Camp Half-Blood

Chapter three: The ride

We've been sitting in the car for two hours and Jay and I sit on the left and right seats in the back, each of us looking out the window, with Staphanie in the middle.  She stopped bugging us when Dad gave her an answer to 'where are we going' and 'what are we doing' questions.  For some reason, she believed every word of it.
        "About half an hour 'till we get there."  He says, looking back at us for a split second.  I can just see his face out of the corner of my eye.  This car ride is taking way too long to go nowhere.  I feel nerves biting at my stomach.  Whenever I go to school and I forget something, that happens even if I don't know what I forgot.  I go over a mental checklist of things I might have liked to have, other than my iPod, and come out blank.  That's what normally happens, and I don't realize what I'm missing until it's too late.  Why have good instincts like that if they can't tell you what it is?
        We sit daydreaming for the next half hour until we pull up on the side of the road to meet a large forest.  My first instinct is to climb one of the giant pines that make it up, but that's not 'lady like'  says my not-mom.         
        My door is opened but I can't get out because Stephanie is already on top of me and out of the car.  I unbuckle and pull myself out of the car.  Jay is already at the trunk getting his things.  He didn't pack much more than I did, and he also had grabbed his bow.  By the time I make it around to the back of the car he already has everything in his arms and is out of the way, so I grab my things and follow my Dad into the forest.  
        He seems to know where he's going, whereas the rest of us are just following him.  We find ourselves at a large entryway with a huge sigh on an arch that, sure enough, says 'CAMP HALF-BLOOD'.  Maybe this wasn't so bogus after all.
        Dad steps back and motions for us to step forwards, through the gates.  We do, slowly, then Stephanie shouts,
        "I want to go too!"  And runs after us, and I brace myself for the freakishly strong hugs she gives.  She just about reaches us when she seems to hit some invisible force field like thing on the gate.  I almost laugh.  Almost.  She blinks back shock and sits in between my not-mom's legs like a baby penguin.  She pets her and explains to all of us,
        "Only demigods can pass that shield.  That's why you're safe here."  She informs us sadly, like she wishes she could come too.  I have no idea what awaits us in there, or how I'm going to cope.  This is real, but we are NOT twins.  The more I tell myself the less true it gets.
        I take one last look at my family.
        "I love you."  I squeak out, before turning to avoid tears.  NO way am I crying on my first day at wherever this is.
        "Me too.   Bye."  Jay says and turns his back as well.  We start walking and I can already hear noises ahead.
        "Do you think we really are-"  Jay starts
        "No." I Interupt, "No way.  We don't look alike.  At all."  Even as I say it I know it's not true.  He nods and we continue down the path.
        "Hey look!  New kids!"  Someone shouts.  All the noise tapers down and a circle forms around us.  We are in the middle of a clearing bieng stared at my many, many people.  I do not like this one bit.  Some daughter of Artemis I am.
        "Children of who?"  Another voice shouts.  I see my chance to have some fun with them.
        "Guess."  I say before Jay can interrupt.
        "Names first."  the second voice answers back.
        "Paige and Jaydon."  I say back.  No need to shout anymore because there's no noise left.
        "Aphrodite!"  A girl yells.  I shake my head.
        "Athena!"  Another shouts.  No again, so I nod no.
        "Poseidon!"  The first voice shouts.  I shake my head again.
        "God or Goddess?"  Someone shouts.  I think it was the girl who said Athena.  I let Jay answer this one.
        "Goddess."   There is a moment of silence.
        "Demeter."  Someone says.  Jay shakes his head.
        "We give up!  Just tell us already!"  Someone cries defeat.
        "You wouldn't believe it."  I say.
        "Try us."  A different voice says.
I hesitate, but both of us yell,
        "Artemis."  And gasps erupt from the crowd.  Denial oozes from them until someone steps into the middle.
        "That's impossible; she's a virgin goddess.  She doesn't have children, she has huntresses."  She says, but I shake my head all the way through.
        "No.  That's what she wanted the world to think.  Did you really expect the goddess of childbirth to not have any of her own?"  she stares at me unblinkingly then walks back out of the dispersed circle.  Jay has gone off somewhere, and I'm all alone.