Poseidon's Daughter

4. I lie really badly

Nerida

When I woke the first time it was to wind whipping through my hair, I looked down and let out a short scream, thinking I was falling from the sky. "Sorry 'bout this." I looked up into bright blue eyes. An electric jolt went through my body enough to make me pass out. That's exactly what happened. 

The floor is too soft, was my first thought. I forced my eyes to focus and suddenly I wished I hadn't. Someone was holding my eyelids open and shining a flashlight right into them. I yelped and scrambled back into the corner, shuddering as I fought down the memories raging inside me. I didn't like to be touched. At all. I looked into the eyes of the flashlight wielder. "Don't touch me." I said quietly but fiercely at the same time. 

"She's alive!" he yelled shooting a look behind him. I studied him. Latino, brown eyes, elfish features, curly mop of brown hair, he was short but also muscular and lean, he looked rather mischievous like he was planning a prank, he couldn't have been older than twenty-three. 

I gasped and quickly patted my pockets and looked for my bag, it was on the floor next to me. I grabbed it and quickly went through it checking and double checking to make sure no one stole anything. I relaxed and put the bag back. The man looked at me funny and shook his head "Man! You would think so little of us to think we stole from you?" he feigned hurt by putting his hand over his heart. 

"Yes." I stated looking into his eyes, expressionless. Others had started to come in looking at me questionably. 

The first to come in was a man about twenty-three. He was deeply tanned, muscular, black hair like mine, and startling green eyes also like mine. He was wearing a blue shirt that said "Save the turtles" and tan cargo shorts. 

The next was a girl who also looked about twenty-three, she was tan, lean, muscular, she had curly blond hair pulled up into a pony-tail, she had a spattering of freckles across her nose. She had piercing gray eyes that made me feel like she knew my every secret. She was wearing an orange t-shirt that said "CHB" and pale jean shorts. To sum it up: she looked scary. She walked up to the green-eyed man and slipped her hand into his like it was the most natural thing in the world. A couple, I guessed. 

The next to come in was a Native American who also appeared to be twenty-three. She had choppy brown hair like layers gone wrong, in one strand there was a feather. She was also lean and muscular, but her eyes... they didn't seem to stay one color. She was wearing a white button  up shirt that was tied at the bottom, or middle and high-waisted jean shorts. 

The next was a girl about twenty with chocolate brown skin and fluffy, curly brown hair, her eyes were a deep brown almost black. She too, was lean and muscular, she was wearing a green shirt that said "Horses are better friends than you" and overalls rolled up at the bottom. 

The next was a boy about twenty-three, with blond hair and shocking blue eyes framed with gold lenses, he was muscular and tanned though not as tanned as the green-eyed boy. I noticed he had a scar on his lip. He was wearing a purple shirt that said "SPQR" and jeans. He came to stand at the shoulder of the Cherokee girl. I recognized him immediately as the one who somehow managed to electrocute me. 

The next was a big buff Asian guy who also appeared to be twenty-three, he had brown eyes and short cropped black hair. He was wearing tan jeans and a plain maroon shirt. He came to stand slightly in front of the African-american girl. I guessed all of them to be couples.

 A scowl was pasted on my face, I looked at them, defiantly studying them, looking for weakness and finding none. They were all littered with scars and stood tall, like soldiers, their eyes were the most troubling, they looked sad like tortured  souls. They all looked like someone you didn't want to mess with but no matter how scared I was I wouldn't show it. To my surprise it was the green-eyed man with the RBF face-- Well guess they all had some level of RBF's-- to speak first, he smiled soothingly "Hello, I'm Percy Jackson, this is Annabeth Chase, Piper McClean, Hazel Levesque, Jason Grace,  Frank Zhang, and--" 

"Leo Valdez, at your service." The Latino cut in, bowing slightly. "What's your name? Or are we supposed to keep call you girl? And how old are you?" he asked. I hesitated before saying "Nerida Mavi, seventeen." They all nodded. "And who the hell are you people! You don't have the right to kidnap me! You need to let me go! I have to get home! My parents will be worried!" I lied. They looked at me quizzically.

 I took this moment of confusion to study the room I was in, looking for ways to escape. It was plain but big, like a hotel room without the decorations. Everything was white and minimalistic. I was on a white double bed in the corner of the room, next to me was a white dresser with a lamp on it. There were a total of two windows, both were behind the desk to the left of me. Downwind was a door that I guess led to the outside. There was another open door in the corner next to it that led to the bathroom. 

 "Ok... no, I'm sorry we cannot let you go." the blond girl, Annabeth said. I threw my hands up "Why!?" I could tell they saw right through my lie. 

"We're protecting you!" Jason said. 

"I don't need protecting! Now let me go!" I went to get up but someone pushed me back onto the bed, I couldn't help it, I flinched away. "You touch me again and you'll lose that hand." I growled out between clenched teeth. Percy took a step back, alarm clear on his features. "Is this because I ate your strawberries?!" They looked confused for a moment, Percy said "No no no. It's because you entered a camp that you shouldn't have entered. But now we know how you did it. Our friend is coming to explain--" the doorbell rang, "Leo go get it. Nerida? Can you come downstairs please?" I narrowed my eyes distrustfully but nodded and got up to follow. I walked out into a hallway with seven other doors, I guessed them to be their rooms. The room I was in was at the very back. They led me to the left at the end of the hallway was a balcony-like thing that over looked the living room and kitchen and the entrance. Sitting in the wheel chair was the horse dude I saw from that camp.