Lies [Sequel to Secrets]

Part Nine:

Part 9:

"Oh, it's you." Zoe muttered, turning back to the ocean.

Charlie sat down beside her and set his gaze upon the water. They sat there, staring at the lapping waves and not talking for a while.

"I get the feeling that you don't like me." Charlie finally said, drawing an image of what looked like an arrow in the sand.

"That's ... one way of putting it." Zoe replied, pushing a loose strand of her black hair behind her ear.

"So what, you hate me? You barely even know me!"

"I don't care what you have to say." Zoe snapped. "And I don't hate you."

Charlie sighed. "Can we at least be friends?" He asked her. "Not, like, besties, but actual friends?"

"Look, I know this may sound weird, but the last time I tried to be friends with a cute guy, or well, more than friends, he almost killed me." Zoe started.

"You think I'm cute?" Charlie turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised.

"That's not what I meant." Zoe felt her cheeks heat up.

"You so did!" He yelled teasingly, laughing at Zoe's expression.

"Okay fine!" She cried, putting her hands up. "I'll be your friend, but first," she leant her chin on her hand and gazed at him. "I need to know more about you."

"Okay then, how about ten questions?" Charlie asked her. "You start."

"What's your favourite colour?"

"Green. Yours?"

"Blue. Is Alex your only sibling?"

"Nah, I have my younger brother Noah and a sister named Hayley. Do you always get up at five AM?"

"No, I just needed some breathing room. What's your favourite thing to eat?"

"Pizza or cheeseburgers. You?"

"Blue cookies. Cats or dogs?"

"Um, probably cats, because they're warm and fluffy." Charlie sketched a picture of a cat in the sand. "Do you play an instrument?"

"No. Do you?"

"Guitar. When's your birthday?"

"8th of March. You?"

"4th of February. Do you play any sport?"

"Swimming. You?"

"Archery. And sometimes cricket."

Once the sun had come up and the conch horn had blown for breakfast, Zoe had felt a little bit better about Charlie. He was a nice guy once you got to know him, he was totally unlike Zoe's first impression.

•••

Breakfast was full of chattering and forks scrapping against plates. Before everyone had started eating, each table got up one by one and cut a portion of their meals into a bronze brazier.

"It's sacrificing to the gods." Sammy explained to Zoe matter-of-factly.

"Okay, so you like, burn food to please the gods?" Zoe replied, scrapping a blue pancake into the flames.

"Yeah, the first day I was here, I didn't realise that you had to, until Silena came and tapped me on the shoulder." They sat back down.

"How long have you been here?" Zoe asked, shoving half a pancake in her mouth.

"Three days. It's a lot different then home." Sammy stared wistfully out into the forest, as if reliving a memory.

"What are we doing today?" Zoe asked Alex who was sitting across from her.

"Climbing wall, then archery after lunch." She said.

Charlie's eyes lit up. "I love archery!" A passing Apollo camper stopped and grinned.

"High five!" The camper cried, and him and Charlie slapped hands.
Zoe rolled her eyes.