Sunburn- phoebus apollo

- vi. rhea's dinner goes up in smoke

WORD OF THE BATHROOM INCIDENT spready immediately. Wherever she went, campers pointed at her and murmured something about toilet water. Or maybe they were just staring at Annabeth, who was still pretty much dripping wet.

She showed them a few more places, but mainly to Percy, since Rhea has already seen everything. That didn't stop her from tagging along though.

Finally, they reached the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.

"I've got training to do." Annabeth said flatly. "Dinner's at seven thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."

"Annabeth, we're sorry about the toilets." Rhea said.

"Whatever."

"It wasn't our fault." Percy protested, before silencing when he got a stare in return.

"You both need to talk to the Oracle," Annabeth decided.

"Who?" they asked in sync.

"Not who. What. The Oracle. I'll ask Chiron."

Rhea stared into the lake, blinking in surprise when she noticed two teenage girls sitting cross-legged at the base of the pier, about five meters below. They wore blue jeans and shimmering green T-shirts, and their brown hair floated loose around their shoulders as minnows darted in and out. They smiled and waved. She didn't know what else to do. Rhea waved back.

"Don't encourage them," Annabeth warned. "Naiads are terrible flirts."

"Naids," Percy repeated weakly. "That's it. I want to go home."

Annabeth frowned. "Don't you get it, Percy? You are home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us."

"You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"

"I mean not human. Not totally human, anyway. Half-human."

"Half-human and half-what?" Percy asked.

"I think you know."

A pause. "God. Half-god."

Annabeth nodded. "Your father isn't dead, Percy. He's one of the Olympians."

"That's..... Crazy."

"Is it? What's the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they've changed their habits in the last few millennia?" Annabeth retorted.

"But those are just-" Percy said, but cut himself off. "But if all the kids are half-gods-"

"Demigods," Annabeth said. "That's the official term. Or half-bloods."

"Then who's your dad?"

Her hands tightened around the pier railing. Rhea got a feeling that they've entered a touchy subject.

"My dad is a professor at West Point," she said. "I haven't seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."

"He's human." Percy said matter-of-factly.

"What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?" Annabeth asked.

"Who's your mom, then?" Percy ignored her insult.

"Cabin six."

"Meaning?" Rhea asked.

Annabeth straightened. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."

Okay, why not?

"And our dad?" Percy asked.

"Undetermined ," Annabeth said, "like I told you before. Nobody knows."