Of Greeks And Romans (Leo Valdez x Reader)

IV

You

"So," I said as me and Katherine started walking back to camp from Temple Hill. "How exactly do I get accepted into the legion?"

"That'll happen at evening muster. Usually one of the campers stands for you. It helps if you have a good letter of reference. If you don't have one, it's going to be a whole lot harder to get anyone to stand for you."

I frowned. That was right. People with good letters of reference generally got accepted into the better cohorts. Unfortunately, for my case, I didn't have any. If Gaea really wanted me to do well at camp, you'd thing she'd think of that.

"You can't stand for me, can you?"

Katherine gave me a sheepish smile. "I'm still on probatio, so I'm technically not a full member of the legion yet."

"Great," I mumbled. "No campers to stand for me, and no letters of reference."

Katherine gave me a large pat on the back. "Don't even worry about it. You got here in one piece, so that's got to prove something. Anyways, it's super unheard of to have no camper stand for anyone. It rarely happens."

"Yeah, but it still happens."

Katherine pressed her lips into a thin line. "Why do you have to be so down. Look on the positive side of things."

I looked down at my feet as I walked. I didn't intentionally mean to be so negative. I actually used to always look at the bright side. Even if things were going poorly, I always knew there would be a good outcome. Perhaps I'd lost that all in these past months imprisoned by the earth goddess. It just made me feel so helpless. I still feel so helpless.

"But first things first," Katherine said from beside me. "We need to get you a bath. You kinda stink."

"Well, thanks. That just makes me feel so much better."

Something sharp jabbed my side and I looked up unexpectedly. Katherine had just elbowed me in the side. "Wha-"

"Don't let Reyna see you sulking like that, or you'll never be accepted into the legion. Remember, Romans are strong. You have to show that, or you'll be trampled."

I ground my teeth. She was absolutely right. I couldn't keep pitying myself. Of course, that didn't stop me from hating her guts.

We stopped in front of the steaming building I had noticed earlier. There were still a few kids heading inside with their swimsuits and towels. It made me realize in that moment that I didn't have any other clothes or materials with me. That might make this a little hard.

"Here," Katherine said. "You stay here. I'll go grab an extra bathing suit and clothes for you. There's plenty of supplies in the store house that they use for campers. I'll be right back." She then rose an eyebrow. "Try not to get into trouble."

A few of the campers walking past gave Katherine friendly waves while others just whispered in clusters while looking at her as they walked past. There was something about the subtle interactions around the camp that led me to that Katherine wasn't the most popular. I almost felt bad for her were it not for the fact that her damaged reputation was already starting to affect my nearly non existent one. I had to do something, and do it fast if I wanted to start gaining people's trust.

I sighed and leaned against the wall of the bath house. I had to admit that camp Jupiter gave off a lot different vibes that camp Half blood. This camp seemed more organized. Strict. Yet, you could still see that a lot of kids liked it here. They like being a part of a bigger whole, one that worked for a common goal. Camp Half Blood was a lot more comparable with ordinary summer camps. You could play games and relax without a worry. I respected both of their differences.