DISCLAIMER: I do not own the PJO/HoO series. All rights go to Rick Riordan

Chapter 5: Isolde

At this point, I regret running away. There are no maids, AC, internet connection, butlers, and worst of all- Wi-Fi. I brought the largest bag I could bring, and still, I have nothing I need. Nothing. I've gotten used to life with my father, a millionaire businessman, but I hate him. That's why I ran away. Plus the fact that I'm a demigod. Monsters attacked our house, and my dad was fed up with repairing the damage. I was done. Back to reality, the Texas heat was killing me. We were at the point in summer where 97 degrees low was normal, and "feels like" 99 degrees was a good day. It's the peak of the heat. That's right- 1:00 PM, August. The dreaded August. (A/N: Trust me on the weather. I may be exaggerating, but I live in Texas and I know what the weather's like) I was just about to rush into a nearby coffee shop to fix my hair when I ran into someone exiting the shop.

The girl frowned. "Hey, watch where you're going!"

The girl was very pretty. She was almost the opposite of me. (Not that I wasn't pretty, of course) Her slightly curly mousy brown hair was put into a high ponytail. She had a deep tan, perfect skin and blue eyes that looked almost black. I think she was about 15 or 16, but I'm horrid at guessing ages. She looked like she had makeup on, but I could tell that she didn't. In short, she looked like a teenaged off-duty model.

But I, Isolde Marie Ortega, was not going to judge a girl by her looks. I decided immediately that I didn't like this girl. She was probably some snobby stuck up kid that came from a very rich family. "And, who do you think you are talking to, prissy?"

"I don't know. Hm…," The girl pretended to think, which was very annoying. "A random stranger I don't know on the street? Wait, more like Reginald Ortega's missing daughter."

My eyes widened. "H-how did you know?"

The girl rolled her eyes and told me to follow her. The lead me into an alley with some homeless people in it. The people look at us funny. I was ready to beat them to pulp, but the girl held her back and shot the strangers a look. They nodded as if they understood the girl's message perfectly. "Your picture was on the news. And newspapers. The poster near the coffee shop, everywhere."

"Really? Do you have news about my dad? You're not going to turn me in, right?"

The girl laughed. "No, I won't you in because even though I hate you, I got turned in once and I really wouldn't want to have you go through what I went through. Secondly, your dad doesn't really care if you're found or not."

I was kinda surprised when the girl said that she got turned in once. Her clothes looked fairly new, and she didn't look like a runaway.

"I don't look like a runaway, right?" the girl asked. It was like she had read my mind. I nodded. "I'm Auden Winters."

She stuck her hand out, and we shook. "Isolde Ortega."

Auden set her backpack down and sat. I did the same. "Ok, you ready to hear my story?"

I nodded. She took a deep breath and told me everything from the beginning.

When Auden finished her story, I was quite surprised because I could relate to a lot of things she'd been through. Her dad is a top notch lawyer. Her mom was never really around when she was little. She is from Houston. She ran away from home when she was nine and got caught when she was fourteen, just about three months ago. She was sent to a school for troubled kids, and she escaped just today.

"Ok, let's do three questions because I'm kinda confused," I told her.

"Sure."

"How did you end up in Austin if you from Houston?"

"My school took a field trip here."

"Why do you clothes look so new?"

Auden blushed. "My friend Claudia stole it from a shop around here."

"Sweet. Ok, last question. What's in your backpack?"

Auden looked pretty reluctant to show me, but I was very curious. "If you show me yours, I'll show you mine."

"Ok, fine."

I open up Auden's bag to find a very pretty looking dagger, nectar, and ambrosia. My eyes widen. "Um, Auden, are you a demigod as well?"

Auden looked very confused. "Demigod?"

I had no idea why she was hiding her demigod status from me. "Ok then, what is," I paused to be dramatic, "this!" I Revealed the dagger, nectar, and ambrosia.

She shrugged in desperation. "I don't know! A friend gave me some supplies earlier when I was running away. I have no idea why I need them."

I sensed that she was telling the truth, which meant that she was a half-blood, and she didn't know it yet. That's why I couldn't tell she that was a half-blood. That's why monsters didn't really attack her. She still didn't know. "Auden, I've got news for you."

"What?" She asked, clearly annoyed. This one's moody.

I took a deep breath, not sure how she would take it. "Sweetie, ever heard of the Greek Gods?"

PS: Has anyone figured out the little riddle from Chapter 2? I think it's quite easy because I already gave hints throughout the chapters 3 and 4. Please PM me if you found the answer!