A Place of Tranquility. {Private}

Hope wheeled into the library, bookbag on her lap, ignoring the stares. She didn't know why she had to get stares when other kids could set themselves on fire at will. Pushing her white hair behind her ear, she moved over an empty table and set her bag on the table. Hope pulled her book out and began reading while she twisted her ring absent-mindedly.

Rebekah walked into the library pushing her curls out of her face. Looking around she saw several people sitting reading or discussing in hushed tones. One chair remained empty at a table with one girl. Nervously she walked up and muttered, "Can I sit here?"

Hope was absorbed in her book when a girl came up to her and asked sheepishly if she could sit down. Hope would have preferred if she sat somewhere else, then quickly noticed there was no where else to sit. Gesturing to the chair, she nodded. "Go ahead." she said. Hope reopened her book and began reading again, trying to ignore the girl across from her.

Rebekah sat down on the edge of the seat and opened a rather large book and began to flip through it. She studied the list of monsters on one page and turned it to see the last time they were killed. Flipping back to the first page she looked for any monster that could be fast. Pushing back her seat she stood up and dropped the large book on the floor with a thud. Everyone looked up to see what the noise was but she just walked to the shelf. After picking a book about Hermes she sat down. Leafing through the book she sighed and threw that one on top of the other.

Every time the girl across from her dropped a book on the ground, Hope winced. THUD. THUD. Finally, she had enough. Could you not? We're in a library." She hissed. Hope glanced down at the books on the floor, wishing she could pick them up. She feared she would fall out of her wheelchair if she to far. Waving her hand dismissively, she buried her face in her book.

"Sorry," Rebekah whispered as she gently picked up the books and walked back to the shelf. Instead of putting them through the book return she quickly put the books back where she found them. Choosing another book she looked back at the table. Instead of walking back she plopped herself down and opened the book in her lap.

Hope sighed, grateful the loud girl was gone. Then she realized she had finished her book. Hope left her bag on the table, marking her spot, and moved her wheelchair towards the shelves. She tried to ignore the whispering, pointing and laughing by keeping her head down. As she browsed through the books, she picked up an old favorite. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Hope smiled. The first time she read this, it was fantasy. Now reading even the title again made her laugh. It seemed like Camp Half-Blood was Hogwarts, in a way. All these kids with extraordinary abilities, milling about the place, fighting beasts and monsters. Hope wheeled back to her table, book on her lap, and began reading from the beginning.

Annoyed at the fact that none of the books were going to help her research she put the book back. Looking around she saw a lot of kids in the library. Almost all of them were Athena children. Rebekah heard the door open and looked up to see a small group of kids walk in. She picked herself up off the floor and returned to her table. From her bag she brought out a spiral and scribbled about the books she found. Even though they wouldn't help she didn't want to reread them.

Hope tried to read her book. She really did. The girl across from her was very distracting. She was constantly moving and writing. Hope marked her page and closed her book. Putting it in her bag, she put her head down to relax. After a bit, Hope moved away from the girl and to another table. She really did not want to talk to the other girl.

Rebekah blushed when the girl moved. She tried to not make as much movement after the girl left. Was she really that distracting? Unable to stand it she began to move around again. She pulled her curls back and tied them with a rubber band. Rebekah pulled out a bottle of grape juice out of her bag and opened it as quietly as she could. After taking a big gulp she placed the bottle down and walked to the shelf. Skimming through the shelves she picked up a copy of Divergent. An old favorite. She had lost her copy ages ago in a bet. Sitting on the floor she opened the book to a random page and started reading/

Hope sighed again, this time with disappointment. She was hoping someone would talk to her. Everyone just treated her like a flaming corpse. She took a deep breath and wheeled over to the girl sitting on the floor, reading a book she didn't recognize. Hope moved over to the shelf by the girl and pretended to browse books, when in reality she was just trying to get up the courage to talk to the other girl. With a shaky breath, she spoke. "Hello. I'm Hope." She whispered it, almost hoping the other girl didn't hear.

Rebekah looked up shocked. "Oh. Me? I'm Rebekah. Am I in your way?" She stood up sheepishly and stepped to the side.

Hope began breathing shallowly. She held her breath so she could calm down. "Oh, no. Just saying hi." Hope moved away from the bookshelf. She looked at the floor, then wheeled over to a nearby table.

Rebekah walked over to the girl and sat down on the edge of the seat, ready to flee if things went wrong. "Sorry that must be obnoxious. I didn't mean it like that. Most people just stare at me till I move." Uncomftable about saing so much she shifted gently and finally looked up at the girl. A wow escaped her lips.

Hope looked away and tucked her hair behind her ear. She heard the girl apologize, then "wow." Not completely sure if it was a good "wow" or a bad "wow", Hope looked away, expecting the worst. Usually, when people say wow in the presence of Hope, its followed up by: "Look at the cripple girl" or "Honey, don't stare, it's rude" or "Why is she so pale? Why are her eyes red?" etc. Hope swallowed hard, waiting for the snide comment.

"You're really pretty," Rebekah's face turned red. It was such a weird thing to say out loud, but she couldn't help it.

Hope was shocked at Rebekah's comment. "You...you think I'm pretty?" she sputtered. She looked down at herself. Her legs were small and deformed, her face she knew was pale, and her eyes were blood red. Hope tried to keep from crying. She always looked at herself with complete disgust. It's how everyone else thought of her, so why disagree? Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice in her head and a pecking at her ankle. Hope leaned down and Otto, her owl, perched on the tip of her finger. The pygmy owl sat on the back of the wheelchair and started rattling off what he did that day. Hope shook her head and put her finger to her lips, indicating he should be quiet. She got lost in her thoughts again.

"Well...Yeah. Your hair is amazing. I've never met anyone with white hair. Or is it silver? And your eyes... they are different. I'm sorry. I'm weird... I'm Rebekah..." She hesitated then added, "Dionysus." Rebekah took in a sharp breath. She ever even said that much to the camp leaders. She smiled awkwardly. Looking at the owl she smiled some more.

Hope looked at the floor. No one had called her pretty before. Looking up, she replied,"Well, thank you. Oh, and I'm Hope. Athena." gesturing to her owl. She put her finger up and Otto jumped on. She put him down on the table and he hopped around on the table. Hope smiled for the first time in a while.

Rebekah sighed at lost for words. Looking at the small owl she couldn't help bu smile. "What's his name?"

Hope put her finger on her table and Otto hopped on. "Otto." she said, putting Otto on her shoulder. He hooted and Hope looked at him and thought harshly at him. "Otto. Shh. We are in a quiet place." Hope looked at Rebekah with an apologetic look.

"I don't mind. Your siblings might, but I' okay with it." Rebekah shifted slightly, the blood rushing back into her face.

Hope laughed internally. Her siblings didn't mind, many of them could speak to owls like her. Playing with the tips of her white hair, she tried to casually mention something about herself. "I'm an a-albino. That's why my h-h-hair and eyes are like this." She thought she sounded ok, but actually stuttered a lot.

"That's actually really cool," Rebekah began to think and began talking to herself unknowingly, "I could use that. I need to do some research. I wonder..." Looking behind her she scanned a bookshelf. Soon she realized she wasn't alone she turned back around. "Sorry. I'm normally alone. People don't talk to me much," Wanting to change the topic she asked, "How long have you been at camp?"

Hope smiled. She was used to being alone, so Rebekah's tangent wasn't at all strange. "It's ok. I do that too. Except I'm talking to Otto. And a year. What about you?" Hope's autism made it hard for her to speak clearly sometimes, so she ofter mixed up words, stuttered or stopped her sentences short. She brushed the nonexistent hair out of her face as a bad habit.