Malaina (Percy Jackson Next Generation) [UNDER SEVERE EDITING]

Chapter 3

M A L A I N A ---

My head is killing me. I try to open my eyes but the light is too intense so I try and make my headache go away instead. It doesn't work. Then I hear someone call my name. A boy. Desperate to see who the voice belongs to, I slowly open my eyes again and am relieved that the light has dimmed somewhat.

A dark hair, green-eyed boy is leaning over me and I realize he was the one who killed the vampire in my apartment. The one with the pen.

"Hello." He says.

"Hello." My voice croaks from dehydration. The boy hears and jumps up to get me a glass of water. I gulp it down sighing deeply when I feel it trickle down my throat. An older man with blonde hair comes over to me and asks if I'm all right.

"I'm good," I reply.

He smiles, "Good, please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything." With that he turns to leave and I focus my attention back on the green eyed boy and realize I have no idea where I am.

"Where am I?"

"Oh, this is Camp Half-Blood."

I blink at him, "Camp what?"

He blushes a bit. "I don't think I'm the right person to explain it. When you feel better you can go talk to Chiron."

"Can I go now? I feel fine, really." I sit up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. When I try to stand, my legs wobble and I fall back. Luckily the boy is stood behind me and wraps his hands around my arms, catching me before I can fall.

"Yeah, you seem fine." He teases me and I blush. He makes me sit back down on the bed and I pout up at him.

"Please can I go. Really I am fine. I just wasn't ready. How would you feel if you woke up in a strange place surrounded by strange people instead of your comfy bed?"

He looks down guiltily. "Alright, you can go." I smile and try and stand up from the bed again when he says, "But I'm going to carry you."

***

After a few minutes of bickering back and forth, I consent to let him carry me to the place he calls the 'big house'. As we move I can see kids about my age-some younger- fighting each other with swords. I was about to ask the boy when he declared, "Here we are."

I looked up. I can see where it got its name, I think.

"So, just go in and Chiron will explain everything." He shrugs putting me onto my feet but continues to support me with a hand around my waist.

"Who's Chiron? You mentioned him earlier."

"He basically runs the camp."

Before he can tell me anything else a brown hair kid runs up to him. "Hey Luke, Bianca sent me to get you, she needs to talk to you."

An unfamiliar feeling swells up in my chest. Jealousy. Who is Bianca? Is she his girlfriend? Shut up, I tell myself, you don't even know the guy, it doesn't matter if she is his girlfriend. I'm broken out of my thoughts when he- Luke- speaks again.

"So, you gonna be okay here Malaina? Think you can walk in?"

"I could have walked the whole way here." I say with my hands on my hips.

"But that wouldn't have been any fun." He smiles one last time before following the other boy away from the big house. I replay his words in my head and notice that he said my name.

"Hey!" I call out. Luke faces me again.

"What!?" He shouts back.

"How do you know my name!?" He chuckles to himself then runs back over to me, pulling something out of his pocket. My dagger. His cheeks turn red.

"I- um... I found it in your pocket. I assumed the engraving was your name." He says in a rush.
I take the dagger back of him and our fingers brush.

You know in romantic stories, when the girl's hand brushes the boy's and she feel's an 'electric shock' go through her body and it's so cliché that everyone rolls their eyes. Well prepare for the eye rolling because... I felt an electric shock go through my body. I'm just telling telling truth, that's what happened. And by the look in Luke's eyes he felt it too. We stay looking at each other for what feels like hours. Then the brown haired kid shouts at Luke: "come on already, would ya! I get enough of that from my parents!" This time we both blush and look away. I put the dagger back in my pocket and say goodbye to him before entering the house.

***

When I enter the house everything is silent. Then I hear a noise that sound that horse hooves.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" The first thing I see is a mans face, brown hair and brown eyes. But there's something unusual about him, he is extremely tall. Then I look down, and see that his torso is connected to a horses body. My mouth drops open. The horse- man thing raises his eyebrow at me.

"You- your... your a... a horse-man-thingie," I stutter. He chuckles and shakes his head.

"I think the proper word your looking for is centaur."

I nod repeatedly, "Right, of course, a horse-man-centaur." This time he explodes in laughter clutching at his stomach, but quickly recovers.

"Luke obviously didn't warn you about me." I shake me head.

"Didn't think so." He gestures to me to follow him and we walk into a room with an orange couch in.

"Please sit." I do as I'm told.

"Now, this may be a little hard for you to believe. But trust me, after I've finished, a lot of things will make sense."

***

He was right.

"All the myths, all the gods. There real?" I look to Chiron to confirm. His face makes me think he has done this a thousand times. Hell, he probably has.

"Yes." Is all he says.

"So when do I get claimed?"

"I don't know, probably tonight at the campfire, that's when most Demi-gods get claimed. The gods like to put on a show." I giggle a bit before a thought comes to mind.

"Chiron?"

"Yes, Malaina?"

"Do you know what happened to my parents?"

"I'm afraid not. I have did send some people over to see if they could find anything-"

"And?"

"Nothing."

Hope dies inside of me. Mom... Dad...

"Malaina, please, I don't want you to worry, we will find your parents."

I can only nod, not quite believing him.

Before he can say anything more a bell rings and I hear people start cheering outside.

"Well, that'll be dinner. How time flies when one's having fun, right?" My stomach growls at the mention of food and I stand up eager to eat.

Chiron holds out his arm to me. "Shall we?"