Why Sit Separately? ((Open to Alyson, Emily, Hannah and Rio))

Okay, so Laura was being a bit of a rebel. She had gone to dinner earlier than the rest of her cabin, alone. Usually she waited around for everyone else to head down, but she had decided why not mix things up a little today? Mixing things up is exactly what she did. It was time to find some new people. Everyday she seemed to talk to the same people, day in and day out, it was getting kind of old. It was time to meet some new people.

When Laura hit the Dining Pavillion, there weren't too many people there. There were just a few odd balls out of each cabin. Quite a few of demi's from the Hermes cabin were there, well mainly unclaimed ones because they probably didn't want to sit jammed up against some other kid while they ate. It was pretty smart of them to come early. Maybe if she went over and chatted with some of them she would achieve her goal for today, make a few new friends. So that was just what she did.

After grabbing a plate full of food, Laura began to head towards the Hermes table, but stopped herself. She had seen a spot behind the Dining Pavillion that would be just perfect to sit, eat, and relax. She could invite a few kids back there and they could just hang out.

Starting to walk towards the Hermes table, Laura spoke, "Hey if anyone wants to keep me company I'll be right over there. I'd really love to have someone to chat with. Besides, I heard the rest of the Hermes kids are getting ready to head down here." Surely that last bit would get a few of them moving up to follow her over. Well just in case nobody took her up on her offer, she moved over to the Demeter table. All by her lonesome, there was a familiar little girl, about 8 years old, name rhymed with Malyson. Yup you guessed it! Alyson!

"Hey Alyson! If you want to join me for dinner I'll be sitting back over there. I'm trying to meet some new people, so maybe some of those unclaimed kids will come and joine us. I'd love for you to come along!" Laura said with a sincere smile. She liked Alyson. She had that 'I don't take crap from anyone' type of attitude and Laura really liked that in someone. It showed that they demanded to be respected. As long as someone wasn't rude about it, then she thought it was a cool trait to have. She demanded to be respected aswell, but she wasn't all too tough about it. She really only got tough if someone didn't respect her, or they were rude to her or one of her friends.

Hoping that maybe someone would follow her to the back, Laura walked off. She found a nice grassy spot and settled down there. Taking a bit into her hamburger, she noticed that someone had decided to join her.

Alyson yawned and walked into the food place. She had forgotten the name of it but she didn't care much. As long as she got free food, she was fine. Why was she yawning though? Because, to be honest, Alyson didn't really like having a cabin more or less to herself. She spent almost all her life inside a crowded orphanage or in a house with some fake family. One way or another, people were always around her. Even if she didn't like them, someone was always around.

Anyways, back to the food. It was a bit early but she decided to have dinner now instead of when it was more crowded. After all, the best food was always the first bit of food. Alyson quickly piled her food high on her plate and found a lonely seat at her table. Alyson sat down, glancing around as she caught a few eyes on her. She didn't know why so many people were always interested in her. She was just a kid, eating. Nothing different right? Then again, it was camp, a place Alyson had never been. Who knows what it was really like?

Suddenly, Laura walked up to the Hermes table. Alyson couldn't hear what she was saying but she knew it was something interesting. Laura was pretty cool. She was nice, smart, a kick-butt kind of person. Though, Alyson still counted her as an allie. She never really made friends very well...not after July 4th when she was about 6 years old. That hadn't ended well.

"Hey Alyson! If you want to join me for dinner I'll be sitting back over there. I'm trying to meet some new people, so maybe some of those unclaimed kids will come and join us. I'd love for you to come along!" Alyson looked up to see none other than Laura herself smiling. Alyson smiled just as brightly back and nodded. Alyson picked up her food, carefully stepping around and over random feet and legs. As soon as she was clear, Alyson walked over to where Laura was. Aly sat down next to her, taking a huge, almost-over-sized bite out of her own burger. She swolled and giggled next to Laura.

"So, do you think any others will come?" Alyson asked as she dug her foot into the ground in front of her.

When Alyson began to giggle over her oversized bite, Laura nearly choked then and there due to more laughter. She had always loved to laugh. She probably laughed more then the average Kindergartener, and that was saying quite a bit. Although choking on her food due to laughter wasn't such a good thing. Why in fact it would've been absolutly terrible if she had died because she choked on her food. How ironic. Being a demigod who laughs too much, then dying due to laughing while chewing causing herself to choke and die. Though some might find it depressing, she found it quite entertaining.

"Well I hope some of those kids from the Hermes table will come over. That'd be nice," Laura said as she began to peer over and up at the Hermes table. If not a single one of them came over she would end up being pretty sad. From the looks of it so far, nobody was headed over. Sighing, she turned back to her burger and took another monsterous bite.

Wiping her mouth with her hand, Laura turned to Alyson. "So what's up? Alex isn't giving you crap is he? Saw what happened in the Strawberry Fields," she said pausing for a moment to sip some of her drink. "Well if he does give you crap just let me know and I'll put him back in line," with a bit of a chuckle added on she winked at Alyson playfully. It was almost saying that she promised that she would kick his butt if he teased her. There were quite a few young demi's at camp and that gave him no right to pick on them.

Alyson looked up from what she was doing and patted Laura on the back. Man, the girl had bad laugh timing. Alyson giggled a lot more as she patted Laura's back. She didn't know why but Laura's choking was funny. In the saddest way possible. Of course, that was after she figured she would be okay. Aly giggled a bit more after Laura's laughter died down. She seemed fine, in fact she started talking soon after.

"Well, if they don't, we could always drag them." Alyson said simply, taking a bite of her food. To adults, she would sound as if she was kidding. To herself, she wasn't completely kidding. Though, she guessed that wasn't really how you made friends but whatever. It was fun no matter the out come. Aly gave the slightest evil grin before looking back at Laura.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I haven't run into him since then." Alyson shrugged. Alex wasn't a problem. Aly had delt with people like him before so she could handle it...for now anyway. Alyson looked back at Laura. She smiled and nodded. "I will....um...you don't mind....not saying that word around me. I don't really like words like that unless i am really mad." Alyson asked quietly. She didn't know why but...the word bothered her. Some kind of purity thing or something but it just sorta felt weird, like it didn't belong. Other kids had said it before but Laura was the first Aly felt comfortable asking. That, and she was the kind of person to tell others to knock it off without Alyson lifting a finger.

Looking over at Alyson seriously, Laura nodded. "I think we might have to drag them over here." Not soon after she spoke she couldn't help but burst out laughing. It really would be entertaining to drag some kid over to their little spot. Just imagining the two of them dragging some kid over there tickled her. It really would be fun, that and they would have someone else to chat with as well. It was a win-win situation! Well okay, maybe it was a win-lose situation . . . . . then again it would only be that if the person they dragged over just got up and left again. If that were to happen then they would just have to repeat it until that person stayed put.

When Alyson asked her not to say that word around her, Laura had to go through what she had just said to find out what she had meant. It took her a moment to figure out what she meant, but then she remembered that she was about half her age. She really should watch the language she used around her. It would be absolutely terrible if she were to corrupt such an innocent little girl's mind. She would never be able to forgive herself if that were to happen. It was hard to imagine as Alyson being so much younger then herself.

"Don't worry, It'll never pass my lips in front of you again," Laura said with a wink before taking another sip of her drink. It was still kind of odd being asked that. Even most of the younger kids around camp swore. It was probably due to poor parenting from their mortal parent. Then again she couldn't really talk, even she shouldn't be swearing, but she did. Not all too often, but enough times to not be able to get away with saying she hadn't ever used those words.

Hannah was eating on the Hermes table, picking at her dinner. She wasn't hungry but she ddn't have breakfast that morning. She was about to put a chip in her mouth, when a girl about the same age as Hannah, walked over and asked a question. Hey if anyone wants to keep me company I'll be right over there. I'd really love to have someone to chat with. Besides, I heard the rest of the Hermes kids are getting ready to head down here. Hannah thought about that for a second. She didn't want to get crowded on the table and she needed to make new friends, so why not?

Hannah walked over to wear the girl had offered to talk. She smiled and sat down with the 14 year old girl and a girl that looked about eight years old. "Hi I'm Hannah, I hope you don't mind me sitting here. I thought I could make a few friends while I'm at it." Hannah took another chip and stuffed it in her mouth. She smiled as she waited for the girl's to reply.

Turning to Alyson, she smirked a bit. "Well looks like we don't have to drag them over here after all!" Laura said with a laugh following right behind. It was a harmless joke, an inside one now, that nobody should take offence to. This little joke would probably be something between the two of them now that randomly one would just pop up and say.

"Just kidding! Just kidding!" Laura reassured the girl. "It's nice to meet you Hannah, I'm Laura Arai, daughter of Athena," she said before taking another monsterous bit into her hamburger. One of these days she was going to choke, but that day was not today. She wouldn't end up choking with a whole bunch of people around, and if she did die from it with bunches of people around then those people were morons.

"Yeah same thing here. There are so many campers here that I don't know. Some of the ones I do know are complete and utter idiots though," Laura said with a chuckle. It was true too. There were quite a few people who could've acted better then they did. Of course they didn't, so she just didn't bother with those people. Well she didn't try to bother with those people anyway.

Hannah smiled when the older girl made an inside joke. To be honest it was quite funny, but it was true. Hannah had come over here to make friends, like Laura had. Laura introduced herself as the daughter of Athena which made Hannah a bit jealous. Everyone else was claimed but Hannah will get claimed soon, she just had to be patient. "Well Laura it's nice to meet you. What's it like to be a daughter of Athena then? I bet it's cool, being smart and beating everyone in a spar."

"Ah, it is also very nice to meet you as well," Laura said with a confident nod. When Hannah continued on saying how she thought it was probably cool for her to be a daughter of Athena, being so smart and being able to beat everyone in a spar, she just gave Hannah her cocky little grin. Although being an Athenian had nothing to do with being one of the best dagger fighters at camp. Practice had everything to do with her being one of the best fighters at camp. Of course tagging along with these thoughts, she wondered if she was good enough to defeat even Luke, the master swordsman who had died in the battle between the Gods and Titans. Feeling a bit self-absorbed, she mentally nodded with confidence. I could even take down him. This was only the overly cocky Laura thinking though. In reality Luke would have her down pretty quickly. She would put up a pretty good fight though.

"Well Alyson," Laura said turning to her, "Have you lost your voice box or something? Someone comes over of their own free will and you completely ignore them?" she said sarcastically to her friend. She hoped that Alyson would know she was just teasing her. Although it did seem a bit unlike Alyson to be quite. She seemed to be the talkative type.

With a last NOM of her burger, she moved onto the bag of chips she had grabbed. Now nom nom nomming on those, Laura became curious. Curious if anyone else would show up.