[ the second book in the drops of sunshine series ]
As much as she ended up loving her first one, AJ Hood never wanted to go on another quest. But somehow, she ended up on one anyway. And this time, it's not going to have a pretty ending... but at...
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~ ☼ ~
Fighting a vampiric monster across the street from my high school was not how I planned to start my summer.
The last day of school was supposed to be normal. I'd ride my bike there, as usual, return all my text books, go through class one last time, and say goodbye to the few acquaintances I had. Then, my mom was going to pick me up and drive me to Camp Half-Blood for my first official full season.
My siblings - Alec Thompson and Riley Brown, along with Lee Fletcher - said they were excited to see me last time we talked on the forums on myspace. And I was excited to go, despite every gray cloud that loomed over the present.
I had my sword packed into my violin case, my clothes and toiletries in my backpack, and a sense of adventure in my heart.
Okay, that's a little too corny.
Still, the truth was, I felt positive about the upcoming summer. More Capture the Flag, more delicious food, more nights spent around the campfire with my friends... it sounded like a dream come true. Except for the fact that titans were currently rising and trying to start a war that would kill us all.
But I was trying to be more positive. Not focus on the fact that we were all in danger. Maybe that's just another way to describe running from my problems, but to fit into Cabin 7, I kind of had to be like that. The amount of times my siblings would sing Alive, Awake, Alert, Enthusiastic last summer proved 99% of them were eternal optimists. So I was optimistic too.
And then I ended up in a sword fight before I even left Highland Falls.
Shoot. Why do I keep starting like this? I should back track. But where to start?
I guess I'll begin on the morning of the last day of school, when I was riding my bike to class and nearly ran into Lucas Burgess.
He was standing in the middle of the sidewalk as I rounded a corner, his back to me. Across from him, talking, were Kiera Bane and Aria Nalau'i.
I braked so hard I was worried my tires would catch on fire, and exclaimed, "Lucas?"
He turned, his brown hair waving a little in the wind. Surprise, and then sheepishness, spiraled in his stormy eyes. "Hi, AJ," he said slowly, as if bracing for a mean reply.
"Uh..." I looked between him and my other acquaintances. Aria had a tight, polite smile on her face, her woodland hair pulled up in a ponytail and a bow case slung across her back. Kiera, meanwhile, was raising her eyebrows expectantly, though I had no idea what she was expecting.
