CHAPTER SIX - I GET AN UNPLEASANT BATH

We found Chiron right where I said he would be: outside of cabin eleven, with Percy and Annabeth.

Chiron was the first to notice me. "Ah, Miss Green, I see that you've recovered quite well," he said.

Percy wheeled around. He was holding a curved bull's horn, striped black and white. His souvenir from his fight with the Minotaur. As soon as his eyes locked on mine, he sighed in relief. He took three massive steps, and engulfed me in a bear-hug.

I hissed in pain. He crushed my bad arm between the two of us. Percy tensed, and he let go of me like I was a bomb ready to detonate. "Oh, Avalon I'm so sorry! Are you okay? I didn't mean to!" He rambled.

I laughed. "I'm fine, doofus." Then I took my good arm and wrapped it around his neck, pulling him into another hug. His arms wrapped around my waist cautiously, like he was afraid to hurt me again. "I'm okay," I whispered. "We're both okay."

He nodded, his chin bouncing up and down on my shoulder.

It was Annabeth that broke our best-friend moment.

She cleared her throat, and offered me her hand once I let go of Percy. "Hi," she said. "I'm Annabeth Chase. But, I guess you already knew that."

I beamed at her and returned the handshake. "I did, but it's still cool hearing you say it. Avalon Green."

She gave me a friendly smile, but her eyes held caution. She was trying to figure me out; deciding whether or not I would be an enemy or an ally.

Will turned to Chiron. "Sir, we have an interesting development. Avalon was just claimed."

Chiron and Annabeth looked at me, their eyes wide. My cheeks felt hot, and I ran my hand through my hair. I tended to do that when I'm nervous. Their stares were unnerving alone - what with her gray eyes and his millennium old ones - but together, it made me feel as if I was underneath a microscope. Percy stared at me in confusion.

"So soon?" Chiron asked. "What is your parentage, child?"

"Apollo," I said, but it came out as more of a squeak. I cleared my throat, and tried again. "Apollo."

"Apollo?" Annabeth asked. "We haven't had a daughter of Apollo claimed in a long time. There's only two others here at camp, right now."

I glanced at her. "They're not...we're not dangerous, are we?" I gulped. I knew that certain demigods were more dangerous, more destructive than others, but I didn't know if daughters of Apollo fit that description.

It was Will who answered me. "No, at least no more dangerous than the rest of us. It's just more common for Apollo to sire male children."

I nodded, and sighed in relief. The last thing I needed was to be a ticking time bomb. I had enough to deal with already.

Chiron regarded me with his old eyes. "Well," he said. "I guess you won't be needing to stay in cabin eleven now. Will, please show Avalon to cabin seven when she is ready. I'm sure she would like to meet her other siblings."

He turned towards Percy, next. "Cabin eleven," he said, gesturing towards the doorway. "Make yourself at home."

Percy stood in the doorway. He looked nervous, so I slipped my hand into his and gave it a light squeeze. He smiled gratefully at me. We may have only known each other for a few months, but after two near-death experiences, the bond between two friends becomes pretty unbreakable.

When the campers inside Hermes cabin saw Chiron, they all stood and bowed respectfully. "Well, then," he said. "Good luck, Percy. I'll see you and Avalon at dinner."

He galloped away towards the archery range. A wistful smile crossed my face thinking about it, but I shook my head. Right then, I needed to be there for Percy. Archery could come later.

Will looked at me, and said "I'm guessing you want to stick around here for a while?"

I nodded. "If that's okay. I'll see you and everyone else at dinner? I know where to go."

Will shrugged, said "fine with me," and then started to make his way back to the infirmary.

I turned back to Hermes cabin.

Annabeth was staring at Percy, waiting for him to make his move. "Well?" she pressed. "Go on."

I nodded encouragingly when he looked at me for reassurance. He took one step inside, and promptly tripped over the doorframe. I heard a few campers snicker, and I glared in their general direction. My stare might not be as frightening as Percy's, but I knew how to unnerve people.

"Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven," Annabeth said.

"Regular or undetermined?" somebody asked, somewhere towards the back.

"Undetermined," Annabeth and I said at the same time. She looked at me with an eyebrow raised, like a silent question: how could you possibly know that? I mumbled, "Sorry, habit."

The campers all groaned.

"Now, now, campers. That's what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there." An older camper spoke, weaving his way to the front. He was tall, with sandy hair and a thin, white scar that marred his right cheek. I scowled.

He turned towards me, a friendly smile still plastered on his face. "I haven't seen you around here, before. Are you new here too? Regular or undetermined?"

I crossed my arms. "Determined, actually. Apollo."

The corner of his mouth twitched, and my scowl deepened. I didn't like this guy, I knew that. But what didn't I like about him? Something about his face, his body language...he wasn't someone that I wanted as a friend.

"This is Luke," Annabeth said to Percy. "He's your counselor for now."

Luke...it was on the tip of my tongue. His name sent a jolt through my spine, like I had gotten electrocuted.I knew he was a bad guy, or I at least thought he was. This was important. I had the same feeling as when I was taking my trig final, on my last day as me, and not book me. I knew that I knew the equations, they just weren't processing in my brain. I knew that Luke was essential to this story, but why? That memory felt stolen, as if the Fates took it from me.

That confused me. If I was here to prevent the next great war, why would they steal valuable information from me?

I didn't know it then, but if I had remembered why I didn't like Luke so much, I could have prevented a lifetime of misery, for everyone.

Percy's voice jarred me from my thoughts. "For now?" He asked.

"You're undetermined," Luke said. "They don't know what cabin to put you in, so you're here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travelers."

"Also the god of tricksters and thieves," I muttered under my breath. If anyone heard me, they didn't show it.

Percy looked around. I could read his facial expressions, and he most certainly did not like what he saw.

"How long will I be here?" He asked.

"Good question," Luke replied. "Until you're determined."

"How long will that take?"

Everyone laughed. I took Percy's hand again. It might've looked childish to the other campers, but he'd already saved my life twice. If we weren't protective over one another, then what would that have made us?

"Come on," Annabeth said to us. "I'll show you the volleyball court."

"I've already seen it." I smacked my palm against my forehead. Sometimes, Percy could be really dense.

"I haven't. Come on," I said, helping Annabeth drag him out of cabin eleven, the camper's laughs still echoing in my head.

*

After a few feet, Annabeth said, "Jackson, you have to do better than that."

"What?" he asked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I thought you were one of them," she mumbled. "Sorry, Avalon, it's a package deal."

My eyes narrowed. I was about to reply, but Percy cut me off. "What's your problem?" he said, his temper flaring. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy to save my friends–"

"Don't talk like that!" Annabeth scolded. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they'd had your chance?"

"To get killed?"

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?" She was getting worked up now, each breath making her whole body move up and down.

Percy shook his head, disbelief written across his features. "Look, if the thing I fought really was the Minotaur, the same one in the stories..."

"Yes."

"Then there's only one."

"Yes."

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So...?"

Annabeth sighed, exasperated. "Monsters don't die, Percy. They can be killed. But they don't die."

"Oh, thanks. That clears it up."

Annabeth looked at me, like: Is he always this annoying?

I decided to try my luck at explaining. "Percy," I said, making him look towards me. "Monsters don't have souls, not like you and I do. We can...scatter their essences for a while, a few years, maybe a whole lifetime, but they're never truly gone. They're primal forces, like the gods. Eventually, they will re-form." Annabeth looked at me, impressed. Probably because I basically used the same words she was planning on using.

Percy glanced at me, and then back to the blonde. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword–"

I elbowed him lightly. "Hey, I was there, too! I most definitely helped."

"Yeah, sure, you were there. But you didn't actually swing the sword, did you?"

"Well, if there was a second sword there, I would have–"

Annabeth cleared her throat. We both whipped our heads in her direction. "Do you two always bicker like this?" she asked. We shrugged. We hadn't really had a whole lot of time for bickering, as of late.

She shook her head. "Anyways, the Fur...I mean, your math teacher. That's right. She's still out there. You two just made her very, very mad." Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, I thought.

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodds?" Percy asked.

"You talk in your sleep."

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They're Hades' torturers, right?"

Annabeth and I both glanced nervously at the ground. "Percy," I warned. "You shouldn't invoke their names, even here, where we're protected."

Annabeth nodded. "We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all."

"Look, is there anything we can say without it thundering?" Percy whined. I winced, but at least he knew he sounded whiny, too. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there," he said, gesturing to the three empty cabins at the end of the commons area.

Annabeth paled. "You don't just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your godly parents are. Or...your parent."

I stared at him, hoping he'd get it quicker now that I had already been claimed.

"My mom is Sally Jackson," he said. No such luck. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to."

I rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. "I'm sorry about your mom, Percy," Annabeth said. "But that's not what I mean. I'm talking about your other parent. Your dad."

"He's dead. I never knew him."

Annabeth sighed. She looked at me for backup. I shook my head, wanting to stay out of this conversation.

She sniffed, irritated with me, but she addressed Percy again. "Your father's not dead, Percy."

"How can you say that? You know him?"

"No, of course not."

"Then how can you say–"

"Because I know you. You wouldn't be here if you didn't belong. If you weren't one of us," she said, gesturing between me and herself.

"You don't know anything about me. And I'm pretty sure Av here hasn't given you the 411 on me, yet."

"No?" Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them."

"How–"

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."

Percy flushed red. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Annabeth looked at me again. I sighed, and decided to grant her wish. "Taken together, it's almost a sure sign," I said. "The letters float off the page when you read, right? It's the same with me, and Annabeth, and mostly everyone here. It's because our minds are hardwired for Ancient Greek, not English. And the ADHD – those are your battle reflexes. They kept you alive in your fights. As for the attention problems, it's because you see too much, not too little. Your senses are much better than a regular mortal's. Think about it – we were the only ones who could remember Mrs. Dodds, aside from Grover and Chiron. The rest of the school, they were human." By the time I finished my little speech, Percy was looking at me like he was seeing me for the first time. Except, his face was full of suspicion.

"You sound like...you went through the same thing?" His eyes narrowed. He was very close to that glare, the one I never wanted to be on the other end of.

Thankfully, Annabeth sensed my discomfort and took over again. "Most of the kids here did. If you two weren't like us, you couldn't have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."

"Ambrosia and nectar," Percy deadpanned.

"The food and drink we were giving you guys to make you better. That stuff would've killed a normal kid. It would've turned your blood to fire and your bones to ash and you'd be dead. Face it, Percy. You're a half-blood."

I jabbed Annabeth in the side. "Nice, real subtle," I said. She rolled her eyes at me.

Percy's eyes swam with confusion. I tried a sympathetic smile. "Percy, it'll make sense–"

I got cut off by a girl walking towards us, three friends in tow. She had mousy brown hair tied back into a bandanna, and a scowl on her face. "Well! Two newbies!" she said. I groaned internally. I really didn't want to deal with her then. But, I had to. It was in the book.

Annabeth sighed. Clearly she was in the same mindset as me. "Clarisse, why don't you go polish your spear or something?"

"Sure, Miss Princess," Clarisse said. "So I can run you through with it Friday night."

"Erre es korakas!" Annabeth said. The Greek came easily to me, as I knew it would, but it was still surprising to hear. It sounded like she was speaking English, but her voice had changed, taking on a different tone, a different accent. She had said 'Go to the crows!' which, out of context, didn't sound very threatening, but Annabeth's voice made it sound like the worst curse known to man (or, demigod). "You don't stand a chance."

"We'll pulverize you," Clarisse backfired. I tried not to catch her eye-twitch, but it wasn't very subtle. She turned towards Percy and me. "Who're the runts?"

"Percy Jackson, Avalon Green," Annabeth introduced, "meet Clarisse–"

"La Rue," I finished. "Daughter of Ares." Clarisse glared at me. I had to learn to stop jumping into conversations.

"You sure know an awful lot, for someone who's been passed out for two days, girly," Clarisse said.

"I learn quickly."

Clarisse was about to comment, no doubt another insult, but Percy beat her to it. "Ares...the war god?"

She turned towards him and sneered in response. "You got a problem with that?"

"No," Percy said, rolling his shoulders back and trying to size her up. "It explains the bad smell."

I smacked my palm against my forehead. Percy and his non-filtered brain were going to end up with a black eye, if he kept talking.

Clarisse narrowed her eyes. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."

"Percy."

"Whatever. Come on, I'll show you."

"Clarisse–" Annabeth spoke up.

"Stay out of it, wise girl," Clarisse growled. I tried my hardest not to laugh. It had always been funny to me that Percy's endearing nickname for Annabeth was coined by his least favorite person.

Annabeth kept quiet. Percy handed her the Minotaur horn and crouched down a bit, in a fighting stance.

A surge of protectiveness washed over me. I should have kept my mouth shut, like Annabeth, but after seeing Percy being threatened multiple times in the past few months by vicious monsters, Clarisse La Rue didn't seem all that intimidating.

"Hey!" I said, which caused Clarisse and her friends to glare at me. "Lay off my friend."

Clarisse snorted in laughter. "What, you want to go first, girly? Bring it on." She took a step towards me, no doubt ready to deck me or grab me in a choke hold, but I was prepared for a fight.

The world seemed to slow down. I anticipated her every move. Her arm stretched out slowly as if it was going through water. I could calculate exactly where she would land her first punch.

I turned on my heel and ducked underneath her outstretched arm. Clarisse, unable to stop her momentum, stumbled forward. While she was unsteady, I swung my good elbow outward, and it connected with her nose. There was an audible crack, and Clarisse grunted in pain, doubling over.

Percy and Annabeth looked at me, their faces full of shock. Clarisse's siblings stood there, frozen, like they didn't know what to do. Clarisse straightened up, and when she looked at me, I could see that her nose was definitely broken. Purple bruises were already forming around her eyes.

I swallowed hard and took a nervous step back. I had meant to hit her cheek and knock her off balance, not break her nose. Clarisse respected courage, but she didn't handle getting hurt - by someone smaller than her no less - very well.

I held my breath, waiting for the return punch, but instead, Clarisse started to laugh. "You've got fire, girly! I like you," she said, grudging respect shining in her brown eyes.

I let out my breath in a long sigh. I started to smile, but it returned to a nervous frown just as quickly. Apparently, my little scuffle with her hadn't bought Percy any freebies. In fact, Clarisse's eyes looked even more dangerous, as she glared at him.

"You know," Clarisse growled. "Letting a girl fight for you doesn't get you any points."

Percy glanced at me, and I mouthed I'm sorry. He shook his head in response, his way of saying: don't worry about it. Once again, he got into a fighting position, but it wasn't much of a fight.

Clarisse grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him towards the restrooms. Percy was trying his hardest to fight back, but Clarisse was like a pit-bull: once she locked on, she wasn't going anywhere, anytime soon.

Annabeth's fingers wrapped around my wrist. "Come on," she said. "Let's make sure he doesn't get hurt. Nice reflexes, by the way. I haven't seen anyone be able to get the drop on Clarisse in a long time."

I shrugged, trying to play off my surprise that I managed to hurt her. In truth, now that the fight was over, I couldn't remember how I managed to do that in the first place.

Annabeth dragged me along towards the brick building. I didn't want to follow them into the bathrooms, but her grip was tight. Seeing how I really had no choice, I let her lead me through the door.

I wrinkled my nose when I walked into the building. I hoped the Apollo cabin had their own bathrooms, because I was not going to use this one.

Annabeth and I stood in the far corner, watching Percy fail miserably at trying to get out of Clarisse's vice-like grip.