Not Quite Mortal • HoO

XIV Andrew Kerr

"I can't believe that they just left," Miri said.

It was the first hint of normal Miri since we had left the campsite. She had been more than a little bit irritated that all the other girls had gone and left her with just me and Savannah's dad, meaning that her responses towards conversation had been minimal. It seemed, however, that a stop at the gas station to refuel the car and grab some snacks was all that was needed to start her talking again.

"I'm sure it was something important," Ben told her, eyes still on the road ahead of them. "I know that Annabeth gets really involved in her camp events, but that doesn't mean she cares for her her friends any less. I'm sure it's the same with Percy."

"Maybe, if he'd just tried to include us in any way," Miri responded, "But we don't know anything."

"I'm sure they have their reasons." Ben said this nonchalantly, but his mouth dipped down slightly at the corners. "Where do you want me to drop you off?"

"My dad can come get me where we were dropped off," I said immediately.

"Okay." Ben turned his head to look out the window for a moment. "And you, Miranda?"

"I'm not sure yet, give me a minute." She typed rapidly on her phone, chewing her lip. "I forgot my key, and my parents are busy, but my brother might not be."

We're entered the city and Ben's driving got slower as the traffic increased. Luckily, their apartment wasn't in a particularly busy area, and we got there soon enough. Sooner than I had expected.

"My dad won't be here for at least ten minutes," I said when we arrived.

Ben parked the car and got out. "That's no problem. Miri's ride won't be here for a while after that, so if you'd like to stay a while, that's fine."

I figured hanging around with Miri wouldn't be so bad, so I agreed to stay for an hour to keep her company.

The Bell's apartment was sparsely furnished. There was a couch and TV, and a dining table, and a kitchen of course, but no decorations out in the open. Of course, they had recently moved, but I had expected a little bit more chaos.

I received only a little of this expected chaos when I stepped on a tiny blue lego piece behind the couch. I yelped, and Miri looked at me like I was an unexpected fee tagged on to the price of a shirt she particularly wanted.

Ben looked at me with sympathy and amusement. "Sorry about any toys lying about. Christian and Molly haven't quite got the organizing down yet."

"It's quite alright." My voice came out strained, and a desperately tried to keep a tear from coming out.

Lego's should be used as torture devices.

As if I didn't know this already, Ben continued to prove himself as a cool guy. He let Miri and I watch netflix on their TV and brought us some cookies that they had in the cupboard. He even sat with is for a while as he worked on some sciency thing on his computer.

"My brother will be her in ten," Miri said at last.

Ben checked the clock on his phone. "It's been that long already?" He frowned. "Lara and Savannah should've been back by now."

Ben was about to call using his phone when the apartment door slammed. "Dad, you won't believe what we found out at camp — "

Lara bounded into the room, an extra bounce in her step, and then she saw us.

"I mean, the camp site, you know, er, because we went back to pick up something 'Vannah left."

That day I learned that Larissa Bell was not good telling convincing lies.

I would later learn that Savannah, surprisingly, was. But that was another day, and another story.

"You found it? You found camp?" Miri jumped up and looked ready to hope back in the van and go immediately.

"No," Lara said, much too quickly.

Savannah sighed. "You don't think before you speak, Lara. And you're a really bad lier."

"Tell us everything," Miri coaxed.

"Sorry," Savannah said. "We can't do that. We had to promise."

I had to admit that it didn't make much sense anymore. Could you only be allowed in on the secret if you found it yourself? If Miri and I went on our own to find it, would we be let it? Were those the special requirements to get into camp?

"You were going to tell your dad about it," Miri pointed out.

"That's different," Lara said. "They let parents in on everything once the kids are."

"Oh." Miri was oddly curt in that one word.

"Yeah," Lara confirmed.

Silence took over the room. Ben was the only one still sitting. Miri and I faced Larissa and Savanna across the couch, all four of us having a stare down that seemed to last forever.

"We'll be going then," Miri finalized. She grabbed my hand and laced her fingers with mine like we hadn't done since we were little kids. Her hand was cold, and it held onto mine with a grip like steel. Then she marched out of the apartment, dragging me behind her.

She stopped once she got into the hall and let go of my hand. "We're out of the loop. Again. Again, damnit, what do we have to do to make this work?"

She looked close to tears, and she pulled her fingers through her hair over and over.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure pulling out your own hair won't help," I said. I couldn't claim to know why this made her as mad as it did. I mean, sure, I was kind of upset, but it wasn't as if I couldn't have expected something like this from the likes of Percy Jackson.

I guessed that Percy Jackson was probably at the root of it all, though. Miri hadn't mentioned her crush on him for nearly a year, but that didn't mean it was gone. I tried not to feel annoyed with that Idea.

"What?" she stopped moving her hand. "Oh." Her hands moved to one side, tugging at her jacket sleeve instead of her hair.

"I say we follow them sometime." My own suggestion surprised me a little.

"You're finally getting serious about this?"

I nodded. "I think we deserve to know."

"Meet me tomorrow, at the juice bar? I'll text you the time."

"And I'll be there."