daylight - percy jackson¹

004

The quest left early. Too early.

One thing about me- I am not a morning person. And if you combine that with dreams of your all-powerful mother and waking up with a new necklace on, it's even worse. Trust me.

We all piled into the camp's van, and Zoe took it upon herself to lecture everybody on how she should drive because she's "the oldest, and thy does not have the years of experience that I do!"

I could tell that it was going to be exhausting having her as a quest mate. Because here I was, with a bunch of previous complete strangers, who had filled me in during the really long car ride.

Thalia was a simple girl. A daughter of Zeus, who I had learned was a really nice person to talk to after we had started a conversation talking about her perfect eyeliner. She was easy to understand- she liked you until she had a reason not to. And I respected that. I couldn't see how her and Percy didn't get along, I liked both of them perfectly fine. But then again, Zeus and Poseidon: not the best combo.

Grover, on the other hand, was totally psyched that he got to save his goddess. I got the feeling him and Percy were really close. I think anybody could tell within two seconds of talking to Grover, with the amount he talks about Percy. I thought it was kind of cute, the way he looked up to him.

Unlike Thalia or Grover, Bianca was shy. You could tell by her quiet tone and her hesitation to say anything that she was still so unsure of herself. I had learned her story- about her brother and her decision to become a Hunter. I didn't get how she would sacrifice having family for something like that, though, and give up love nonetheless. Who could live like that?

I didn't talk to Zoe much. I thought maybe that was a good thing, with her being in the driver's seat and kind of keeping to herself besides the occasional chatter with Bianca. She seemed to really not like me because of the whole Aphrodite thing, but oh well. She didn't seem like the best person to hang around anyways.

Honestly, not the worst people to have on a quest. I was a little less worried now that I knew I had people to rely on.

Zoe drove south like a crazy person, and we were into Maryland before she finally pulled over at a rest stop. 

We all decided to take a family trip into the gas station, which I was eternally grateful for. It felt amazing to stretch my legs for once. As we were walking out of the store, Grover was telling us about his tracking spell he had done.

"Grover, are you sure?" Thalia was saying.

"Well... pretty sure. Ninety-nine percent. Okay, eighty-five percent."

"And you did this with acorns?" I asked. I could not believe this.

Grover seemed offended. I felt a little bit sorry for everyone doubting him. "It's a time-honored tracking spell. I mean, I'm pretty sure I did it right."

"D.C. is about sixty miles from here," Bianca said. "Nico and I..." She frowned. "We used to live there. That's... that's strange. I'd forgotten."

"I dislike this," Zoe said. "We should go straight west. The prophecy said west."

"Oh, like your tracking skills are better?" Thalia growled.

Zoe stepped toward her. "You challenge my skills, you scullion? You know nothing of being a Hunter!"

"Oh, scullion You're calling me a scullion? What the heck is a scullion?"

"Whoa, you two," I said nervously, testing out my "charm speak", as Silena had called it. "Not again!" I said, and at the sound of my voice, they turned away from each other and shut their mouths. Finally.