The Third Camp

Chapter eighteen: Carrie

I sat down at my desk after making sure that Grace and I had plenty of time before breakfast. Someone came in the door. I recognized him as Max.

"Oi mate, you look like you didn't sleep a wink last night." He laughed.

"I didn't." I laughed along with him. "So, any new news?"

"Yeah, looks like there's some new demigod in Kansas, so what do you want to do?"

"You can pick someone to go with you." I shrugged.

"Ok, I'll take Doleo, she's pretty good at calmin' down the new blood." He laughed and started to walk outside again.

I heard a thud come from Grace's room.

"What'd you do?" I yelled to her.

She groaned and replied, "I-I think I fell."

"How can you think that you fell?" I laughed just thinking of the absurdity.

"Well, I'm not sure, I woke up with a bump on my head and I was laying on my door floor."

"'Door floor'?" I repeated, confused.

"Yeah." She opened her door and stepped out, clutching her head.

I got up and walked over to the freezer.

"Catch." I threw her the ice pack and she caught it with her free hand.

She was still dressed in her clothes from last night.

"I was just watching Nep-"

"No, don't mention her." I ordered.

"Fine, fine. Well, I was watching someone when something broke the image and threw me across the room. I tried to reconnect but it wouldn't work!" She threw her arms up in exasperation.

Was Neptuna okay? Had something gone wrong with her? Questions swirled in my mind but I didn't want Grace to know that I worried about Neptuna.

"Are-are you okay?"

"Really? You aren't going to ask about Courtney? Did you fall on your head too?" she yelled.

"No! I didn't! Now just— Just tell me what happened." I took a deep breath and covered my face with my hands.

"No, because then you'll worry."

"I'm already worrying!" I moaned. Why am I worrying so much?

"I know."

"No you don't! You don't know what this feels like, not knowing what's gone wrong! You don't know how much it hurts!" I accused her, glaring through my fingers.

"You sound heartbroken."

"I— I'm not heartbroken!" I hissed at her.

"Oh, I was just telling you so that not everyone in Camp Ops knows that their 'all powerful leader' has girl problems." She smirked at me.

"I don't have girl problems." I shot.

"Oh really?" She brought out a mirror and pointed it at me.

My normally partially-messy hair was mega-messy. My face was pale and I was sweating. I groaned and messed up my hair even more.

"Weirdo." Grace laughed.

"I know." I joked.

"Go get yourself cleaned up." She crossed her arms.

It sounded like an order but she made it sound like a joke. I got up and walked into my room to get cleaned up. After taking a shower and getting dressed I threw on my watch and brushed my hair. After carefully putting on my praetor's cape I went back to my desk.