The Child of Hera

Chapter 25-Birdie

Birdie woke up feeling like schist.  Her mouth was dry, and she had the worst headache ever.  She got up and walked to her closet.  She looked in the mirror on the front of her door.  Ugh.  She was more pale than usual, and her lips were unbearably chapped.  Little crusties had taken over her eyes, and her hair looked like a rat decided that it was a nice place to start a family.  She was still wearing her clothes from yesterday.  Had Luke seen her like this?

"Uuuugh," she groaned, and pulled herself over to the bathroom.  She quickly showered and dried her hair with a towel.  Her wings were insanely heavy with water.  How were you supposed to dry them?

Birdie decided to try something.  She stretched her wings out to full length, and shook them, like she was a dog.  Water flew everywhere.  When she was done, the room looked polka dotted with water splashes.  Birdie walked back over to her closet mirror, and realized, to her horror, that her wings were puffed up like...she didn't even know.  Elch.  At least they were dry.

She looked in her closet, to find out what she was going to wear.  Then she remembered that everything in her closet would make her look like she was going to a gala.  Ugh, she thought.  Maybe Piper had something she could borrow.

She pulled on one of the dresses and her jacket, hopefully it was too early for anyone to see her.  Grabbing her bracelet/whip, she trudged over to the Aphrodite cabin, and Drew answered the door.

"Why are you dressed like that?" she asked in a snooty voice.  

Birdie rolled her eyes.  "Just let me see Piper," she said.

"I don't know...You're sort of being rude.  Give me a reason."

"Piper!" she called over Drew's shoulder.

"Birdie?  Come in!" yelled Piper from somewhere in the cabin.

She smiled smugly at Drew, who reluctantly moved out of the way.  Birdie walked over to Piper, who was making her bed.

"Help me!  Everything that Queen Cow Face gave me to wear looks like it came off of the cover of a magazine," Birdie groaned.

Piper just laughed.  "I can see that.  Here," she said, handing her some jeans and a camp half blood T-shirt.  "These might be a bit big, but I'm sure you'll manage.  You can keep them."

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" said Birdie, and she tackled her in a hug.

She ran off to go change.  Maybe it was the magic of the wings, but as soon as Birdie tried to pull on her shirt, it simply appeared on her, with holes in the back for her feathery limbs.

After she was done, she sat down on her unmade bed and picked up her journal.

April 23

Ok, so I was unconscious for 5 days, and then yesterday I fell asleep on the beach with Luke next to me.  Oops.  My point is, I have good excuses for not writing in a while.

Last night I had a nightmare.  It started out with Daddy dying, and shifted into me being accepted into my first gang, to the first time I killed and innocent person.  Ick.  That's normal though.  I dream about those things all the time.  What really freaked me out was the last scene. I was rushing into the infirmary for some reason, and I saw Luke on one of the beds.  He was pale and wasn't breathing.  Will looked at me, and I knew that he was dead.  I tried to rush toward him, but someone held me back.  I started thrashing and screaming for Luke.  He couldn't be dead.  I couldn't allow it.

Then I woke up to find him gripping my wrists, very close to my face.  When I saw him, I was instantly relieved, but part of me still saw the pale version, lying dead on the bed.  He held me.  That was all that mattered, because he was there, and not lying dead.  I really wanted to kiss him.  I admit it.  I like Luke.  

Well, goodbye.  I'm so glad that journals don't know how to tease.  Adieu.

Birdie put her journal down and hurried to breakfast.  She piled up her plate with eggs, sausage, pancakes, bacon, two english muffins, and strawberries, all smothered in maple syrup.  It was then that she realized that she hadn't eaten anything for almost a week.  Yikes.

She sacrificed two strawberries to her mother, despite their argument.  She was still her mom, even though she was a ridiculous excuse for one.  She sat down to find the seven and Calypso sitting at her table.

"Erm, sup?  Aren't you all supposed to sit at different tables?"

"Oh Birdie, no one follows those rules," said Hazel.

She knew this, of course.  But still, after last night, she would've liked to be alone.  Or maybe with Luke.  Whichever.

"So," said Piper, leaning in, "spill."

Birdie raised an eyebrow in pretend ignorance.

"Oh don't pretend like you don't know," said Calypso, "What happened with you and Luke last night."

Birdie frowned.  She knew they were going to ask about it, but that didn't mean she had to answer.  She knew how to change the subject.  She reached out to touch Percy's forehead.

"Nope," he said, dodging, "Luke said not to let you touch our heads.  You'd find out what we're planning for your party."

"Thanks for stating the obvious," said Annabeth.

"You're welcome.  It's what I do best."

"On a different note, who's on who's team for capture the flag tomorrow?" asked Frank.

Annabeth pulled out a note from her pocket.  "Athena, Aphrodite, Poseidon, Zeus, Hecate, Dionysus, Apollo, and some others," she read aloud, "Versus Ares, Hermes, Hephestus, Demeter, Hades, and, again, others."

"Who's team am I on?" asked Birdie.

"You can be on ours," said Annabeth, "Offense."

"Awww.  Why does she get to be offense?" Percy whined.

"Because we need you defending the creek, seaweed brain.  Duh."

Percy pouted.

"Can't wait!" said Birdie enthusiastically.  Hopefully, they would be to busy to remember her birthday.

"Don't worry," said Leo, "We'll have your birthday party after lunch, or during.  Whichever."

Yippie.

Hahahahaha!  Can't wait for capture the flag.  This is going to be the best birthday ever!