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chapter eighty-one. ☄︎. *. ⋆
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THE SENIOR COUNSELORS had gathered around the Ping-Pong table. Don't ask me why, but the rec room had become the camp's informal headquarters for war councils. When Percy, Chiron, and I came in, though, it looked more like a shouting match.
Clarisse was still in full battle gear. Her electric spear was strapped to her back. (She called it "Maimer." Behind her back, everybody else called it "Lamer.") She had her boar-shaped helmet under one arm and a knife at her belt.
She was in the midst of yelling at my brother, Michael, the new head counselor for our cabin, which looked kind of funny since Clarisse was a foot taller. Michael had taken over our cabin after we had lost Lee the summer prior. Michael stood four-foot-six with another two feet of attitude. He reminded me of a ferret, with a pointy nose and scrunched-up features—either because he scowled so much or because he spent too much time looking down the shaft of an arrow. But I loved him, and I wasn't gonna let Clarisse give him a hard time just because of a stupid chariot.
"It's our loot!" Michael was shouting, standing on his tip-toes so he could get in Clarisse's face. "If you don't like it, you can kiss my quiver!"
Huh. Kiss my quiver. That was a good one. I made note to remember it for future reference.
Around the table, people were trying not to laugh—the Stoll brothers, Pollux from the Dionysus cabin, Katie Gardner from Demeter. Even Jake Mason, the hastily appointed new counselor from Hephaestus, managed a faint smile. Annabeth looked mildly amused. Only Silena Beauregard didn't pay any attention.
She sat beside Clarisse and stared vacantly at the Ping-Pong net. Her eyes were red and puffy. A cup of hot chocolate sat untouched in front of her. It seemed unfair that she had to be here.
"Stop it!" Percy yelled. "What are you guys doing?"
Clarisse glowered at him. "Tell Michael not to be a selfish jerk."
"Oh, that's rich, coming from you," I said, jumping to Michael's aide.
"The only reason I'm here is to support Silena!" Clarisse shouted at me. "Otherwise I'd be back in my cabin."
"What are you talking about?" Percy demanded.
Pollux cleared his throat. "Clarisse has refused to speak to any us, until her, um, issue is resolved. She hasn't spoken for three days."
"It's been wonderful," Travis said wistfully.
"What issue?" Percy asked. I rolled my eyes and scoffed. Even if he didn't know what was going on, he could have waited until later to ask so many questions. I couldn't believe he could be so ignorantly stupid.
