I'll say this about Camp Half-Blood---they take Capture the Flag quite seriously.

The next day, I wake up to find pretty much everyone already preparing themselves in Hermes cabin, strapping armor on and stealing each other's enchanted items. Gil waves excitedly to me, hopping on one foot to pull his shoe on.

I sit up, rubbing my forehead. Maybe it was the fact that Sera's anticipation for Capture the Flag had been stuck in my mind all night, or maybe it's the atmosphere here, but I'd had blissfully nightmare-less dreams. So I'm feeling oddly refreshed as I let Gil strap me into a spare set of armor. That is, until I realize how horrible Gil is at it, and he's somehow managed to put it on backwards.

"Sorry." he winces as he tightens it. "I'm not very good at this. Plus, this is Jay's spare set, so it doesn't fit you very... Hey!" he lights up. "Why don't you stop by the Athena cabin? I'm sure they'll have one that'll fit you way better."

"That would be amazing." I say happily, relieved Gil opened it up for me instead of me trying to subtly hint. I'm not subtle by any stretch, and I don't want to hurt his feelings. But I can't hide my giddy relief as he helps me slide it off.

"Be right back!" I wave and sprint out of the cabin. I surprise myself by remembering where to go, and recalling many kid's names as I pass. They wave and wish me luck, and I wave back.

It's kind of a strange feeling having friends. Or at the very least, friendly acquaintances.

I stop outside the Athena cabin, slightly winded with a very small twinge on my Fury wound, but still clear headed. I tap on the door, and jump back in surprise when it opens instantly.

Brit's amber eyes sparkle as she smiles sympathetically at me. "Let me guess. Gil sent you here?"

"How'd you know?"

Brit laughs. "He did mine the day I got here, before I was claimed. It wasn't pretty." She smiles, her eyes glazed as if she's thinking back. She looks perfectly at ease in her own silvery armor. I notice hers is a little thinner metal than everyone else's, probably because of her small frame. It has an owl etched into the chest, with a faint golden aura surrounding it.

"Yeah. He sent me to get different armor." I say hesitantly, noticing someone inside, ordering the cabin around as they grab weapons and maps, and random items that have to be magic, because I don't see how a normal single high top will help someone.

Brit leans against the doorframe, raising her eyebrow. "You realize we're on opposing teams today, right?"

"Um..." I hadn't actually considered that possibility.

She laughs, waving my worry away. "Don't sweat it. Come on inside, I'll find you a decent set before the game."

"Thanks, Brit." I say with relief, following her inside the Athena cabin. Brit leads me to the back, where I see row after row of silver armor with owls.

I clear my throat. "Probably not something with an owl on it."

"Don't worry." she assures me. "We're pretty much the center for last-minute armor. The crest changes to your cabin when you put it on."

I whistle. "Impressive."

"Thanks. I made this one," she slides one off the shelf and holds it out to me. "Don't move, okay?"

"Sure." But that promise becomes hard to keep as she holds it out, barely brushing my shoulder before the breastplate morphs, sliding easily onto me as silver goo and solidifying back to normal within seconds, expertly fitting to my body. True to her word, it now has the crest of the Hermes cabin.

"Wow." I say, running my hand along the now-hard armor. "How did you..."

She shrugs. ""Simple incantation. Dori taught it to me weeks ago. Really helps the process. After the games, when you want it off, come to me and I'll deactivate it."

"And it won't... randomly melt during the game?"

"You'll just have to find out." Brit smiles at me, her eyes twinkling.

"Well, I'd better go then." I smile back, offering a hand. "Thanks."

"Anytime." She ignores my hand, instead ducking past it and embracing me. I flinch in surprise, patting her awkwardly on the back.

She pulls away, still smiling, not at all concerned with my lack of emotion. "See you out there!" Then she turns on her heel and bounds away.

I shake my head, utterly confused, and find my way out of the storage area, ducking through the cabin as sneakily as I can. The moment I'm out the door, someone tackles me from the side.

"WHOO-HOOO!!!" Sera bellows, noogie-ing the top of my head ecstatically with her fist.

"Sera!" I complain, shoving her away. She jumps up and down, her eyes shining.

"CAP! TURE! THE! FLAAAAAAG!" she screams, looking more like a five-year-old than a teenager.

"Wow, you're really into this." I laugh, rubbing my sore scalp.

"YA THINK?!" she screeches, grabbing my wrist and pulling me along toward Ares cabin. "We need to get plannin' and schemin'!"

"Please don't tell me you're going to be screaming the entire day." I groan, letting her pull me along.

"MAYBE!"

"She will." Endora promises, falling in stride beside me. "Her battle plan is to ruin our eardrums."

"YOU WISH, DODO!"

"Dodo?" I repeat, barely smothering a snort.

Endora rolls her eyes. "She gets dumber as she gets more competitive."
"I DO NOT!" She suddenly stops in front of Ares' cabin. "GO AWAY, DODO! We got some preparin' to do!"

"See ya." She salutes me and slows to a jog, heading toward the Athena cabin I just left. I'm guessing that's where the opposing team is gathering to run over plans and whatever else is required for a game of Capture the Flag.

Sera drags me inside the Ares cabin, where all of the cabins on our team have smushed themselves in, yelling over one another. Strategies, the absence of strategies, so on and so forth for about twenty minutes, until...

"SHUT IT!" Jay finally yells. "Capture the Flag is starting in about ten minutes. We've got to get out there!"

Sera elbows me with the force just shy enough to break my ribs. "It's happening." She hisses excitedly.

I rub my side, not even surprised anymore to find a dent. "Gee thanks, I couldn't tell."

We all exit the cabin in a... not-so-orderly fashion, with the Demeter, Hecate, and Apollo kids keeping out of the way for the stampeding Ares and Hermes kids. Hephaustus doesn't seem to care either way. Nyssa just sighs, hefts her huge hammer, and strolls toward the woods.

"A'ight!" Sera shouts. "Athena is already hidden, so we's just need to hide our flag now." She holds up a shimmering flag with the Hermes crest on it. "Where should we hide it?"

"Let the newbie hide it!" someone yells.

Sera scowls. "Noooo..." she whines. "I wanted to..."

Jay plucks it from her hands. "Sorry, Sera, you're not in charge. Ellie? You cool with hiding it?"

"Um..." I resist the urge to pull my nonexistent hood further over my face. "Sure. I guess."

"I can go with her." Someone volunteers. Mal, the girl with purple hair from the other day, steps forward and nudges me lightly. "Make sure she doesn't die."

"That's fine." Jay says absentmindedly, turning to other groups and assigning different jobs. Mal leans toward me and talks in a low voice.

"You seem pretty calm for someone who's about to run blind into a forest you've only been in once, with full armor, weapons, and deadly enemies."

"Just a demigod day for you." I say, smiling slightly.

She nudges me again, laughing. "Now you're starting to sound like us."

If I could, I'm sure I'd glow with the praise. 

___________________________

OKAY! I'm all caught up now. I don't get a lot of chances to get on Wattpad anymore, so I edit Ellie in a GoogleDoc and copy/paste it here. It's all caught up now!!

Few things: 

I saw Disney's "Pinocchio" for the first time... and I have to say, I'm kind of... disturbed. That's a CHILDREN'S movie???? I had a look of horror on my face for like, half of it. *shudders*. 

Second thing: I'm re-reading Harry Potter right now. WHY CAN'T HOGWARTS BE REAL, AND WHY CAN'T I GO THERE!?!? I'D BE A SIXTH YEAR RIGHT NOW INSTEAD OF STUPID HIGH SCHOOL!!!!

Last thing: Can we all just agree that "Zombies 2", which comes out THIS FRIDAY, cannot come fast enough!?!?!!!!?!?! I NEEDS IT!!!