4 I Get Attacked by an Enchilada and a Can of Coke
That night I went to bed with a really, really bad feeling. After Ares had left again, Chiron casually broke us the news that the tournament was starting the next day. That's right. The super-dangerous, life-threatening, god-chosen tournament was starting the very next day. Awesome. So while Annabeth was summing up a list of all the kids that had actually died in the tournament, which of course made me feel a whole lot better, we walked to my cabin and I said goodbye to my friends. As I walked in I undressed and got into my bed. Before I went to sleep I actually sort of 'prayed' to my father, which of course sounds totally weird but it's pretty much what I do when I don't really know what to do. Sometimes he even talks back. Not really out loud of course, but in my head, like he's telling me what to do. Which, now I think about it, is really weird too. Anyways, just when I had decided my dad was probably too occupied with saving whales or something to be able to talk to me, his voice filled my mind.
Never choose easy .Of course I was super stoked that my dad reacted but if you know me, you know that cryptic riddles are not really my strong point. Well honestly, riddles are not really my strong point. Or reading. Anything that actually involves clear and logic thinking is not really my thing. I turned and twisted in my bed, while trying to figure out what in god's name never choose easy could mean. Hours passed, and finally I decided to let it go. I needed my sleep if I was to survive tomorrow. As my mind filled itself with horror challenges,as for instance, one in which the gods would make me read and translate some horrible lit-class book or the bible, I slowly drifted off to sleep, hoping that I would somehow make it out alive tomorrow.
The next morning went by pretty fast. I got up, ate my breakfast and hit the sword fighting arena. Just as I was pretending one of the fighting dummies was Clarisse and I was going to chop off her head, Annabeth entered the arena. 'Here to tell me other very interesting and terrifying facts about the tournament?' I said, while actually chopping the Clarisse-dummy's head off. 'Because I'm really not interested'. I kicked away the dummy head and looked at Annabeth. 'No Percy, I just…..' Annabeth didn't finish her sentence, which was very unlike her. It normally took an army of hellhounds or something to shut that girl up, and even then it only lasted for like five minutes. 'Here' she said, and she threw me something. I caught it and examined it. 'Body armor' I said surprisingly. 'Wow he can even identify objects now' she replied sarcastically. I grinned and she punched me in the arm. 'But seriously, thanks Annabeth, smart thinking, I'm definitely going to need that today' I said. 'Well, being the daughter of Athena, that's kind of my job isn't it?' she replied. Annabeth winked at me, and before she could actually see me blush I quickly bent over my armor and started untying the back so I could put it on.
While I was still busy with studying my armor, Grover entered the Arena. 'Percy, Annabeth told me to get you something to eat, here'. Grover threw me something. Knowing Grover and his throwing skills, or better to say, lack of throwing skills I actually expected him to miss me and hit the dummy standing three feet away from me, but somehow it didn't. Grover's food collided mid-air with my hair, where it stuck like it was glued to my head. I shot Grover a look. 'Sorry, enchiladas are a bit sticky with the cheese and everything. But I got you something less sticky too. Think fast Perce!' Totally oblivious to the fact that throwing a can to someone who is trying to put on body armor and already has a enchilada hanging in his hair is not a very intelligent thing to do, Grover threw a can of soda at my head. Definitely being on a lucky strike, the object hit home again, this time colliding with my face. Let's just say that putting on brand-new body armor is hard enough without getting hit by flying cans of coke.
As I was hit in the face, I lost my balance and tumbled down looking like a handicapped mummy, trapped in my own body armor.'Thanks Grover' I mumbled as he and Annabeth hauled me up and tried, unsuccessfully, not to laugh. As they both helped me get into my armor we heard the camp horn. 'It's time' I said, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. 'No worries Percy, you'll do great, I just know it.' Annabeth said unconvincingly. 'Yeah I'm sure I'll be fine. Let's just go get it over with.' I replied. I headed towards the door. 'Euh Percy' Grover said looking puzzled. 'What' I looked back at him. 'You still have some other object you want to throw at my head?' I asked. 'Well, what I think Grover is trying to say' Annabeth said 'Is that it is probably a good idea to get that enchilada out of your hair before the tournament starts.'
Once I was seperated from the enchilada, we walked to the farmhouse in silence. As we got there I waved my friends goodbye. 'Good luck Perce' Grover said while hugging me. As he stepped back, Annabeth also hugged me, which was really nice but definitely a surprise. She isn't much of a hugger. 'Don't get yourself killed, seaweed brain' she said. 'I wouldn't dare' I replied as she let me go. As my friends went to stand with the rest of the crowd I took a deep breath and stepped in line with the other contenders. I noticed that I was the only not Ares kid in line, which made me even more nervous. A godly tournament is difficult enough to survive without all other participant hating your guts. Out of nowhere, Mr. D appeared and looked around, obviously bored. 'As all of you know, your silly little tournament is about to start'. He sighted. 'Honestly, I couldn't care less about it, but the gods wanted me to tell you about how important this is to them and blablabla'. Thunder shook in the sky and Mr. D looked up. 'Zeus wants me to be more, how shall I put this, positive about my situation here. So let's look at this tournament from a positive point of view.' He looked at some of the contenders. 'Maybe some of you will be so badly wounded I get to kill you off.' Mr. D smiled. His smile stood in dark contrast with the very happy and sunny orange striped Hawaiian shirt he was wearing today. Satisfied with his amazing speech, Mr. D conjured a chair made out of grapevines and sat down. He conjured a crystal cup and filled it with a dark red liquid that must have been wine, because it immediately changed into water. Looking somewhat disappointed and while muttering something about his father never letting him have any fun, he looked around and finally raised his cup. 'Let the tournament begin'.