Chapter 21.

"Maybe they've just, em, maybe they've just gone to find someplace to eat? They'll probably be back in a minute. They. They Can't have gone far." I tremble. I start to pick at the skin around my neck. I extend my arms towards the fountain to try and stop picking. "I'm sure if we just wait here, they'll come back?" I twist my locket.

"No. If they've gone missing or something then we should leave, incase we lose each other. There's a good chance that they might end up with the other seven." Thalia insisted.

"But what if they come back and can't find us? No. I know. they're not coming back. We need to plan everything. Whatever's out there probably wants us too. I think they're trying to divide and conquer us, so we shouldn't be apart. Ok. I think I know where the train station is from here." I swallow back sobs. My legs are shaking so much and I my chest feels like I'm under a rock.

After three wrong turns, we finally find the station. "We went to Birmingham once, that train starts here and goes past Darlington station." I inform.

We have to buy tickets to get pasts the gates. three tickets for £19. An adults ticket for Nico as he's sixteen, and two child tickets for me and Thalia. "A child's ticket!" Thalia exclaims with mock seriousness. "I was born in 1988! I know right, I don't look a day over fifteen!"

"I was born in 1924. I've got you beat." Nico tilts his chin up.

"And I was born fifteen years ago. I aged normally. Yet that seems to be uncommon here." I laugh.

The next train is in half an hour. "Just so we know, was this train station here for a while?" Thalia asks, tilting her head.

"well, I came here almost seven years ago."

"You remember when you were that young?" Thalia asks.

"I was eight, not two."

"Fair enough,"

The platform is busy when we board the train. Many of the seats are reserved and there are more taken by people, like us, who stumble upon an empty seat. We can't find seats next to each other, but we do find seats in the same carriage. Nico sits in the priority seat next to a girl with headphones. Thalia sits at the other end of the carriage next to some guy in a suit and I sit near the middle, at a table of four. Three teenage girls about my age are there. They have a face full of make up and perfectly styled hair. I put my back pack in between my calves and slouch back.

The train hasn't even left the station before I get bored. I rummage around my back pack and find a spiral notebook. Bright orange with the words Camp Half Blood written on it and a Pegasus in the centre. In the spiral is a clicks pen, also bright orange.

"What's Camp Half Blood?" The girl next to me asks. She has dark blonde hair and light blue eyes.

When asked a direct questioning this, I often go bright red. This is one of those times.

I feel my face heat and I try to put together a believable lie.

"It's a band!" One of the girls almost yell. She has dark brown hair and her brown eyes are complimented by her eyeshadow. She has freckles, darker than mine, sprinkled across her nose and cheeks.

"Yeah." I agree. "Do you like them?" I ask.

"I've been a fan for three years. How long have you known?" "Them." She adds hurriedly.

"Percy Jackson is my favourite! I remember when he asked Annabeth out!"

I gasp. "I know right! And I just discovered it a couple of days ago! I was so shocked for having gone so long without finding them!" I say.

"Only a couple of days ago?" She asks, surprised.

"It's complicated," I smile.

"Are they any good?" Another girl asks. She has the same shade of brown hair as the other girl who I assume is a half blood, but her eyes are the same light blue colour as the blonde.

"You won't like them." The half blood girl says, "you don't like rock."

"Oh, yeah I prefer famous singers anyways." She puts her ear phones in and leans against the window. "What type of music do you like?" I ask the blonde.

"Same stuff as Masie. I guess." She nods towards the other girl. "Have you heard of Daniel Port? He's our dad." She says. I shake my head. "Seriously?"

"What sort of stuff does he sing?"

"Sappy love songs usually." The brown eyed girl says.

"So, you're sisters?" I ask even though she just told me.

"Maisie and I are twins, not identical, obviously. And I'm Olivia, by the way. And Chantelle, don't bug me until we get to Yarm. Bye." She pulls on some head phones.

"I'm Chantelle, I'm a year older than them and I have a different mum too. She left after I was born, so I don't know her."

"Hey, do you want to write your email address or some thing in my note book?" I smile before passing her the pad. She takes it and scribbles some thing down. When she passes if back I read what she's written:

Aphrodite, who's your parent?

I scribble back:

Athena, we have the same brother, Liam. And my sister is a daughter of Poseidon. We all have the same dad.

When I pass the pad back her eyes widen. She returns with the message:

Damn, three gods! And I know Liam, are you Katy? 99% sure you're not Grace based on what I've been told.

I respond:

Katy, yeah. But Liam's gone missing. I came here looking for Hazel, Frank, Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Jason and Leo. I came with Nico, Lexi, Grace, Liam, Thalia but Lexi, Liam and Grace have gone missing.

When Chantelle reads what I've written she mutters curses under her breath. She writes:

"Are you serious?" She whispers

"Yeah, and I'm freaking out." I respond in a normal voice because I can't whisper

"Ok, do you want me to come with you?" She asks, her voice normal.

"Are you sure?" I bite my lip.

"I can get a message to my dad, he gets it. And I can leave a note for these two."

I nod. "Probably best, I'll check with the others first."