Chapter 9

Ellie’s POV:

Waking up, the first thing I remembered from the day before was that Percy wasn’t at camp. He was out on a quest to return Zeus’s lightning bolt and retrieve our mother from Hades.

A pout covered my lips at the thought of him failing and not coming back.

My siblings tried to convince me to come to breakfast, but instead I hid under the covers, telling them I wasn’t feeling well.

Will didn’t believe me, so he shoved his hand under the blanket and felt my forehead. He gave me a long look, knowing I wasn’t sick, but left me alone with a sigh.

I missed Percy. I was worried and had no way to reach him, as we had lost our phones in the panicked state we were in when we arrived at camp.

The day had just started, but already I felt overwhelmed. I was worried for my brother, with no way to reach out to him.

“Get up.” I ignore the voice and stay hidden under my blanket. The person released a sharp sigh, before their boots marched over scuffing the floor.” Get. Up.” I ignore them again, clutching the blanket, slightly afraid.

I squeal as the blanket is ripped from my hands and body in one swift movement, my eyes widen as I never stood a chance. Clarisse stands over me, hip cocked to the side, arms crossed, a perfectly trimmed brow raised, her face set in annoyance. I whine and pout.

“Go away.” I whine, reaching for the blanket by my feet, she glares and catches one of my wrists in her hand.

“No, now get up, I won’t ask again.” I glare at her, and she raises a brow.” You look like an angry kitten, Sunshine.”I almost hiss at her, but I didn’t want to prove her point.” You missed breakfast, so you’ll be hungry till lunch. If you think that’ll make me go easy on you… it wont.” I snatch my wrist out of her hold.

“Leave me alone.” I tell her, turning my back to her as I curl in on myself, the cold air making chills rise across my skin.

It was silent for a moment, and I thought maybe she would leave.

“Clarisse!” Her name left my lips in a panic as she heaved me up and over her shoulder.

“I warned you.” She defends as she marches out of the Apollo cabin. I look around in horror as the campers looked our way and smiled as they watched us pointing and whispering.

“Gods.” I whine the word out.” This is so embarrassing.”

“You should have gotten up when I told you to.” Clarisse says without a care in the world.

I look around with a frown as she takes an odd path.” Where are you taking me?” I ask her, she ignores me, and I tense when I smell salt in the air.

“No, no, no! Clarisse, stop it. Put me down!” I shout, wiggling in her hold, but she ignores me.

I gasp as, for a moment, I was flying through the air, and the next, I hit cold water. It was a shock to my system; it woke me right up. I was filled with annoyance and rage.

“Clarisse!” I scream, high-pitched and angry.

The girl only laughs as my scream echoes around the woods, making the animals nearby scurry away and hide.

I sit in the shallow water with a glare as Clarisse laughs, hands on her knees, holding her up. Her hair, which was in a ponytail, lay over her right shoulder, tempting me to yank it.

“Come on.” Clarisse nods to the shore, motioning for me to get out of the water, amusement still heavy in her tone.

I clench my jaw and start to swim further into the water.

“What the hell are you doing?” Clarisse asks, the amusement gone, and I smile in victory.

“I’d rather like to swim.” I tell her casually, I glance back her way to see her glaring.

“Get out of the water, you’ll get sick.” She warns, and I ignore her, flipping over onto my back as I float.

I stare up at the clouds and frown, remembering the last time I looked up at the clouds. I was with Percy, and he told me I looked like a frog.

I frown when I see Clarisse standing over me and sit up with a sigh.

“You made me get wet.” She says through her teeth, and I roll my eyes.” Why do you have to be so difficult?” She asks, snatching my wrist and pulling me along with her, I try to keep my face stoic even after spotting some of her siblings, Marcus included, watching us in amusement.

“Why do you have to be such a jerk?!” I ask her, yanking my wrist from her grip as we walk onto the sand and out of the cold water.

She whips back to me with a frown.

“Jerk? I got you out of bed. I could have left you mooping and hungry.” She throws at me, and I scoff.

“You threw me into cold water!” She shrugs with a grin, pulling her socks and boots back on.

“Yeah, but that was funny.” She defends her tone lighter.

“To you! Not to me!” I yell, and she watches me as I shiver. A frown slowly falls across her brow.

“I wasn’t trying to be a jerk.” She says, taking a towel from Marcus, I back away from her as she tries to wrap it around me.

“No, I know, it just comes naturally to you.” I spit at her. I barge my shoulder into hers, probably hurting me more than her. I shiver as I walk through the woods following the trail she took us through to get back, but freeze as there is a fork in the path. I look down both ways, both trails looking the same.

“The left one.” Clarisse mutters, and I jump, looking behind me to see her almost pouting, her sibling pretending they werent watching us like we were the hottest TV show. I huff and stomp through the left path a little faster, trying to leave her behind. She must have gotten the hint as she slowed down, letting me go ahead.

I jump as a fluffy red towel was dropped over my shoulders and glare at the taller man walking beside me with a shit-eating grin.” She’s just trying to keep her promise to your brother, you know.” Marcus tells me as I pull the towel closer.

“Go away,” I tell him, and he rolls his eyes, his smile still prominent.

“She likes you.” I freeze at his words and slow to a stop. His smile brightens when he sees that he caught my attention.” And you like her.” I blush and narrow my eyes into a glare. He chuckles, shaking his head.” Look, Clarisse is… rough, she gets a lot of the emotional stuff wrong, but she tries, and when she cares about someone, she doesn’t give up on them, she’s a fighter through and through.” Marcus turns serious.” Get your shit together and stop this push and pull you’re doing with her. I don’t want you hurting my sister.”

Marcus walks off, and I sigh. I throw the towel to the ground angrily and plop down on it, rubbing my cold arms.

I bite my bottom lip. He’s right. I like Clarisse, but the anger, her passion, her care, it all scares me. I pull her close, liking the way she makes me feel, but push her away at any sign of a bond forming.

I peel the dead skin off my lip until it bleeds, a bad habit of mine.

“You’re gonna get sick.” I look down the path and see Clarisse. She hesitates before walking over and sitting next to me.

“Im sorry.” She whispers.” Im not good at… not being a jerk.” I snort at her words, she takes it the wrong way, and looks away from me with a tight jaw.

“Its okay.” I try to soothe her, and she turns back to me, eyes hesitant.” Im not good at letting people in.” I admit to her, and she relaxes.

“Its always been Percy and Mom for me… and Gabe, but fuck him.” Clarisse snorts. I turn to her with a small smile.” Percy and I have always done everything together.” I tell her with a grin.” I never had trouble making friends, and Percy attracted trouble everywhere he went.” Her eyes soften on me.” He would start fights with guys who wouldn’t leave me alone, and I would start fights with girls who bullied him. We always protected each other.” Clarisse nods, and her face crumbles when the dam breaks and the tears trail down my cheeks, an ugly cry leaving my lips.” I don’t know how to be someone without him.” I tell her a sob following, her face full of pain as she watches me fall apart.” It’s so fucking hard to breathe.” I admit, and she pulls me into her, wrapping her arms around me tight as I cry into her cold, wet clothes.

(Edited)

AN:

Sorry, this chapter was moody. Ellie’s just realizing how much she relied on Percy, and after finding out major parts of her life were a lie, she’s finally letting herself grieve.