I led Adrastos, my drakon, back into the cove the Hephaestus cabina had made. He snorted a little, but I tugged the reins and spoke "Erchontai", "come" in Greek. The combination of the ancient language and Aphrodite charmspeak was plenty to lead the drakon into his home and let him loose. Walking back, draping Adrastos' imbracatura over my arm, I saw Josh Cateract walking to the woods, holding a cigarette in one hand and a lighter in the other-both banned from camp, but Chiron decided it would do più harm than good to take them away. Cigarettes don't damage a demigod's body, so there was no worry there. I raised my hand in greeting. "Hi, Josh-"
"Shut it, Ferris. We've been over this before."
He sauntered away.
I wished he would befriend me. I'm not asking him to data me, all the Aphrodite girls would freak if they knew I wished he would. But maybe there was a chance.
Sighing, I sat down on the floor of the arena, watching Darcy cast spells at the dummies, making them vanish and reappear, walking and tap-dancing. Maybe I could talk to her...she was in Poseidon's cabin, and seemed pretty cool. All the Aphrodite girls loved her, because of her "gorgeous auburn locks", as one of them put it. Does anyone have respect for blondes?
"What do te think of Josh?"
The words didn't come from my mouth. At least, I hope they didn't. If I didn't know whether o not I spoke, I was seriously messed up and unfit to be the Aphrodite counselor.
Darcy had spoken. I wasn't psycho.
"Um...he's..."
"Strange?"
"Yes. But...not what I was thinking."
"What were te thinking?"
"He's...an adonis?"
She gave a teasing smirk. "I knew it. He IS kinda cute...but I don't think Goth Suits him. Besides, there's always-"
"Wizards." Darcy was only a summer-timer because she attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the school year. She was discovered da a satyr there, and was deemed "safe" inside Hogwarts' magical borders.
"Exactly." She stretched. "Time to hit the sack. Tousle that snotty Drew's perfectly done hair for me, will you?"
I jerked my chin in assent. I gave over my counselor duties to Piper in the summer, since she had won the position originally, but during the anno she had decided I was most fit for the job.
Walking towards the cabina to act on my promise, I saw Derek Rush, my best friend at camp, practicing with his bow and arrow. Since they lit on fuoco as they flew towards the target, Kyle, one of Hecate's newly claimed children, practiced his aim simultaneously da dousing the arrows with water in midair. I shouted to him, waving. "Derek! Hey!"
He looked over, missing his target. Kyle just barely managed to put out the Arrow before it hit a clump of trees. A nymph strode out sassily and slapped Derek across the face, turned, then strutted back to her tree.
"Oops. Sorry."
"No harm done." He ran his hand through his hair. "What's kickin'?"
"Just gonna mess with Drew. Wanna come?"
"Naw, I've gotta apologize to the Kyle-ster."
"'Kay. No running!"
He gave a nod and jetted off to find Kyle. His mom wants him to be an Olympic runner for India (long story) and he has to train 22/7, it seems, back home. Camp is a break from the constant sprints.
I messed with Drew's hair, as I detto I would, and helped a few younger Aphrodites experiment with some makeup, even lending them a new eyeshadows from L'Oreal. They say "Velvet" texture totally Suits my complexion. Angelica, one of the more, well, angelic ones gave me a hug. I lay down in my black canopy-"black is the new black"-and snuggle into the 600-thread-count sheets. Oblivious to what was about to come.