A New Path - Part 5

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Aphrodite?!? How did this happen? I mean, I know how IT happens, but c'mon. Dad and a goddess of love and beauty? He is good looking and charming enough around the ladies at the studio, but this would just be way out of his league...wouldn't it? I guess not and I should probably be thankful for that, if that is how I am here. Had I found out about this in a more private setting, perhaps it would be easier to take in. Trying to figure it out in the spotlight with whistles from girls and joking comments coming from boys in the crowd, that is near impossible.

At least I have other family now though. A fact I am made keenly aware of as I nearly get tackled in a hug by Keri, one of the nice girls I met earlier at the lake and now apparently my half-sister. I also get a hug from Silena, who is lead counselor and official big sister of the Aphrodite cabin. The rest of my new family, well...not quite as much warmth there. I do get greetings from them, but their looks clearly say, "Oh waiter! Are you sure this boy has membership to the country club? Please be a darling and double-check his paperwork." Keri must know what I am thinking because she giggles and whispers to me, "Don't worry. They will come around eventually. Only way to avoid that look is to roll up in a limo wearing Armani. Something none of the boys have managed to do so far."

At the end of the evening's campfire gathering, Keri heads over to cabin 11 with me to help me get moved across the way into my new home in cabin 10. She frowns a bit when she see how little I have in my trunk. "Is this it? That's all you have to wear?" I blush with embarrassment. "Yeah...I,uh...well, this wasn't a planned trip and I had no time to pack" She just crosses her arms and gives me look thats asks what could possibly be so urgent that I don't have suitcase ready to go at a moments notice. The look only last for a moment though before she gives me a wink and smile. "Well, that settles it then. You are my new pet project. I am not going to rest until we get you a suitable wardrobe and have the cutest girl at camp for your girlfriend. Sisters excluded, of course." The casual way she just rattles that off catches me off guard and I can only kinda nod and say, "uh, ok..."

So we get my small set of belongings moved across the yard and Keri makes me stop at the front door. I wonder for a moment if maybe I need to clean up first or if there is some house rule abot taking off shoes outside or something. I ask her, but she just laughs and tells me she just wants a photo of my initial reaction. She pulls a slim digital camera out of her pocket, pink of course, and focuses on me like me own personal paprazzi. "Ok, go in! Go in!"

Ok...how to describe it...I know...OMFG! This cabin is amazing! It's like someone miniaturized a luxury hotel and managed to fit it into one room. I am not sure it could be more different from the stereotypical summer camp look I just left behind in cabin 11. You cannot touch anything in the room without thinking, "ohhh, that feels good." There is even a soothing fountain in the middle of the room! Absolutely beautiful! Go ask Keri for the photos if you want to see the shock on my face. I know she got some good ones because she was laughing so hard, she could barely breathe.

From there, Silena takes over and gives me a run down on the house rules. They are pretty simple really. Most of it common sense that I would do anyways. The one rule that I absolutely must get into my head immediately though, is that no messes are allowed. Failure to follow this one rule will apparently get me killed quite painfully and then someone will follow me to the afterlife to make sure the torture continues for all eternity. I guess nobody can be all sunshine and butterflies full-time, huh?

From there I am shown over to a bed with pale blue covers on it. There are nightstands to either side of the headboard and some shelves up above for personal items. There is also a large trunk at the foot of the bed for larger items. I sit down on the bed to get a feel for it and I can barely put into words what it is like. True to the total luxury of the rest of the cabin, the bed is just total bliss. You just sink into it and every movement feels like you are getting a massage. I start to wonder how much of the year people stay at camp. Can I stay year round? Can I stay in bed year round? I have absolutely no desire to leave right now.

That is not to say the cabin is without its own problems though. For all of the physical luxury it has, there is an equal amount of mental stress to balance things out. There is a very intense social pecking order in place and constant political maneuvering going on as people try to move themselves up and knock others down. Keri's interest in me seems to have enough weight behind it to start me off in a mid-level position. Although I will need to watch my step around Drew, who seems pretty influential and also one of the people most distant from me right now.

There are other mental issues too. Ones that I have thankfully not developed and hope I never will. Jump forward to the following morning during my first breakfast with my new family. Now, wiping your mouth when you eat messy foods is fine. Its civil, nothing wrong with it. Dabbing your mouth with a napkin, all princess-like, after every sip of water or even the slightest nibble of food? That's just creepy. One of my sisters is doing that and it is driving me crazy. I tell her boys are more attracted to girls who can relax and actually look like they are enjoying their food. She gets a look of shock on her face as she processes what I just said. I then get to watch her napkin hand twitch the rest of the meal while her concious need to impress boys fights with her normal napkin reflexes.

There are mental hurdles to overcome with the other campers too. Not that they are as crazy as my family is, but more from their automatic responses to our brand of crazy. For instance, we are almost always selected last for any team event, unless the team is being led by someone from our cabin. Most of my brothers and sisters don't care because that gives them more time to fuss about their hair and not get dirty at all if the teams are filled before they get a spot. Me? C'mon, there is nothing ugly about having fun and being dirty in the right context. In fact, sometimes that brings out the best in people. It sure as Hades makes the Demeter girls fun to watch.

Getting back to the challenges, it is difficult to lead a squad in a competition as well. Well, leadership is challenging all by itself, but it is doubly so when your team expects the tactics to be something along the lines of surrounding the enemies, jumping out in ambush, and then asking who was frightened and needs a hug. I guess it is my sales experience that is able to convince others to follow my orders, but it still frustrates me trying to explain everything while the clock is running. Just trust me and let me do my role, unless you are from the Athena cabin, then you can criticize my plan all you want.

At least Keri was right, after those first few days, most of the cabin seems to be warming up to me and I feel more at home. All except Drew, who can't seem to stand when I don't agree to do her obviously sugar-coated "favors". I still don't know why the others always give into her so easily. I will worry about that another time. I need to sleep. Testing is over and I start my real training schedule tomorrow.

To be continued...