The Daughter of Artemis ψ Percy Jackson

Ch. 1: Cherrie's House

     "My name is Cherrie," The lady grinned at me, pulling some keys out of her pocket and opening the front door to her small, suburban home. I had to agree that her name matched how she looked perfectly with her fiery, red hair and rosy cheeks. I also noticed that she couldn't be a day over twenty-five.

     "Olive," I blurted out, realizing that we hadn't even introduced ourselves. "My name is Olive, but I also go by Oli," I produced a half-smile for her, still not sure why she was being so nice. People were never genuinely nice unless they wanted something from you, or that's what I'd come to learn over my short, fifteen years of life.

     "Ah! Olive! The fruit of the gods, aye?" She chuckled.

     I attempted to chuckle with her humor but ended up feeling rather uncomfortable. 'Better than my full name, Olivia.' "Eh, Cherrie? Don't take this the wrong way..., but, why are you inviting me into your home?" I gestured to the open door. The scene made me a bit nervous, but over the few years of living on the road, I'd come to accept help from anyone who offered. There had been the occasional pervert, but I soon learned how to handle myself in a fight, plus, I had been unusually lucky in the people I had met on the streets.

     Cherrie broke my thought pattern with an understanding smile. "It's a long story, lassie. Which, I'll tell ye over something warm. Maybe ye can share yer own tale. I'm sure it's a mouthful."

     I nodded in agreement with her plan and we walked into her toasty house. It was nice and warm, painted with autumn colors. Each room was a different shade of the season, matched with dark, hardwood flooring.

     "I'll show ye to yer temporary room," She grinned and led me down an auburn hallway, stopping at a cherry wood door and pushing it open delicately.

     It was a beautiful room. The walls were painted a sunset orangish red with a cherry wood bed that had cream colored sheets. The carpet was a chocolatey brown and brought warmth to the whole room. Also, there was a window which opened up and had, I assumed, an amazing view of the moon when the weather was better. The window had a fairly large window sill, so someone could sit and read, or just watch the night skies, something I had grown fond of during my traveling.

     "This'll be me daugh'ers room when she's old enough!" Cherrie grinned, breaking me from my scattered thoughts. "I'm sure she won't mind if you break it in for her."

     "Thank you. So much!" I shook my head and turned in a circle, welcoming the full view of the room. I had never slept in a room this elegant before, my family never had much money.

     "Do you like tea or coffee?" Cherrie asked, flooding her hands over her stomach. "It's probably time I explained, yeah?"

     I nodded, encouraged towards her character by her generous hospitality. "No one has ever been this kind to me in a long time. And, whichever you prefer, I guess."

     "Okay! Tea 'tis then. Can't have coffee when yer pregnant, ye know." Cherrie rubbed her baby belly, a proud smile encasing her face. "Oh, there is a shower down the hall that ye can use, and I don't know if ye have any clothes in tha' backpack o' yers, but I can wash wha'ever you do have." She spoke rapidly as if afraid I would feel threatened by her and run out the door. "I'll bring ye some clothes that may fit ye in the mean time." Then she left, sparing me one last, happy glance.

     I shrugged off my backpack that held my tent, a few pairs of clothes I'd lifted from different stores, and a wad of emergency cash that contained three hundred and twenty-six dollars from bills that I had both collected off of the streets and from random, careless people's pockets. I pulled out my clothes, annoyed to find that they were all soaked, but I knew they needed a good washing anyway.

     "Here's what I think may fit ye," Cherrie came in carrying a bundle of clothes, which she set on the bed. "I'll take the things that need to be washed, and there is a towel waiting for you in the bathroom." Cherrie grinned and was gone again. The strange thing was, this didn't even feel weird, sharing a house with a total stranger. I felt secure, I felt as if I had known her forever.

     I took a long shower, trying not to ask myself when the last time I had taken one was. When I was finished, I shrugged on the borrowed clothes, tugging on the baggy sleeves and rolling them up past my elbows, managing to keep everything together despite the size difference. Thankfully, Cherrie had been considerate enough to provide me with a belt, otherwise the pants may not have stayed up. The pant legs were too short for me, but the size was a bit too big, an odd fit really. 

     Once I had the clothes on, I spared myself a small, withering glance in the mirror of the bathroom with my dark blue eyes, taking in my thick, pitch black, damp curls that were already beginning to take over my scalp despite the fact that I'd only just gotten out of the shower.

     Cherrie called from across the house, her light voice interrupting my assessment of myself. "Which do ye like? Black tea or green tea?"

     "Uh," I didn't recall ever having any kind of tea other than Earl Grey that my grandmother had seemed to enjoy."It doesn't matter!"

     We sat down at the kitchen counter and she set my tea in front of me. Gingerly, I slid the cup into my hands and I took a sip, "Thank you, for everything. Now, why are you doing this?"

     Cherrie sighed and looked up to the ceiling. I waited and heard some thunder roar outside.

     "When I was little, about three or four, me mum died of liver cancer. It killed me pop. He was so depressed in fact, a little af'er I turned eight, he killed himself, shot in the head. Tragic," She paused and took a sip of her tea.

     "I'm so sorry. I never knew my dad, so really I only lost one parent," 'And Penny,' I reminded myself.

     Cherrie sadly smiled at me, something bubbling in the back of her eyes I could not understand. "Anyway, I went into an orphanage with a lot of nas'y kids. So mean, they'd tear your face righ' off. But, after I turned twelve, a woman came and adopted me. She told me her name was Artemis, like the goddess. She asked me if I wanted to learn new things. She took me in." Cherrie grinned, her eyes in a far off memory. I could tell she was not telling me everything, but the story was enough to show me where her character truly was.

     "Now, I'm not sayin' I'ma adopt ye, but yer welcome to stay here however long ye want. I know what it's like to not have anyone there for ya."

     "Thank you," I whispered and stared at the churning and bubbling storm outside the window.

     The rest of the night remained very quiet, and I went to bed soon after. 

(the rest of this hasn't been edited in 5 years)

{shit I'm getting old}