Wow, two chapters in a day! I wish I could continue writing, but alas, I have homework I haven't started yet.

I spent the next week working diligently on my divination education (my divication, you could say), and I was duly rewarded for my efforts when Rachel told me I could go into the city that weekend with Gopher and Matt to do the shopping I wanted to do. I hadn't planned on asking Liz since I knew she had done hers on the actual day and figured she'd be busy with her general saving-the-world stuff, but she seemed very excited to come with us, if not just because we were three 13/14 year-olds and should probably have supervision. In all honesty, we all should have been helping with putting up decorations and everything, but I was secretly very glad to have time to hang out with her again. Not to mention, I really wanted to get Gopher to like her, she had seemed very tense whenever I brought her up, and I wasn't quite sure why. 

We were all ready to go the morning of, when Drew heard us talking about it and came up, saying, "Hey, weirdo! I figured since we never get to hang out," she took time to glare at me before continuing, "I should join you on your little trip! After all, three kids need more than one chaperone." I could see Gopher and Matt looking a little uncomfortable but I considered Drew a friend, or at least a friend-shaped person and wanted to make all my friends get along at least. And it's not like I could deny the intimidating daughter of Aphrodite.

Liz took us to the mall where she went with Annabeth and Mrs. Jackson (who I had yet to meet and was dying to do so), which was an idea that was apparently shared with what must have been the entirety of Manhattan. On my list of People That Must Receive Gifts were Rachel, Liz, Matt, Gopher, and Drew. Also Felix, since he was who I had drawn for Secret Santa. I didn't have too many ideas for anyone, just general topics that they might like. Except for Gopher, who I knew exactly what I wanted to get. 

We wandered around for a little while before deciding to go into this one beauty place that Liz and Drew seemed interested in and took a look around. While I didn't want to wear any of it, I found it hard to stop staring at all of the makeup, mesmerized. I overheard Drew talking to the salesperson following us around about how much she liked this one brand of lipstick, but how it would never stay on for very long. Once the salesperson had turned Drew towards the necklaces, I grabbed the one she had been looking at, knowing I would need some help with her gift.

I then followed them over there, seeing if there was anything anyone might like, when I spotted a bunch of charms to put on necklaces and bracelets and an idea came to me. I looked over the collection and found the one I had been hoping to see, so I grabbed it and went over to where the rest of my group was standing, waiting for me.

As we were about to check out, I saw the scented body products aisle and ran off to grab some wintery-smelling stuff for Liz. When we were in middle school, she would always keep tons of it in her locker and room, and loved to use it. I assumed that since she was constantly so busy, she had probably depleted her stock and deserved some more.

We continued onto the bookstore that was close by, because honestly, what kind of outing is complete without a stop by the local bit of heaven? I ended up having to be dragged away from the shop, but not without getting the three remaining gifts left on my list. 

We got back to camp just in time for dinner, and after that, we had to help with the preparation stuff, since we weren't there to do it during the day. Since Rachel and I were technically a part of the Apollo cabin, we had to help out with the decorating, as well as planning the campfire singalong and concert, which took much more effort than I was expecting. The campfire was simple, we do that often enough to know what to do for it other than choosing the songs, but the concert was...difficult. First, we had to set up the rules for the audition, then make the posters so we could get the word out, and finally figure out the decorations for it and finalize the order once the auditions were completed. And as for the decorations themselves, Will wanted us to hang some banners with "positive Oracle-y things", which neither of us really understood, so we ended up just saying random crap like "it is foreseen that you have good presents", "you can expect lots of treasures", and "we see a good year in front of you" (even though it wasn't technically a New Year's celebration, we just didn't feel like making new ones a week after Christmas).

The concert went splendidly, with Liz, Leo, and Will opening up with a beautifully somber 'I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day', which had something to do with a dream Liz had a few weeks back about World War III. Not a cheerful way to open up the show, but the perfect one nonetheless. After followed several other pieces, most of them Christmas themed, but some were traditional Hanukkah or Kwanzaa themed, since it was also that time of year.

Finally, the last group started singing. It was a duet of 'All I Want for Christmas Is You', and I saw many couples dancing in the audience, including everyone's OTP, Percabeth. I had heard a couple rumors floating around about Percy proposing soon, and sure enough, the end of the song neared, and everyone was proven wrong as Annabeth knelt down. To say everyone was happy would be a gross understatement. I think by the time she had stood up again, everyone had completely forgotten about the concert still going on, but I don't think Sammy and Tanya really minded, considering they had stopped singing and were instead freaking out just as much as the rest of us. Everyone went to bed extremely pleased, but none more so than Liz it looked like, who obviously must have had a hand in the events of the night. 

Soon enough, however, Christmas Day was upon us. When I woke up, I saw that I had a few presents: from Rachel, Apollo, and who appeared to be my family back in Michigan. Rachel had gotten me my own Thoroughly Exhaustive Book of Prophecies and How to Understand Them, which she had apparently found on eBay somehow. Apollo's gift was a little more...him. He had so kindly gifted me a complete collection of his poems. Rachel informed me that this was apparently his standard new-Oracle-appreciation-gift. I looked to the last one, a small stack of books with a letter, and I started to tear up. I always got a stack of books for Christmas, and it looked like I hadn't been overlooked this year. I could only hope they (along with Sarah and Andrew) got my present that I had sent a couple weeks before. Before I could forget reality entirely, I remembered to give Rachel her present, which she seemed to really enjoy.

Engrossed in her new paints, I went off to breakfast myself, where I managed to quickly drop my friends' presents on their plates and run away, because of course that's the proper way to do things, and waited for them to each inevitably corner me later. Liz laughed at the shampoo/conditioner/body wash/lotion set I had gotten her and promised to use the TARDIS notebook, which made me happier than it probably should have. Matt almost collapsed in tears when he opened his book of dad jokes, dedicated to "the wisest one of the group". Drew seemed extraordinarily emotional for the normally stony girl, even though I really didn't think it was all that impressive. I had just asked Lou Ellen for an enchantment that would make the lipstick stay on for 72 hours, but apparently that was enough for Drew to call me "Abigail" instead of "weirdo" for the first time.

The weirdest reaction I got, however, was the one from Gopher. On Thanksgiving when I was in the middle of recalling my ear-piercing-mishaps, she had mentioned how she had never gotten the chance to get hers pierced, but had always kind-of-maybe-wanted to. So I went out and found a gift card to this one trustworthy place in Manhattan, along with her very own set of owl earrings. I might have considered a punch to the arm enough thanks for it, but instead I received a very teary-eyed hug.

In return, she had bought a photo album, mostly empty at this point, but with plenty of pictures that had apparently been taken during my short while at camp. "To remember us by, when you go off being a genius in Virginia," she explained.

I couldn't help but laugh at that, because "I don't start until next fall, I thought you knew!" So while she was quite embarrassed about that, we decided to fill it up by the time I left in nine months time, and take plenty of pictures with my new spy friends.

Later that morning, was first the results of the cabin decorating contest. Demeter won, which made sense considering their magnificent decorations, although Rachel was a little miffed we didn't win; we had gone all out on our little two-person cave, covering it from head to toe with Rachel's art and our lovely not-sarcastic banners. 

After that were war games, which Rachel made sure I stayed well away from, to which I heartily agreed. I may have wanted to join in, but we all knew I would be dead within the hour if I did and ambrosia and nectar couldn't help me any. Liz and Percy (with the help of Holly the Amazon) won the game of capture the tree for their team, and again for the obstacle course, and again with the races. Having a fully-trained Amazon on your team really does wonders for the capabilities of your team it seems. 

Finally, finally, there was the Secret Santa giving. I had Alexis give him my present for me, but I stayed close enough to them so I could see his reaction, and I will say it was well worth it. He looked happier than he had all day and slipped his snowflake charm around the leather necklace I had given him, even though it as of now lacked the beads that typically came with it. I hoped that he got the message, and from the way he smiled at me once Alexis told him who it was, I think he did. All I really wanted was for him to feel at home, since I knew more or less how uncomfortable he had been feeling since coming here, and I just wanted to make him un-uncomfortable, if not comfortable quite yet. He was apparently comfortable enough to make an ice rink in the sword arena, which was fun if not a little worrying considering my knack of falling down when both my feet are on a fully frictioned surface.

There was a little bit of a break, and then came the dance, during which I mostly stood in a corner with Matt while Gopher kept insisting we join her. There may have been times when we appeared to dance, but there's no evidence so you can't prove anything. 

The campfire singalong was much more laid back, although the beaches were closed "for safety reasons" (three guesses as to who caused that *cough cough*). The songs were fun and we all had a very enjoyable time, although once a third of the camp had fallen asleep into their smores Chiron declared it time for bed, and we all retired to our cabins, content with what was a better day than I think most of us had been expecting.

And I did it! Thanks for joining me on this journey, it's time for the New Year next (though I'm not sure when that'll be, sorry) !