TWO SUMMERS AGO
                     "Do you come across alot of
                         people without names?"

WHEN THE PLUMBING exploded, dousing the entirety of the rundown bathroom and all of it's occupants, Mirabelle Barone was almost relieved.

    Almost.

Mira had cowered into the lavatory, seeking refuge within the boxy walls of the last stall on the far left. She assumed the Aphrodite campers, who had been desperately hunting her down in order to mug her of the fabulous pink sneakers she wore, held them selves too high to scavenge through a rundown restroom for her. No matter how much they adored her 'kicks'.

   But when the door creaked open, squealing on it's ancient hinges, she was forced to rethink her entire thought process.

The collecters edition of Dantes Inferno she'd taken to reading, as to distract herself from the malicious thoughts of Silena and her siblings, more so their manicured hands that could definitely land a punch, was gripped firmly between her knuckles.

Mira sat cross-legged atop the toilet, her elbows propped up on her knees, so she wasn't visible through the crack at the bottom of the cubicle.

She was beggining to calm down, and even thought about leaving the bathroom and making a run for the Athena cabin, however, before she had the chance to do so, the bathroom door flung open.

Mira's eyes widened beneath the medicated lenses of her glasses, and fear coarsed through her entire being. Silena was her bestfriend, but the Aphrodite girl could get quite fiesty when it came time to fashion, so Mira wouldn't have been suprised if Silena came ready to kill over a pair of trainers.

   And when she heard a voice she recognized as none other then Clarise Larue, Camp's residental bully who pawned off her aggressive services to campers, Mira nearly cried. Silena must have payed Clarisse, or perhaps swapped shower times, in order for the cruel Ares daughter to forcibly tear the shoes from her feet.

"Like he's big three material," Clarisse cackled, along with a dozen of her hotheaded siblings, "Yeah right, Minotaur probably fell over laughing he's so stupid looking."

Mira decided in that second, that no pair of shoes, no matter how many of her allowence checks she'd saved up to purchase them, were worth being torn to shreds by Clarisse. So, she jumped from the toilet and slammed the stall door open, with quivering hands. She still held her dear novel in one hand, and she bent down and used her free hand to begin unlacing her sneakers.

"Tell Silena she can have my shoes," Mirabelle said, "Just take them. Please don't hurt me."

"What are you talking about, Barone?" Clarisse scoffed, her attention directed toward the unfamiliar boy whose hair she fisted between her beefy fingers. He was on his knees, his face hovering mere inches above a toilet. "Get outta here or you'll be next."

"Silena didn't send you after me?"

"No!" Clarisse shouted, pushing the boys head further towards the disgusting toilet. "Now go, before you join Prissy here."

Mirabelle, despite the pity she felt for the bullied boy, was completely relieved. She wouldn't be torn to shreds, and she could keep her chucks. For now, at least.

"Oh," Mira began lacing her sneakers back up at a rapid pace, not desperate to be pulled into whatever scheme Clarisse was up to. "Okay."

Clarisse cackled again, the sound of her maniac giggle motivated Mira to tie quicker.

Before the daughter of Athena was able to flee the restroom (future crime scene) the racous audio of the ancient plumbing creaking stopped her. It wasn't an unusual thing, Camp's toilet system malfunctioning, it happened at least thrice a week, however this time, it sounded geunienly terrifying. Like there was a creature of sorts taking refugee within the pipes.

Then, a long stream of water shot out of the toilet, arching above the new boy's head, sending Clarisee flying backward. She landed hard on her butt, screaming and mumbling incoherently.

Her bunkmates dashed toward her, whilst Mirabelle watched in dumbfounded awe. Watching Clarisee suffer brought her great joy.

But, when the whole bathroom exploded into a giant tsunami of disgusting, infectious water, Mirabelle no longer felt any joy. Every one of the showers and toilets blew up, spouting scummy liquid. Mira, who was previously kneeling, knotting her sneakers over her feet, was blasted backward and into a grimy tiled wall. The daughters of Ares were sent spinning from the restroom, like peices of garbage being washed away.

Mira spluttered obnoxiously, grimacing as the water soaked her denim overalls, and ruining the shoes she'd went to so much trouble to perserve. Her glasses flew from her face and across the room.

From head to toe, she was doused. She could only imagine the strain it must have put on her appearance. For, several strands of wayward hair had fallen loose from the ribbon she'd held it up with, and stuck to the surface of her moist face.

Her poor collecters edition of Dantes Inferno lay ruined next to the dry boy who was presumably at fault for the catastrophy.

Annabeth, Mira's younger sister, who she'd only now realized witnessed the entire thing from where she stood against the door, said, "How did you....?"

The boy stood wearily, his legs trembling like useless sticks of gelatin, "I don't know."

"What the Hades?" Mira shreiked, blindly feeling around for her glasses, "What did you do?"

The new boy plucked both Mira's glasses and her ruined novel from the floor, handing them to her shakily, "I don't know," He repeated desperately, "I'm sorry."

Mira tore her belongings from his grip angrily, "My book! You ruined my book. This is a collecters edition, you know! It was eighty-two dollars on Ebay! Are you going to give me eighty-two dollars to replace this?!"

She spoke so rapidly, her words were jumbled together, and Percy could barely understand a thing she said. "Ummmm."

"Ummm," Mira mocked, adjusting her light pink glasses atop her nose.

Annabeth crossed her arms over her chest, listening to her sister complain. "This is Percy Jackson, he's new."

With her glasses on, and the boy standing up straight, facing her, Mirabelle was able to see him clearly. He looked around her age. Thirteen.

   "I would say nice to meet you, Percy Jackson," Mira griped, her gaze darting between her ruined tomb, and Percy, "But it's not very nice to meet you, considering you just blasted me with toilet water."

  "I said I was sorry, Jeez," Percy exclaimed, throwing up his hands in exasperation.

  "I said I was sorry, Jeez." Mirabelle mocked him, using a very phoney male voice.

  "Do you have a name?" Percy asked suddenly, "Or do I just call you Annoying?"

  "Do you come across alot of people without names?" Mira sassed, taking a few steps forward, her Converse squelnching beneath the weight of herself.

  Annabeth butt in, "Percy, this is my older sister, Mirabelle Barone."

  "Sister?"

  "Half sister," Annabeth corrected herself for the sake of Percy, "Her mom's Athena as well."

  "Explains the book," Percy muttered.

   Mira huffed and shoved past both her sister and Percy, squeezing her way through the crowd of campers who had gathered around to gawk.

  Percy Jackson was totally dead. Not only had he destroyed her book and shoes, but also her dignity, she decided as half-bloods giggled at her disheveled state.

  MAX SPEAKS: HEYYYY... long time no see. I wrote this because two of my wonderful mutuals ( Br3adb0tter -iaheys) suggested I update for this story! This chapter is incredibly short but I love it even tho it's not edited or even read over. 🤍🤍 mira is my sassy queen, who I love so bad. Chapter 7 will be a lot less boring, so stay tuned <33 I hope you enjoyed :)