Demigods: The Curse of Zeus

Chapter 8

I shout over the noise the other campers make when Pierce kisses Alie's cheek, "Hey, guys! We're not done yet. Moshe, pick someone."

"Keandra," He smiles. I clap with excitement along with the rest of the campers. Keandra blushes.

"Well, Ken, truth or dare?" I demand.

As far as I know, I was the only person choosing dare and I am mixed between feeling proud and relieved by the fact that I am not as coward as I thought before. 

"Meredith Big-headed Barnes, I am certain that I know what's going inside that head of yours." Keandra smirks and takes a bite of her marshmallow. "Dare." 

In no way ever, Keandra. What a joy-killer.

"Why would you think I'm going to let you slip with an easy dare?" I raise my brow, earning excited gasps from the campers. 

A dare is not as exciting until one takes risk or swallows pride. And I personally think the first one spices up the game even more. Especially if it is your bestfriend doing it, imagine the chills and the satisfaction. And do you know what's more fun? Taking pictures—no, embarrassing pictures, fresh from the oven. Plus the fact that it can be used as a threat. Like, you better get me food or this will be in your boyfriend's phone in no minute.

 Speaking about phone, apparently Daedalus invented an anti monster phone that does not need to be charged and has maximum internet speed. Envy me, humans.

"You," I point to Ken, "I dare you to scream whenever anyone tries to talk to you. The dare ends in a solid twenty four hours." 

The crowd shouts. Well, finally an agreement.

"IN HADES' NAME, MEREDITH." Keandra cracks her knuckle. "Fine, only to campers." She sighed in defeat.

"I didn't know that you were the one making the rule! No, to everyone. To Chiron, Lilly the tree nymph, to naiads, to all the campers, to everyone. Everyone. Beside me, me only."

"Wha—"

"Uh-uh, nothing but scream." I cut off Keandra's words.

"Starting after the campfire, pleaseee?" She pleads with a pair of puppy eyes plastered on her face. Does she think I lost my mind? I have been her best friend for years and no, that's not happening. She can't trick me.

"Okay."

Yes, I'm weak like that.

"Whatever, I'm having a period cramp. Moshe, psht." She whines. "Moshe."

Well, I'm straight, but I think I have enough lovey-dovey for today. I'm starting to question the first statement though, as I find both men and women equally mesmerizing in their own way. I don't always tell people about this, because I know people can be complete bigots at times where the size of their mouth is four times bigger than their brain. Some people even shoved unnecessary opinions down my throat, and then asking me about how I am going to hell because of my personality and morever, preference, when I replied to them curtly because I was lowkey offended.

Like, maam, sir, my attitude is based on how you treat me, and my personality is who I really am. 

And about sexuality and preference, trust me, you don't have to call me greedy only because you are afraid of not catching any fishes in the sea. 

Maybe you should accept the fact that no one wants you, low quality things attract less (and mostly, none at all) customers.

When I'm finally back on earth, Moshe is already giving Keandra a piggyback ride. 

Luckily, Keandra is just a living embodiment of human skeleton. She is as thin as a feather and I think Moshe can carry her in no hesitation. It would be the exact opposite if it was me, I weigh the same with an elephant and we would tumble together where the muddy land catches us. 

So romantic.

"So I suppose I'd just drop you to your cabin and then go to mine to cook you food and bring you warm water and then I go back to your cabin so we can watch movie together?"

"Y—" Ken's eyes flicker to mine. "AAAAHH"

Moshe laughs and begins to walk to Ken's cabin, leaving a trail of flowers blooming behind his every footsteps.

"I take that as a yes."

And people start to leave, each by each, as the moon is high up the sky and the night is lulling everyone to their slumber.

Sleep tight, friends.

[][][]

"Mare!" I turn around to seek for the source of the sound, the darkness takes too much of my view that everything becomes blurry and I can't focus on anything. "Meredith!"

A small satyr named Khalisha runs to me, her petite goat legs jumping excitedly. "The huntress are here! The huntress are here!"

The mighty Artemis' huntress. Immortal fighters given the blessing from the goddess itself. Never in my life I have evidenced their existence, and I always wondered them as young female troops with muscles and neatly braided hair, golden aura shimmering around them. In the stories told, in order to be a huntress you have to pledge your fidelity to Artemis, accept the honor of immortality, and vow to not have any sort of relationship with boys.

Interesting, yeah, because boys are tiring and I get to fight like a badass while being immortal? Not a chance to waste.

"Mhm, where are they?" I smile and pat the small satyr's head.

"They are still inside the big house." She wrinkles her nose, "I want to sleep, bye!" 

I wave at her before walking to my cabin, climbing to the roof. This is my special place, a silent witness of my late night thoughts and my teardrop stains. Usually, I would go here and stargaze for hours with Petra and Ken, but Ken seems to enjoy the proximity of Moshe and Petra snores like a salamander infected with a lung disease.

Well, at least I am still alive and breathing.

I go back to my room to make a cup of coffee and grab my sketchbook before going back to the roof, ready to spend the rest of my night miserable and alone. Just when I'm about to sip my coffee the second time, I see someone from across my gaze, sitting above the Artemis' cabin just like me, her feet swinging back and forth, with spiky hair and shining silver bracelet on her left arm.

Thalia Grace,

The lieutenant of Artemis.

I can feel my coffee getting colder by the minute.