1st Person
Adira

We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest. According to the camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths on our heads to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Artemis's shroud was so beautiful—green mixed with silver silk, making it look like tie-dye, but more professional, with embroidered deer standing in the silhouette of the moon.

"It's pretty," Percy said. "We should bury you in it," he chuckled.

I punched him and told him to shut up. "Ok, I'm sorry," he said, holding his shoulder. He blushed as I laughed at him.

Being the son of Poseidon, he didn't have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make his shroud. They'd taken an old bedsheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed-out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.

It was fun for him to burn.

As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along, as I played my guitar my dad had sent, much to my dismay, while they passed out s'mores. I was surrounded by my family, Annabeth's friends from Athena, and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past."

Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen anyone's spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brat didn't get himself killed and now he'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday..."

A week or two later, on the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine, Hephaestus's cabin. Not just that, but me and Brett's birthday. We helped around, along with Carlos and Asher treating us like babies and saying stuff like; "I can't believe you're so old. My little baby's all grown up." I wanted to punch them so badly, but I decided not to. Percy and I spent the entire day together, running through the woods and laughing.

"C'mon, Jackson," I said, jumping over fallen branches. Meanwhile, he was behind me, heaving for air. "This is your thing, not mine, princess," he mocked.

"Well, I don't wanna go swimming, Seaweed Brain."

I looked at the sunset, which was beginning to fall. "We're gonna miss it," I said, climbing the nearest tree. "Miss what?" Percy asked. "Just the best sunset of the year," I was already on the fifth branch, while Percy was staring at me from the bottom. "Just get up here, Perseus."

"Back to full names, I see," he said.

"Just get up here," I repeated, lowering my hand down to him, hanging from the biggest branch I could find. He grabbed it, pulling himself up. We began climbing up together. "So..." he began, "You do this often?" he asked.

"No, definitely not," I lied, letting out a small sarcastic sigh.

"My sisters and I used to climb this tree everyday, then my brothers joined us, now, I'm passing it onto... you," I said, grunting while trying to grab a branch.

"Well, it's much obliged," he replied, finally catching up to me. He smiled at me, and I began to climb once again. "Holy crap," he said, looking down at the floor below us.

"Calm down, Jackson. Only a few more branches."

It took longer for Percy to make it to the rest of the top than it did to get him to the middle point. "I was thinking, maybe I shouldn't be here. I mean, Big-Z literally threatened to murder me if I was in the sky again," his voice said.

The sky boomed at Percy calling Zeus "Big-Z."

"Don't tell me you're afraid of heights, Seaweed Brain," I asked. Looking down at him, and he mumbled something. "Plus, technically you are in the sky, but technically, you aren't. You're touching something that's held down by the ground. I won't let anything happen to you, Perseus."

I blushed. I couldn't believe I just said that. "Well, uh... our feelings are mutual," he replied, and by the sound of his voice, he was shocked I said that too.

We finally got to the top, where the leaves had been blown off already, though it was in the middle of Summer. The sky looked as if someone had messily painted it shades of red, blue, orange and yellow. The sun was across the horizon, halfway cut across the sea. I straddled my legs around a large branch, swinging my legs. Percy sat beside me on another branch. I could tell he was looking at me, but I wanted to watch the sunset.

"How are we going to get down if we can't see?" he asked. "Falling," I replied, and Percy let out a small laugh. "But, seriously, how DO we get down?" he asked.

"Usually, it takes 10 minutes or so. You wouldn't believe me, but it's easier to climb down in the dark," I explained. As the sun went down and the moon went up, I sat beside Percy and we both watched the sea, which was under the sky.

"So," Percy began, "14, huh?" he asked me, and I looked at him.

"Yeah, July 4. I was born at 3:15 in the afternoon, in the woods, from my mom's thoughts and I popped out of a tree," I explained, pulling my hair onto my shoulder.

"With a twin," Percy added.

"Yeah," I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. "With a twin."

I nodded my head, looking at the sky, and I could see on the beach many campers adding wood to the fire. I could see Annabeth talking with Brett, and even from here, they were both blushing. Oh, great.

I couldn't help but promise myself that next time there's a quest, I was going to take Annie with me. It's rather that I go with her, or I don't go at all. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and turned. Percy looked at me and smiled. That sarcastic smile that sent me over my head and made me want to punch him. "I guess we don't hate each other anymore, huh, Lancaster?"

"I wouldn't say hate. It's a strong word. Let's just say I strongly disliked you," I chuckled.

"You literally took my notes for two days, and when you gave them back they had written all over them, 'get over it, Jackson."

My eyes widened. "I did do that, didn't I?"

I looked down at the Hephaestus Cabin. They were crowded together, and I knew the fireworks were about to start. Percy grabbed my hand, as if he read my mind. "They're about to start."

...

As Percy, Annabeth and I were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell us good-bye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks he'd started to look older, almost high-school age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his rasta cap all the time to pass as Human.

"I'm off," he said. "I just came to say... well, you know."

I tried to feel happy for him. But it was hard saying good-bye. Grover had been my best friend for 6 years, and here he was. Leaving.

I gave him a hug. I told him to keep his fake feet on.

Annabeth reminded him to stay humanly, not goatly.

Percy asked him where he was going to search first.

"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan ..."

"We understand," Annabeth said. I peeked my head up from the floor. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?" I asked him.

"Yeah."

"And you remembered your reed pipes? And your extra apples? Ooh, and your-?"

"Jeez, Adi," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat."

But he didn't really sound annoyed.

He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway—nothing like the little runty boy Percy and I used to defend from bullies at Yancy.

"Well," he said, "wish me luck."

He gave Annabeth another hug. He hugged me too, and whispered in my ear, "Remember, I'm the biggest Percaleise shipper."

I laughed. "I'll remember that," I mumbled. He clapped Percy on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes.

Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.

"Hey, Grover," Percy called.

He turned at the edge of the woods.

"Wherever you're going—I hope they make good enchiladas."

Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.

"We'll see him again," I said, sitting beside Annabeth.

Soon enough, Annabeth left to go by her cabin for a minute, claiming to tend to care. She winked at me then looked at Percy then back at me, and I smiled.

"Hey, Ads?" Percy asked, with his hands under his head. "Yeah, dummie?" I replied, looking at the picture of Aphrodite and Hephaestus in the sky. He sat up beside me, and fumbled for something behind him. "Happy birthday," he said, grabbing a small box, wrapped in green and blue wrapping paper and putting it in front of me.

"Oh no," I gasped in sarcastic fear. I stared at it, trying to guess what it was. "Well, go on, Leaf Head."

Great. Another nickname. Cool. Great.

I grabbed it, and gentilly unwrapped it. Instead it was another box. It was a 3x3in box. On top of it, was a small card, which I opened and read it.

Dear Adira,

Happy birthday. You're a great friend, and anyone who knows you would agree. Now, let me ask you something.

Do you still hate me?

I scoffed. I looked up at Percy, who was blushing and smirking with that annoying sarcastic smile. I looked back down, continuing the card.

Cause I still hate you. I am so glad that I'm that kid. Now, open the box.

Your idiot, dumb$%^ and Seaweed Brain,
Perseus James Jackson

"James? Really?" I asked, laughing.

Percy shrugged.

I followed the rules, and opened the box. I gasped at what it was. It was a necklace, a fern, plated with fake gold. Its detail looked so real, I would've mistaken it for a real fern if it weren't for the gold plate. Within a second, I leaped into Percy's arms.

"I love it, Percy," I said, tangling my arms around his neck. "You do?" he asked, wrapping his arms around me. I pulled away, and smiled. I put it around my neck.

"Thank you," I said. I leaned forward, and pressed a small kiss on his cheek. He continued blushing, but now like a tomato. "It's beautiful. Now I have 3 necklaces, 5 wristbands, two rings, and one arrowhead. But thanks, Seaweed Brain," I said, before Percy and I laid back down.

Annabeth came back over, and all she saw was Percy blushing, and me laughing at her face.
...

July passed.

I spent my days devising new strategies for capture-the-flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares's booger hands. Percy got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava, and Annabeth and I celebrated that by pushing him into the lake. The two go close, besides Athena and Poseidon's rivalry. I helped convince Annabeth to go home to her dad, but she only told me, "I'll think about it."

From time to time, I'd walk past the Big House, glance up at the attic windows, and think about the Oracle. I continued to think about my dream. Every single day, I thought about what my dream said.

You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.

Check—even though the traitor god had turned out to be Ares rather than Hades.

You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.

Check. One master bolt was safely delivered. One helm of darkness back on Hades's oily head.

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend.

This line still bothered me. Ares had pretended to be our friend, then betrayed us. But something isn't right. He wasn't necessarily a friend. We met him at a fast-food restaurant.

And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end.

Percy had failed to save his mom, but then she saved herself.

And when the Hunter's Strongest Child shall take a beginning stand,

They shall walk hand-in-hand.

Maybe that meant when Percy and I went up to Olympus. Or maybe when Mariana got claimed, and I held her hand. But I was still uneasy.

The last night of the summer session came all too quickly.

The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads. Chiron decided that I could choose the design, so I chose the most important part of this summer. Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, the sea god.

I don't know, but I think when Percy got his, he blushed.

"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced. "This bead commemorates the first Son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"

The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand.

My brothers and sister's steered me to the front so I could share in the applause, much to my dismay. I'd found my family. This entire camp of 7 year olds to 19 year olds. I'd found Percy. I'd found Annabeth. I'd found everything I've ever wanted in a home. Except for two things. A present mother and father.