It almost worked ✸ Apollo ¹

XXII. Thirteen hits like a brick

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
"THATS WHAT ITS CALLED FOR WOMEN."

Everything seemed alright at camp when Lydia arrived. The campers were out doing their usual daily activities, the satyrs were tending to the nature life, but something seemed off. Lydia wanted to figure out why so she asked the nearest camper she knew. Connor Stoll, son of Hermes.

Connor was sitting at the table with his older brother, Travis. They looked so much alike people assumed they were twins. Lydia felt bad that so many people asked that. But luckily for them, she wasn't here to ask who was older. Although she must've caught them by surprise because Connor's face went red when he saw her.

Travis looked over at his brother, a face of warning. Like he was telling him to not look so stupid or something.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to freak you guys out like that." Lydia admitted "But I just got here and wanted to ask what was wrong with everyone."

Connor's face looked calmer now "Oh. We got here yesterday, but things haven't been good. Thalia's tree — it's dying. Someone poisoned it."

Lydia couldn't believe it "Who would poison her tree?"

She thought of Luke, another son of Hermes. He used to be good friends with Thalia. Until he turned bad and started helping the Titan lord return from Tartarus. Luke was pissed off at the gods. They all were, but unlike him the other campers didn't overreact and bring back the titans.

Travis shrugged "Nobody knows, but Chiron is getting the blame for it. Someone else will be in charge now."

Before Lydia could respond, a laugh came from behind them. She turned around to see one of the kids from the Ares cabin. She didn't know him, but everyone knew his name was Devon. An ugly name for an ugly dude.

"And I'll be glad for it." Devon smirked "Chiron has been here too long, and he's going to let us all down If Kronos really does come back. Plus I've heard some things about a spy at camp working for Kronos."

Lydia felt rage flowing through her. Chiron had trained heroes since before any of their great grandparents were born. Yes, some of those heroes didn't have good endings. But what those heroes did in the end weren't Chiron's fault. They were never his fault the moment they left his training.

"Knock it off. Chiron would never poison Thalia's tree! Let alone be a spy for the Titan king!" Lydia raised her voice "And you know that he wouldn't."

"I'm tell Lydia to shut up, and say Tantalus is going to make you all regret your words" Devon rolled his eyes.

But Connor spoke before she could "I'd rather listen to Chiron than Tantalus. And don't tell a woman to shut up."

Lydia should've already punched him by now, and now Devon continued to be an ass. He walked closer to Connor. "What a lie, Connor. We all know you actually listen to Luke and Kronos instead. Maybe i was wrong. Chiron isn't the spy. You are."

"Don't you-" Lydia put in.

"Oh, and I almost forgot about you!" Devon turned on Lydia "I'm not sure why this son of Hermes keeps defending you. The one who's just like the ancient Greeks. I hear you were having small talk with Hades down in the underworld last summer? And people saw you hanging around with Apollo on Olympus! A slut to the gods!"

Lydia froze, and she almost stopped breathing for a moment. She usually never had trouble with arguments. She always managed to win them all, and nobody thought to call her any rude nicknames. But she refused this time. Hadn't anyone realized she was genuinely being nice to Hades and that it was also the only way to leave without him killing her friends? And she didn't even know Apollo in a romantic way. The prophecy didn't mean anything!

Although it made her think. A slut to the gods..?

Lydia didn't have much time to reply or react out of her mind. A blur of colors zoomed towards Devon, pushing him onto the ground. Some campers started screaming "Fight! Fight! Connor's fighting Devon!"

Blood splattered over the once green grass while Connor continued beating the shit out of Devon. The son of Hermes was yelling something to Devon too, but nobody could hear it amongst the louder voices of the campers. Lydia did though. Even if she wished she couldn't.

Her stomach hurt, and she felt like throwing up. This whole scene reminded her of a movie night she once had with her mother. Lydia was about eight years old. Very smart for an eight year old at that, but Lydia had asked her a mother a question about the movie. Where a young girl in high school was dealing with rumors made up by people who just wanted to start things up.

"Mom, why are these guys making rumors about her?" Lydia had asked "She didn't even do anything except kiss a guy."

Her mother sighed "You'll figure it out one day, but that's what life is like for women. We've never been treated equally no matter what history tells you. We can't fight like men because we're all of us are supposed to be fragile. We're supposed to listen and do what we're told. Even if it's wrong. We've also been the subject of many wars, all because one man can't let us go and live with rejection. Look at Helen of Troy. She never truly loved her husband, and she fled with a man who did. Yet a war raged on for her during years. Many people died, but did Helen ask for people to die? She just wanted to be loved and happy."

"Still why?" Lydia said.

"Because, my sweet little girl. That's called being a woman. Womanhood."

Lydia's mother always had good beliefs, and she was a lot like her. Yet it was only one that she realized the truth. She wasn't even in high school. Still she was the subject of a romantic prophecy with Apollo, and a good friend of hers just fought someone in defense over a name that had been passed down to women for centuries.

She couldn't stand here any longer. Lydia decided to return to her cabin by the time Chiron and Dionysus arrived.