A New Home — Sort Of
The drive to Camp Half-Blood was way too long. Or maybe I was just too excited.
Annabeth sat in the front seat, hands steady on the wheel like she could drive with her eyes closed — and honestly, she probably could. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and she kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror. I could tell she was trying to read my expression. I gave her nothing. I mean, I was fine. Totally fine.
Okay, I was bouncing my leg so hard the car was shaking.
"You good back there?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said. "Just… thinking."
She smiled like she didn’t believe me. “First day of camp is always the hardest. My first year, I got chased in by a pack of hellhounds.”
"Yeah, but you’re you. You probably handled it like a pro."
Annabeth laughed under her breath. "I tripped over my own feet and fell in the strawberry fields."
I blinked. "Seriously?"
"Seriously." She paused. "It’s okay to be nervous, you know."
I shrugged. "I’m not nervous."
And that was a lie. I wasn’t just nervous; I was terrified. What if I didn’t fit in? What if everyone else was summoning hurricanes and slaying monsters by breakfast, and I was just… me? No powers. No cool godly parent. Just the kid Percy and Annabeth were nice enough to adopt.
We turned onto a quiet side road where the Solace-Di Angelo house sat tucked between two apartment buildings. I spotted Will and Nico standing in the driveway, bags packed, waving us down. Their son — my cousin, technically — was sitting cross-legged on the curb, scrolling through his phone. He looked about as excited as someone on their way to a dentist appointment.
Annabeth rolled down the window. "Need a ride?"
Will laughed. "Nah, I thought we’d walk. You know, build some character."
Nico smirked, but it disappeared the second he looked at the car. "You’re sure it’s safe to drive?"
"Safer than shadow-traveling," Annabeth said dryly. "And it has seat belts."
The Solace-Di Angelo kid — I swear I could never tell if he looked more like Will or Nico — grabbed his bag and climbed into the back seat next to me. He didn’t say anything, just threw in his headphones and slouched down like he was trying to become one with the upholstery.
"Excited?" I asked.
He shrugged. "Sure."
I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"No."
Annabeth pulled back onto the road, and the car was quiet for a while. I stared out the window, watching trees blur past. My cousin stared at his phone. The only sound was the faint hum of the radio.
But the closer we got to Camp Half-Blood, the harder it was to sit still. My heart pounded. I glanced at my cousin again.
"You think this year’s going to be crazy?" I asked.
He pulled out one headphone. "At camp? Always."
I smiled. "Good."
As we reached Half-Blood Hill, my excitement finally started to drown out my nerves. I wasn’t sure what this summer had in store — but whatever it was, I was ready.