~The Beginning of Life~

~ Chapter 51 ; The Forest ~

This I dedicate to Lukico000 because she helped a lot with the plot.

Date: 26th July
Time: 7pm
Place: Outside the Hermes cabin

I pull on the sleeves of my hooded jacket. It's bottle green and it has a hood lined with soft fur. With it I'm wearing a long white shirt and grey skinny jeans. I'm also sporting fabulous black boots. They're flat. I'm already really tall. 5'6" is tall, right?
I swear I have never been any more fashionable.
Okay, maybe I have, but not more than this.

Why am I wearing a jacket?
Because I'm crazy. No it's because it's peculiarly chilly today.

I walk down the stairs of the porch and head to the mess hall, when someone suddenly tackles me from behind, nearly shoving me down.
I quickly turn around to see Turner.

"Khristine!" He shouts excitedly.

"What was that for!?" I ask with wide eyes.

"Doesn't matter, but, dID YOU KNOW THAT IT'S ARTHUR'S BIRTHDAY TODAY!?"

"Oh. That's probably why it's cold."

Turner frowns. "I doubt that, but, YOU KNOW HE'S TURNING NINETEEN!?"

I shake my head. "No, I did not."

Turner sighs. "Anyway, I think we should throw him a party."

"You think?"

"Alright, fine, WE HAVE TO!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure, calm down Turner. Wait- you still ship us, right?"

Turner nods.
Knew it. "Okay. You know that I'm fifteen?"

"Yeah. When you're sixteen, he'll  be twenty and that'll be awkward. He's four years older than you. I know." It'll be awkward if we're dating, which we wouldn't be. Turner then continues shouting. "SO LIKE I LOVED THE PARTY YOU THREW ME-"

"That might not count as a party-"

"AND LIKE IT'S HIS FIRST YEAR AS NOT BEING A TEENAGER SO WE JUST HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING HE LOVES AS MUCH AS I LOVE SHOPPING!"

I stay silent for a moment. "I doubt there is anything, but WHY ARE YOU SO EXCITED!?" I shout without the excitement Turner has.

"I DON'T KNOW," he yells.

"You're probably catching Khristinitis."

"That sounds-"

"Like a sexually transmitted disease, I know." I smirk. "Okay so let's go find Arthur."

Turner nods and looks around.
"Where the heck is he?"

"Let's try the forest."
I turn on my heel and head towards the woods. Well it's official name is The Woods, but, yeah I call it the forest too, sue me.

As I near the trees, I see something flit between the trunks. "Hey, Arthur!"

Turner hushes me. "Monsters live there too!"

"They're a lot deeper in," I say indifferently.

A pale, blonde now-adult walks out of the forest. "Are you looking for me?" Arthur asks.

"Nah, I just said your name for no reason."

"Really?"

Turner shakes his head. "She's joking."

"Oh." Arthur blinks. "Sarcasm."

"You'll catch on, sweetie," I say teasingly. "Anyway, Turner told me today is your birthday. Or at least the day your fictional self would have been born."

Turner looks around. "Keep it down, Kray."

Yes, he started calling me Kray. I don't know why. And I know it rhymes with gay. Whatever, sue me, I want to get rich.

"So?" Arthur frowns. "No wait, no, I do not want a party."

"Fine, it won't be a party. It's probably too late now." I think for a second. "We'll just hang out."

"We as in?" Arthur raises an eyebrow.

"Me, you, Turner."

"No," Turner says abruptly. "I have plans tonight.

"C'mon can't you make time for a frie- never mind." I sigh.

"You two go and chill, I need my doze of magazines." Turner turns (punnnn) and struts off to the Aphrodite cabin.

Arthur watches him go. "Chill as in with ice?"

"Chill as in... I don't know. Anyway, either way, whatever way, what's your favourite place?" I ask.

"The-"

"Forest. Got it. What's your favourite thing?"

"Sile-"

"Something which is a thing."

"Umm... blue... things..."

"Great. I'll get you a blue jacket and let's take a stroll through the woods!" I smile.

Arthur shrugs. "That sounds nice."

=========================u=

I casually stroll through the trees, heading to nowhere in particular. I have a feeling the lake is nearby.

Arthur quietly looks around. His hand is on his sword.

"Well look who tagged along," I say conversationally.

Arthur looks at me. "Who?"

"Your sword."

"Oh. Well, I prefer not to die on my birthday." He shrugs.

"We could walk near the lake then. Not much monsters there."

"Sounds good. So which way?"

"We're already near the lake, so relax already."

"Fine." Arthur puts his hands in his coat pockets.

We stay silent for a minute.
"Do you like this silence?" I ask.

"It's kinda... awkward. And silent isn't a word I'd apply to you..."

I grin. "Then give me something to talk about."

"Err... the colour blue?"

"I'm guessing your favourite colour is blue."

Arthur rolls his eyes. "You don't say."

"My favourite colour would be a light yet vibrant shade of turquoise."

"Doesn't make sense..."

"Then my eyes don't make sense."

"Fair point. I basically like subtle, relaxing shades."

"Interesting..." I muse.

"Umm why, what do you make of that?" He asks nervously.

"That you like subtle colours." I say matter-of-factly.

Arthur chuckles.