𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞

Chapter 11

The screen turns on and the chapter title appears.
'I Ruin a Perfectly Good Bus'

|Sereia: It didn't take me long to pack. I decided to leave the Minotaur horn in my cabin, which left me only an extra change of clothes, the spell book and a toothbrush to stuff in the backpack I got from Hecate. The camp store loaned me one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas. These coins were as big as Girl Scout cookies and had images of various Greek gods stamped on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Chiron told us, but Olympians never used less than pure gold. Chiron said the coins might come in handy for nonmortal transactions - whatever that meant. He gave Annabeth and me each a flask of nectar and an airtight bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if we were seriously hurt. It was god food, Chiron reminded us. It would cure us of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals. Too much of it would make a half-blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn us up, literally. Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told me had been a twelfth-birthday present from her mom.|

Sereia walks out of cabin 3 wearing black jeans and a black T-shirt with a blue flannel over it and her baby-blue converse and her backpack over her shoulder. She meets up with Annabeth who carries a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve and Grover who wears his fake feet and his trousers to pass as human. He wears a green rasta-style cap, because when it rains his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack is full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket is a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knows two songs: Mozar's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's 'So Yesterday'.
They wave goodbye to the other campers, take one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean and the Big House, then hike up Half-Blood Hill to the tall pine tree. Chiron is waiting for them in his wheelchair. Next to him stands the surfer dude Sereia saw when she was recovering in the sick room.

|Sereia: According to Grover, the guy is the camp's head of security. He supposedly has eyes all over his body so he can never be surprised. Today, though, he is wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so I could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck.|

They look at Argus disgusted or shocked.

Chiron: This is Argus. He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things.
They turn around when they hear footsteps behind them. Luke comes running up the hill, carrying a pair of red basketball shoes.
Luke: Hey! Glad I caught you.
Annabeth blushes.

Annabeth grimaces and tightens her hold on Sereia's hand.

Luke: Just wanted to say good luck. And I thought... um, maybe you could use these!
He hands Sereia the sneakers.
Luke: Maia!
White bird's wings sprout out of the heels, startling Sereia so much, she'd drops them. The shoes flap around on the ground until the wings fold up and disappear.
Grover: Awesome!
Luke smiles.
Luke: Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I don't use them much these days..
His expression turns sad.

Hermes looks down.

|Sereia: I don't even know what to say. It is cool enough that Luke has come to say goodbye. I've been afraid he might resent me for getting so much attention the last few days. But here he was giving me a magic gift... It made me blush almost as much as Annabeth.|