Chapter 3

                                    

                                          
After Percy left the room I hop out of bed. On the trunk is a bright orange t-shirt and a pair of skinny jeans in my size. Without thinking about how they found my size I put both on. Even though it's summer I pull on my over worn harvard sweatshirt. So much for that dream. I walk out of the big house into a pavilion. I grab some cereal and two muffins. I walk towards the hearth and scoop some of my cereal and one of my muffins into the fire and say a prayer. Instead of sitting down at a table I notice a teenage girl sitting on the other side of the fire. 
                          
"Do you mind if I sit here?" I ask kindly. 
                          
"Of course not dear. Come sit next to me," she smiled warmly. A lot of campers gave me odd looks not only for honoring the gods on my own but for asking to sit with one. I didn't care simply because I didn't know. I always sacrificed food when I could and I didn't know that I was talking with lady Hestia.
                          
"So what is your name?" She asks after I've settled into a spot. 
                          
"My name is Lexi. How about you?"
                          
"My name is Hestia." She says like you would say Mark or Steve. 
                          
"M'lady. I'm sorry. I didn't-"
                          
"Please don't. Treat me like a camper. I hate being called lady. It makes me feel old. Just call me Hestia."
                          
"Of course Hestia."
                          
"When did you come here? You would have known who I am if you were here before."
                          
"I came last night. Where are we exactly?"
                          
"We are on the long Island Sound. Close to New York." She smiled at me. We talked throughout breakfast. It was fun. We both had so many questions. By the time announcements were going to be made we started acting like old friends. 
                          
"Attention please. We have a new camper that arrived last night. She will have to stay in the big house until she had been claimed. Would any cabin like to take her for meals?" He stood waiting while no hands rose. I felt shame and tried to hide the red rising to my cheeks. Hestia saved me. 
                          
"She can sit by the hearth with me Chiron. It shall be a nice break from the silence," she states, smiling at me. 
                          
"Yes. Of course. There will be no pegusi training in the woods because it's being set up for war games. Go about your days. Lexi if you'll come with me please," Chiron asks while people file away to do different things. 
                          
"Why do I feel like the kid that got called to the principles office?"
                          
"How did you know to sacrifice at breakfast?"
                          
"I'm pagan. Even in the woods I paid respects to the gods whenever I could. There was more food laid out than I've seen in a year."
                          
"You did gain some looks. You've made an impression."
                          
"What do I care? I'm going to honor who I am no matter where I am. Nothing is going to stop that."
                          
"Understood. We have a few rules here but I'll let Piper take care of that. Here she is now," I saw a girl walking towards us with a blue harpy feather woven into her hair. She looked to be around Percy's age. She looked pretty but it was like she tried her hardest not to. 
                          
"Hi I'm Piper McLean!" She said sticking her perfectly manicured hand out to shake mine. I took it and felt very self conscience about my beat up and calloused hands. 
                          
"Lexi Winchester. Pleasure to meet you."
                          
"Come on. I'll show you around. There's a lot to see!"