"That Clarisse girl seems cool," Pip admitted, feeling her face get warm.

"No she doesn't," Percy groaned, "Gods, I can't believe they're giving her this quest!"

Pip, Percy, and Annabeth were walking along the coast, the girls trying to find the best of the situation. Pip had learned a lot about Camp in the few days she had been there. Like how to fight, and how everyone actually fights with real sword, and blah blah blah. However, the coolest thing Pip had learned is that weather doesn't exist in Camp. It's always sunny and bright. At least that's what she had been told. With the border acting up, she hadn't got to experience it yet. So the chilliness of early June evenings still lingered during their walk. It's not like Pip wasn't used to this, she had never left the north-east, and the weather was always weird in the north east. But this weather was weird. It was bad enough that there was this odd tension of fear and anxiety amongst the campers but the unusual grey clouds seemed to add another layer of weirdness to the summer.

"What's wrong with her?" Pip asked.

"She's horrible!" Percy assured her.

Pip gave up. Sure Percy might've been through some stuff but he was still a thirteen year-old boy. She wasn't going to get an actual reason out of him.

She kept waking with the two while they plotted a way to save the camp without going on the quest.  Pip felt out of place. The two young half-bloods weren't actually dating... yet (Pip could feel it, maybe it was an Aphrodite power or maybe they were just obviously in love), but Pip still felt like a third wheel. She wasn't new to that feeling. When all her friends were dating the popular baseball and football players, she sat quietly in the corner, hoping for someone to call her own. But deep down Pip missed those friends. When it was just them, without the boys, it was nice. She felt as if she had a place. She didn't really have a place at Camp.

"Pip, you okay?" Annabeth asked, her braids hitting her shoulder as she turned around.

"Huh?" Pip hadn't realized that she had zoned out, "Oh yeah, I'm fine. I might go back to the cabin and figure something out."

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Pip watched as her dagger flew from her hand and hit the dummy right in the chest. She sighed heavily. Pip aggressively pulled the dagger out of the dummy and sat down on the stone bench behind her. She knew daggers were meant for close combat but there was something so satisfying about throwing it. It helped her get her emotions out. Maybe that was a good thing.

One question fluttered around her mind, constantly bugging her: Why did her mom suddenly show up? Why not two years ago when she was Percy's age. This was all her mom's fault. She could've been at camp for years, but instead she was an useless untrained 15 year old who didn't know what she was doing. She couldn't help but think it was all pointless. She was just some random Aphrodite kid, she wasn't supposed to be good at combat. Why would any monster care about her?

Pip felt a presence behind her as someone approached the combat arena. She turned around, dagger ready, but let her muscles loosen when she realized she knew the person. Well, her muscles relaxed for only a minute, before her heart began to beat faster than normal again. She couldn't help herself. Something about the dark, curly hair of Clarisse La Rue just woke her up. Pip almost felt a smile from on her face before she remembered that Percy and Annabeth hated her. She really didn't know anything about her, but she didn't see what was so bad about her.

Before Pip realized what she was doing, she started speaking, "Clarisse?"

"What?" The girl responded. Her voice was filled with anger, maybe at Pip, maybe at the world. But Pip saw something else in her eyes: fear.

"I just wanted to wish you luck on your quest," Pip told her, trying her best to put an encouraging look on her face.

Clarisse looked even more made and opened her mouth to yell at Pip but suddenly stopped and just said, "Thanks." The daughter of Ares walked away and Pip went back to practicing with her dagger. She didn't notice Clarisse stop in her tracks and turn back to face Pip.

"You know, I could use some extra help on the quest," She admitted quietly.

Pip stopped suddenly, surprised that Clarisse was talking to her. "You don't want me on your quest, trust me. I don't know what I'm doing. You'd be better off on your own."

"Camp tradition says there should be three members on a quest. And trust me, you weren't my first choice... everyone else said no."

Pip swear she felt her heart break. The only person at camp she wanted to impress her practically just said that she sucked. Sure, Pip was saying that before, but it felt different when Clarisse said it. "Well, telling me that I was your last resort isn't going to convince me to go on your quest." Pip stopped herself before she said anything worse. She had been told that she can get a bit rude when she was upset.

Clarisse's expression turned almost remorseful, "I didn't-" She paused and took a deep breath: "I'm s- I'm sorry. Okay? I really need you on this quest. You have what it takes, I swear."

"I'm a Aphrodite kid, I'm not supposed to have what it takes," Pip admitted.

"You have what it takes. I've seen you fight. The other Aphrodite kids, maybe not. But you do," Clarisse told her, placing her hand on her shoulder. Pip felt herself turn as red as a raspberry. Why did this keep happening? And why was it only with Clarisse? "You have until tonight to decide Penelope. And just know, I don't choose just anyone to go on a quest with me."

"Actually it's-" Pip stopped herself from correcting Clarisse. For some reason she didn't really mind being called Penelope. At least not by Clarisse.

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So it's been a minute but Pip is back!!! Enjoy the chapter!

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originally published: june 23 • 1046 words