Hello everyone! Sorry, it's been crazy, and I know I'm late. This one's extra long, and a lot of crazy stuff happens to Estelle. Chapter 5 is in the making and will be posted on time or before Saturday. Once again, a little reminder. I do not own any PJO characters, books, movies, or anything like that! So without a further ado, enjoy Chapter 4!
Chapter 4
We walked up to a cabin with lots of girls giggling, running in and out. Many had handfuls of makeup and curling irons, and the smell of hairspray drifted from the open windows. The deck was a checkered blue and white tile, and shined with a glossy cover.
I turned to Eric, I wasn't really the makeover type.
"So what are we doing here?" I asked skeptically.
"Well, I don't know much about getting ready for a party, so I thought they could help you," He said.
Nervously I replied, "Honestly, I'm not into this kind of stuff."
It was true. All I wear is a little eyeshadow, mascara, and lip gloss. I didn't know the first thing about highlighter or concealer.
"It's okay, they'll give you some clothes. Plus, I can introduce you to some people."
It would be nice to meet some more people…
We walked up the stairs and found ourselves inside, surrounded my pink walls. In front of each bed sat a trunk. All of them had names in curvy handwriting. A lot of girls sat in chairs, all of them working on their hair and make up. One girl spotted us and quickly scurried over. She was tall, had long brown hair, and perfect olive skin. In other words, she was drop dead gorgeous.
Once she finally made her way over, she politely smiled.
"Hi Eric! Who's your friend?"
Eric placed his hand on the small of my back and gently pushed me forward.
"This is Estelle, she's new."
I waved, 'You can call me Stell."
"Well, my name is Piper."
Eric still had his hand on my back. I shifted and felt the heat rise in my cheeks, trying to keep myself from thinking about kissing him. Suddenly, the hand dropped, causing me to be slightly disappointed.
"Well, since Stell is new here, I was wondering if you guys could lend her some clothes for the party. You're going to go right?"
Shocked, she replied, "Have you ever heard of an Aphrodite child missing an opportunity to dress up? I think not."
"Great."
Eric turned to me.
I'll pick you up in an hour?"
Piper wrapped her arm around me and smirked.
"Give me thirty minutes."
"Cool, I'll see you guys then."
I gazed after him as he walked out the door.
"Boy, do we have a lot to talk about," she said laughing.
Next thing I knew bright lights were shining in my face and makeup was being plastered everywhere.
I can't remember the last time I wore this much
I had only been about five minutes until they finished all of my make up. Looking in the mirror, I noticed that the hot girl staring back was actually me. Piper, had started my hair. My long golden locks were being pulled up into a high pony and I felt the searing heat from the curling iron.
We made eye contact in the mirror and I quickly glanced away.
Still fiddling with my hair, Piper spoke up.
"So, in all honesty, I don't really understand. You just arrived, and you're what 16? 17?"
"16."
"Either way, you're supposed to be claimed by 13."
I hadn't known that.
"Guess I'm running a bit behind," I laughed nervously.
She chuckled but continued.
"I guess so. But it still makes no sen- ."
She observed me in the mirror. Noticing I was uncomfortable, she talking stopped.
"Sorry, let's change the subject."
I nodded and hairspray flew over my head. I looked amazing. A stunning dress hung from my shoulders, stopping just above my knees. Swirls of sparkly pinks, blues, and silver seemed to move on the fabric, almost like a galaxy. A girl was attaching silver high heel sandals to my feet, easily giving me an extra 3 inches. Piper teased my hair a little and helped me get out of the chair. Pulling a mirror in front of me, I examined myself. My hair had a new silver headband, almost like vines, threading throughout my curls . Another girl sprayed me with a puff of perfume. It smelled like vanilla. I turned to Piper to get her opinion.
"What do you think?" I said turning in a circle.
She clapped and giggled, "Perfect! I'm sure Eric will be here anytime now."
"Wow."
I spun around, to find Eric, staring at me. His usual messy brown hair was intact as usual, but his grey eyes seemed softer, vulnerable. He wore a maroon shirt, jeans and grey sneakers, along with a leather bracelet around his wrist. Realizing he was still staring, he blushed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Ha sorry, it's just, uh, you look incredible," He stuttered. The red in his cheeks grew stronger, causing me to blush as well.
"Thanks, it was all Piper."
Piper leaned over and bowed.
"I've been working on it. I'll see you guys at the party. Have fun," She said with a wink.
I walked towards Eric.
"Ready to go?" He asked.
I laughed, "Do I have a choice?"
"Nope," he said, leading me out the door.
The sudden chill of the night once again struck me and goosebumps ran up my arms.
"So what are demigod parties like?"
He looked down and started kicking at rocks.
"I wouldn't know, this is the first one I've ever been to."
"How long have you been here?" I asked, shocked.
"Ummm, I think four years."
"And you've never been to a party?"
"No, not really my scene. I'd rather read."
Me too
"What changed your mind about this one?"
He smiled and looked at me.
"A girl."
AHHHHH
"Wow, she must be special."
His eyes lit up and he took my hand.
"You have no idea."
We walked in comfortable silence until we approached a cabin with loud rock music pouring from inside. Kids were running in and out, and everyone was dancing. The door repeatedly opened and closed as people flooded in from both sides, in hopes of finding a place to settle. I walked up the wooden steps and examined at the sketchy number 5 that was painted above the door. Eric gently dropped my hand and opened the door for me, stopping the traffic.
"The party awaits."
I slowly walked in and chaos was everywhere. Tables were filled with food, crushed cups, and people, who decided dancing on a plastic folding table was safe. The stereos shook harder as someone turned the notches up higher, causing to everyone jump simultaneously. A boy across the room wearing a toga led a chant that just said 'party party party' over and over again.
"This is really something."
Eric had his ears covered with the palms of his hands, trying to block out some of the noise.
"WHAT?" He screamed back.
"THIS IS REALLY SOMETHING."
"I KNOW RIGHT?"
As if someone had been listening to us, the music turned down. Annabeth was standing next to the stereo, her face bright red.
"I HAVE A HEADACHE!" she yelled, and then she stormed off.
Eric slowly moved his hands from his ears, as if expecting the music to spontaneously blast again.
Relieved, I said, "Well that's better."
"Do you want to dance?"
"Yeah, I do," I replied, smilling.
He pulled me over and we started hopping with the music. After a while, we became tired and moved to the side of the room, where other people had drinks and were talking about the party.
"So what do you think so far?" he asked.
"So far, it's pretty good."
Megan came into sight, and she went straight for Eric. She stopped in front of him and did a hair flip.
Yuck
"Hey Eric," She said with a sickly sweet voice.
"Hello Megan."
He looked annoyed.
"I'm so glad you could make it."
She looked my way and sneered, her eyes throwing daggers.
"Hi, I'm Megan, daughter of Aries, nice to meet you."
"We've met before."
She looked me up and down and chuckled.
"Well then, I guess there wasn't much for me to remember."
Um ouch
Eric stepped beside me, brushing his fingers against mine.
"I'm going to go grab some punch, Stell, you want some?"
"Please."
Megan raised her hand.
"One for me too please."
"Fine."
Then it was me and Megan. She drew closer, and she arched an eyebrow.
"You're kind of pathetic. Have you even been claimed yet?"
I looked down at the floor.
"No."
She laughed, "Well, I guess it makes sense, I don't know why anyone would want you."
I glared at her.
"What's your problem? I hardly know you."
"You may not know me, but I know you. Or, more like your type."
"My type?"
"Yeah. Sweet, innocent, miss 'I'm so lost and scared'."
She motioned in Eric's direction, who was still filling up the last cup.
"He will never ever go for a girl like you. Why don't you just run back to where you came from and never step foot in this camp again. Because, whether you realise it or not, sweetheart, you don't and will never belong here. So pack your bags and leave."
Tears formed in my eyes, and my vision became blurry. I turned and pushed people out of the way until I had a clear path to the door. In the crowd behind me, I could hear Eric calling my name. What was I thinking I could fit in here. I'm not even a real demigod. I have no powers. All I have is a story. When I made it to the porch, I stumbled down the steps, gripping onto the railing. Real tears started to fall, sending streams down my face. I was running on grass and about 30 yards from the cabin, I stopped to breathe. Megan was right, I just need to go home. I walked a little farther. I felt dizzy my heart pounding harder and harder. I focused on my feet. Left right, Left right.
I wonder if Eric's still trying to find me
And as if the Gods were listening, I heard a distant voice yelling my name. Left right, left right. He was getting closer. There was no way I could outrun him, especially not like this. Stopping completely, I tried to dry my tears. I glanced at my hand and noticed it looked sort of palish. They both were an unusual brightish white. They seemed as if they were glowing. My legs were exactly like my hands, gleaming. I leaned down, and wiped them on the ground.
Maybe it's like glow paint or something
But it didn't work. At all.
"What. The. Hell," I whispered.
I looked up and a white star shimmered just above my head. My whole body grew brighter, my skin shining and sparkling. People gather around me, murmuring. Eric ran up to me, panting.
"Stell, are you ok- Oh my Gods."
"Yeah, I know," I yelled back.
"It'll be okay, just stay still."
He turned to guy the next to him.
"Go grab Chiron."
Instantly, the guy took off in the opposite direction. There were lots of people now, watching me. All of them were talking, asking 'What's going on?', and all I could do was stand there and watch as the glow grew brighter and brighter. I heard someone in the crowd.
"She's getting claimed!"
"Yeah, but by who?" asked a boy.
"Eric, what do I do? Do you know what this is?"
"You're being claimed by someone."
"Who?"
A worried expression passed over his face.
"I'm not sure."
Without warning, a gust of wind swirled behind me. I quickly turned and found a woman. She was beautiful. A long white dress hugged her perfectly and a glistening belt hung on her hips. Golden sandals were strapped to her legs and vivid green leaves and thin vines intertwined gracefully within her hair, creating an elegant braid. And just like me, she was glowing. I walked towards her, my feet moving slowly. Everyone was dead silent, and Chiron burst from the front of the crowd. This time not in a wheelchair. The body of a brown stallion replaced the bottom half of his body, from the waist down. His hair in the usual wavy mess. He trotted up next to me, and placed a hand on my gleaming shoulder.
"Hello Hera," He said.
Once again murmuring erupted from among the ocean of people. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Annabeth run up next to Eric, with a sea green eyed boy holding her hand.
"Chiron," Hera said, with a nod.
She turned to me and smiled.
"Estelle, it has been a long time."
I took a deep breath.
"If you're who I think you're then it certainly has."
She chuckled and faced Chiron again.
"I've come to claim her."
Everything went silent.
Chiron didn't seem to surprised, but a person in the crowd said 'Oh shit'.
"You know, you don't have to show up to claim someone," said Chiron.
"Well, this is only my first time. Under the circumstances, I decided someone needed to claim her."
"Very well," replied Chiron.
"The time has come. She's the saviour Chiron. This missing key to the prophecy."
He grew silent, trying to comprehend. She turned to me, not phased by Chiron's reaction.
"Have you heard the prophecy?"
I shook my head.
She grew brighter and a quick flash of light messed up my vision for a couple seconds.
A girl with red hair appeared next to Hera sitting in a chair, sleeping.
"Oracle, the prophecy please."
The girl sat up completely, her red hair framing her face. Unexpectedly, she opened her eyes. They were white, no pupil whatsoever. Then she started to chant.
"The time has come, for the hero of one,
Born from the Gods, moon and Sun,
The gifted child, will be like none,
Will come of age, when time is done,
God of darkness, forgotten but wake,
Will put the world and all at stake,
The child of all, made from great sight,
Will be the saviour, from the darkness of light,
The time is here, the child must train,
They must be prepared for the upcoming pain,
When the stars have aligned, and the child is here,
Is when the darkness will surely appear."
She stopped and turned to me. Her white eyes searing into mine.
"You have time to spare, time to fight,
But remember this line with all your might:
In order to defeat the god of dark,
You will need to summon the ultimate spark,
When the sky has balanced,
Everything in place,
The battle will commence,
Between time and space."
The oracle closed her eyes and fell back asleep, leaning her head on the back of the chair. And in a flash, she was gone. I breathed deeply and looked at Hera.
"Um Wow."
"You're the one Estelle. You must train before he arrives."
"Before 'who' arrives?"
Hera paused and brushed a thin hair out of there face.
"Erebus."
"No," Chiron whispered.
"That can't be."
Confused, I asked, "I don't understand. Who's Erebus?"
"A long lost son of Chaos, thousand and thousands of years ago. He's the God of darkness."
I had no idea who Chaos was, so in a way I was still clueless.
"And he's coming to ensure that this time his eternal night stays," muttered Hera.
"What do you mean 'this time'?" I asked.
Okay I'm starting to feel a pattern
She looked away, but I could still see the sadness in her eyes.
"A long time ago, Erebus tried to make the world night for the rest of eternity. But not just the sky, the people as well. He wanted everyone to hate and forget what love is, or anything that created happiness. When the gods defeated him, he was banished, and thrown into space. Where he could have exactly what he wanted. Nothingness."
She paused and her breath shuttered.
"He vowed he would find a way back, and destroy the world itself and all the lives it held."
A lump in my throat formed, making me want to vomit.
"And I'm the person who's supposed to stop that from happening?"
"Yes."
"How do you know it's me for sure?"
"Because Zeus and I created you for this reason. I've been watching the stars since the prophecy arrived, and unfortunately, the time has come."
I wanted to scream. I wanted to scream so loud Erebus himself heard it. But I couldn't. If this is what I'm meant to do, it needs to be done.
I took a really deep breath.
"Where do I start?"
"First, you need to train. Like your life depends on it. Because, unfortunately, it does,"
Great
"And you'll need this."
She reached into a hidden pocket and pulled out a silver charm bracelet. She fastened it around my wrist, and I examined the symbols. A flower, a shoe, a feather, a hammer, a book, a magnifying glass, a shield, a horse, and a single star.
"Each one gives you a particular power, and whenever you lose it, it'll return back to your wrist instantly."
The boy next to Annabeth muttered something under his breath, and she smacked him on the head.
"Shut up Seaweed brain."
"This is all I can do. From here on it's up to you."
I nodded.
"I'll do my best."
"Good. Tomorrow it begins."
"Wait, I have one more question."
"I have an answer."
"Why me?"
Her eyes sparkled and she started to fade.
"You're the last star."
And then she disappeared.