Meeting the Heroes Of Olympus

*XXXVIII* Bailey

Hi my name is Bailey and I live in the DACFD building. I know, a weird name. It's an acronym for Demigod Adoption Center Female Division. It means that the daughters of demigods or legacies put their babies up for adoption. I only knew my mother for a few years– clearly –and don't remember much. But after a few years of digging, I found out that I'm a legacy of Apollo and Aphrodite. Ironic, because I'm the least social, most goth/emo person in the orphanage. I also found out what happened to my parents. My mother was a model and my father was a doctor. They were going on a road trip with their newborn child (me) and when we all returned, we passed. By a burning building. My father was a brave and daring man. He stopped the car and went in. I've looked up this story on my phone (Let's just from now on presume that Leo and the Hephaestus kids started a company and the demigod phones are just mass produced) and it's been said that you could hear the screams from a mile away. When the former came, the first body they pulled from the building was that of my fathers, burned and unrecognizable. My mother was haunted by the nightmares and started to have frequent hallucinations. She was driven to insanity and forgot to feed me almost all the time. She was taken to a psych ward and I was delivered to an orphanage. I was then transferred here, somehow. You can see why I have trust issues and major anxiety. Like today, for example. Once a month we have an 'open house'. People come in and judge us, interview us, and possibly choose us to take home. No one chooses me, no one interviews me, and everyone judges me. My least favorite day of the year. I stand in the bathroom and look myself in the mirror. I am now a thirteen year old. No one wants a thirteen year old. Just a few more months. I tell myself. You see, part of the rules here at DACFD is that on your fourteenth birthday you can either transfer to Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter. I sigh. "Ow!" I exclaim as Paige pulls part of my hair back into a braid.
She just continues. When she is done, she pulls the rest of my hair back into a loose ponytail. I guess I'm not the only one who knows I'm not getting picked today. I head back to my room and change from my pajamaramas into my fancy lace dress. I hear the call for breakfast and quickly slip on some black flats. I enter the dining hall and sit down on my own. I sat on my own and eat my breakfast in silence.
***
I sit on my bed, fully engrossed into Cathching Fire. There is a knock at my door "Bailey. It's time. The first couple is here." Says Paige.
"Coming" I sigh. With a creak, I open the door. I enter the main room where we all try to show off and prove we are worthy of their adoption. The first couple entered. It was two boys, a blonde and one with black-dark brown hair in all black, the blonde with a bouncy personality and the black loving one not saying a word.
They stood with Paige and looked at everyone. I didn't bother. I sat next to the bookshelf and pulled out another copy of Catching Fire. I waited for someone to get picked. There was a whisper and a tap on my shoulder. I was expecting an ask for time or something. Looking up, I saw Paige. "Will and Nico would like to interview you." She said. I smiled, thinking of Nico. He reminds me of someone, though I can't put my finger on it.
I walk over to them. Rember to breathe. In. Out. In, out. In out. I close my eyes, preparing. This is the first time I've gotten interviewed. I sit in the seat next to them. "I'm Bailey." I shake hands with Will.
"Hi, I'm Will. This is my husband Nico. We wanted to know if you knew your godly heritage?"
"Apollo & Aphrodite as far as I know. However, I've been told that I'm more like Hades & Ares." I say.
Nico smiled, sitting up. "I'm a son of Hades. You remind me of my sister, Bianca." I get a flashback.
I looked down at my little brother and smiled. "I'll always love you Nico. Even if I'm a huntress. I'll always be there for you." I said.
He shook me off. "I don't want to talk to you." He began to storm off.
A tear fell from my eye. "Close your eyes, I know what you see. The darkness is high, and you're in ten feet deep. But we've survived, more terrible monsters than sleep. You know I will be there to tell you to breathe. You're my little soldier. The reason I live. Don't forget me. I'm watching over you. Stumbling lost; The last choice of all that you meet. It's the cost of ruling those beneath your feet. Paths you've crossed, those you're trying to keep. You're exhausted, listening for a voice that can't speak. You're my little shoulder. The reason I live. Don't forget me. I'm watching over you. So you run, through shadows you roam. Seams undone by the love you thought you could own. But he's just one of the many that you might call home. Maybe one day, the bitter will fade from your bones, fade from your bones." I sing.
Next thing I know, Nico has me wrapped in a hug. "I love you, piccolo soldato."
"I'm a son of Apollo. Do you sing?" Will asks. I nod. "Would you like to sing something for us?"
I smile. "Happy to." Nico locks eyes with me. I smile. I know just what to sing. "Chiudi gli occhi, so quello che vedi. L'oscurità è alta e sei di dieci metri di profondità. Ma siamo sopravvissuti, mostri più terribili che sonno. Sai che sarò lì per dirti di respirare. Tu sei il mio piccolo soldato. Il motivo per cui vivo. Non dimenticarmi. Sto guardando su di te. Inganno perso; L'ultima scelta di tutto quello che incontri. È il costo di governare coloro che sono sotto i piedi. I percorsi che hai attraversato, quelli che stai cercando di mantenere. Sei esausta, ascoltando una voce che non può parlare. Tu sei la mia piccola spalla. Il motivo per cui vivo. Non dimenticarmi. Sto guardando su di te. Così si corre, attraverso le ombre che viaggiano. Le cuciture annullate dall'amore che pensi di poter possedere. Ma è solo uno dei tanti che potresti chiamare a casa. Forse un giorno, l'amara svanirà dalle tue ossa, svanirà dalle tue ossa" I finish, and realize everyone is looking at me. I blush.
Nico breathes out. "Bianca." I run over to him and we hug. "I love you, piccolo soldato." He said.