Chapter Two

Peacefully, Luke and I were sleeping in my bed in the children of the Minor God's cabin. Only two others slept in this cabin. Fifteen year old Dexter, my brother who, like me, had curly brown hair, green eyes and tanned skin. Then there's eleven year old Molly, daughter of Nemesis.

The other two slept in the bunks closest to the door, whereas my bed met the back wall of the cabin cosily. It must have been early, and it was cold. I moved closer to Luke, feeling the cabin wall disappear from pressing against my back.

Luke was always warm. However, I refused to open my eyes, or move too much since I was perfectly warm now. I did realise my ring, with a four leaf clover on it for Fortuna, pressed against my face painfully.

Pushing my hands out from underneath my head, I think I accidentally hit Luke in the face. Stirring in his sleep, his arms tighten around me, sort of painfully.

"Candi."

Ignoring the small, Payton-like voice in my head, I sighed and tried to fall back asleep.

"Candi!"

This is normally the point where the voice will go away…

"Candace!"

That sounded like Tori.

"Get out, both of you," Luke's voice always did sound ridiculously attractive when he woke up, "or I'll…" he yawned, possibly nodding off again.

Then everything registered. Tori and Payton were in the room, Luke told them to go away. I sat up quickly, making Luke groan in annoyance and roll onto his stomach.

Comfortably sitting beside my bed, on the floor, cross-legged were my two best friends.

Tori grinned. Blonde, wavy hair in two low ponytails draped down her chest, orange camp shirt, college jacket, denim shorts over three quarter leggings as per usual. Her green-brown eyes that matched her shoes shone with excitement.

Beside her, Payton hugged her knees to her chest and looked bored as ever. Long, shiny pin straight hair she dyed often had been coloured velvet red. A small bow with a skull on it held her fringe back.

She wore what she normally did. Big heavy black boots, fishnet stockings with thick straps twisting around her legs as well, black shorts, a long, dark purple singlet you could only see the bottom of, a long sleeve black shirt with a giant purple skull on it, a black leather vest and to top it off, fingerless fishnet gloves.

Coated in an array of heavy jewellery along with, and I'm serious, fluorescent makeup, Payton was in fact a goth. Though most of the time she didn't particularly act like one. Most of the time she was loud, obnoxious, cheeky and nasty to people she didn't like, like Clarisse.

Payton was a daughter of Ares just like Clarisse. Most people laughed and didn't think so, because unlike everyone else in the Ares cabin, Payton was short and skinny.

No one wants to mess with her though. Everyone knows the rumours and everyone has seen her fight. An extremely aggressive, acrobatic psycho.

Right now that didn't matter. I told them, not so nicely to get out. At the first go, Payton got up and walked out. A while later so did Tori. I gladly laid back down.

What an idiot am I? Do I not know my own friends? Because a moment later, the door opened again.

I wanted to cry out but it was to late. My skin froze and I yelped on contact the the icy water that had just been thrown across my bed.

Laughing loudly, Payton sprinted from the room, dragging with her an apologetic Tori. Luke had jumped up with quite a shriek.

"Run fast pavement!" Luke yelled, before jumping out of bed and pulling his clothes on. I sat there shivering, watching him bolt out in pursuit of the two idiots.

Then everything went quiet. Dismally, I rolled onto the floor to pull out some clothes.

"Candi?" I heard Molly groan.

"Sorry about that. It was just my friends. Go back to sleep it's way to early for you to be awake," I whispered back. Dexter, it seems was unaffected, as he was still snoring.

Opening my suitcase, I took out my clothes. I have been here for four years. I have managed to collect a fair bit over my time. I happen to be the one Chiron sends out for supplies sometimes. Since I am the daughter of a minor Goddess my scent isn't that overpowering.

Both Tori, Annabeth and Luke have been here for a while, but it's Payton who had been here for six or seven years. 

I pulled on my black three quarter pants, sneakers, camp top and dark blue jacket. Reaching under my bed I pull out my backpack. On my wall, eleven different whips were mounted in holds. I grabbed August, my favourite, and reached under my pillow for December, the one I was still making.

 After setting my stupid hair into a bun, I walked out the door and into the common area.

Empty. As usual, 4:30 in the morning there was a maximum of five people up. Feeling around in my jacket pocket, I discovered my schedule for today. 

Like Luke and the girls, I stopped taking classes long ago and instead began teaching them. Then, some genius, namely every body, told Chiron I would make a great Counsellor, someone to confide in, a psychologist of sorts. 

So Chiron had a structure built for that exact purpose. I also taught classes on knots and personal weapons. Personal weapons were for people who believe their fighting talents laid outside of the sword, like mine with a whip.

I did not teach that class alone either. I taught alongside Xavier Laken, son of Athena. He and Luke were best friends. Payton and Xavier however, argued none stop and seem to hate each other.

Everyone knows their feelings for each other are the opposite of hate though.

Payton and Luke taught classes together. Payton also taught extreme agility classes. Tori taught, learnt and practised healing. My schedule I had written on monday for each day, looked acceptable.

5:00am: Wake up. Give everyone else their schedules.

5:10am: Wake Mr.D up.

5:20am: Open Counsellor House.

5:30am: Tend to animals.

6:00am: Wake Mr.D up.

6:10am: Morning ride.

7:00am: Train.

8:00am: Wake everyone up for breakfast (with Payton)

9:00am: Class 1 - Specialist Weapons

10:00am: Two appointments

11:00am: Class 2 - Specialist Weapons.

12:00pm: Lunch then Four appointments

2:00pm: Class 3 - Knots

3:00pm: Freedom after waking up Mr.D

I love for everything to be organised. Mondays I write a schedule for everyday for myself, Payton, Tori, Xavier, Chiron and Mr.D.

I write lists, nominate days for things and I never disobey my schedule.

There was no way I would start now, it's still half an hour early. So instead, I went searching for Luke and the girls. The camp remained peaceful and as usual, felt fresh. 

In the distance, I heard a scream that sounded a lot like Tori. Rolling my eyes, I began jogging in the direction of Payton's intense agility classroom. It consisted of ladders, ropes, wheels and other structures in the trees on the ground and even in the river. 

I found Luke to be standing underneath a ladder and yelling up at it. Tori looked to be hanging off it by one foot. Getting closer I realised someone had tied her foot to it.

"Payton," I growled under my breath. I hadn't suspected a reply, but looking up I found her grinning down at me like a cat, slinking through the trees with the ridiculous stealth she had.

"Isn't this a bit out of you schedule?" She yelled down at me.

"Shut up!" I yelled back. Everyone found my schedule clinging amusing.

"There you are!" I heard Luke exclaim, before he began climbing up the tree towards Payton. We all knew he couldn't catch her though. Ignoring them I walked up to Tori and cut her down carefully. 

"Thanks," she gasped, landing not so gracefully. Suddenly, Payton landed softly in front of us.

"Your husband is easy to fool," she teased me, before snatching her timetable off of me and sprinting towards the canoe's. I rolled my eyes at the 'husband' bit, something she liked to repeat.

Handing Tori her own schedule, I began walking back to my cabin the long way by the river. Payton was far out in the middle of the water. I watched as she dove out of the boat and began her training; swimming all lengths of the river none-stop.

After dawdling around camp for a while, it finally fell to 5:00am. On my way to Chiron's cabin, I ran into a sleepy looking Xavier. Tall with tousled brown hair and big brown eyes. 

I handed him his schedule, and got to Chiron's, handing him his schedule. I then went to Mr.D's cabin, and stood at the door, knocking on it for five minutes straight, until I heard him fall out of bed.

Then, I went to my…office. It was the most beautiful building here in my opinion. Concealed by trees and positioned by the river. It had one wall,  a roof, and pillars made of ivory. Vines wrapped fittingly around them. It was calming, and pretty. 

A perfect fit for what I use it for, really. 

When I got there, I removed its protection charm and walked in happily. Automatically I grabbed the food for my owls, rabbits and fish. and began feeding them. I've three owls, six rabbits and multiple fish. Animals are a calming factor, especially for my younger…well I have no word for them except 'patients'.

Precisely after that I woke up Mr.D again, and pressed on to the stables where my pegasus was.

Tori doesn't often ride, her horse gets used by everyone else…well not the best way to put it. A pretty light brown filly named Layla. A regular horse, but she was nicer than my black pegasus Sage. I lead him out of his stable. Payton appeared, newly dried and grinning, clearly having avoided Luke's wrath.

As she let out Rickon, her white pegasus she named after her cousin, she asked me a question in wonder.

"Tori won't be joining us…but I have a question. Did you notice how much she and Luke snuck off before?"