𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐥𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐞

𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

"𝐓𝐇𝐄 first team to retrieve the opposing flag and return it across the river shall be the victor. As always there will be no maiming and no killing" Chiron said.

Birdie tried paying attention to the words but she was focused on Clarisse, the girl who glared at their team coldly. She had no clue why she had a sudden interest in this girl. The girl who was rude to her friend. The girl who had always been a bit cruel. The girl who never talked to her.

She could hear Chiron, she could hear Luke and Percy, but their words were tuned out. They felt blurry in her ears. All she could really see was Clarisse.

Then the battle cries began and Birdie was pulled back into reality, her attention stripped away from the girl.

"Not you, sunshine. You're with me" Birdie heard Annabeth say. She turned and saw her younger sister with Percy "you too, Erin. Come on" Birdie nodded and followed Annabeth.

She would follow Annabeth into fire if Annabeth told her to.

"Wha- why did she call you Erin? What is happeni- I'm so confused" Percy mumbled as he trudged behind them.

As they were walking, Percy tripped over a branch and landed on the ground. Birdie went to help him but Annabeth put her arm out, blocking her from moving further. The two watched Percy move to his knees "I'm fine, thanks. But I appreciate you, you know, standing there silently" he said as he stood up.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and continued walking, Birdie and Percy following behind her like puppies.

"Listen, I-- I get it. Okay. Y-- You're better at this than me, but I need this to go well today. I can't really get into it, but I need my father to see it go well. So, if you're gonna expect me to know how to do something I don't know how to do.. and I end up falling flat on my face, I-- I can't really have that right now."

Annabeth stopped walking and turned to Percy while Birdie remained slightly behind them, yet somehow standing in between them. Percy looked at Annabeth with a kind of hope.

All Annabeth did was fix one of his straps on his armor and then look at him.

"You still don't get where you fit into all this, do you?" she asked. Before Percy could answer, the conch blew. She smirked and looked back at him.

"Game on."

Annabeth put on a hat and then disappeared "Annie, come on" Birdie sighed "wait, what?" Percy said, looking closely at the spot where the girl was just standing.

She reappeared.

"Gift from my mom" Annabeth answered, Birdie rolled her eyes "yeah, I got shit" she whispered, having received nothing from her mother. "Don't worry," Annabeth said "you'll do great" "do great? Do what great?" Percy said as Annabeth put the hat back on.

Birdie sighed again and softly hit Percy's arm "just come on" she said, seeming tired of her sister's attitude towards this boy.

They stayed there the entire time.

Birdie wasn't a fighter, she was the type to run away. It was something she did best.

Percy was new to all this. He was not ready to take part in a pretend war.

So, they stayed there.

Birdie was drawing stars into the dirt with stick while Percy was doing whatever he was doing.

First, it was flossing.

Then, it was peeing.

Then, petting a lizard.

Then, lying on a log.

Birdie was glad he had moved away for the second activity.

"So, what's it like with Annabeth as your sister?" Percy asked while Birdie sat on the log next to him, breaking a small stick into multiple pieces "I don't know. I have no other experiences to compare it to" she replied with a shrug.