𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

── camp half blood

          𝕬urora wasn't sure what she had been expecting when her dad had promised to take her to Camp Half-Blood. Her mind had sort of thought it would be like those old paintings of Olympus, all white marble and flowers that no one knew existed in the mortal realm.

So, when her father's bright cherry red Maserati came to a squealing stop on the side of the road, looking up towards a hill, Aurora's eyes had narrowed.

"This isn't the bit where you abandon me because I thought you forfeited the right to do that years ago when you got custody." Aurora muttered to her dad.

"Come on, poppet." Apollo squeezed her hand, before getting out of the car. Aurora followed, albeit a little reluctantly. She was starting to think that this entire plan of her dad's wasn't a good idea. He pulled her bag out of the small trunk, handing it to her as the father and daughter duo looked at the hill.

Apollo, who was in his usual jeans and t-shirt, flicked his sunglasses over his eyes whilst Aurora tilted her head. A thought occurred to her.

"Did you drop all of your kids off here?"

"No." Aurora turned to watch the man. "I'm a busy man, poppet."

"You always have time for me." Her voice got quiet at that. She hadn't meant to take his time away from her siblings. Would they hate her for it? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

"That's because, when my kids are here, I know they're safe. You, on the other hand, are a minor, who has already toured the world once and lives alone in New York. Of course, I am going to make sure that my most vulnerable child is safe." Apollo squeezed her shoulder. "It's alright."

"I don't want to make anyone angry."

"You won't." Apollo promised. "How about I just take you to Chiron and we'll talk and then, I'll let you be unclaimed for a few days and then claim you? Would that make you feel better?"

"I just don't want any special treatment, dad." 

Apollo sighed, kissing her head as he led her up the hill. Aurora huffed, slinging her bag further over her back, before following her father up the hill and over the crest. 

They were at the top of a large, bowl like valley, overlooking cabins, a climbing wall and a large lake, with little canoes along it. Aurora could just about make out a large amphitheatre, a smile forming on her face as she saw the classrooms and even from up here, she could hear the chatter.

"So...?"

"It's cute."

"Different to what you expected?" Apollo prompted, both of them heading down the hill.

"A little. There's a lot of orange." Aurora pulled a face, huffing as she saw the shirts that others were wearing. "Why orange?"

"Something from long ago that just remained the same." Aurora didn't like the orange. She was really hoping that it wasn't mandatory. "Now, this is the Big House. Let's find someone to speak with."

Aurora nodded. Her father disappeared through the doors first and Aurora paused, feeling eyes on her. Her back straightened on instincts, her glasses covering her eyes, that darted around nervously for a moment until she could find who had their eyes on her, but still, no one. She turned back, following her father in and hurrying to find his voice.

"Lord Apollo, we did not expect you."

"No need, I'm here on-" He stopped, shuffling sounding for a moment before he spoke a little louder. "Poppet, come on."

Aurora hurried forward, putting her sunglasses up atop her head as she stepped into the room behind her father. 

"Ah, Chiron, this is Aurora Trueman, my daughter." Apollo squeezed her shoulder. "She's gonna be coming to camp on and off for a bit, not full time and not summer because of work but I don't want her being alone in New York."

"I see. Miss Trueman, a pleasure." Chiron, who Aurora assumed was from the stories, held his hand out to her. He was in a wheelchair, a blanket covering his lap and Aurora could have sworn that Chiron was a centaur but just put it down to demigod things and not wanting to scare her. "Now do you know what's going on here?"

"I know that dad's a god, I know about monsters and all that." Aurora rattled off quickly. "I'm pretty aware."

"I see and you've been surviving alright on your own so far?"

"Yes sir." Aurora nodded. "Dad taught me the basics and all."

"She's a great shot and a brilliant singer, but just need to get the healing down." Apollo replied as Aurora rolled her eyes slightly. "Anyway, I'm only here to drop her off and pick her up, not meddle or do anything else embarrassing."

"Dad." Aurora tried not to make it sound like a whine, knowing that her father would be embarrassing. 

"I see where I'm not wanted." Apollo shared a look with Chiron as if making a joke about kids, before turning back to her. "Alright, love you, be safe and call me when you need me to come and get you. You're gonna do great and make friends."

"Thanks dad, you done being embarrassing?"

"You want me to sob dramatically and take photos?"

"No."

"Then don't complain." Apollo grinned, as Aurora rolled her eyes and smiled. Apollo leant forward, kissing her head and squeezing the back of her neck. "Remember, you're my daughter and you're incredibly talented. Anyone gives you trouble, you show them what you know how to do."

"Love you dad." He winked once more, before leaving the house and disappearing back to his car, leaving Aurora alone with Chiron. She turned back to the older man, clutching onto her bag straps as she tried not to let her hands shake. She didn't like this, she didn't like the thought of meeting a lot of people who all already knew each other.

If she had been to high school, she could imagine that this was what high school was like.

"So, Aurora, shall we get you settled in your father's cabin?"

"He said that I could do the normal thing and be unclaimed and then go to his cabin." Aurora's voice got softer and softer, now that she had no one with her. "I don't want any special treatment or anything. I just want to be normal."

For once, she just wanted to be a teenager, like everyone else.

"Of course." Chiron smiled, sensing her discomfort and her anxiety. "Come now, let's take you to Cabin Eleven, yes?"

∘☽༓☾∘

True to her predictions, Chiron had become the centaur that she had known about from the myths and he'd then taken her on a tour of camp, explaining where everything was and what she could do here. He had gifted her with a timetable, telling her that her cabin councillor would keep her in check. For the first few days, that was the Hermes cabin. After that, it was to the Apollo cabin with the rest of her siblings.

"This is Cabin Eleven. Hermes, god of travellers." The cabin was large, with wooden columns and a stained glass window with Hermes' sign above the door. Unlike some of the others, Hermes' doors were open and people were streaming in and out, laughing and chatting.

All of the kids were in the orange shirt, but Aurora could feel their eyes on her, watching and examining her. Here was a worldwide famous singer, in a demigod camp in Long Island. For Aurora, it was like giving up a little bit of her lifeline, her anonymity. 

"His cabin is home to both his own children and the unclaimed." Aurora nodded, twisting the ring a little quicker on her finger as she looked around, eyes darting. Gods above, she was going to hate the colour orange by the end of this. 

They grew closer, and Chiron led her inside as Aurora realised what was coming. It was like every high school movie ever.

"Everyone..."

"Chiron, could we-"

"Everyone!" Chiron clapped as Aurora let her eyes close, pulling a face of despair before turning back to the front. "Your attention please."

Everyone went silent. 

Now, Aurora was used to a lot of eyes on her. She was a celebrity, technically, but that didn't mean she liked it. Obviously, she adored her fans but she put herself into those situations with all those eyes on her, and normally she was performing, she was in control. She didn't like all the attention being put on her when there was no need.

Aurora tried not to let her head drop, keeping it upright and focusing on the flickering of the flames ahead of her.

"This is Aurora Trueman. I trust you will see to whatever she needs." Everyone took two seconds to stare at her, some people's jaws even dropped, as Aurora cussed, before they began to chatter and whisper. Their eyes kept flicking to her, or maybe she was imagining things. "You will find friends here, Aurora, that I promise."

With that, he turned and disappeared, leaving Aurora holding her bag, having to brave the whispers on her own. She looked around, before stepping in.

There were eyes on her as she walked through the friendship groups, before seeing a sleeping bag with a camp t-shirt, a leather necklace and a roll out mat. Nodding to herself, Aurora pulled her bag off of her back, setting it down and lifted the shirt up.

She faced the wall, pulling a look of absolute disgust at the orange colour and wondered if she absolutely had to wear it.

It was horrible. Look, her dad might have been the god of the orange colour, with the whole sun and light thing, but this orange was garish.

She picked it up, doing her bag up and pushing it backwards before disappearing to go and change in the showers that Chiron had pointed out. 

If she was going to be here for a while, might as well fit in.

∘☽༓☾∘

Hiya,

I really love Aurora and Apollo, they are such a good father daughter relationship and I just like writing Apollo in a more serious light cause he's super goofy in the books half the time. Aurora hates orange, she's gonna love camp, and I just really love that despite being famous, she hates speaking to people.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx