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" so much for laying under the radar. "
THAT NIGHT, BAILEY TOSSED AND TURNED in her bed. Finding that every sound (see: Jacob Hyatt's snoring, and the light calls of the nocturnal creatures in the woods) stirred her sleep. As she stared at the dark ceiling of the Apollo cabin— she found herself wondering if Connor was awake. If he had the same worries as her, the same hesitation to sleep for fear that his dreams would be muddled with death and destruction.
Truth be told, Bailey wasn't so afraid of her own well-being, but what effect the fate of the quest would have on her camp. Since Laney, the only person who really relied on her, had died— she found that she was almost never worried for her own well-being. This was probable cause to the many injuries she had sustained on top of her broken leg, and of course the neglect to her mental health. Bailey had instead been (almost obsessively) pouring herself into making sure other people were alright. Gracie and Will were her primary targets, next to any new camper to cross the threshold on half blood hill.
Since she could no longer participate in canoe and chariot races, and most physical activities, helping new campers collect their bearings made her feel useful. Otherwise, her anxiety that she had no reason to stay at camp, and that she was simply a nuisance rather than a valued demigod, peaked and she found herself spiraling into despair. Because truthfully, lately it had begun to feel like she was more trouble than she was worth.
So if anything— Bailey was simply afraid of letting down the people she loved again. The quest itself seemed like a blessing in disguise, but then of course their was the factor of who would be joining her.
Connor Stoll had been a rock at the bottom of her shoe since she had first come to Camp Half Blood. An inescapable annoyance, an unavoidable conflict that shadowed her no matter how old she got. It was getting harder and harder to keep it up— hating Connor that was. It wasn't that she particularly liked him— but the son of Hermes had in the past two years grown a lot. They all had.
Connor Stoll was all that she said he was— he was arrogant, meddlesome, annoying, thieving, loud, boisterous and occasionally humorous at the wrong times. He was all of that and more. But since the Titan War that had left a permanent stain across the camp, Bailey had struggled more and more to avoid seeing past this exterior. She doubted this quest would help.
Despite these negative thoughts that swirled around her head, and settled deep in the pit of her stomach, and the fact that Apollo's blessing still had her skin buzzing dully like a tv from the 80's— Bailey settled into sleep. She had not the faintest idea what tomorrow would bring, but she was certain it would be chaotic.
