Gone Girl.¹

𝟬𝟯𝟯. family line

gone girl.
━━━ chapter thirty three

❀

Camp went late that summer. It lasted two more weeks, right up to the start of a new school year, but Amaryllis couldn't complain. These two weeks were probably the happiest she had been in a long time.

Many new demigods arrived at Camp and the satyrs could barely keep up. Amongst them there were three children of Apollo; a twelve-year-old British boy named Jerry, a seven-year-old deaf girl named Natalie and Youssef, a nine-year-old boy originally from Egypt. They were welcome additions and Amaryllis was happy that the Apollo cabin, which suffered the most losses in the war, was full of life and new campers again.

Maybe she was imagining things, but each of the kids had something that reminded her of her lost siblings; Jerry had Lee's bright blue eyes, Natalie had Nia's long brown hair and calming presence and Youssef had Michael's temper.

She went in to check on them before the campfire and she found Will frantically looking through some papers. "I don't get it. Why am I not signed up as head counselor?"

"Because I signed myself up as head counselor."

Will turned to look at her, confused. "What do you mean? But you're not-"

"I know," Amaryllis cut him off. "I had a conversation with Chiron and..." I told him that if he didn't let me sign myself up I would summon a bunch of skeletons to haunt him for the rest of his life "... he agreed that it would be better if I was head counselor, despite not being a child of Apollo."

"But-"

"You're signed as vice-counselor, which means that when I'm not around, you'll be in charge," she continued. "Look, Will, you're already handling the whole infirmary basically on your own. I don't want you to crumble under the pressure of also being head counselor."

She noticed Will's lip trembling as she spoke, as if he was fighting back tears. He was only thirteen-he deserved to be a kid for a little longer.

Amaryllis shrugged. "Besides, I've already spent last year helping Michael. I know how to handle it."

"Can I talk now?" She nodded and he rushed in to hug her. "Thanks, Lilly," he whispered.

Someone knocked on the door and Drew Tanaka entered the cabin. As a daughter of Aphrodite, she always looked good. But Amaryllis could see beyond her bright eyeshadow and shiny accessories-she was still grieving. She had lost both her girlfriend and her sister in one day and it was taking a toll on her.

Once she saw Will and Amaryllis, she straightened her back and hid behind the facade of confidence and arrogance, as she usually did. "Don't mind me, I'm just here to pick up some stuff."

"What stuff?" Will asked.

"Nia's," Drew said. "I-" she faltered for a second. Amaryllis never really got along with the girl, but she realised they had a lot in common. "I need to take some of her things back to her mom."

Will and Amaryllis exchanged a knowing look. "I'll go check on the kids," Will said, referring to the youngest children of the Apollo cabin and left, leaving the two girls alone.

Drew looked at Amaryllis with a clenched jaw. "So?" she asked, probably waiting for her to leave.

"I'll help you."