Half-Blood (Draco Malfoy)

I leave my home to go to boarding school (again)

The end of Summer is always the hardest. After 3 months, give or take, you really get used to not having endless schoolwork, or constant places to be. Just the sun, spending time with friends, canoeing, occasionally fighting monsters. Oh right- obviously in my case summer isn't exactly as relaxing as it is for a normal teenager. 

See, your normal 15 year old girl might spend the summer trying to get a tan, going to the mall, maybe even talking to boys. That sounds like fun, don't get me wrong, but I get no such luxury. Trust me I'm not happy about it, but it does have its perks. I get a nice tan from being outside all summer long, even if that is from sword training and climbing a wall that spits scorching lava at you. Instead of the mall, my main time spent indoors is in the infirmary. Don't worry, I'm not clumsy enough to get hurt all the time. I just work there, I guess. Not like I'm really given a choice, but it's whatever, I guess. Gotta talk to Mr. D about that. He's our camp director. 

Anyways, that is where I end up most days a week. I work there with my siblings. They seem to like it a bit more than I do. But seriously- how is that place so busy every day? Our campers seriously have a death wish. Especially my best friends. They always find themselves in the most dangerous situations. It's actually really annoying. 

A few summers back they got trapped in an underground (I think) Labyrinth built by some ancient inventor, and fought some ghost dude or something? Oh, and then there was this whole war against the Titan Kronos that our whole camp had to go fight in. Yeah, that one was rough. I was there for that. I know they've done some crazy things since then, like fighting some giant guys or something? I don't know the specifics, don't ask me. They come back with the wildest stories. 

I've been away at school for the past 4 years, so I am not totally in the loop. I'm only a summer camper. Even when I was around, they always told me I was too young to get involved, which is totally unfair. I'm not even a full two years younger than them, and I think they're forgetting that I fought in the war, but whatever. 

This summer has been spent much more calmly than those. It seems since the giants situation things have cooled down. These past few months we have gotten to spend a lot of good time together. Lots of nights by the camp fire, walks on the beaches, oh, and so many competitive games of capture the flag. I'm always on the winning team by the way. Not that it's relevant. 

Anyways, the aftermath of a late afternoon game of capture the flag has me where I am now. In the infirmary cabin, of course. Tending to the wounded and whatnot. This isn't exactly how I'd picture spending my last full day at camp, but it's my responsibility. 

So, as I tend to the wounded I make a mental list of everything I will need to bring to school with me. Most of my stuff will be brought by my best friend from school, as I can't really bring most of it to camp. It's too risky. Chiron, our activities director, but basically the leader, thinks it's best that my friends at camp don't really get involved in my life at school. They just know that I go away to a boarding school, and then come back for summer. 

Chiron has been kind to me since I was a little girl. I started coming to camp when I was 8? Maybe 9? Anyways, he has always known the truth about me. He just wants to protect me. It's nice having someone like that around. He was friends with my mom too, before she passed when I was 6. I moved in with her friends, who are basically my aunt and uncle now. They have a ton of kids so it felt like home quickly for me. 

One day, when I was 8 or 9, Chiron came looking for me. He said it was for the best for me to start coming to camp, for my own safety. I didn't know what that meant at the time, but I have been coming to camp every summer since then. It is my second home. 

Just as I finish thinking about how I need to make sure to bring some nectar and ambrosia to school with me this year, my best friend walks in the door. Leo Valdez. Leo is a scrawny boy with tan skin and curly hair. When I came back to camp this year, he was a good 5 inches taller than me. It was weird, to have to always look up when I'm talking to him.