Melpomene (PJO)

27. A shoulder to cry on

Mari woke up slowly.

The memory of what she'd said the night before came back in a rush, and she tore her eyes open. The rising sun was filtering through the translucent curtains, casting a soft blurry light across the floor. Had she dreamt the whole thing? Maybe. It seemed like a more plausible explanation than Naomi Solace being okay with a murderer living under her roof. It definitely seemed like a more plausible explanation than anybody believing her about the snakes. A part of Mari really hoped that it hadn't been just a dream. Talking about everything she'd endured had felt like putting her soul through a paper shredder. She didn't want to have to do it again.

"Good morning!" Naomi was sitting on a pink bean bag chair on the other side of the room. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

It was true - Mari didn't feel great, but it didn't quite seem like the world was trying to drown her anymore. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Thanks for - thanks for not hating me."

"Honey, I'm not ever gonna hate you," Naomi told her. "How'd you feel about taking the day off school today? I know it's the first day an'all, but there aren't any classes on the first day. I can call Havenplant Middle School and say you're not feeling too good. I figured you could use the rest."

"Okay," Mari agreed in less than a second. School was probably the only thing she didn't like about not being a year-round camper anymore. Chiron had been a pretty great teacher. He yelled out questions in Ancient Greek mid-sword-practice, he turned maths lessons into scavenger hunts in the north woods, and he once used a cookie half-dipped in milk to teach them about Achilles during breakfast. He made it fun. Mortal teachers didn't make it fun. They made Mari sit still and try to listen, and even if she managed to get through classes without zoning out, half of what the teachers said still didn't go in. Mari was happy to avoid that for as long as she possibly could.

Naomi left to check on Will, and Mari changed out of her pyjamas, shrugging on a pale yellow patterned dress and sandals. Then she grabbed Drys and headed downstairs. Will was ready to go, with his backpack slung over his shoulder and his thermometer around his neck. Mari didn't think there was any other twelve-year-old in the state who brought a fully-functional thermometer to school, but then again, none of those twelve-year-olds were half as cool as Will.

"Sorry I'm not coming," she said.

"S'okay."

Will grinned. "I'll bring you back whatever the teachers give us. Also, this way, I get your lunch. And I'm going to tell everyone at school I'm older than you."

Mari stuck her tongue out at him.

"Alright, c'mon." Naomi said. "Let's get goin'. Mari, I'll see you in an hour."

Naomi and Will left, and Mari was left in the house with just her thoughts for company. She sat on the steps of the back porch and stared out at the sky. it was barely past sunrise, and Apollo's chariot was just starting its journey across the sky. The sun took on a strange intensity as she stared up at it, almost as if her father was looking at her. That would be a first. Mari had the intense urge to flip him off. No, she thought. Bad Mari. As usual, her thoughts were really terrible companions.

This wasn't what she same outside to do, anyway. There was an apple tree in the back-yard, between the two-storey climbing wall and the sword-fighting dummy on the gazebo. Naomi had been saying she needed to trim the leaves. Mari raised her left hand and closed her eyes.