Chapter 4

–OLD, MOODY GRAPES–

*

big chapter that ties in with plot, sorry not sorry?*

As soon as Chiron and Dionysus announced this, everyone erupted in cheers. Especially the Ares cabin.

Malcolm had gone over to the Athena group and they were already conjuring up a plan, while
Kayla was stood next to the Hermes kids. Chiron said that the game would take place tomorrow at two in the afternoon.

After all the announcements were over, everyone eventually settled down and ate dinner, offering some to a god or Goddess of whichever table they were sat at.

The Hermes table was never calm.
The Stoll brothers constantly got wrapped up in mayhem with Chris Rodriguez, they were an unstoppable trio. Chris had been rather down lately, everyone had noticed, no one knew why. But stealing dessert off peoples’ plates with Connor and Travis always got his mood up.

Kayla wasn’t sure what the plan would be for Capture The Flag, she’d have to ask the Athena cabin later on. Often, Kayla went in cold turkey. It wasn’t the most efficient, but it was way, way more fun. To Kayla, atleast. Thr lot of them would probably all end up switching cabins tonight, Kayla noticed that’s happened each time there’s a game of Capture The Flag. It’s sort of like a sleepover, but not arranged. Think of the most unorganised, energetic, reckless sleepovers imaginable, all the way from Aphrodite nail painting and pillow fights, to Ares chokeholding and re-made WWE Smackdowns. The winning after parties were ven worser. And God’s- how Chiron never found out, or how Dionysus never realised the missing wine. Somehow.

Blame the ADHD. And the genetics.
Not a good mix.

Except there would be no Aphrodite and Ares children, only Apollo, Hermes, and Athena. Everyone counted on Annabeth Chase, the Head of Athena cabin, to keep them all in check. But once the Apollo kids enter, there’s no stopping anything. Everything is screwed. Most of the team lose hope around two in the morning when they realise no one’s asleep yet.

See, it was funny to Kayla, because even though Ares usually won, the Athena team never lost hope. Celebrating the day before was an unspoken yet somehow already planned event- usually set up by the Apollo kids.

So when nine O’clock at night came around, the Hermes cabin was already sinking in quicksand just like it always was every night, and it didn’t get any better when half the Apollo cabin decided to truant in and curse everyone to speak in rhymes for the next hour.

“Lee Fletcher! I’ll put you in a stretcher!”

That was the first thing Luke Castellan said after not speaking for two hours.

Once that blew over, Everyone ended up passing out one way or another around three in the morning.

*

Morning arrived, and everything went as usual. Breakfast, Apollo being told they’re getting no dessert tonight for the show they pulled last night. Kayla finally got her bandage off her knuckles and decided to go straight to boxing, forcing Connor Stoll to give back her boxing gloves from on top of his shelf.

“Malcolm!” She shouted over to him before she even got on the training ground.

“I’ve gotten you some gloves,” He immediately stood up from the bench he was waiting on and smiled, catching the gloves instantly. “Put the mouth guard in, no complaints.”

“I’m not complaining. I’m just happy to have a sword partner back for next week,” He looked at Kayla questionably, although he looked the exact same. “You look rough.”

“Thanks, you too.” She smiled and got into a stance straight away, wasting no time.

“No warm up, and no going easy. This entire thing is a warm up for later on. I’m gonna squish every single person that tries to steal our flag.”

He chuckled and looked her up and down, since she looked like she had just got out of bed right then and there, courtesy of Apollo kids. “I don’t doubt you.”

The fighting ground was busy today, everyone was either throwing and ducking punches, jabbing and dodging swords or being pulverised in wrestling.

As soon as Malcolm put his mouth guard in, he came at Kayla with a hook which she picked up he would do that almost immediately, and blocked with her gloves.

Kayla would have annoyed him with some cocky saying, but she would have sounded like she was playing chubby bunny with her mouth guard in.

She quickly ducked as he came at her with his other arm, trying to hook her left. Kayla came back up to attempt to upper cut him, which caught him off guard, and he stumbled back with a death glare directed straight to her.

Malcolm was seriously a threat in disguise as a geek sometimes. Thank god he took his glasses off. Kayla was scared she would have spat her mouthguard out laughing at how geeky he looked while throwing punches at her faster than the speed of light.

He ran at Kayla faster than she could consider ducking as he came at her with a jab straight to the jaw. She stumbled back. Her jaw had already seemed to go numb to the impact.

Malcolm mocked her and put his gloved-hands infront of his eyes, trying to make it look like he was rubbing tears. Putting a sullen look on with his eyebrows, as if to say boohoo.

Kayla recovered from her whiplash and went to jab him straight under his right eye, the entire stumbling back act always got him, and others if anyone ever decided to train at the same time. She then hooked his left cheek. He closed his eyes momentarily and stumbled backwards, falling onto his back. Kayla took her mouthguard out quickly.

Everyone seemed to be too caught up in their own actions to notice him pratically sun bathing there, although Kayla not sure if him looking like he was peacefully sunbathing on a training ground was a good look.

“Pace?”

His eyes were closed, he looked out cold, but he lifted his arm up in the air and put a thumb up slowly.

“You scared me.”

“You scare me.” He mumbled, after gaining the strength to take his mouthguard out.

“No time for naps, come on-“

“Time for nap,” he repeated, sighing contently. “Sounds good.”

Kayla laughed and gripped his hands from by his side, using all her strength to pull him up into a sitting position, he stared at her accusingly.

“One more round, that was short.”

He grumbled but got up none the less, and they continued boxing for around an extra half an hour. Once finished, they took the long path back up to the cabins, just to stall.

“Hey, have you heard anything of Clarisse lately? I figured she’d be out of the medical wing by now,” Kayla asked Malcolm, as he just shook his head and gulped down his water.

Clarisse had been big talk since the incident. It was funny- she could get chatted about all around camp, yet nothing would ever get back to her. No one dared to let anything slip past her for their own safety.

“I did see,” He suddenly started. “Some other kid was sat in her place at breakfast. Pretty sure he’d have been six feet under by now if she was near by, but he’s still walking.”

He looked behind him to see the boy he was talking about still sword fighting with one of his brothers, no worries present.

“Oh.”

“Yeah… I’m sure she’ll be back for Capture The Flag, she’s gonna whoop all our asses.” He told Kayla, which she had to admit- that was unfortunately true. She and the rest of her cabin always did.

“Nah, I’m gonna annoy em’ all indirectly, I’m good at that, right? Like I could just…” I made a swerving movement with my hands, a sarcastic sly look on my face. “Lone wolf style.”

Malcolm chuckled and nodded along, no strength to barter back.

“Kayla!” A feminine voice erupted from behind her, and Malcolm looked back instantly. It was Annabeth.

Kayla turned and tried to give her a good smile. It wasn’t often Annabeth would sought her out for anything in particular. If they spoke- it would be unplanned and probably all about the drama in Camp she’d spread onto Annabeth to stir things up. Most of which Annabeth had always already figured out, but she always liked hearing her point of view- often slightly twisted, a sprinkle of few added details.

“Hey, Annabeth.”

She took a pause before smiling, heaving, as if she had been hunting them down for quite a while.

“Malcolm,” She waved. “Kayla.”

“Well… I just wanted to let you know that since- Malcolm, you’re usually near me in Capture the flag, there’s the new unclaimed kid who I need you to keep a close up on… Percy Jackson.” She looked over at Kayla, who found the information pretty interesting. he’s got to stay near our flag, yeah? I’ve told Luke to give him Border Patrol. And Kayla. Just remember he’s on our team, got it?”

“Care to share why your baby sitting the drooler?” Kayla asked with a confused look. She was right. He was drooling all over last time Kayla saw him. Quite the sight.

“He won a sword fight with Luke earlier. He’ll be a good asset.” She responded quickly, giving a roased eyebrow at the nickname, like it wasn’t needed.

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’m sure he will be. I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Okay… yeah, see you later.” She said, before jogging off in the direction she came.

“Her face annoys me.” Kayla mumbled.

“Reason being?”

“No reason, blonde hair might have something to do with it. It radiates bratty energy.”

Malcolm laughed at her for the answer, and she looked at him accusingly.

“What,” He said and laughed again, this time taking me with it. “You have a thing for blondes?”

“A thing? I have a problem with them.”

Malcolm settled down, giving her a sarcastic offended stare, hands caressing his chest. “Damn, really got me on that one.”

Kayla’s eyes widened as she realised, although it was too late, she was sure he knew Kayla didn’t have a problem with him.

“Yeah. Hope I did. You heard me.” She told him in a mock serious tone.

He recoiled his head back, and this time fought back. “The feelings mutual, Kayla.” He spat, hiding his smirk.

And then it came to her that Malcolm had asked her if she had a thing for blondes. Which, knowing Malcolm, could have meant anything. Although it was a rather risky question to ask when he himself was blonde, she thought.

She snapped out of her thoughts as soon as they came, replying, “That sounds so formal, besides- it’s confusing when we’re training with the Apollo kids- that’s her name, not mine.” I shrugged, being honest.

“You’re not wrong, I guess.” Malcolm and Kayla came to stop at the top of the training grounds, turning to look at where they had just been. Wow, look at the view from up here, I think it’s worth taking more time to get back to the cabins this way.”

Kayla looked behind her to where he was staring, as you were able to see all the fighting grounds and a few strawberry fields. “I barely ever take this way back. I don’t think there’s an actual path here, you know. It just goes straight to Fireworks Beach if we don’t turn over to the Mess hall.”

Malcolm stopped and looked around, there was a very small forest where they were, just to the side which led up a hill. If you could even consider it a forest. the only times anyone’s ever up that hill is when Apollo kids decide to use it for Archery if everywhere else is too full, or when the Hephaestus kids are tying out a new invention- which is why the forest was so small in the first place, as the other half had been burnt down.

So, Kayla turned to that direction. Up the hill. A little side quest, that’s all.

” last time I came up here- even if it was around a year ago, you could still hear alot more than this.”

Kayla disregarded his comment and kept on trekking up with him, wiping branches and leaves out of her way. “What time is it? We need to be getting back for Capture The Flag.”

“It’s only eleven, two more hours ’till we need to set up.”
He answered, attempting to run up beside her for more companionship, which failed as a small, spikey branch wacked him in the eyes as she walked forwards. “Agh, Stop it!”

“I thought you were a brain child.”

It was silent up there, like Malcolm said, she would have expected to be able to hear alot more, but a few sea nymphs were heard giggling from the water down below near the beach, and then silence.

Or there was silence. Until a loud, bellowing, unidentified sound came from below. From the… camp?

“Pace,” I said, whipping my face to turn to him, pratically almost breaking my neck in the process. “You heard that?”

He nodded and stood still, putting his hand up to her mouth, keep quiet.

“Isn’t that-“

“Ares battle horn.” I finished, prying his hand away from her mouth. They walked to the side of the hill cautiously, expecting to see everyone lined up, waiting.

And that they did see, lined up, waiting around Fireworks Beach- which is where they planned to go, down the hill and around, going behind the Mess Hall and back to the cabins.

“Oh- okay… go- go back. We should go back.”

Kayla agreed quickly, dragging his wrist to pull him back down the hill, Because trust her, when the campers are lined up after a battle horn, you don’t want to get caught up without any team mates. They’d had plenty drills.

The only thing was, Kayla didn’t know what they were lining up for. She didn’t even think they knew what they were there for. Nothing was infront of them. And if anyone could see an attack coming through, it would be them, from the hill just then.

They scurried back down the hill, Malolm must have hit a good few thorn bushes on the way down, Kayla was sure, but so did she.

It was rather funny really, adrenaline kicked in half way through, then they were legging it. The roudiness of the campers below finally picked up too, and trust the both of them to start laughing half way down the hill. Kayla wasn’t a good influence on Malcolm, not at all. Even he knew Athena children knew better.

“Ah, Kay, stop! Stop!“

It was too late, Kayla had reached the bottom of the hill and side tackled the air, resulting in Malcolm throwing himself head over heels to prevent himself from bashing into her.
“Get up, come on, smoothie brain, Let’s go.”

She told him, heaving him by his hands and dragging him along, sucking in her cheeks to not laugh hysterics at him.

“Shut up.”

Making it back around camp to seem like they hadn’t been missing from anywhere was effort, although they made it with difficulties of laughing and play fighting.

Or she thought they did, anyway.

“Layla Groves! Maverick Base!”

If Kayla could describe how fast Malcolm and her moved- in all directions- you wouldn’t believe her.

The voice came from the side of them, which was their own fault for missing the que to sneak up and join the other campers while they were all speaking over one another, instead walking in like stars of the show, giggling and joking around.

Dinoysus was there, off to the sides while the entire camp shut off and turned their heads. It was never funny with him around, even if he mispronounced or confused everyone’s first name. Even Kayla didn’t have the gut to correct him.

She replied back to him instantly. Like responding back to an army command. And so did Malolm.

“What. Has gotten. into you!”

He said, with pauses after every next word.

“What?” The laughter had died down instantly, and so had the rambling from others. The public humiliation was enough to make Kayla nod her head at whatever sort of detention he was going to give them.

“A stunt like that- is enough to send the entire camp into battle. Almost!”

She scrunched her face as he came closer, Dionysus’s stubby self making him have an extra few steps no matter the distance, a finger pointed like a spear right into both of their souls. Malcolm’s eyes widened and stared straight at Kayla, which she could only tell as they were giving each other a heavy side eye, which made some campers snicker in the sea of them all.

“A stunt?” She asked, as Malcolm kept his mouth shut- which she really didn’t want, as his words of the wise would probably be able to work right around now.

“Don’t play dumb with me missy! And you,” He snapped his neck to look at Malcolm, grapevines seemed to be slowly sprouting at Malcolm feet. “You look guilty as ever,”

He paused, talking a breath and clearing his throat. “Cleaning duty. For a week. And no Capture the Flag.”

Kayla’s eyes went wider than all of Argus’s combined. And Malcolm shook his head profusely, chuckles and gasps came from the crowd.

“Ares for the win!” Some random kid shouted, as the others joined in.

“Yeah, that’s what you get!”

Dionysus gave a look of distaste from behind him to the campers, before looking back at them.

“You should know there’s consequences for your actions, Children. Stealing a battle horn of any kinds is dangerous, using it is far more, tell me your secrets, how did you get it from Ares cabin anyway?”

As Kayla processed all of this, her face must have contorted into around ten different ones. He thought Kayla and Malcolm had blown the horn, Kayla and Malcolm thought they had.

But they did? Right?

“We didn’t!” I said, and Dionysus shook his head disagreement.

“Did too.”

“Didn’t!”

“Did!”

“Did. Not!”

“You’re playing with fire, Groves. Give it up now. This isn’t like you.”
He said, as she gave him a look just as threatening as his own, and he seemed to burn holes right into her eyes, spluttering a cough and recomposing himself.

“I’m playing with a bunch of moody, old grapes, mind you. We. Did. Not.”

Stubborn and petty, as always. But did it get the point across?

No.

Snickers and ‘damns’ came from the crowd which even Malcolm pretended to be busy observing the grass below his feet at. He took one look at Mr D’s face after Kayla said that, and was instantly, definitely, one hundred percent not interested anymore. Not at all. His face turned as red as all the wine he was known for, and his eyebrows raised in such a way it was insanely comedic.

“Why, you-“

“Stop it! For the love of Aphrodite. Kayla Graves and Malcolm Pace, you heard the man, I’m afraid it’s cleaning for a week and no Capture the Flag.” Chiron chipped in. He was heard before he was seen with his trotting hooves, and even when shouting did he sound ten times more calm than Mr D.

“But-“

“I can’t change it. The matter is finished, learn from your lessons, Kayla, Malcolm.”

Alot of Clarisse content after this, don’t you worry 🙂

Vote!! <3