Out of Nowhere

Chapter 15

I take my usual morning swim the next day and spot Nico on the dock around 6:15. I get out of the water and retrieve my clothes, pulling my shorts on and throwing my shirt over my shoulder. I sit down next to Nico.

"I feel like I don't know anything about you," I confess to him.

"Don't even suggest 20 questions, I might loose it," he grumbles.

"At least tell me what your favorite season is?" I ask.

He looks at me, "Why that?"

I shrug, "It seems to tell me a lot more about a person than what their favorite color is."

He nods and contemplates his answer, "Fall, I guess, because everything dies. I know that sounds bad, but I'm connected to death no matter what. When everything around me is dieing, then I can't feel the individual deaths of humans, helping me not to think about it."

I sigh. I wish his life didn't have so much to do with death. Sometimes, it's just too sad.

"My favorite season is summer. It used to be winter because that's meet season, but my sister died during the winter. After my sister's death, I thought that it was impossible for anything to die during the summer," I answer quietly.

We sit in thought for a while before another question begins itching the back of my mind. "Nico, do you like being around water? I know you don't like being in it, but around it?"

"Yeah," he answers, still deep in thought.

"Why?" I ask, just above a whisper.

He doesn't answer for a long time, and I believed he wasn't going to answer at all, until he starts talking.

"The water is neither dead nor alive. I will never detect a life force from it, and will never feel it die. Water seems to be in its own realm, not on the side of life or death, just like it's not really on the side of good or evil. Sure, your dad can control it and he's on the side of good- so are you and Percy- but the element water can never take a side. I can sit here on the dock, almost surrounded by water and I can feel very little from the human world."

"Wow," I breath. That really puts things into perspective and starts me thinking about our intertwined fates.

We sit there for so long, it feels like time is frozen around us. I look down at the water, the thing that's such a huge part of my life. It makes me realize how important water is to every living thing. I consider myself a bit unlucky. It would be harder for me to survive on little water. I imagine if I could never swim again and shutter, I could never live that way. But what if I have to? If the gods lock Nico and I away, I probably won't be allowed to swim.

I suddenly grab Nico's arm, "We can't stay on Mount Olympus."

There's a confused look on his face when he turns toward me. "Why is that suddenly a bad option? I've been to Olympus, and it's quite spectacular, though really bright. Annabeth redesigned it really well, I mean-"

"I'm sure we wouldn't be free to roam Olympus," I say, interrupting his rambling.

He nods, still looking at me, but then his eyes drift down, not inappropriately, but taking in my outfit of a swim suit and shorts. Then his eyes drift from me to the water and he registers my problem.

"You probably couldn't swim on Olympus, but surely you can go a while without swimming," but his expression is uncertain. I bite my lip.

"I don't know, Nico. Ever since I could keep my head above water, I rarely had a day that I didn't go swimming. My mom knew who my father was and she never missed a chance to let me swim. She literally took me every day after school before I was on a swim team, my uncle even owned the public pool in our town."

His uncertain look turned to half annoyance, half worry, "While you're safe here, you should try to go without swimming every day. We need to know how it'll effect you."

I nod and quickly flip around so I'm laying on my stomach on the dock. I brush my fingers over the surface of the water. "Miss it all ready," I grumble with a grin.

Nico laughs, "Come on, let's eat breakfast."

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I lay in bed, staring at the bunk above me, and listening to Percy's snores. This will be my second day deprived of swimming. Yesterday went pretty well, I just had to stay away from the beach so I didn't think about it. Climbing the rock wall did the trick. It took me all day of trying, but I got to the top halfway between lunch and dinner.

The excitement of the wall is gone now that I'd conquered it, so I don't know what I'm going to do today. I fidget with my fingers, laying here in bed agitating my ADHD.

I jump out of bed suddenly, not being able to stand it any longer. I pull on my regular clothes- swim suit, basketball shorts, and a t-shirt. Just because I can't swim doesn't mean I'm going to leave out my faithful suit.

I walk out of the cabin, already changing my goggles into a sword. I'm going to train until I'm hungry. That probably wouldn't be long because I'm always hungry, but anyway.

I try out several techniques that are newer to me on the dummies, glancing at my watch every time I ruin one.

Time passes extremely slowly. It reminds me of the Titan Kronos. I studied him when we did Greek mythology. His domain was time, he could slow it down or speed it up and I always jokingly prayed to him during boring exams. When I got here I heard the stories of how he tried to raise an army and all. It was really cool how Percy, Annabeth and Grover defeated him. I really wish I had been here then.

Finally the conch horn blew and I run up to breakfast.