The Complicated Life of Emily Jones - Based off of Percy Jackson

Chapter Three - Surprises at Dinner

The Hermes folk were all really nice to me. They tried to steal my things, but other than that, they were nice people. I've made a few friends at dinner within the Hermes cabin. Alexa Plussau- an artist who steals all of the supplies she needs; Ben Stoll- Travis Stoll's son who is just as sneaky as his father and uncle, Connor Stoll; and Penny Maynard- she helped her mom deliver the mail before she was summoned to Camp Half Blood.

I grabbed some food from the front- a small bowl of freshly picked strawberries beside two fluffy waffles smothered with syrup. Breakfast for dinner was my absolute favorite. I walked back to the table and was about to bite into the waffle when Alexa stopped me.

"You can't eat yet."

"Why not?" I asked. I was starving and I could hear my stomach start to growl.

"You have to toss the best portion--a small portion, but still the best portion--into the bonfire and say a little prayer to your parent first. They like the smell." Alexa explained.

"Alright." I walked with my plate to the bonfire in the center of the mess hall. I picked the biggest, ripest, juiciest strawberry and tossed it into the bonfire. I thought that the mixture of foods being tossed into the bonfire would smell horrible. Boy, was I wrong! It smelled like lavender, vanilla, orange, mint... It was an amazing experience. I folded my hands and prayed to my parent silently. "Dad, whoever you are, please claim me soon. It would mean a lot to me. And, I hope you like the strawberry I gave you." I walked back to my table with the Hermes folk and bit into the huge fluffy waffle. It was so delicious!

"Are you thirsty?" Ben asked me.

"Yeah. I guess I am." I answered.

"Well, just take the cup in front of you, say what you want to drink, and it'll appear. No alcoholic stuff though. It's forbidden." He winked mysteriously and gestured for me to try it.

I gave this no thought at all. I needed something to warm my throat after that delectable waffle. "A Starbucks Peppermint Mocha." The glass filled itself magically.

"Try it!" Ben grinned that devilish Hermes kid grin. I took one sip.

"Perfect. Just perfect." I enjoyed more of my favorite drink while eating the waffles and strawberries.

Chiron stomped his hoof on the marble floor to gain everyone's attention.

"Hello campers! You all know Mr. D has still not been able to drink wine. Poor Mr. D." The fat man in the hawaiian shirt from before was apparently Mr. D. He looked bitter. He probably hated his job. "I have a few announcements. Number one: we have two new campers. Nick Parker, son of Athena," Nick stood up as a few campers clapped and greeted him. "and Emily Jones, yet to be claimed and is temporarily staying in the Hermes cabin." I stood up and waved. Nick winked at me. I felt as though my heart would jump out of my chest. "Number two: Capture the Flag will be held in three days. Listen for the conch horn!" Cheers erupted from the crowd of campers.

Just then, the crowd all gasped and stared at me. I was blushing. I've never had this many eyes look upon me at once before. Then, I realized why they were staring at me. A glowing golden bow and arrow was shining above my head. Chiron bowed to me as he did to Nick earlier. Most of the campers did the same.

"All hail Emily Jones, daughter of Apollo, god of archery, healing, music, poetry, prophecy, and the sun." I was beaming. Apparently Apollo heard my prayer and liked that strawberry. Nick smiled at me again and made my heart skip a beat. "Ryan, please escort Emily to Cabin number seven when dinner is over."

"Yes, sir." A boy with stunning blue eyes (like mine) and blonde hair (like mine) said. He must be Ryan.

Dinner continued for another ten minutes or so. The campers started heading to their cabins with their half siblings. Ryan escorted me to Cabin #7. My eyes were astonished as to what I saw. Cabin #7 definitely resembled that Apollo was the god of the sun. It glowed faintly in the darkness of night, but Ryan told me to wait until I saw it in the morning. He said it glowed like the sun, but no one could decide whether or not the cabin was reflecting sunlight or generating its own.

Inside Cabin #7, my half sister, Molly, showed me where I'd be sleeping and keeping my things. On my bed, there were already two orange Camp Half Blood t-shirts, two pairs of blue jeans, and two pairs of jean shorts. On the small night table next to the bunk bed was a new notebook with my name on it and a box of freshly sharpened pencils beside it. Molly explained to me that I could now write poetry whenever I desired. She also briefly showed me the instrument corner or the cabin. I was awed. I now knew why I loved expressing myself through music and poetry. It wasn't all just because I chose to live my life that way; it was because my father was Apollo. I was going to like being an Apollo kid. I'm sure I was.