Forest Sisters

pic pockets and initiation, yay.

Helena's POV

I stares around in amazement, fear, nervousness, confusion, wonder. So many men, or, more specifically, boys. The food court was full to the brim, and, to my outstanding amazment, half of them were male. Half! I had never even seen this many men, much less in one place at one time. Artemis had always been protective of me and I only saw the few men we encountered from a far distance away, mainly behind a line of hunteresses. But now they were everywhere. Annabeth was guiding me through the tables, and finally stopped right in front of an overflowing table. Campers were pretty much falling off the benches, and all of them had a mischievous look about them. I watched as one of them reached into another campers pocket and took out a wallet, while another camper from the table was doing the same thing to the thief.

Soon one of the campers finally noticed us and bumped a red head. "Yo Conner, we got some fresh meat."

I stood up straight, ready for an attach. I stood ready, when he did the last thing I expected. He stood up and hugged Ivy. I stared in amazement as he hugged her, as if they were old friends. Then he turned to me, arms wide. I didn't know how to react, so I did the first thing that came to mind. I grabbed one of his arms and flipped him over my back and smack into the table. The whole camp fell into a hush. One of the tables from the back all stand up and start clapping. They all look rough looking and are cheering me on. I guess they're the Aries cabin. Some other people start clapping, and even some slap me on the back.

I loosen up and let Conner go. I expect him to be upset, but when he stands up again he is laughing. He scratches the back of his neck. "I probably deserved that. Don't worry, I never plan on keeping them. Well, at least not forever." I stand there confused. What was he talking about? He must have seen that I was confused, because he pulls out a worn brown wallet. "I usually take these from the new campers. You know like initiation." He's a thief! I think. Then I see the name on the wallet. Ivy.

I open my mouth to say something, but before I do I notice something else. There's a piece of paper sticking out of the top. I take it out, and written on it is Stealing from a thief? RUUUDE! I look over, and sure enough Ivy's Laughing. I stare at her. She just smiles and pulls another wallet out of her back pocket. On it reads the name Conner. Conner sees it and starts patting his body. He stares at her. "Bu- how could yo- what? How'd you pick me. No one knows where I hide it." Ivy only smiles. "Don't worry," she says, "I won't tell." Everyone at the Hermies table starts to laugh. One pure camper was laughing so hard he fell off the bench and onto the ground.
Well, I think, that's one way to make an entrance.

-

After all the laughter and introductions are done, I am forced to take the only spot open, wedged in between two boys. They are laughing and spitting food at the same time, telling jokes and stuffing their faces. I absolutely hate it. I sit there awkwardly, missing my meals I shared with the huntresses. I barely notice the food on my plate, only eating a little. I didn't have much of an appetite when I was surrounded by so many boys. This just didn't feel right to me.

Well, I think to my self, at least I'm not the only awkward one. Ivy's sitting across from me, and I can tell she is trying to be as unnoticeable as possible. I don't really blame her. Who would be comfortable when there are so many boys around?

I secretly watch her as she eats. She seems to be stuffing all the food she can into herself, and to my amazement I watched her take some rolls and other parts of the meal and stuff it in her bag. I glance around, but it seems no one else has noticed. Everyone is too rapped up in their own lives to notice hers.

I watch her out of the corner of my eye. First lesson of survival, observe then approach. I sat there, playing with my food while she was stuffing everything she could in. What was going on? I decide to ask her. "Hey, um . . ." Wow, I feel smart. I can remember equations and attach strategies just fine but I can't remember a stupid name. Was it lily? Maybe Hannah? There are a lot of Hannah's around, but she doesn't look like a Hannah to me. Think, THINK! Wait, I got it! "Ivy!" I shout. The whole table goes quite and looks at us. Oops.

Ivy is now bright red and slumped down in her chair. I guess she doesn't like attention. Soon the whole table goes back to their conversations, but I know that they are still ease dropping. When your in the middle of a table of theives you will always have some of them ease dropping, hopping to pick up on a secret. I try to ignore it and decide not to ask Ivy about her food herd. I guess I'll just have to approach her later. To be a good Hunter, you must be patient.

-

Just as people started to get up to leave, a loud horn blows and all the campers freeze with, well, I think respect. I look up at where the sound had come from, and Chiron stands there, with Percy, another women holding a baby, and awkward looking man, and Poseidon. Chiron clears his throat and every one listens. "Today," he says in a loud and commanding voice, "for the first time in generations, we will be having a baby blessed by Poseidon him self. He will be blessing Hope Blowfish." Percy stands tall and has a huge smile on his face. Now I understand who the baby is. She's . . .

To be continued.