The Misfortunes of Being a Demigod

3 ~ Abnormally Normal

That evening, as the sun separated from the moon and stars, Malia felt something stir in the pit of her stomach. She looks around, her eyes lingering on the campers singing and making jokes. Her ears listen careful to Will Solace and Nico Di Angelo as Will brags about his boyfriend.

And for once, she doesn't feel like an outsider. She feels as if she belongs. As if she is home.

Malia shudders. She doesn't know whether to embrace the feeling or hide from it. For as long as she can remember, everyone has just been fake towards her. It was an endless cycle of fake smiles, fake laughs, fake friendships. Everyone here seems... Well, real.

They don't hide when Malia enters the room. They wave and holler like long lost friends although many of them have heard Grover's stories of the girl. Malia also wasn't sure how to feel about that either. For once in her life people weren't scared she was going to punch them or hang them from the flagpole.

The campfire has turned gold and risen twenty feet into the air. Malia assumes it's due to Will's excitement and joy. It wouldn't surprise her if he was the main reason why the campfire glowed in such positive emotion.

"Are you ready guys?!"

Malia looks from Will to Connor Stoll who stands so close to the flames, she's surprised his hair isn't tinged.

"Oh, don't tell me he is that stupid." Malia grumbles, running a hand through her hair.

Nico shakes his head. "You'd be surprised."

Connor Stoll leaps off the ground, soaring twenty feet into the air and hovering over the wicked flames as if it was the easiest task in the world; a trick he has master and perfected in his free time.

Hoots and hollers erupt from the crowd. That is, besides the Ares campers, who boo and throw pieces of popcorn at the levitating boy.

Malia watches, intrigued. Is that some sort of power the boy has? Impossible, she thinks. People can't just fly. Though, she is the daughter of some mythical goddess in the sky, so maybe nothing really is impossible these days.

As Connor flies down, Malia hopes a gust of wind would come out of nowhere and roast him into the inferno. Unfortunately, Connor Stoll does not turn into a marshmallow. He lands safely on the grown and throws his arms up in triumph.

After the campfire, Will insists on walking Malia to the Hermes cabin.

"Why are you doing this?" She asks.

Will looks nervous. "I just want to make sure you make it back safely.

Malia snorts. "More like you want to make sure I don't go to that party. Grover's orders?"

The satyr had left just after he found the teen, saying he had important business to take care of. Malia wishes he had stayed. As much as Grover can get on the girls nerves, she likes his company.

"No way! That would be crazy!" He fumbles over his words. Malia stares him down. "Okay, alright. Don't look at me like that! I'm just following orders."

"Look," She sighs, stopping in her tracks. "I really don't want to go, okay? I'm just going because that stupid Drew girl doesn't want me to. You should have heard how she was talking to me earlier!"

"She talks to everyone like that."

Malia shakes her head. "Not me."

Will huffs then steps away from her. "If you insist on going, go. Just please don't drink anything. Especially if Phillip or Pollux offers you something. Trust me. In the morning the infirmary is full of idiots. Chiron is oblivious and Mr. D doesn't care. I think he actually encourages it."