Flower

Chapter VI

The way Tantalus saw it, the Stymphalian birds had simply been minding their own business in the woods and would not have attacked if Chase, Tyson, Jackson, and Andy hadn't disturbed them.

Then Jackson told Tantalus to go chase a doughnut which did not in any way help.

It was unfair, yes, but he didn't need to make it worse, Andy thought to herself.

He sentenced them to kitchen patrol—scrubbing pots and platters all afternoon in the underground kitchen with the cleaning harpies. The harpies washed with lava instead of water, to get that extra-clean sparkle and kill ninety-nine point nine per cent of all germs, so Chase, Jackson, and Andy had to wear asbestos gloves and aprons.

Tyson didn't mind. He plunged his bare hands right in and started scrubbing, but the others had to suffer through hours of hot, dangerous work, especially since there were tons of extra plates.

Tantalus had ordered a special luncheon banquet to celebrate Clarisse's chariot victory—a full-course meal featuring country-fried Stymphalian death-bird. Just lovely.

All in all, there wasn't anything good about this punishment, at all. Well at least, that's what it was like for Andy. Whereas Percy and Annabeth were given the chance to talk.

Andy was standing nearer to Tyson than the others and was doing it as fast as she could so she could get out of there quicker.

When Annabeth glanced at Tyson to tell Percy that they'd have to fight a Cyclops, they didn't realise that Andy was staring at the plates clearly out of it.

Annabeth knit her eyebrows. "We'll have to talk to Tantalus, get approval for a quest. He'll say no."

"Not if we tell him tonight at the campfire in front of everybody. The whole camp will hear. They'll pressure him. He won't be able to refuse."

"Maybe." A little bit of hope crept into Annabeth's voice. "We'd better get these dishes done. Hand me the lava spray gun, will you?"

Andy rapidly blinked to get herself out of the state she was in and looked over to see that Annabeth and Percy had decided to actually start helping.

"Finally," she said, rolling her eyes. The troubling two's heads snapped to her, not realising she was close enough to hear what they were talking about, "are you done chitchatting like this is your mommy's bookclub"

Annabeth had the right to look sheepish but you could tell she was on guard. Whereas Percy was just angry, which Andy saw and smirked at him with a wink, as she went back to cleaning with a soft chuckle.

Noticing, that Percy was still staring at her sceptically, she said, "Your secrets are always safe with me. I never even listen when you tell me them." She then turned around and left, leaving them staring at the empty place she once was.

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That night at the campfire, Apollo's cabin led the sing-along. They tried to get everybody's spirits up, but it wasn't easy after that afternoon's bird attack. Andy was sitting under the Demeter kid's banner and was sitting with her siblings, Daniel and Jacob. Daniel's dark brown eyes, shined a little lighter in the gleam of the fire. Whereas Jacob's eyes practically glowed green with happiness as he was jokingly pulling faces at another camper near him.

Despite what was happening, Andy was smiling, she was happy. She was surrounded by the people she loves. But deep inside she knew that her main reason for her smile was to make sure the younger campers hopefully believed the problems in their world weren't as bad as they thought.