The Life of a Demigod

Chapter 9

The darkness was unbearable. No matter what direction I looked there, was nothing to see, nothing to smell, hear, or touch. Just space that shouldn't and doesn't exist. Suddenly, I was in a meadow. The scent of strawberries was being carried in the breeze. There was a warm feeling that the scene before me gave off.

The feeling changed. I looked around only to realize that there were no strawberries. No buildings from the camp that I recognized, no buildings at all. There was a new smell in the air. Like smoke. And a greater intensity of heat. The smell of moldy earth mixed with the heat and made me gag. I couldn't breath in this air. I fell to the ground trying to breath but no breath came.

I woke up with a gasp and sat up suddenly. Breathing heavy, I looked at my lap and saw that there was no grass around. No burning earth and no more smokey smell. I was back in the infirmary with its clean air that I never thought I'd miss.

"Riley?" I looked towards the voice and saw Alex.

"Oh, hi Alex."

He sighed. "You really need to stop getting hurt. That's been every day that you've got hurt and stayed in the infirmary."

My eyes flashed. "Like I choose to be here. It's been fight after fight here and I'm not the only one who's got hurt. I can't control being here."

Alex looked at me in shock. "I didn't mean to imply that it was your fault. Just to be more careful..."

"You think I haven't been careful? I've been fighting freaking monsters! I had to fight an empousa, I fought off a gorgon and harpies! You think that it's natural for someone to be going through this? I'm so new to this and yet I'm shoved into a new fight everyday!" My voice raised with every sentence until I was yelling. My breath heavy and my face red.

"Riley.." He started.

"What's the commotion?" Kayla walked in and looked at the two of us. "I heard yelling."

I glared at her. "None of your business."

"When there's yelling in the infirmary, it's every Apollo kids' business." She retorted with a glare of her own.

I stomped off without another word, not wanting to deal with overbearing campers. That wasn't my fault. There wasn't anywhere that I knew to go to so I ended up wandering and got to Cabin 9. I knocked softly, maybe someone here would be better.

There was no answer so I just stood there awkwardly, wondering if it would be better to go to my own cabin instead. I was about to give up and go when there was a tap on my shoulder. I jumped and turned to see Jake.

"Oh, hi Jake."

"Hey. What are you doing here?" He wiped his hands that were still covered with grease on his jeans leaving a black smear on them. His face had some oil splattered on it and the sleeves of his long sleeved shirt were slightly singed at the ends and then rolled up to his elbows. His hair was hanging down on his face, not in his eyes, but around it in an attractive way that made me want to run my hands through it. I shook my head slightly to get rid of that thought.

"I was just here to.." I racked my brain for a plausible excuse to be here. I did not want to have to explain that I was stomping off being mad for getting told to be careful. "Umm... I er, wanted to see you." I flushed at that in embarrassment. That was the only thing I could come up with but the redness of my face worked to my advantage here.

"Oh uh.." His cheeks turned red as well as the tips of his ears. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck as he continued. "To see me? Did you need something?"

"Well I.. Do you have.. What I wanted to know is... Would you come on a walk with me while we talk?" My face was burning, I could hear my heart thudding against my chest, what was wrong with me? He's just a guy, it isn't like I like him, do I?

He smiled, still having a red face, and wiped his hands on his jeans again. "If that's what you want then I'll be happy to oblige. Just let me wash this grease and oil off." He walked into his cabin and I could hear water running from where I was.

I sighed, relieved that I didn't need an excuse here. He seemed rude and a bit solidarity when I first met him, now he was actually shaping up to be a friend. And a hot one-

"Riley?" I recognized the voice as belonging to Jay and faced him.

"Hi Jay." I was awkwardly standing with my arms crossed on the steps to cabin 9.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Any reason for being here? I heard that you were a child of Poseidon, in other words, you shouldn't be at another cabin." His tone didn't sound accusatory, just questioning.

"Well, you see, I was here for, umm, Jake. I'm waiting for him right now."

Jay looked at me and a smirk started to form on his face. "You like him?"

My face burned a scarlet color and I looked down. "I uh.. It's really early on.. I mean he is cute but-" I covered my mouth upon realizing what I said and Jay chuckled at my reaction.

"Riley, take some advice, if you want something, go for it. If you like him, tell him. There is too little time to waste it on what-ifs and maybes. I would know. I've left camp so many times that now my name is used as an verb for leaving without telling anyone. Don't pull a Jay, but do what will make you happy."

I looked at him for a minute. He looked sincere, something that I was not used to seeing. "You really think that I should talk to him. About..." I trailed off and looked at the door that had just opened. Jake had took a quick shower and changed out of the oil covered outfit he had into clean jeans and a camp shirt that he was holding, not yet on him. He had a towel around his neck and I couldn't help but stare at his bare chest.

Jay smirked at us, "Well, you two have fun." He waved and walked off, leaving us alone in front of Hephaestus cabin.

I looked down with a red face. "Might want to put your shirt on." My voice was quiet and filled with embarrassment.

He quickly dried his hair with the towel that was around his neck and slipped the bright orange shirt over his head. "Riley. I want to tell you something."

"Yeah?" I tilted my head to the side curiously.

"Well I, uh I mean," he sighed. "I finished the things you wanted me to build."

My heart dropped in my chest. I was expecting something different. "Oh.. Thanks.."

"What's wrong?" He looked at me with concern and placed a hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged and leaned into him. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and sighed. "Do you want to come in? Or go somewhere?"

I shook my head and hugged him back. He was warm and it was comforting to be like this. He looked at me with a sort of affection that I didn't recognize. I smiled at him and then pulled back. "Sorry about that. I'll just.. See you later." I walked away without waiting for a response and back to my cabin where I collapsed on my bed with my face on the pillow.