𝙇𝙮𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙨 (𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙮 𝙅𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙭 𝙁𝙚𝙢! 𝙊𝘾) 𝙏𝙏𝘾

I Get a New Sibling

Sylvia shot out of her bed, barely taking in the sunlight filtering in through the windows (hi, Dad), showing it was around 7:02 A.M. (It's a gift children of Apollo have. Don't ask.)

Ceol? The girl--sounded familiar. Heracles? Why could I only hear them, not see them? Was that a normal dream, or a demigod dream?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Morning, everyone," she greeted, walking over to each bunk and ripping off the blankets like the evil sister she was (actually, it was just a job Lee had given her, since she was usually the first awake).

Speaking of Lee, he groaned, squinted his eyes at the nonexistant harsh light, and pulled his blanket back over his head. "I really regret giving you that job," he muttered.

"Love you too, Lee," Sylvia smiled at him. "Oi, Will, I see you trying to fall back asleep!"

"But I'm tiiiiiired," her eleven-year-old brother yawned. "It's not like anything important is supposed to happen today."

"Doesn't matter. We have master's archery this morning," she told him, and he perked up.

"Archery? D'you think I'll finally get a bullseye?" he asked.

"Maybe." Sylvia shrugged. "If you don't get up, though, we'll never know."

"Okay, fine," he grumbled. "You win, again."

"I always do. It's a child of Apollo thing." Sylvia winked at him.

"Then how come I always lose to you?"

"You're special that way," Sylvia informed him. "And I'm older."

"Only by four years!" he said as he half-fell, half-rolled off the bed, exasperated.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Sylvia winked at him, then walked over to the light switch, avoiding a few instruments strewn around the floor, and turned it on. Her only reward for braving the dangerous floor to provide her siblings with light was twin hisses of pain from Lee and Austin.

"Come on, you guys. Kayla agrees with me, right?" She turned to Kayla, whose bunk was the closest to the window, and sighed when she realized the ten-year-old had gone back to sleep.

Sylvia sighed in annoyance. "Do I have to play the Gummy Bear song again?" she asked.

"No! No! We're up!" Lee said quickly, jumping out of his bunk as Austin did the same.

"Good. Only took you seven years! Gods, I wish Michael was a year-round camper. He's much better at screaming in your guys' ears than I am," Sylvia remarked.

"And that's exactly why I'm glad he's not here," Kayla murmured in a raspy, tired voice.

"Morning, Kay," Sylvia greeted.

"Morning," she said back, her voice already sounding less tired.

Sylvia scanned the room, noting the instruments, sheet music, basketballs, and a few stray arrows on the floor. And the spearheads on the ugly white-and-pastel-yellow couch cushions, which were also on the floor. Those definitely weren't safe.

"I'm gonna have a shower and get ready. After that, we should probably clean up the room before inspections," Sylvia told them, heading towards the bright white bathroom door and turning the golden knob.

"Sometimes I forget you're not the head counselor here," Lee remarked. "I have a feeling you do, too."

"I'm second-in-command, which is close enough,"Sylvia reminded him before closing the door.

***

"Hey, Via?" Lee called to Sylvia, who was currently at the basketball court. It was a little later in the day, around 11:26 now.