Kayla and Will helped me make my bed with the sheets and blanket, that were left folded. I had nothing with me. I was supposed to bring a bag of my clothes and stuff after Mr Miles picked me up from orientation...but since Percy and I had to run...I had nothing.

The rest of my half brothers said they would wait outside, and the guys all turned and left when Will said he was gonna check my arm.

"Look I know you heal in the sun, but as the camp medic, I gotta check your arm."

"I'm okay, I promise!"

"Doctor's orders!" He insisted.

"Dude, you're like 10." I rolled my eyes.

"Um, 13 and a half thank you. Now sit down so I can check you!"

"Man. Bossy much?" But I sat down and pulled my ripped up sleeve.

He did a quick assessment and then when he was satisfied he cleaned the blood from the monsters talons. Will nodded now that he was satisfied I was okay. I pulled the magic quiver off and tossed it in the bed and pulled the ripped shirt off and pulled the orange camp t shirt on.

"Okay...that's a gift from Apollo!"

I nodded at Kayla. Will was staring at the quiver, his mouth open and eyes wide.

"Whoa. Gifts from your godly parent are rare!"

"Oh ... Ummm." I stamared. He ran to the door and flung it wide and called the guys back in.

"Look!" He pointed to the quiver on my bed.

The guys all froze, shoulder to shoulder and stared.

"A quiver of celestial bronze arrows?"

"Umm it's supposed to never run out. And I uh..." I yanked the pendent off, everyone's eyes, if possible, went even wider as my pendent grew into a full size bow with the arrow.

"Holy Hera!" Lee muttered. He reached out like he wanted to touch it, but then thought against it and lowered his hand. I held it out and let them see. They crowded around the bow oowing and awwing.

"Whoa Nora this is amazing!" Kayla gushed. "And Apollo gave it to you?"

I nodded. I sunk down on my bed, feeling suddenly worn and exhausted. Kayla and the guys sat down all around, crowding into my bed, Kayla took my hand, Will rubbed my back, and I felt a hand on my knee and someone else's knee touching mine. They were a touchy feely group, but it wasn't weird. I didn't feel like they were being weird. I could feel Will's healing comfort through his hand. And the others, I could feel their sympathy and concern radiating off of them. I exhaled and told them the story of how it all really started with the field trip to the museum.

"It's not the first time Apollo has shown up for his kids." Austin said.

"Really?" I asked.

"Ya." Will nodded. "he talked to me on the subway when I was 9. Thought he was just some dude on his way back from the beach or something. Then a bunch of bird monsters attacked me and my mom right after."

"He showed up and I was attacked by monsters...maybe if he didn't show up we wouldn't have been attacked." I said bitterly.

"I think we would have been one way or another." Will said quietly.

I just shrugged. Leaning my head on Kayla's shoulder. I felt someone's hand playing with my hair. It was quite soothing.

"Well," Lee said finally, "a gift from any of the gods is a huge honor."

"Okay Chiron!" I teased with a roll of my eyes.

"What? It is!" He shit back, "not everyone gets one!"

"Lee? Are you jealous?" Kayla asked.

"What?" He gasped, "No! No! Not at all! I'm just saying!"

The chuckle she gave made him deflate and roll his eyes affectionately. He gave her head a playful shove.

"If anyone's gonna be jealous it's gonna be me! That's a sweet awesome bow!" Kayla said, "in the one who has to wait until I'm legally 16 to sign up for the Olympics."

"Guys! I don't wanna make anyone jealous!" I cried suddenly feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt.

"Nora, thejust teasing each other." Austin said giving his siblings a sharp look.

"We understand this is all overwhelming and very weird. It becomes normal pretty fast, trust me." Will assured me.

"Ya know, for being so young, your pretty mature." I gave him a small smirk.

"See? Already with sibling teasing." Michael said.

I nodded, but then a sigh out and felt my body sink again. "Thanks."  It was quiet in the cabin for a moment.

"You okay?" Kayla asked.

"It's...it's just a lot. Ya know?"

They all nodded in understanding.

"Tell us." Will coax gently.

I was quiet for a moment, thinking, "My whole life has been a mess, horrible ADHD, Dyslexia, labeled the trouble kid- because weird things kept happening and I had no explination. I've been kicked out of all the schools I've ever gone to, for 14 years I thought it was me and dad... And then...I find out my art teacher is a satyr who's been assigned to watch me, my history teacher is actually Chiron, who came to the school to teach me and watch me, both who gaslighted me- trying to make me believe what I was seeing wasn't real. What I thought was something special and unique in me is shared with a bunch of others- no offense. And then my dad isn't actually my dad- I have a sperm donor and all the horrible things that have happened to me is because of said sperm donor!"

"Ya. It's a lot. And it sucks. I get it. I'm sorry." Kayla said sympathetically. She grabbed my hand and held it tight. "So I have Apollo as my godly parent and my biological dad. No mom."

"What? Really?"

"Yep. Apollo fell in love with my dad. He's an archer. And a freakin good one. He coaches the Canadian Olympic team. So...you can see how my dad caught Apollo's attention."

"So... how'd...how'd you..." I sputtered.

She smiled and continued, like she was used to this story, like she told me this so I wouldn't feel too bad. Which I appreciated it.

"You know how Athena was born from Zeus?"

I nodded.

"Children of Athena are born the same way. From the mind of whoever Athena falls in love with. It's like an intellectual baby."

"Well, same kinda thing with Apollo and my dad." Kayla shrugged. I nodded in understanding.

"Thanks Kayla." I gave her hand a squeeze. She laid her head on my shoulder and I laid my head in hers. "I never had a girl-friend or anything close to a sister."

"Me either! It's been me and the boys for three years."

"We haven't been THAT bad." Michael rolled his eyes.

"True. They are quite over protective."

I just nodded. "Percy is too."

"Okay, so we all know PercyBeth is a thing..."

"Oh guys no! Eww! His mom and my dad are  dating, and will eventually get married. He's a legal step brother. Though I don't know if Annabeth actually believes me." I sighed.

"She'll come around. Percy has eyes only for her."

"Okay enough chit chat. Let's go to the Aphrodite cabin, they always have spare clothes for campers who show up without anything...which is more normal than you think."

"Good idea. Just make sure the cabin is ready for inspection. Then we have sword practice and archery before supper." Lee instructed.

Everyone nodded, and then they all dispersed. Lee, Will and Kayla led me to the Aphrodite cabin. Will knocked on the door and waited. I felt my stomach twist. Aphrodite...the goddess of love. My mind instantly thought of all things cliche Barbie and Valentine's Day, all the girls who were pretty popular and mean, everyone who picked on me in school. I was about to tell them to forget it when a girl about 15 or 16 opened the door wide with a dazzling smile.

"Hey Silena." Lee smiled. "So we have a camper in need of...some supplies. "

"Oh! Why didn't you say so?" She looked passed Lee. "Oh! I saw you come into camp with Percy and Annabeth! Welcome to camp Half-blood! Don't worry boys, I'll get her situated and send her back. Kayla? You coming in too?"

"Absolutely!"

"Come on Love! Let's get you situated!" She grabbed my hand and Silena ushered me and Kayla inside and snapped the door closed. Turning to look at me, I noticed just how pretty she really was and I felt kind of inferior. It was a natural beauty, she wasn't cakes in make up with pink sparkles and ruffles and heels like I expected. Instead Jean shorts, pink convers sneakers and a light pink camp half blood t shirt that hugged her just right without showing anything.

I shifted from foot to foot, and tried to raked my hands through my still tangled hair from this morning.

"Rough morning?" She asked, her voice wasn't condescending at all, it was sweet and soft.

Her smile was warm and her eyes shifted colour constantly, sometimes they looked brown, sometimes blue sometimes a green. Her honey blond hair cascaded in perfect waves down her back. She wore just enough make up to make it look it natural. Curves in all the right places, she was beautiful.

"Ya...uh Percy and I uhh accidently blew a school up and vaporized some monsters... Mr Miles was supposed take me here...but...ya know." I shrugged and looked down at my sneakers.

"Yes, yes I do, Honey. But no worries! We always have extra stuff. Now...let's see." She tapped her chin and her eyes flicked over my face and then down my body, she frowned and tried her head, I could see she was thinking.

She snapped her fingers and her face lit up. "Easy peasy! No problems, Love!"

She rummaged through a closet which was a huge walk in closet. It was have some kind of magic to it, it was huge. Wall to wall with all kinds of clothes in all sizes and colours. She came back holding a stack of clothes.

"Pants, tops, sweaters and a jacket. Socks, and underwear." She handed me a big pile of perfectly folded clothes and a bag of socks and underwear. "Also, I think you would kill with these. Like girl with your hair and skin tone...also, as a daughter of Apollo, gold is always your color!" She set a small little box ontop of the clothes. "Hold on and I'll grab you the rest." She beamed at me and floated away.

I sat down on one of the chairs in front of the  mirror. Setting everything down I opened the box and smiled.

"Oo pretty! Silena gave me some too when I first got here!" Kayla gushed, leaning over my shoulder. It was gold jewelry but it was simple and perfect.

Silena came back with another bag with everything a girl could ask for for hair, skin and body products. Lotion, shampoo, some basic make up- in exactly the right shades, brush, elastics... everything. I could feel the overwhelming emotions rising again.

"Oh sweetie, what's wrong?" She cried as she sat down in a chair beside me and pulled it closer.

"I...I never had..any of this. I never had a mom or sisters or even a girl that was a friend. Or friends in general!"

I could feel the sting of tears and my throat getting tight. "I hardly know you guys and you're so...sweet and kind! And now I feel like a jerk for thinking that Aphrodite kids are a bunch of snobby popular kids, like all the ones who used to pick on me."

I felt the tears escape my lashes and slid down my grimy face.

"Oh Love, it's okay. We all understand. We do! Some demi gods have a harder time then others, but we get it. We're all family here, some of the Cabin 10 can be like that... I try to keep them in line, and instil the self love and lifting others up and making sure your beautiful inside and out."

"Well, I officially stand corrected." I said quietly, giving her a small smile.

She smiled back, "Okay, what do you think of the clothes. Based on your size, hair and skin tone, I picked some stuff..."

"It's perfect thank you." I gave her a teary smile.

"No no, no crying. Let's fix you up. Looks like you still have soot and monster dust in your hair!"

Silena got up and picked up the brush and started fussing over my hair, which led to her fussing and insisting she try the makeup she gave me, she also turned to Kayla and fussed over her and helped her redye the tips of her hair green. She was actual really sweet. If I ever needed a personal cheerleader I was coming back, she made me feel so much better about myself, and being me instead of conforming to what others wanted me to look like. I would fight anyone who had anything bad to say about Silena, daughter of Athena. She was more then just a popular pick me girl obsessed with boys and makeup.

"Now I really do have to get going, I'm in charge of cabin clean up!"

She put everything into bags and sent me and Kayla off with a wave and "remember girls, anything that happens or is said in Cabin 10, stays in cabin 10."

🔆

After putting everything away, in the draws under my bed and in the cubby. Kayla led me to the training grounds.

"Okay we need to get you situated with some armour." And she led me to the armory, pushing the door open she groaned.

"What?" I asked peeking around her.

"I forgot Aris cabin is on duty right now."

Before I could answer, I head footsteps and a deep voice. "Well if it isn't the new Sunshine herself."

"Cut it out Raph, she's new."

The boy from the Area cabin was leaning against the armoury door, his huge arms folded and his ankles crossed. His dark eyes held me frozen. I felt a wild rush of weird emotions running through me. His dark eyes pierced me so deep, like he was trying to read my soul. His smug smirk made me want to hit him. My hands felt hot and tingly, they were opening and closing into fists.

"Problem Sunshine?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Cut it out! I know your trying to make me mad for whatever reason." I snapped.

"Would never!"

"Don't lie. I can tell when people are lying."

"I'll remember that. So? Why are you here?"

"I was going to suit her for armour." Kayla said, shoving into the conversation.

"Don't you need your own?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh Styx." She groaned, "Quintus is gonna kill me if I forget again. I'm sorry Nora. I'll be back as soon as I can!" She spun around and sprinted away. Leaving me with this Raph kid.

"Welcome to the Armoury."

🔆

🔆 Nora, Daughter of Apollo, Cabin 7 🔆