Crossroads of Two Worlds

6- Wait... I Made Friends?

(Above is a slightly older than present Adrian Jackson)

7:00 AM

I woke up to the sky. And the sun peeking through the curtains made the room seem heavenly. Getting out of bed was harder than usual, due to the rough few days I'd had, and I decided that a long shower might make it better. It did, but I knew I'd be nursing myself for a few more days at least.

In my bathroom I found some fluffy white towels along with soap and hair products. Really, anything I could've ever needed was found within a few steps... it was nice. There was even a blow-dryer! Not that I had enough energy or commitment to even try to figure the machine out.

Before braiding my hair to one side and pushing any shorter strands behind my ears, I slipped on the orange Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and jeans that had a purple paint stain on the thigh. Eventually I'd buy new ones, but not today. I supposed I was lucky to have had time to pack before I left home. Some kids, I'd heard, did not get that time.

Then I slipped on my gray tennis shoes and made my bed hastily. As I was fluffing my pillows, a knock sounded at the door and I yelled, "Come in!"

I looked over as my first real friend entered my cabin and looked around in awe, "I can't believe I've never been in here before! I'm almost jealous!"

I laughed, "Yeah, it's pretty nice, isn't it?"

Maya nodded enthusiastically, "Yes it is. I guess your dad didn't want his kids living in squalor like the rest of the campers. Though, I do like my cabin better, even if I have to share with my brother." I remembered Noah mentioning something about Maya and her brother but I hadn't seen him, "Your brother?"

"His name is Adrian. He's almost 14, so we're pretty close in age. As teenage brothers go, he's not all that bad, not nearly as bad as my younger siblings. They're twins, Alex and Ana, they haven't come to camp yet but they're geniuses, in the worst way. Their real names are Alexander and Anastasia, and they are the very definition of 'troublemakers'. They don't have any water powers and will likely be staying in the Athena cabin when they get here next year, they're both eight years old. I just turned twelve a few weeks ago."

I gradually raised my eyebrows through her lengthy narrative, almost surprised that it hadn't gone on longer, and when she ceased, she laughed at my expression, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be a walking dictionary."

I smiled, "That was more of an autobiography. I don't mind though, I'm used to it, having spent almost three days on a boat listening to you jabber on and on. Why do you only apologize now? Are there cameras?!"

She rolled her eyes but sat down on one of the other beds in the room and clapped her hands together like a judge in a court room. I plopped down on my bed, across from the one she sat on and she leaned forward, beckoning for me to follow suit, I leaned forward and our foreheads nearly touched. It was amazing, as I usually violently defended my personal space and didn't like being touched by other people, that being this close to her didn't bother me that much. We'd become rather close with each other on the journey here. It was difficult at first, to believe that she had no ulterior motives for being my friend. But apparently, sitting in a rowboat for more than two days could really bring people closer together.

"First order of business... weapons training. I know I gave you the pen, but it would be really cool if you learned to fight with two swords. There is a matching one in the armory that I could get my friend Emily to spell for you, she's a daughter of Hecate so she can do magic, and we could disguise it as another pen or something. She's the one that spelled the one you already have. I already have a teacher set up for you if you want."