malconnor🤭🤭

malcom

Everyday is the same. I wake up, get all of my siblings up so I can help them get ready for the day. It's a lot better doing this with my sister, Annabeth around, but she's often been spending time with Percy. I'm not bitter or anything, I love Annabeth, and I'm happy that she's finally found someone to love, but why can't that be me.

It's not like I'm closeted, everyone knows I'm gay. At first, I only told people I trust, like Annabeth (I'm really close with her, if you couldn't tell,) and...well that's about it. I'm not a really social kid, I often stay to myself. I don't like to be in anyone's way, so I feel like talking to people would be doing just that. Anyway, I of course don't think she would've told anyone, but it's possible it might've slipped out. She may have accidentally brought it up to Piper or something.

However it happened, the Aphrodite cabin soon became quickly aware of my "secret." Not a lot of people cared, because we are Greek, but there haven't been any gay people of interest. Even if there were, it's not like I could build the courage to actually talk to them.

I'm getting way off track, I should've woken everyone up at least 5 minutes ago. Sometimes being a child of Athena isn't always a great thing.

After a lot of fussing, because even if we're organized, children of Athena are not early risers. It takes at least 1-2 hours getting everybody ready, on a good day. Anyway, we all were finally ready for breakfast. I've never really understood why it has to be so early anyway, just because the Apollo kids get up early, does not mean the rest of the camp should suffer.

We ate lunch rather quickly, and finally finished our offerings. I decided I would skip some studying today and go straight to the arena for training. I would probably stay up late reading or studying later anyway, I may as well get some exercise done as well. I also wanted to teach some of my siblings the tricks I learned from Annabeth at their age. At least I would benefit for something.

We decided to work on some of their combat skills, because that's one of my strengths, and I would like to teach them something I actually know how to do myself.

In the arena I see a few other campers with their siblings as well. Clarissa La Rue, because obviously. Being a child of Ares means you never stop training. Ever. Seriously I don't think I've ever been here and not seen at least one Ares kid. I also saw a few Hephaestus kids, and other little ones that must have not been claimed, because I haven't seen them before.

With those kids, I see him. Connor. Fucking. Stoll.

When I had first gotten to camp, he put a tarantula in my bed, just for shits and giggles. He said he didn't know it was going to attack, but come on. Do you not pay attention in class, ever? I told him it "wasn't a big deal," and "I'm fine, honestly." I was not being honest.

I look past him and get the rest of the kids set up, and I start teaching them some of the moves Annabeth taught me. They picked it up pretty fast, and I'm proud of them for that. I gave them a pat on the back, because that was my way of showing them I love them. No emotion at all. Gods I'm so pathetic.

While getting the kids packed up, I hear someone talking to me. I decided not to turn around, because despite desperately wanting to have friends and make connections, it's still really hard for me to talk to people.

"-anyway, I hope there aren't any hard feelings. I feel like you're still pretty mad about it, and I promise that wasn't my intention. Are you even listening?" I turn around and see him again.

"Connor Stoll." I say blankly.

There before me stood Connor, with his curly black hair and brown eyes. He had freckles all over his face. Now that I think about it, he kind of reminds me of Cameron Boyce. Man, I was obsessed with him as a kid.

"Look, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, that's just kind of how I am. I didn't expect you to hold a year long grudge over it. If you want, I can make it up to you? You seem like a cool guy, and I just don't want any hard feelings." He said this while shoving his hands in his pockets, trying to act all nonchalant.

"What hard feelings? Seriously I'm over it. All you did was put a deadly spider in my bed to attack me while I was sleeping. The day after I got to camp and found out I was a demigod and was likely to not even live a full life." I say while struggling to keep all of these stupid swords in this stupid basket or whatever it's called.

"Like I said, I'm sorry." I guess he must've finally registered that I was struggling and said "I can help you with those if you want. That could be, like, my way of making it up to you? I'll just help you carry those every time you come to the arena to practice. I know how stressful it can be taking care of a ton of siblings, trust me."

I sighed. I may as well try and get over it and make peace with him. I mean, what happened was years ago, and we've been through 2 wars in that time. You would've thought I'd be over it by now. I guess little kid grudges can last lifetimes. "Sure, just try not to drop them, you'd probably hate to go to the infirmary more than you already do."

He giggled with that signature grin. "I think Will is going to ban me one of these days."

"You think?" I ask while trying my best not to laugh. I really don't want to have to make friends with this kid.

Despite how much I hated him, though, he is really funny. We walked all the way back to my cabin after dropping the swords off somewhere else in the arena. I didn't even notice he didn't have any of the kids from earlier with him.

"Hey, weren't you with your cabin mates in the arena earlier?" I ask.

He gave me a look of pure shock. "OH MY GODS. Umm I'll talk to you later?"

I giggled as he ran off "sure, whatever."