୨⎯ GOOD GRACES ⎯ ୧ ☾P.J☽

34. Autumn Wheeler

PERCY AND TYSON were preparing their ass off to get the chariot ready, while the cabins were getting their own chariots ready.

A day had passed, meaning it was the time for the chariot race. People got their chariots ready.

"Charioteers, to your mark!" Tantalus spoke from his little microphone, "First team thrice around the track wins. Weapons allowed, dirty tricks encouraged."

"Oh. You skilled 'no killing'?" Dionysus asked, sitting on his chair.

Tantalus looked back at his microphone as he added, "Killing not so much, but things happen, et cetera, et cetera. I got 50 on Ares Cabin."

Erika sat alone, her eyes flickering around before she looked to the arriving chariot, "Is that Percy?" She asked, loud enough for the Chariot to get everyone's attention.

The crowd was surprised, looking at Percy and his Cyclops brother, Tyson.

Percy looked at Erika, as if waiting for her reaction but when she didn't say anything, he looked ahead again.

"Glory to Ares!" Clarisse screamed, as the Ares cabin repeated.

"Glory to Hermes!" Chris screamed, as the Hermes cabin, claimed and unclaimed, repeated.

"Glory to Athena!" Annabeth screamed, as the Athena cabin repeated.

After more glory to each other, the race FINALLY started, Clarisse quickly took many teams out.

Some even tripped and fell, well, that's just Erika putting some Hecate powers to use. Because why not? Tantalus said dirty tricks are encouraged.

The crowd was almost going wild before they stopped, looking up at the sky, they clearly noticed a lot of birds trying to break in, their screams echoing.

Clarisse pressed the button again as she drove her chariot closer, making Percy and the wheel to fall off, but Percy held on the chariot until Tyson pulled her up.

The birds managed to break in as it immediately directed the crowd, and they just covered their faces.

Not to brag, but Erika felt some sensation in her palms, she looked up and instinctively rose it up, feeling a purple hue escape her hands.

That huge kind of just took that dang bird away from the crowd, kind of shielding everyone with her powers, "I can't cover everyone!" Erika screamed, feeling like this curse of a magic was draining all of her energy.

Percy and Annabeth went to Chiron's office as they pulled out a radio as they began to play a song, making the birds actually stop trying to break in through Erika's barrier.

"Percy!" Noah yelled, pointing towards Erika.

"Erika!" Percy said, placing the radio on a table as he jogged his way towards Erika as soon as she was pass out.

"Hey, hey I'm here." Percy whispered to definitely his future missus.

The song certainly helped as the birds didn't try to break in from Erika's barrier now, but they began to fly away as they HATED the song. It was still a bop, though.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, holding his future missus by her arms before he pressed her against his chest, "It's okay, I'm here, I'm literally here." He reassured Erika.

Instead of pushing Percy away, she just stayed silent.

"Yo, take something." Noah said, handing her a bottle of water. And if Percy didn't know that Erika was Noah's sister, he would've just snatched the bottle from Noah with a stare.

"Thanks." Erika said, looking at the both of them as she took the bottle, pulling herself away from Percy.

"Everyone! In. Now!" Dionysus said as everyone began to rush inside of big house for a meeting.

Noah gave Erika a reassuring look as he began to walk away.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked, looking at Erika.

"Hm." She hummed, looking up at him, "I need to go." She added, following quickly after Noah, leaving Percy there, dumbfounded.

DIONYSUS just stood there, scratching his scalp as if baffled, "So," he began, looking from demigod to demigoddess, "That happened. And it was a lot. But as your camp director and as a parent, to... at least some of you, I solemnly promise that as soon as the repairs are done to the track, the chariot races will be rescheduled." He stated.

Tantalus's satyr clapped his hands as Tantalus stood up to speak when Dionysus was done with his speech.

"After consulting with the dryads," Tantlus began, looking at the campers, "I have learned that the barrier generated by Thalia's tree will not fail."

Murmures escaped camps, looking around and whispering to each other. Percy looked at Erika, watching her be cosy with some another girl called Maddy, or maybe Marliene, daughter of Aphrodite.

Wait. Did Erika come out as a lesbian? Is that why she started ignoring Percy? Is that why they've distanced themselves?

Percy just averted his gaze as Tantalus continued, "At least the next week at which point you will all have to run for your lives."

The crowd erupted into comments, as if offended by his speech, "Simmer down. No, simmer down, simmer down, and listen well, For the key to our survival has been foretold to me in a dream. Four of you must quest for the legendary Golden Fleece. Thirty, twenty-four, seventy-five, twelve. Those are the sailing coordinates to the island of Polyphemus. Our champion will brave the sea of monsters, steal this powerful treasure, and restore our borders to their full strength."

People just clapped their hands again, looking at Tantalus before Tantalus stopped them, "Thankfully, our choice of champion has never been more clear. When the camp was attacked, only two of you showed the strength and the courage to prevail against all odds. Clarisse La Rue and Autumn Wheeler."

Everyone got silent, "Autumn? Who's Autumn Wheeler?"

Clarisse stood up, confused, as Tantalus's eyes widened, "Oh, did I say the wrong name?" He taunted, looking directly at Erika, "Get up, now," he added.

Erika looked around before she looked over at Tantalus. "My name is Erika." She spoke.

"No, listen, after I did my research on you," Tantalus said, pointing towards Erika... or maybe Autumn, "Turns out, there's no one called 'Lovelace' but there was someone called Autumn Archibald, but before her stepfather died, they got their legal name changed to Autumn Wheeler." Tantalus said.

Erika, or maybe Autumn, looked around, "Can you not do this here?" She spoke.

Tantalus smirked, "You shouldn't have insulted me on the first day then," he shrugged, taking in everyone's shocked or surprised faces, "Autumn Wheeler and Clarisse La Rue." He repeated.

Everyone slowly began to chant Clarisse and Autumn, as Autumn looked over at Percy, then she just averted her gaze.... and throughout the whole time, she was just silent, not saying a word at all.