fourteen
please, no summer bummer

THE SONG FLOWS THROUGH LENNON like she was meant to sing it. She continues playing the chords on her guitar, fully immersed in the song. She sings in Ancient Greek and it's absolutely perfect. It tells the story of a happy memory that was once forgotten.

    She says the last line of the song and strums the guitar one more time. She opens her eyes and leans forward to write in the notebook next to her.

    The summer season had begun to turn its wheels into full effect. She wears shorts with heart-shaped pockets and a green crop top, there's a flannel thrown over the outfit. And it's a rare sight to see her dark hair fall over her shoulders rather than be up.

    "That was amazing,"

    Lennon looked over to see Percy standing at the bottom step of the porch. She cringed, "How much of that did you hear?"

    He shrugged, "Uh, most of it, I guess—"

    "It's still a work in progress! I haven't finished the song yet,"

    "Really? It sounded perfect to me,"

    She stared at him because... he was calling her song perfect. Her song. Perfect. It was weird. Or it wasn't. Lennon didn't know. Maybe it was the heat that was making her heart beat a mile per minute at the sight of Percy.

    Wait... "Percy!" She said as if finally realizing who was in front of her. She set her guitar down on the bench and ran down the steps to give him a hug.

    He let out a little laugh. "Well, hello to you too," he hugged her back.

    He had that familiar scent of sea salt, like all he did was stand by the beach.

    "When did you get back?"

    "Just now, Annabeth and I got here,"

    She nodded and then paused, pushing back from him with her hands secured on his shoulders. She was looking up at him.

    His black hair looked like it had been freshly cut and his sea-green eyes were as piercing as ever.

    "You're taller than me!" She said with a bit of disappointment. Now she lost all her tall jokes (even if she had only been taller than him by a few inches).

    "Yup," He smiled at her.

    She huffed, "There go all my tall jokes,"

    "A bummer," he says in a joking voice. "So that was the song you've been writing?"

    She nodded as she took her hands off his shoulder, glancing over at the guitar. It had little suns and flowers painted on it. It was new, gifted to her by her mother. That was what she often did, gift her instruments.

    "Yeah. Like I said it hasn't been finished,"

    "Well, what you have so far sounds amazing. You're really talented," He said genuinely.

    Lennon ignored the way her cheeks heated. "Yeah, well..." She shrugged and picked the guitar up. "I'm gonna put this up. I'll be right back,"

    After she went inside her cabin to put the guitar up then she came back on the porch. "Done,"

He nodded then said, "Hey I was gonna go to the training arena, wanna come with?"

"Sure," They started the trek toward the arena. "So how was the trip to camp?"

Percy let out an exasperated sigh. "It was chaotic. I was supposed to have a school orientation but a bunch of demon cheerleaders attacked me. Luckily, I got out 'cause of Rachel,"

"Rachel?" She paused to think. "Rachel from the Hoover dam Rachel?"

"Yup,"

"Oh..." She glanced at the phone number written on his hand. Lennon didn't care, right? She liked Rachel! She was cool and fun and nice. And pretty. Who wouldn't like her? "How is Rachel?"

"Uh," he scratched the back of his neck. "I didn't really get a chance to ask,"

"Oh,"

"Annabeth disappeared pretty quickly though. I didn't get a chance to talk to her much," he said with a frown.

Lennon frowns too because, well how can she not? Percy's got those sad eyes he always gets. "Oh, you know Annabeth. Sometimes she can be a little... possessive?"

Percy hummed. "I don't why she would though,"

Lennon fakes cluelessness and shrugs, "Who knows,"

Percy nodded and then said, "So how's Julian, and camp? Is there anything new?"

    "Julian's good but," She thought for a moment. "And, I don't think there's anything—"

    Percy was looking off in the distance, then he took out his sword and started charging.

    "Wha..." Lennon looked at where he was going to see Mrs. O'Leary curled up in the amphitheater.

    "Wait!" Lennon chased after him.

    Lennon feared the worst when he brought his sword up but Quintus stepped in and blocked the blade. Lennon reached Mrs. O'Leary and glanced at Percy.

     Mrs. O'Leary pricked up her ears. "WOOF!"

    "Stop it!" Lennon said as Percy tried to strike at Quintus once more.

The swordsman parried his attack. "Whoa there!" he said. "Truce!"

"WOOF!" Mrs. O'Leary's bark shook the arena.

Lennon petted her in an attempt to calm her down. "I know, I know. It's just a misunderstanding," she cooed at the hellhound. Somehow, Mrs. O'Leary seemed to like Lennon. She didn't know how but she didn't mind it, she'd always wanted a dog (even if that dog was a giant hellhound).

"That's a hellhound!" Percy shouted.

"She's harmless Percy,"

Quintus nodded. "Her name's Mrs. O'Leary,"

Percy gaped at them, looking at Mrs. O'Leary then at Quintus then at Lennon. "Mrs. O'Leary?"

At the sound of her name, Mrs. O'Leary barked excitedly. She nudged the soggy, badly chewed target dummy toward Quintus.

"Good girl," Quintus said. Lennon stepped away as he grabbed the armored manikin by the neck and heaved it toward the bleachers. "Get the Greek! Get the Greek!"

Mrs. O'Leary bounded after her prey and pounced on the dummy, flattening its armor. She began chewing on its helmet.

Lennon went to stand by Percy as he watched the interaction. She nudged him lightly with her arm. "Next time, maybe ask questions first,"

He scratched the back of his neck in what might have been embarrassment, "Sorry,"

She shrugged, "It's okay,"

Quintus smiled dryly as he watched the hellhound. "Mrs. O'Leary is my pet," he explained. "I couldn't let you stick a sword in her rump, now, could I? That might have scared her."

"Who are you?"

"He's the new sword instructor," Lennon answered.

Quintus sheathed his sword and held out his hand. "Quintus."

Percy shook his hand. "Percy Jackson... sorry about—How did you, um—"

"Get a hellhound for a pet? Long story, involving many close calls with death and quite a few giant chew toys. As Lennon said, I'm the new sword instructor. Helping out Chiron while Mr. D is away."

    "Oh."

    Lenno glanced at Mrs. O'Leary who was playing happily with the target dummy's head, using it as a frisbee.

"Wait, Mr. D is away?" He glanced at Lennon, perhaps asking her the question.

"Uh, yeah. I think to help with the war? I don't really know," Lennon said.

Quintus nodded with a hum. "Busy times. Even Dionysus must help out. He's gone to visit some old friends. Make sure they're on the right side. I probably shouldn't say more than that."

    Percy glanced at Lennon unsurely, to which she shrugged. There was a loud bump. Six wooden crates the size of picnic tables were stacked nearby, and they were rattling. Mrs. O'Leary cocked her head and bounded toward them.

"Whoa, girl!" Quintus said. "Those aren't for you." He distracted her with the bronze shield Frisbee. The crates thumped and shook. There were words printed on the sides, which took Lennon a few seconds to read:

TRIPLE G RANCH
FRAGILE
THIS END UP

Along the bottom, in smaller letters: OPEN WITH CARE. TRIPLE G RANCH IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PROPERTY DAMAGE, MAIMING, OR EXCRUCIATINGLY PAINFUL DEATHS.

"Ominous," she commented.

"What's in the boxes?" Percy asked.

"A little surprise," Quintus said. "Training activity for tomorrow night. You'll love it."

Lennon glanced at the boxes. Excruciatingly painful death didn't seem very fun. "Maybe it's excruciating in a fun way," Lennon said hopefully.

"Is there a fun way?" He asked unconvinced. Lennon only shrugged.

Lennon had barely interacted with Quintus but he seemed nice enough. Maybe it helped that he was a half-blood too. It gave her hope for her future.

Quintus threw the bronze shield, and Mrs. O'Leary lumbered after it. "You young ones need more challenges. They didn't have camps like this when I was a boy."

"You—you're a half-blood?" Percy asked in surprise.

Quintus chuckled. "Some of us do survive into adulthood, you know. Not all of us are the subject of terrible prophecies." When said that, he glanced at both Percy and Lennon.

    She looked away from his gaze.

"You know about my prophecy?" Percy said, not noticing that Quintus looked at her too.

"I've heard a few things."

Percy looked like he wanted to ask more, but just then Chiron came into the arena. "Percy, there you are!"

He must've just come from teaching archery. He had a quiver and bow slung over his #1 CENTAUR T-shirt. He'd trimmed his curly brown hair and beard for the summer, and his lower half, which was a white stallion, was flecked with mud and grass.

"I see you've met our new instructor." Chiron's tone was light, but there was an uneasy look in his eyes. "Quintus, do you mind if I borrow Percy and Lennon?"

"Not at all, Master Chiron."

"No need to call me 'Master'," Chiron said, though he sounded sort of pleased. "Come, Percy. We have much to discuss, Lennon you too," Lennon already knew everything Percy needed to know.

Percy took one more glance at Mrs. O'Leary, who was now chewing off the target dummy's legs.

"Well, see you," Percy told Quintus.

Lennon waved at the swordmaster, "Bye,"

As they were all walking away, Percy whispered to Chiron, "Quintus seemed kind of—"

"Mysterious?" Chiron suggested. "Hard to read?"

"Yeah."

Chiron nodded. "A very qualified half-blood. Excellent swordsman, I just wish I understood..." Whatever he was going to say, he apparently changed his mind. "First things first, Percy. Annabeth told me you met some empousai."

"Yeah." Percy retold the story about the fight at Goode, and how Kelli had exploded into flames.

"Mm," Chiron said. "The more powerful ones can do that. She did not die, Percy. She simply escaped. It is not good that the she-demons are stirring."

"Stirring she-demons. Not something you hear every day," She remarked, then looked up to realize Chiron giving her an odd look and Percy smiling amusedly. "Sorry,"

"What were they doing there?" Percy asked. "Waiting for me?"

"Possibly," Chiron frowned. "It is amazing you survived. Their powers of deception...almost any male hero would've fallen under their spell and been devoured."

"I would've been," Percy admitted. "Except for Rachel."

Good thing Rachel was there.

Chiron nodded. "Ironic to be saved by a mortal, yet we owe her a debt. What the empousa said about an attack on camp—we must speak of this further. But for now, come, we should get to the woods. Grover will want you there."

Lennon let out a little gasp. "I almost forgot!" She felt bad that she'd almost forgotten something so important.

"Where?"

"At his formal hearing," Chiron said grimly. "The Council of Cloven Elders is meeting now to decide his fate."

"Master Underwood, for six months—six months— we have been hearing these scandalous claims that you heard the wild god Pan speak." The council member Silenus said.

"But I did!"

"Impudence!" said the elder on the left.

"Now, Maron," Chiron said. "Patience."

"Patience, indeed!" Maron said. "I've had it up to my horns with this nonsense. As if the wild god would speak to...to him."

Juniper, Grover's girlfriend, looked like she wanted to charge the old satyr and beat him up, but Annabeth and Clarisse held her back. Lennon grabbed her hand and whispered words of reassurance.

"Wrong fight, girlie," Clarisse muttered. "Wait."

Percy watched in surprise. It was odd to see Clarisse holding someone back from a fight, especially the fact that she and Annabeth, who despised each other, almost seemed like they were working together.

"For six months," Silenus continued, "we have indulged you, Master Underwood. We let you travel. We allowed you to keep your searcher's license. We waited for you to bring proof of your preposterous claim. And what have you found in six months of travel?" Percy had no idea what was going on but his blood boiled. They were being completely unfair to Grover.

"I just need more time," Grover pleaded.

"Nothing!" the elder in the middle chimed in. "You have found nothing."

"But, Leneus—"

Silenus raised his hand. Chiron leaned in and said something to the satyrs. The satyrs didn't look happy. They muttered and argued among themselves, but Chiron said something else, and Silenus sighed. He nodded reluctantly.

"Master Underwood," Silenus announced, "we will give you one more chance."

Grover brightened. "Thank you!"

"One more week."

"What? But sir! That's impossible!"

"One more week, Master Underwood. And then, if you cannot prove your claims, it will be time for you to pursue another career. Something to suit your dramatic talents. Puppet theater, perhaps. Or tap dancing."

"But sir, I—I can't lose my searcher's license. My whole life—"

"This meeting of the council is adjourned," Silenus said. "And now let us enjoy our noonday meal!"

The old satyr clapped his hands, and a bunch of nymphs melted out of the trees with platters of vegetables, fruits, tin cans, and other goat delicacies. The circle of satyrs broke and charged the food. Grover walked dejectedly toward Percy and the others. His faded blue T-shirt had a picture of a satyr on it. It read, GOT HOOVES?

"Hi, Percy," he said dejectedly. Grover gave him a hug but he could tell he wasn't into it. His face was fixed in a frown.

"That went well, huh?"

"Those old goats!" Juniper said. "Oh, Grover, they don't know how hard you've tried!"

"There is another option," Clarisse said darkly.

"No. No." Juniper shook her head. "Grover, I won't let you."

His face was ashen. "I—I'll have to think about it. But we don't even know where to look."

"What are you talking about?" Percy asked.

In the distance, a conch horn sounded.

Lennon and Annabeth exchanged looks then Annabeth pursed her lips. "I'll fill you in later, Percy,"

Percy's lips downturned slightly. Lennon noticed and she sent him a smile. (It was then that Percy noticed the faint freckles that dotted her cheeks, maybe being in the sun brought them out).

"Inspection is starting. We should probably get back to our cabins,"

Lennon walked back from the Archery arena. She'd been practicing something new with her power. She flexed her fingers. Using her power felt so... replenishing. So normal. It was odd to think that she had once avoided using her power.

"Lennon!"

Most people would be alarmed at the sight of a cyclops running at them, but considering that cyclops was Tyson, Lennon was only at ease. She smiled at him as he pulled her into one of his classic bear hugs.

"Hey Tyson, how are you?" she asked as he let go of her. She waved at Percy who had been walking along Tyson.

When he'd come back to camp a while earlier, he'd immediately seen Lennon as a friend since she was Percy's friend.

"Great!" he glanced at her. "Woah, you're glowing,"

A new after-effect of her power was a sense of glowing. Of course, she wasn't actually glowing but her skin had always seemed to be set alight with a happy glow.

"It's my powers," she shrugged. "At least they make me look pretty,"

"You always look pretty," Percy says. He says it as if it's nothing like he didn't notice what he said.

Lennon's mind is screaming. She can feel the heat crawling up from her neck to her cheeks. "Oh," she looks away, anywhere but Percy.

"I like your hair too," Percy said and Lennon could feel his gaze on her. "How did you get the green out?" he asked with his head tilted.

She looked at him in confusion. "Green?" Then it clicked. "Annabeth told you that?" she groaned and covered her face with her hands.

A month earlier, after a camp movie night watching Batman, the Stolls had thought it would be absolutely hilarious to dye people's hair green. The only ones safe were the Aphrodite cabin.

Percy bumped her shoulder with his. "I don't know, I think you could pass as the joker,"

She glared at him. "No it was terrible. Thank the gods Silena had this miracle solution,"

Percy nodded with a hum. Then he gives her a mischievous look. "Maybe I should tell the Stolls to get blue hair dye,"

She gasped. "You wouldn't,"

"Oh, I definitely would sunshine,"

Lennon stuck her tongue out at him and looked at Tyson. "Tyson, I might just fight your brother,"

The cyclops frowned deeply like he would start crying any second. "Why?"

"No, I was joking! I wouldn't fight him," she said frantically.

"Oh. That's good. I don't want you guys to fight," Tyson smiled and she patted his arm as they continued walking. She glances at Percy and sees him grinning at her and she can't help but return it.

Dinner is eventful and loud. With most of the campers back for summer, Apollo cabin was back to its usual amount. Countless music debates surround the table along with the usual Romeo and Juliet debate between Emelee and anyone who would listen (Em firmly believed it was a masterpiece).

"Here you go," Will passed some of his mother's tarts around the table as he sat next to Lennon.

"Can I get one?"

"Thanks, Willy," Others around the table spoke.

"Here Len," he handed one to her.

She grinned. "This is why you're one of my favorites,"

The blonde-haired boy smiled widely. "Isn't everyone your favorite?"

Lennon shrugged. "Doesn't erase the fact," She took a bite of the tart. "One day you have to teach us how to make these,"

Will nodded. "Can I help you write your next song? I'm not much of a songwriter but I wanna try,"

"Of course," She nudged his arm with her elbow playfully. "I'm sure you're an amazing songwriter,"

"I don't know. I think healing is more my thing,"

She shrugged. "Well, you can always learn,"

"Lennon, settle this for me," Michael said on her other side, throwing an arm around her.

"Settle what?"

Michael glanced at Austin. The young boy was one of their new campers, who'd arrived almost a week earlier. "Is Queen better than Abba?"

Beside Lennon, Will gasped. "Why?"

Michael smirks. "Why not?"

Austin frowns. "They're two different genres. Plus, they are both good in their own right," Austin had begun to show his personality more, as he stayed at camp, and it seemed he was a music enthusiast like Lennon.

"Abba sucks," Michael comments easily.

Austin gasps and Lennon rolls her eyes at Michael. "He likes to make music ultimatums ignore him,"

"But— he just said—" Austin stutters in disbelief.

"Mike here—" she grins at Michael's look of disgust at the nickname. "—mentions his dislike of Abba every chance he gets. You'll get used to it,"

Austin shakes his head and says jokingly, "Evil man,"

Michael grins. "Thank you. Abba still sucks,"

Lennon shakes her head with a chuckle. She loves her siblings.

That night Lennon dreams of the green meadow again. This time she wears a large beige cardigan thrown over a yellow sundress. She looks up to see Xia walking towards her.

Lennon waves at her. She takes note of her how upbeat she is. Xia sits down on the picnic blanket laid out on the grass.

"Hi, Lennon,"

"Hi, how are you?" Lennon paled, then frantically said, "Sorry, is that tone-deaf of me? Should I—"

"It's okay Lennon," she smiled. "I've been well. I got to reunite with Hunter,"

"Hunter? But I thought he was..."

"Us cursed kids can be alive at the same time. There can be a number of us alive in the same decade actually. Hunter was... I think he was the only one to live and die of old age,"

Lennon's eyes widened. "Wait, so there is hope to live a long life?"

Xia frowned. "No, well yes but, I wouldn't wish his life upon anybody. I think he may have had it worse,"

Her words scared Lennon. How could she have any type of hope in such bleak standards? Hunter lived a long life and somehow that was worse than a tragic death.

"That's what I came to talk about. I think I may have figured something out, something to stop the curse,"

"What?"

"I don't know the scale of what it would affect. If it will only affect you or all future holders of the curse but... I think it'll help,"

"What did you figure out?"

Xia opened her mouth and it looked like she was speaking but nothing came out of her mouth. Lennon's vision went fuzzy then cleared once more. "I can't hear you,"

Only silence emerged from her mouth again. Lennon's sight went out of focus and then faded to black.

AUTHORS NOTE:
this chapter was kinda shorter than usual but that's okay cause the action is gonna start up next chapter.
so what do we think so far about devon? and apparently there's a way to prevent lennon's curse. any theories? comments? don't be a silent reader.