stollen things || c. stoll

1.11 ~ The Last Day Of Summer

tw emetophobia brief vomit mention but nothing too bad i don't think

I had no appetite at breakfast. I'd woken up to the sound of a retching Katie Gardner. So Madge and I dragged her to the infirmary and there she stayed. Lee had concluded that it was food poisoning, so none of us Demeter kids really wanted to eat anything.

A missing Katie left me in charge. This meant the senior counsel meeting tonight. Which also meant spending time with people I'm not too fond of. For one, Luke. Clarisse as well. Luke would graduate soon and be replaced by the Stolls, as would Katie. So in a couple of years I'd be officially on the senior council. Fantastic.

I tried not to think about it, because it was still many hours away. I had actual activities to focus on.

Mr. D stood from the head table and started talking. Even without asking for attention, the god could easily grab everyone's focus.

"I've decided that I am too tired today," He said, even though we all knew that he didn't do much actual work around camp. "So I will be cancelling your scheduled activities. Free choice all day, but make sure you are still training."

It was the most eloquent thing I'd ever heard him say. Not that I'd ever admit that out loud. He was one of those know all, hear all gods.

So he was tired. So are all of us. But obviously I wasn't complaining if I got to spend all day sleeping or practicing my geokinesis, which had proven handy earlier. I wasn't eager to go into the North Woods to practice considering my foul interaction with Aspen. I was sure that all the nymphs within the camp borders had been told to avoid me or attack me, so I decided that I'd practice on the climbing wall. That seemed like a good idea... right?

So I headed over. It wasn't really that busy, considering the deadly factor, but I enjoyed it. It gave a little extra spice.

A few years ago, a kid had used some magic and the entire wall almost came down on top of everyone. That year Chiron decided that we would have to rely on natural strength. He had changed it back after some begging, but you ca never be too sure. Because it wasn't a regular day, there was no one spotting the wall. I figured that it wasn't a big deal and I'd be fine if I fell. Which I probably wouldn't.

So I began. I scaled up the first level with ease, missing all of the lava and boulders entirely. The second level was a bit harder. The footholds thinned and the wall got steeper. I willed the wall to shoot out larger footholds and it worked. I spent much of the day trying to lengthen my stamina and stretch my limits.

Training, lunch. Training, dinner. Dinner, senior counsel meeting. I followed the lead of everyone else, because I'd never been to one of the meetings.

"We have Maddison here in place of Katie, as the latter is currently sick and unfit to join us. So," Chiron clasped his hands together. "Any news? Anything interesting?"

After some basic reporting from Beckendorf of Hephaestus and Luke from Hermes, Chiron moved on to more serious matters.
"As you know," He gestured to Percy. "Percy here has paused the war of the gods for the time being. His quest to the underworld put them at ease, but it's only been pushed back a couple years, if even."

Very reassuring. Percy looked sick to his stomach. Dumping all this on a twelve-year-old kid seemed inhumane, but the gods never really cared about that.

Don't tell them I said that.

More depressing talk and some cheez-wiz and crackers, then we were dismissed. I walked to the infirmary to report to Katie, then back to the cabin. I wasn't ready for Katie to leave, those meetings were boring as hell.

•

Turns out Katie had a stomach bug, and it passed through our whole cabin. After a disgusting week or so, July passed. August wasn't much more interesting. Our camp bead that year was black, with just a simple blue trident. For Percy.

We had our end of summer campfire. There were lots of tears, especially from the half bloods that wouldn't be returning the next year. None of the Demeter kids would be leaving this year, but Katie was getting close.

Oh, did I mention that Luke betrayed us all by trying to kill Percy? Yeah, that happened. I always knew he was a twerp.

A lot of my friends were staying year-round, and I wished that were me. I had to go back to the girls academy. Who knew what my roommate would be like, not to mention if there would be monster attacks. I'd gotten stronger this summer, but maybe the monsters hadn't noticed yet? Not likely.

I piled in one of the strawberry delivery vans with most of the other kids and we set off home. It took five hours to get me back to the farm. I thanked Argus and hopped out of the van.

"Dad!" I yelled, running towards the house. It was the same as I'd left it. Chipping white paint, black roof. I'd be leaving in a week anyway, so I wanted to make the best of the hot August sun. The school was only about two hours away, so I'd be able to visit often.

My brothers — the menaces — came running out of the house and tackled me into a hug. "Woah, woah, boys. Let me get inside first."

They obliged, and we walked hand-in-hand into the house. Over the summer, my dad had rearranged practically the whole house. It looked good.

"Dad!" I yelled again.

"He's in the fields." My brother Adam answered.

I sighed and went up to my room to drop off my stuff. My very minimal amount of stuff. Toiletries and a few outfits, really. I had no space or use for sentimental items at camp, so I traveled lightly. I changed quickly into a light long sleeved shirt, grabbed a hat, and ran out to the fields to meet my dad.

He was planting, so I went up to help him. As soon as he saw me, he jumped out of his skin.

"Maddison, don't scare me like that!" He laughed.

Camp was always amazing, but the week with my mortal family was usually the best week of the summer.

We spent hours working in the fields, laughing, and cooking large breakfasts. We were a perfect family. Except for the occasional monster that turned up at the edge of our fields. Nothing too bad, usually a confused empousa that followed my scent. I'd just shoot her with a celestial bronze arrow from my bedroom window. My father and brothers never noticed them. They only saw a lost dirty man that got lost and spit out of the woods here. The empousae were dust before my family could question anything. My father knew about me, but the boys didn't. To them, we were full blooded siblings. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

•

gAAH i really wanna write stuff later in the series ANYWAY i was gonna ask that girl for her number but i like #chickenedout but i'm gonna do it eventually

also this chapter was shitty ik 🙄

how would y'all feel about pjo one shots? pls drop requests or whatever idk