NONE OF THE CHARACTERS ARE MINE! (except Clover, Aspen, Mable, Flora, Zach, Courtney, Sierra, and Tyson. Enjoy!)

Chapter 1

I flipped over on my side and set my alarm clock for 7:30. I needed to get up early for the events of the next day. Today was the 19th of May, and tomorrow was my birthday.

The 20th of May. I was planning to just hang with my buds and work on my dagger skills. The others in the Athena cabin were sound asleep at 9pm, but I couldn’t have gone to sleep that early. It was already 11pm and I was having no luck. I looked around at the other campers, making sure none of them were awake. When I saw none of them stir, I sat up slowly in my bunk and reach into my drawer. I pulled out a flashlight and the book Rick Riordan had given me to read and I started on page one. I had already read the book seven times, but I tried to wrap my mind around the concept. This was the future, but it didn’t click in my head. After about an hour more of reading I decided that it was time to try to go to sleep again. Stupid Birthday, I thought, It’s not like I am going to do anything cool! I put the book and flashlight back into the drawer and laid down on my bunk. The bunk above me stared down at me, as if taunting me to go to sleep. When I finally closed my eyes, I had a blissful and dreamless sleep.

Leo looked at the progress he had made to the bunker and smiled. The confetti cannon we set, the balloons hung above the door, and he had actually had time to sweep the floor! He had marked his calendar the very first day Clover had mentioned her birthday. She had told him to forget about it, but the thought never left his head. Leo had tried to make the unfinished Argo II look presentable, but that turned out to be an epic fail. Leo had thought up all of the things that would be awesome at a birthday party as well. He took one last look at the place and took off his work gloves. He set them on one of the tables and left the bunker. Leo couldn’t wait to see Clover’s face.

I woke to the alarm clock going off. It was a soft vibration, but it made the bedside table rattle. I quickly reached over and turned it off before any of the other camper’s woke up. Usually the Athena cabin woke up around eight, so this gave me some time to get ready. I climbed out of the bed as quietly as I could and slipped on my Camp Half Blood shirt. I put on some shorts and looked out the window. The sun was just coming up over the forest’s trees, which told me that it was time to go. I slipped on my favorite pair of runners and brushed my hair out quickly. I pulled it back in a ponytail and rushed out the door. I wanted to get to my spot before it was too late. I made sure I had my dagger at my side as I walked into the forest. The trees looked at me with their knots in their trunks. I remembered when I found my awesome spot. I was upset because the Aphrodite girls had bullied me, no surprise, but they had pushed a painful subject home. I climbed over a familiar rock and landed on a small hill, hidden from the observing eye. I pushed a few branches away and got a beautiful view of the sunrise. I sat down on the green grass and took a deep breath of clean air. I hadn’t brought anyone here, not even Leo. He was too busy with the Argo II to even leave the bunker, other than to go to bed in his cabin or have dinner. Both of those were very rare though. Leo usually fell asleep on the cold floor of the bunker and most of the time I fetched him some dinner when I left. There was a slight breeze blowing next to me and I turned my head and saw one of my friends. One of the tree nymphs from the trees surrounding me was sitting next to me. Her skin was a greenish color, as if green dye ran through her veins. Her hair was a pretty blond color, as if her hair was made out of aspen leaves. She smiled at me and said,

“Nice to see you here this early. Happy Birthday!” She moved her hands out from behind her back and revealed a necklace pendent. It was made out of rock and was gleaming. I smiled and reached out my hands.

“Thank you so much Aspen!” Aspen, the nymph, placed the pendent in my hands and I looked at it closer. Carved into the gleaming rock was a carving of an aspen tree. Aspen grinned as I took off my leather necklace and strung the new pendent on. With all of the beads together, they equaled four in total. I had been at camp for three years, ever since I was thirteen. I had just turned sixteen this morning. Aspen pulled her orange dress down and asked,

“Do you have any plans for today?” I shook my head,

“Not really. I was just hoping to get with my friends and practice my dagger skills.” I caught Aspen’s look of surprise and I tried to explain, “It isn’t like I was not planning to do something fun, but I don’t have any ideas. I don’t really have a wish list.” Aspen shook her head.

“Oh come on! It is your sweet sixteen and you just have plans to work on dagger skills? You need to go have fun!” I laughed.

“Well, how long has it been since you have celebrated your sweet sixteen?” Aspen thought for a minute.

“I don’t know. It must have been more than twenty years ago, when I was just a sprout. I don’t really have any memories of it either.” Aspen picked up a leaf and turned it in her fingers as she talked. “I guess you have a point. But all I am saying is, get out there and have fun! It’s not like I can leave.” I nodded. She had a point. I looked at the pretty colors of the sunrise and thought about the possibilities of the day.

“Okay. I like that idea. I will do something fun.” I took one more deep breath and said, “I might be here for another ten minutes. Is it okay if I could, you know?” Aspen understood what I was asking.

“Oh sure! Go ahead, just don’t throw rocks into the river. The water nymph didn’t like it.” I smiled.

“I won’t.” I responded. Aspen smiled and said one last thing before she turned into a pile of aspen leaves,

“Happy Birthday and noon!” I wanted to ask more, but she was gone. I sighed and leaned back. I watched the sun come over the trees and wash me in warm light. I sat there for a few minutes thinking about what Aspen had meant. Noon? What was so important about that? I stood up after about ten minutes and decided it was time to head back to camp. People would be worried. I pushed the branches of leaves aside and climbed down the rock again. I ran out of the woods before the cabins started cabin inspections and breakfast.