I never did get around to getting the Ares campers back.
I was too happy to hold a grudge.
After the sneak out, Katie and I became best friends.
She was the object of my crazy Aphrodite crush, and if you don't know what that is, I'll tell you.
An Aphrodite crush is when a child of Aphrodite falls in love and his or her mother takes interest.
That was Aphrodite. And right now, she wouldn't leave my love life alone. Its unusual to receive a surprise visit from your godly parent, but not if she's Aphrodite.
She would visit about three times a month on the account of crushes.
I was sitting on my bunk listening to Bernard Fanning. I never got the song Katie and I sang together out of my head. It reminded me of her, and I knew she was listening to it as well, because she would hum it constantly whenever I was around her.
Gods, I hoped she loved me back…
My eyes were shut tight, but I still saw the flash of bright light that made me sit up to fast making me slam my head on the pink wood of my bunk.
Again.
I cursed as I rubbed the new bump I got from the blasted bed. How I hated it.
I opened my eyes, suddenly remembering the flash of light. My siblings were watching, sitting up in there beds, and I looked towards the door.
A tall, brown haired woman stood gracefully, wearing a pink dress and pink high heels, and also a pink necklace.
I swore she glowed pink. And she probably did, as she was Aphrodite, goddess of love.
I stared at my mother, because she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and also because this was the first time I have ever seen her.
Silena walked up to her, and knelt at her feet. My brothers and sisters did the same. I stayed where I was, staring at the goddess intently. She looked over at me, like she was expecting something. I took the hint (I know, I have a gift) and bowed like my siblings.
"Please, children, stand up. I'm here to see Spencer." Her voice was light and airy, yet important all the less.
I walked over to my mother, unsure what to say.
She looked with kind eyes down on me, and I noticed that her blue irises were tinged with pink, like mine.
"Hello son, I am here to talk to you about Katie." I blushed as she said this, and I looked around my cabin, and saw that my brothers and sisters were all trying to hold in their giggles.
Gods, I hated them sometimes.
My face turned crimson and I looked down at my bare feet. How awkward could you get?
She put a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me, which was even more awkward because she's a goddess.
"Oh, don't be discouraged, Spence. I'm just here to say one thing," I looked into her blue pink eyes and listened to her soft voice.
"Love is a powerful thing, Spencer. But hate is just as strong. Please, don't hate yourself for anything that happens, because it's not your fault." Okay, I had no idea what she was talking about.
I saw out of the corner of my eye that Silena's eyes grew sadder. What was that about? And I know that I hate myself, but it's been dying down with Katie. I'm sure that I'll do fine.
"Wait, what do you...?" I was cut off by the goddess mid sentence.
"It will make sense in due time," she looked down at me with sad eyes. "But for now, don't mind what I am saying. I just want you to know these words before anything happens." She looked a little guilty, but I passed it off as my imagination. This was Aphrodite, my mother. She wouldn't keep something from me.
"Thanks, I guess, um…" I was unsure what to call her. Even though she was my mother, I didn't want to be disrespectful.
"Mother, dear. I'm you mother." I smiled at her kindness. I had no idea how nice Aphrodite was.
I started to say something, but as quickly as I opened my mouth, she was gone. I guess that's what happens when you're a half blood. Your parent acts all nice, but then poof, its all back to business.
I thought about what she said, but if it was important, I didn't really ponder it. If it was about Katie, I would know, I guess. Wouldn't it be obvious?
I looked over at Silena, who was staring coldly down at the pink floor.
"That's the same prophesy she gave me before Charlie died…" her voice was airy, like she was asleep. Charlie Beckendorf had been her boyfriend before he died on the Princess Andromeda. She was never the same after that.
I remember watching her cry at night, wishing I could comfort her more. She was my closest sister after all.
When I first was claimed, it was hard to put up with the death of my sister. I would sulk in my bed every day instead of do things with the other campers.
Chiron was worried about me, and sent Silena to help me feel better. She was on her way to do it anyway, so it wasn't forced.
She shared some of her dad's chocolates with me. They tasted like card board, and when I told her that, she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and told me, they always do when you're sad.
Silena would keep talking with me about Charlie, my sister, or just normal stuff. I found out that she liked the Gorillaz like I did, and that she listened to them every night when Beckendorf died. We did have a lot in common, no that I look back on it.
A few hours later, I was still awake, thinking about Katie and the visit from my mother.
What was the meaning of my prophesy? If I knew anything about prophecies, they were hard to decipher. And what was Katie doing now? Was she awake like me, or asleep like all the other campers?
I heard a stifled sob come from the darkness of the cabin.
Well, most of the other campers.
I slid out of my bed barefoot, searching through the pitch black room for the source of the cry, and I had a pretty good idea.
I stumbled blindly to Silena's bunk. She was on the bottom, so I didn't have to wake anybody up climbing a ladder.
Her back was facing me, and all I saw was her long, curly brown hair and the pink comforter wrapped around her shaking form.
She was crying.
I touched a hand to her back. "Silena?" I whispered, not wanting to wake the others up.
Her shakes stopped, and I wondered if I did something wrong. She turned towards me, and it took me a moment to see her face through the darkness. It was stained with tears, and her eyes were red and puffy from crying. But her Aphrodite complexion still remained, but it was hard to see through her weeping.
I ran my hands through my sister's hair, an action that she had done so many times to me.
Aphrodite siblings don't care if we're not related by mortals. We're all family, so why not act like it? That phrase was one that helped me through my grieving. Even though my sister was gone, I still had family. And I loved them just like I loved Juliet.
She sobbed again, and I continued to stroke her hair.
"Spencer…" she whispered, and I shushed her. Black bags hung under her eyes, and I knew that she hadn't been getting any sleep. I wished that all this suffering would end. I hated it when people died, but I hated myself when I couldn't help people grieve.
I thought about Juliet, and how I would stroke her hair when our father died. She would come into my room as a baby, and would snuggle up with me every night. I never chased her out though. I needed her as much as she needed me.
That's how it works with family, I thought with a sigh as I watched her snuggle deeper into her covers.
Her light blue eyes shut tight, and I was still stroking her hair.
After a few minutes, her eyes loosened, and her breathing became steadier. I stopped pulling my fingers through her tangled hair.
I watched her body move up and down in shaky, calm breaths.
I made my way back to my bed, and curled up inside my sheets.
I slowly shut my eyes, and started to fall into a deep sleep.
I still have a family, was the last thought that went though my head as I tumbled through the darkness that is my mind.
But tonight, I didn't dream of John and his laughing face, or Katie and her guitar. I dreamt of a warm darkness that engulfed my body, one that made me feel happy.
I basked in that darkness the rest of the night.
And I liked it.
Oooooooooooooooooooo
I just needed to add this. What, no character development? I don't think so. I just love some good sibling bonding, don't you?