Chapter 6: Annabeth
The next day, during our free time before dinner, Piper and I went to the Big House to visit Kora.
"So what does she look like?" Piper asked excitedly.
"You'll see."
She hit my arm. "Ow. What was that for?"
"I'm nervous! And you're not making it any better by saying, 'you'll see' because that's just not specific enough! I need to know!"
"Why do you need to know so bad? " I ask rubbing my shoulder and accidentally getting the leftover strawberry juice on my shirt from being in the fields. We both jump over a small creek that leads from the lake. The Big House is just ahead.
"Because I could be meeting my future sister!"
I didn't give a response.
We reached the big house, and went inside.
The scene before us surprised me, but didn't, at the same time. Drew was standing directly beside the door we just walked into, and Kora was sitting up on the couch, noticing us coming in, making Drew turn around.
She made a sweet smile, and I could feel the scowl on my face.
"So nice of you to visit," Drew said sweetly.
"Why are you here?" Piper asked her.
"I just came to greet the new kid. Wasn't that nice?" She asked with feigned surprise, and putting her hand near her mouth and making big eyes at the two of us.
"Yes, so you've met her now, so leave." I say, moving a step closer to her.
Drew acted as if she were insulted,"But isn't it up to her to tell me when I've overstayed my welcome?"
She turned towards Kora who was studying the conversation, and the new people in the room. She glanced at me, and I nodded. Drew straightened.
" I would like to talk to Annabeth for a bit if you don't mind, Hon." She said in a mockingly sweet tone. So Drew had been here for a while then for her to pick up on the hon business. Drew stared at her open mouthed, and Kora lifted an eyebrow. I love this kid. Drew humphed, and left the Big House, no doubt to gossip about Kora, Piper, and I.
Piper and I returned to look at Piper. "You did well. "I complimented.
"Thanks?" She replied, shifting her feet onto the floor to make room tor us on the couch. She was still filthy from the streets which I know Piper will understand.
"Was she mean to you?" Piper asked, sitting directly next to her. I sat next to Piper, looking at Kora as well.
"I have the feeling that she is unfriendly to most everyone who doesn't follow her every command." Kora replies laughing, massaging her healing shoulder.
I had completely forgotten," This is Piper, one of my good friends-" Kora nods to Piper," And how is your shoulder by the way? I personally have had treatment from Will Solace, so I know you'll be in good shape when it completely heals."
She momentarily looked confused, but regained her composure and smiled.
"So do you have any idea who your godly parent is?" Piper asked impatiently," Because you could totally be a daughter of Aphrodite, if you just cleaned yourself up a little bit, I mean look at those eyes." Kora half-smiled at the compliment.
Kora definitely could be a daughter of Aphrodite, but I suspect greater of her. She doesn't seem like an Aphrodite kid.
"Speaking of which, you might be wanting a shower or bath, and some new clothes," I suggested, and Kora nodded, looking down at her shredded, filthy clothes.
"I'ts settled then-" Piper stood up from the couch," I'll go back to my cabin to gather some bath supplies, while Annabeth leads you to her cabin to shower. It'll be like a makeover!" Piper walked towards the door.
Kora gave me a scared look, but I just waved it off telling her it would be fine.
Kora and I tried to get to my cabin as quickly as we could, but we couldn't help some people seeing her. I saw one Aphrodite kid make a disgusted expression, then another Hecate kid make a face that showed sympathy. I hate sympathy. I can tell Kora saw the expression as well because she sped up her pace, following me into my cabin. I showed her where the showers were, and we both waited in the bathroom until Piper showed up with a shower caddy full of products.
"This is an exfoliating gel, this is a mud mask, ooh, this is this heavenly smelling body scrub that I love to use when I'm all sweaty and nasty, and this is-"
I cut Piper off, "Thanks Piper, but how is she going to use this stuff if we only have-" I checked my watch," fifteen minutes until the dinner bell?"
I glanced at Kora. She was staring at the mountain of product as if all of it were a gold mine. "Don't worry, I'll help her," Piper suggested, pulling out a bottle of some clear liquid that she opened, poured some onto her fingers, then just blatantly began scrubbing it onto Kora's face. Kora looked surprised at first, but then sensed she was supposed to stand still while Piper was doing her thing.
I just sighed, and went back into the cabin to get an outfit of mine, some shorts, and an orange CHB shirt. Malcolm, my half-brother turned around from an office chair in front of the desk we have located in the middle of the back wall of the Athena cabin, between the book shelves of basic stuff. He was working on a blue- print.
"Who was that?" He asked me.
"Who was who?" I asked, starting to head towards the bathroom door.
" The girl you brought in- the one who looked really dirty," He added.
"Oh, that's Kora, a new kid." I answered, trying not to let anything slip.
"If she is new, then why isn't she in the Hermes cabin?" He asked suspiciously.
"Because before she got here, she was attacked by a hell hound, and needed medical attention." I answered in a snarky tone.
He didn't ask any more questions.
I entered the bathroom, locking the door, so none of my brothers or sisters would walk in on us.
Kora was already coated in products Piper had used in her. She was wearing a bath robe, but she had a green colored facial wash mask on her face, and Piper was piling product up in her arms. I set the towel and clothes out on the sink counter, and leaned against the counter, watching Piper usher Kora into the shower stall, and turning the shower on for her. Once she had closed the door, Kora handed the robe to Piper over the stall.
Piper , holding the now, empty shower caddy and bath robe, came over beside me, and leaned against the counter top as well. I could already see the dirt that has already washed of her flowing on the ground near her feet.
Piper turned towards me, "She doesn't seem like an Aphrodite kid."
I laughed, "I know! I was thinking that earlier. She doesn't talk much either. But then again, she is new, and she doesn't really know us that well, either. "
Piper nodded.
She then turned towards the stall and asked, "So Kora, right? Tell us about yourself."
I, myself had been wondering about her past, too.
Kora sighed, the sound echoing around the bathroom because of the shower, "Well, I started out in Minnesota, where my grandmother lived on a reservation." Piper stiffened at this.
"What tribe?"
"Menominee."
"What clan?"
"Eagle."
It seemed as if Piper were almost testing Kora.
"Alright, keep going," Piper said, smiling slightly.
Kora paused a moment. I heard a cap click closed. I looked at my watch, we have about eleven minutes left until they ring the dinner bell.
During Kora's pause, Piper turned towards me, "A lot of people claim to have native blood, but most of them really don't, so it's nice to hear when someone can actually prove it and knows about their culture. Plus, I can relate to her some now," She whispered. I nodded.
Kora's shower only lasted for two minutes more than that.
By that time, Piper and I had learned a lot about Kora. She never learned about her parents, and her grandmother only scoffed when she asked her about them, that when her grandmother died, she ran away to New York when she was about seven and a half, and has been living there ever since. She also told us about some monster experiences she had, and I could have sworn, one about a cyclops sounded so much like Tyson. We kept prodding her about more general stuff about her, and she said that her favorite color was yellow, but her second was blue, and she once had a dog as a pet that she found in the forest near her house, and named it Moose.
Piper handed Kora the bath robe over the stall, and Kora stepped out. She looked so much more different, now that there wasn't all that dirt and grime on her face and body. Her eye lashes are longer than I thought they were, and she has nice dark colored, now silky, hair that ends near her mid back. Her blue eyes didn't match her at all. That's what would make her stand out in a crowd. Piper and I are just staring at the new Kora, that I forget that there is a time limit. I gesture towards the clothes on the counter, and I motion for Piper to follow me out of the bathroom.
"We'll be out here if you need us."
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Author's note:
Did you like it? If you did, I would really appreciate some feedback, either good or bad! Thank you so much if you have been reading this far, and please review if you would like some more of the story! :)