy."
"Come on in Pherse, make yourself at home!" John says in his charming voice. "Welcome to camp Half-God."
I look inside of the musty cabin, and everyone has their eyes glued to me. Which is a little unsettling. Take a picture, it'll last longer.
I look back at Alizabeth and her face is red like a beet. Looks like someone has a crush. "Come on Pherse. Lets finish the tour."
The two of us walk towards a large circular building, obviously a bathroom, judging by the three door ways. One reads, boys, one reads girls, and the third reads Hathnas.
"Lizabeth! New kid right!?" A large girl runs up to us from the edge of the forest on our left. She's not like fat, but like giant. She probably is a foot taller than me, and has fifty pounds also. Her beady eyes looking down at me from under a bronze helmet with a blue crest on top.
"Yes Berniece, this is Pherse, the new kid." Alizabeth nods towards me. I am kinda getting tired of people calling me the new kid. "Pherse, this is Berniece, daughter of Juran, the god of war."
"Nice to meet you." I put my hand out for a shake. I'm not sure about everyone else here, but I'd rather not get on the wrong side of the half god daughter of a war god. It's not on my agenda for my stay at camp.
The large girl whistles and a group of people come running from the woods also. All of them wearing helmets like hers. "let's show the new guy to the bathroom. He needs initiation," she commands in her gruff voice. I have a strong feeling that she is one of the campers that live in the cabin with landmines in front.
A burly kid throws me in a full nelson and starts dragging me towards the bathroom. I start squirming around like a limp noodle trying to get from his hold. But too late, we walk into the threshold of the boys room. Bernice kicks open one of the stalls with her large combat booted foot. The kid shoves me in, and then Bernice grabs the back of my neck, pushing my head towards the toilet.
Now, I'm not going to lie, I've had swirlies before. But it's not fun. And I can't let people at camp thinking I am some sort of dweeb. I brace my arms on the ring of the toilet. I feel my arms grow tired after like five seconds. The pipes in the toilet start cracking, which is a little scary.
Then I loose my grip, and so does Bernice. One second she is there, the next second she isn't. A giant stream of high pressure water is spraying from the toilet, completely missing me, and spraying her. I hear water running from the faucets on the sinks. I turn around and look. And all of Berniece's posse is scattered on the outside of the bathroom, soaking wet. The floor in the bathroom is soaking wet, the walls are soaking wet, Alizabeth's hair is dripping.
"You'll pay for this Pherse!" Bernice shouts, getting up, her shirt is covered in mud.
"I want you on my team for capture the flag," Alizabeth says after punching me in the arm. I guess I'm starting to fit in.