Demigod by Summer, Hero-in-training by School Year

The Hike

Back to Baylee's POV

Flying on Aerith again felt amazing. For the first time in a long time I felt truly free. It was that feeling where you could just shout out how joyful you feel with one long noise. So, I let out my joy in a long whoop of happiness. I let my hands fly free as the air rushed past my arms. My hair flowed out to the side in the wind and Kirishima's arms stayed wrapped around me. He was still holding on but I could tell that he was having fun as well. I saw Todoroki  briefly before we landed he waved at me and I waved back. As soon as we landed I greeted Percy again and thanked him. 

"You have no idea how much I missed that," I said with a smile and brushing my fingers through my windblown hair. 

"Hey Baylee do you know any good hiking trails?" Kirishima asked.

"Oh yea I actually do, but we will have to go on a shorter one," I replied.

"Why?"

"Oh because in four hours camp is having our annual fourth of July celebration," 

"What is the fourth of July?"

"Oh my gosh, its Independance day here in America. We usually go to the beach swim, canoe, and have fun, and at the end of the night we light of fireworks while the Apollo cabin sings 'Proud to be an American'. Its pretty fun" I explained. "Come on lets go to my cabin I gotta grab a few things. Todoroki do you wanna come?" 

"Who me? Uh sure," He replied and both boys followed me to my cabin. As soon as we got in I grabbed a Water bottle and my knee brace then we headed out the door. 

"Baylee why do you need a knee brace?"Todoroki asked curiously. 

"Oh I hurt myself a little while back and now my knee flares up if I go hiking so I bring it along,"I replied. " I think we should take the trail over by Zeus's fist and up to 'the view'," I said as we started walking up the trail. We made it to Zeus's fist and I told them a little bit about it. I definitely left in the part where all the campers wanted to name it 'big poop pile' but Chiron said no to that one. It kinda resembled a fist so we called it Zeus's fist instead. The boys got a laugh out of that one. The next part of the trail was a little rocky and hard to climb. I slipped and fell right into the arms of Todoroki. Kirishima helped me up and held my hand the rest of the time. When I asked why he was doing so he just said he didn't want me falling and dying and that this was so he could catch me easier. 

We made it up to 'The View'. You could have a perfect view of the whole camp from this place. It was amazing. You could even still smell the scent of strawberries from the strawberry farms. The lake was a pretty blue-green similar to Percy's eyes. I just sat there and took in a deep breath. Up here was always calming to me too. It felt as almost my dad was here shining down the sun chariot on me. 

On the way down I was having trouble getting over the rocks. I could do it by myself I was just a little bit slow. Eventually Kirishima would go down before me and pick me up by the waist and get me down. 

"You know I can climb over the rocks by myself right?" I said one time as he was doing it. 

"Yea I know its just faster this way," He said. I kept feeling like he was making excuses to touch me, (Not in a bad way because Kirishima is a good boi but because he has a crush on her) but he made sure I was ok with it. Once we got to the bottom I went to my cabin and grabbed my stuff to get ready for the 4th of July celebration.