Percabeth and the New Camper - Discontinued ✖

Chapter 4

"So let me get this straight. This is a camp for Greek demigods, the Greek gods exist, by the way, you're a demigod, and so am I, meaning that one of my parents are not actually my real parents," I sum up. Nico nods. "You're taking this surprisingly well," he says, a hint of a humorous smile on his face. I shrug. "I dunno, I guess I always believed there was at least one god. Anyways, what am I supposed to do now? When can I go back home?" Nico grimaces. "Um, yeah, about that... You can't go back." "WHAT?!"

An explanation about how demigods are only safe here, Camp Jupiter, and on Olympus later, I'm standing with Nico in front of the Athena cabin. "Okay," Nico says. "I'm going to get Annabeth so that you can discuss where you'll be sleeping tonight. Got it?" "Sure," I say unenthusiastically. Noticing this, Nico says "Don't worry about Annabeth. She's just upset. She's spent her entire life fighting to stay alive, and then you come along and just throw your life out the window. I guess she just feels insulted that you don't care for what she fights for. Just try to be nice, okay?" I nod glumly. "Come on, let's go," Nico says encouragingly. 

Nico knocks on the door and it takes a moment for it to open, revealing Annabeth, with her hair tied in a messy ponytail. "You guys done already?" she asks cheerfully, although I can tell she's restraining herself from punching me in the face. I nod. "Annabeth, Marie-Loup has all her belongings in California. She also doesn't know where she'll be sleeping tonight yet either. I have archery now, would you please help her?" Annabeth looks me up and down for a moment, before saying teasingly "Sure, Nico. Have fun missing in archery, or will the archery teacher help you out?" Nico blushes and sticks his tongue out at her like a first-grader. "Whatever, Owl-face. I'll see you at dinner." He turns and leaves, giving Annabeth a warning look before he leaves. 

"So," Annabeth says. "You need clothes and stuff." "Yeah, I don't really want to walk around in this thing forever." She smiles forcefully at me before saying "Don't worry, we'll get you some clothes. Why are you wearing such a formal dress anyways?" She starts to walk away, but in a way that invites me to walk next to her, which I do. "School dance. Also I wanted to look nice for..well, you know why." She doesn't say anything for a while. Then she whispers "Why?"

I shake my head. "So many reasons... Let's just say that you might not have a perfect life, but at least people care about you. I had no one. No one cared about me. I may have had some friends, but they weren't...real, if you know what I mean. And then there was the whole drama with Charlie." She waits, but I don't continue. 

"You don't have to tell me, but..." She starts hesitantly. "Basically I liked him for about 3 1/2 years before he started going out with one of my 'friends' who also liked him." She stops and I turn around to face her. "SERIOUSLY?!?!" she yells. "YOU WOULD DO THAT BECAUSE HE-" "Oh, did I not mention the bullying? The depression? My Great-grand mother, who was most of the reason for why I stayed alive, dying? My sister's boyfriend dying? My sister dying? My mom trying to Over-dose herself? The way no one seemed to care if I did anything well, only if I did something wrong? Yeah, Annabeth. Death, depression, bullying and rejection seem like pretty good reasons for suicide in my opinion." At this point I'm shouting, although not as loud as Annabeth had been. 

"So, yes, I wanted to die when that all happened. Hasn't everyone wanted to die at some point or another? Life is pointless! So WHY CARRY ON WHEN IT'LL BE OVER SOONER OR LATER?! WHAT'S THE POINT IN-" I keep shouting at her, tears starting to pour down my face. Then I suddenly stop as a memory comes. Oh no, I think. Please not now. But it's too late. I fall to the floor and close my eyes as the memory of my sister's death returns. 

***

I am sitting in the shotgun seat of the car. We're going to San Francisco to meet up with our family friends. Even though I'm the younger sister, I still sit next to my mother, who is driving. Eva sits in the back, listening to music on her phone while I am playing the radio. My feet are up in front of me (I don't know what you call the thing in front of you in the car). I'm singing along to the radio, my mother humming along the way she usually does. I close my eyes and smile. Saturday. Finally. No more worrying about Toivo or Mattea or Charlie or anyone else. I push my hand through my hair the way I usually do. My left hand carefully traces the braids on the blue leather bracelet of my right hand. Everything is calm. But, like always, it ends horribly. There's a scream, the screech of tires, a crash, a sob, and then everything goes dark. I wake up as an only child.