-TWO DAYS LATER-

After dinner, it's time for Capture the Flag. "Gather round everyone." Chiron announces. He tells them the rules. "Blue tea captains will be the Athena cabin, and the red team captain will be the Ares cabin."
The Ares and Athena cabins cheer. While Claire is guarding her team's flag, Clarisse La Rue from the Ares cabin runs up to her and points her electric spear, Maimer, at her. "Sorry Claire, but I'm going to have to take that from you."

Claire pulls out her knife, Hope. "Oh, I don't think so."
Clarrise holds up Maimer and the duo fight. Claire's doing pretty good but she's tired. Eventually she disarms her. Clarisse points Maimer to Claire's chest. "Give up now Claire." She instructs.
"Never!" She says, weakly. Clarrise pushes maimer closer to her chest.

"I said give up now, punk!" She says.

"No," Claire says. And then Clarrise zaps her with her spear. The amount of pain that goes through Claire's body is nothing compared to all the times her father has hit or punched her, but it still hurts extremely bad. She wakes up in the infirmary.=

"Hello again Claire." Will says. Claire thinks back to a book series she once read. She's becoming the real life Sophie Foster. "Here, I'll go get some nectar."

"Hi." Someone calls out from another bed. It's the Latino guy- Leo. 

"Hey." Claire says coldly. Will returns with her nectar.

"Here." He says. She asks what it is, and he responds, ""A drink."
He takes a sip. It tastes like nothing. "What does it taste like?" Will asks.
"Nothing. It tastes like nothing." Claire says.

"That's-that's not possible." Will Solace says. She ignores him, "Is it working?"
"Let me see." Will moves closer to Claire. He goes to touch her ribs, where the spear blasted her. Claire flinches away.

"Are you sure you gave her nectar?" The boy from earlier, Larry or something, asks. He picked up the glass from beside her and took a sip. "Yep. It's nectar. Is there anything that reminds you of home? Food wise, I mean."

"No, not really." She admits.

"Are you sure? Your dad didn't make, like, cookies or anything?" Lee asks. At the mention of her dad, Claire goes pale.

"I'm going to talk to Chiron about this." Will says and he leaves.
"So your dad never made anything for you or your brother?" Leo questions.

"How- how do you know I have a brother?" She asks, tentatively.

"I- I heard you telling Chiron about him. You said his name is like John or something." Geo thinks back.

"James." She says. The boy shot her a questioning look. "His name was James."

"Was?" The boy asked. Claire doesn't respond. "Is he, like y'know, dead?" She still doesn't respond. There's a slight sniffling noise coming from her bed. It takes the boy a second to realize that she's crying. 

"Hey, are you okay? You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." He says gently.
"Do you want me to stay or..." It takes the boy a second to realize the voice belongs to Will.

"Yeah. You can stay." Leo says.

"So... what exactly happened?" Will asks. Leo responds for her, "I may or may not have brought up her brother."
"Oh. James–the dead one?" Will questions. At the mention that he's dead, Claire freezes.

"Dead? Since when is he dead?" Leo asks.

"Uhm, this might be a bit of a... touchy subject for Claire." Will says.

"Yeah, ya think?" Leo points to her. She's crying again. Don't cry, she tells herself. Crying is a sign of weakness. Whenever her father hurt her, did she cry? No. Okay maybe once or twice but Claire learned quickly that crying wasn't going to do anything.
"Hey, are you okay?" Will asks.
"Do I look okay to you?" She snaps. "You're the one who brought up my dead brother and you're the one who brought up my horrible father." Claire points to Will and Leo.

"And why exactly was he horrible?" Will asks.
Claire doesn't respond 

"Well, if you won't tell me why he's so horrible, then I don't really believe you." Will says.

"She doesn't have to tell you anything, Will." Leo adds.

"Fine, I'll tell you." Claire says. "He- he" she starts to cry. She doesn't want to tell them. They could hate her for being weird.
"Hey, it's okay." Will says. He leans in to hug Claire. She flinches away. "C'mon, give me a hug. Please?" He leans in again. Claire flinches away again.

"Hey, man, respect her personal space." Leo says. Will doesn't listen. He leans in again, this time touching her ribs as he hugs her.

"Stop!" Clarie yells.

"Yeah, what the hell, stop!" Leo says.
"Huff. I just wanna give my friend a hug." He says.

"Well, stop. Obviously she doesn't want a hug." Leo says. Claire silently thanks Leo.

"I don't want a hug, Will." She says. 

"Guys come quick, there's a new prophecy!" Percy barges in. 

That is all for today I might not be publishing next week cuz I'ma be in Arizona for Thanksgiving break but I shall try my best 

Bye Bye 

Peace - Max