[ the first book in the drops of sunshine series ]
For some, being a hero means saving a life. For others, it means making your mark on the world. For AJ Hood, it means being sarcastic and fighting monsters while illegally skipping out on your cult...
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~ ☼ ~
I don't know what I expected from my first full day at Camp Half-Blood. But it certainly wasn't this.
Alec and I stood in the middle of a strawberry field, the sun brutally beating down on us (this made me mad. If I was a daughter of Apollo, shouldn't I have some immunity to the sun or something?!) as we picked the ripest berries. A few other kids were with us, including Lee Fletcher and one of my other newfound brothers, a curly-haired boy named Will.
Lee, counselor extraordinaire, had given me a schedule earlier that morning. Some of the things scared me - like "Weapon Making" and "Winged Horseback Riding" - but also, some of the things were so mundane, I felt like I was back home. I'd started out the day with a group Greek mythology lesson with a son of Athena named Malcolm, and then I'd come here. To pick strawberries. What. A. Thrill.
"So," I said to Alec as we moved from one row to another. "Where are you from?"
"Brooklyn," he said. "Well, Jersey, originally. But now I live in Brooklyn."
Alec's tone was flat, final. He obviously didn't want to talk about himself, because then he asked, "Where are you from?"
"Highland Falls, New York. It's about an hour north of the city. In the Hudson River Valley." I paused, then, pressing my lips together. "It's a really boring, really small town."
"Sounds fun," Alec said, chuckling. "What do you usually do in the summer?"
"Well..." I trailed off. For most of my childhood, my summers were centered around music, around my violin lessons and recitals. I was obsessed with violin; people told me I was a prodigy, and that I was going to go places. After I... quit, I mostly just sat around, listened to Good Charlotte, and watched re-runs of American Idol. "Nothing, really. Just hung out, watched TV."
He raised his eyebrows, and, trying to change the subject, I said, "Why are we even picking strawberries, anyway?"
"The Camp's cover is a strawberry farm. They actually sell these and make money and stuff. In fa-" Alec paused, looking at something behind me. "Hold on a sec."
I turned to follow his gaze and saw Riley speed-walking towards us. Her coily hair was dipped in gray clay dust, and she was sweating. As she neared us, I could see that there was a hint of worry in her eyes. "Sorry to interrupt," she said when she came to a stop in front of Alec, "but I just saw something down on the beach. You guys might want to see this."
———
We followed my newfound sister down to the shore. Riley wouldn't tell Alec and I what she saw, so we were forced to wonder. And then we saw him...
Standing on the sand, picking his nails, was a boy who looked to be about 25 or so. His skin was tan, his hair was blonde, and his eyes were like sapphires. He was wearing sunglasses up on his head, a red muscle shirt, a gold chain necklace tucked into his collar, and skinny jeans.
