Light Em Up (oc x oc)

XIX - Nova

The morning after I got home from my quest, I wake up just before the sunrise. Will and I exchange a smile before the walls shake with the morning's choice of bubblegum pop. The rest of our siblings haul themselves off their bunks and prepare for another day at camp.

I walk into the arena to the Hermes cabin setting up for an archery lesson. Connor Stoll salutes me as I walk in.

"What's up?"

"Nothin' much. Gotta teach you rowdy bunch of fools."

"Did you see Madison? She's been waiting for you to get back."

"The new girl? She looked real upset last night. I haven't spoken to her."

Connor shrugs. "Just thought I'd tell you."

I smile, picking up my bow. "Places, y'all!"

A few hours later, the class ends and I make my way across the field to the Infirmary, disappearing through the door.

I knock hesitantly on the door. It's Will's shift, and after the first few times of walking in on him, I've learned to knock pretty quickly.

"Come in!" he yells.

I walk into him rearranging the shelves for the fifth time this week.

"Are you doing it again?"

He shrugs. "I need something to do. Nico is too busy consoling his sister."

"Hazel's here?"

"No, Madison. Given, she's not his sister, but she seems really messed up, bless her heart."

"Connor Stoll was talking about her earlier. Who is she?"

"She got here when you were gone, half-dead. Kayla and Austin fixed her up. Turned out to be a Thanatos kid-"

"Wait, that's a thing?"

"That's what I said. Anyway, the only other notable thing is she seems to hate Valentina with a passion. She's got a good friendship with a lot of the Hermes guys, and there was a dead fish in her bed last night. News was, Madison was real smug about it."

She's clearly not a very nice girl.

Will drop a bottle and ducks under one of the cots, lighting his hand up to try and find it. "She asked whether you were here earlier."

"Why wouldn't you tell me that first?"

"I figured you'd wanna have the heads up as to who she was first."

"Thanks."

I leave for Cabin Thirteen. The new girl - Madison - sits in deep conversation with Nico, cross-legged on the floor. I knock hesitantly on the door before poking my head in.

"You were asking about me?"

"Yeah," she smiles, a wistful look on her face. "Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Madison Harper."

"Novella Harleigh. I go by Nova. Don't stress about your manners, darlin'. I have enough of that Southern hospitality for the both of us, bless your heart."

"Your accent is different," she whispers, and I don't think I was supposed to hear it.

"What?" I ask. "I've always talked like this. What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it," she says. "The Hermes kids said I should meet you. Now I have."

As I walk about, I hear her ask Nico: "Is she dating Valentina?"

"Yes."

How is that relevant to anyone?

I'm wondering if she needs to get checked out. I think about that for a little longer then remember - that'd be my job. Never mind then.

I waste time spending a little more time on the rounds, eventually crashing the arts and crafts zone with Malcolm Pace.

"I didn't know you had a talent for carving," he says presently.

"I'm usin' piano wire," I smile. "It comes under my gifts."

"Are you okay?"

"Frazzled. That new girl has some weird shit going on."

"She seems nice enough," Malcolm says, not looking up from the book he's reading.

"She had a dead fish out in my girlfriend's bed and then claims the two of us know each other," I say, raising my eyebrows. "She's either on drugs or crazy. Whatever shit she's on, I want in on however Connor has managed to get hold of it."

"Nova, give her the benefit of the doubt. It could have been Lou, or heaven forbid, that antisocial brother of hers."

"I forgot he was even here. The kid's even more of a recluse than Nico is. I haven't seen him in weeks. Don't blame him for not showing his face. We all know he's not supposed to be here."

Malcolm frowns. "I just don't want you adding another person to the people-you-dislike-list. It's so short, it'd be a crime to defile it."

"Whatever," I chuckle.

Later that evening, I knock on the door to the Hermes cabin. Connor looks up from his DS as I walk in.

"Hey, Nova."

"Did you help Harper threaten Valentina?" I snap.

"It was a joke," says Connor, shaking his head. "Have you even talked to Val about it?"

No, but he doesn't need to know about that.

"That's not relevant. She seems to be obsessed with me and I need to know whether I'm getting a restraining order or just going to visit Reyna."

"Look," he says, standing up. "Madison's really nice. She's been asking about you because you haven't spoken to her since she got here and you're really social so is checking she hasn't done anything wrong. Her and Val have been having a silent pissing contest. That's it."

"Okay," I say.

There's more to this. I don't trust this at all. Somethings going on, and I will find out eventually.

I make my way back to cabin Seven, where Valentina stands on the threshold, waiting for me.

"Where have you been?" she asks, hands on hips.

"Talking to Connor, why?"

"You've been interrogating people all day, but you haven't even asked me. Nova, what's going on?"

"Are you okay?"

"It's a bit late now." Valentina leans against the side of the cabin. "This isn't working, is it."

"I-"

"Nova, look me in the eyes and tell me you love me."

"I can't do that."

"Then that's everything that needs to be said, isn't it?" Valentina smiles, not hatefully. "I'll see you around. I think we should go back to being friends." She winks. "Madison likes you."

"I don't even know her."

"Then get to know her! She's really nice."

"Connor says you've been having a pissing contest."

"Yeah, because she was crushing on my girlfriend. But she seems alright."

"I hate you so much."

"I know. I'll see you around, okay?"

I shoot finger guns. "That you will."

That leaves me thinking. Who exactly is Madison Harper, and what the hell is going on with my life?