BLOODSHOT . . . piper mclean

06.

EDEN AND CONNOR sat next to each other at the Hermes banner, grinning at Travis and Chris before she put her feet up on his lap. Shit was good, she said her hellos. She noticed Rachel waving her over, so Eden stood up and winked at Connor before going over to sit right next to her on her log, too euphoric to notice the other girl sitting there.

"What's up?" Eden asked, grinning at Rachel before seeing Piper. "Oh. Hi."

Piper sent her a small smile, but Eden forced herself to focus on Rachel. "Where'd you go after Hera?"

"Me and Con went shopping," Eden nodded toward his direction, showing off her nails. "We got matching ones. Ate some Panda Express and went to Bath and Body Works. That was basically it."

"Him?" Piper looked at him. "You two are cute."

Eden snorted. "Why do people think we're together? We're just friends. He's after Drew, anyway."

"Drew?" Piper crinkled her nose in disgust.

"She's nice once you get under her exterior," Eden shrugged. "Love to talk, but I think that I'll probably fall asleep on him before this shit is over. Annie Bell forced me to be here." She stood up and grinned at Rachel. "Talk to me anytime, yeah? I've painted some stuff that you can take as inspiration."

"You're the best, E," Rachel blew her a kiss, and Eden was reminded of that time when they'd had a fling, while her, Percy, and Annabeth were having that stupid love triangle. She went back to her spot next to Connor and hummed.

"Good talk?" Connor asked her.

"She thought we were together." Piper was very obviously sitting next to Rachel, so obvious that Eden didn't know how she didn't notice her. She was very noticeable. Not that Eden had noticed. "Second one today."

"I'm so glad you're very fucking gay," Connor smirked at her. Stupid fucking shit Hermes smirk.

"Me too," Eden sighed. "Girls are the best."

Connor opened his mouth, but then Chiron spoke cause the songs were ending, brandishing a spear with marshmallows.

"Very nice! And a special welcome to our new arrivals. I am Chiron, camp activities director, and I'm happy you have all arrived here alive and with most of your limbs attached. In a moment, I promise we'll get to the s'mores, but first—"

"What about capture the flag?" some dude yelled. Grumbling broke out among the Ares kids. They were stupid, but also, Eden could relate to them. She loved murder.

"Yes," the horsie said. "I know the Ares cabin is anxious to return to the woods for our regular games."

"And kill people!" one of them shouted. Eden let out a snort. She loved them. Especially Clarisse.

"However," Chiron said, "until the dragon is brought under control, that won't be possible. Cabin Nine, anything to report on that?"

He turned to Gay Best Friend's group. The girl next to him, what's her face — Nessa? — stood uncomfortably. She wore an army jacket a lot like Leo's, with her hair covered in a red bandanna. "We're working on it."

More grumbling.

"How, Nyssa?" an Ares kid demanded. Oh, her name was Nyssa. Whatever.

"Really hard," Nessa said.

She sat down to a lot of yelling and complaining, which caused the fire to sputter chaotically. Eden winced at it. Chiron stamped his hoof against the fire pit stones — bang, bang, bang, like a gun — and the campers fell silent.