run, don't walk [open]

Sutton was one of those people that loved adventure or couldn't back down from a dare. She wasn't exactly an adrenaline junkie like other people due to her past, but she still enjoyed it. So when a son of Hermes dared to to ride a horse in the stables, she agreed to it. It seemed easy enough. He said he had a specific horse picked out for her to ride, but she didn't care. She'd win thirty bucks, and for once she'd been included in something. When the son of Hermes gathered up a group of campers to watch her, that should've been her first clue that they were just using her. Sutton had been too busy focusing on the task at hand to notice.

They led her to the stables and showed her which horse. She'd been horseback riding a few times in her life. In California mostly was where she went because the grass was always green and the sun was always shining. Sutton always went by herself or with her little brother, not with her step-mother and her father. They never cared where she went with her brother as long as she took care of him. She always made sure he came first before her. She cared for him more than his own mom. She missed him a lot and didn't even know where he was half the time because they were in a different place every week.

The group of demigods told her they were going to watch near the fence incase anything happened, another clue that she'd missed. Sutton nodded her head as she opened the stable door and slipped inside. The horse gave an anxious neigh as it realized someone was in the stable with him. Thanks to training, she jumped onto the horse easily and quickly. Sutton was still sitting on top of the horse when she opened the stable door to showcase that she completed it. "See? It wasn't that har-" She'd spoken too soon, and she didn't hear the warning that was shouted at her. The horse threw her off with a force she didn't know horses had. She landed on her back with a sickening crack. She was pretty sure she had hit her head on something. She couldn't hear the sound of the horses hooves as it ran off, but she did hear the snickers and the laughs of the other campers that were watching her. Sutton didn't even want to get up out of embarrassment and shame.

All Sutton could feel was a stinging pain that ran through her body. She didn't want to get up, but she knew she'd have to get up eventually. What happened?, was the first thougt that seemed to run into her mind. Then the sudden realization of what had happened hit her with a, Oh. She heard someone say something to her but it sounded messed up as if they were talking underwater. There were only a few things people could ask or say in this situation. "Porca puttana che fanno male! Io sto bene... speriamo." She said automatically in Italian, her native language. She sat up slowly, her head aching. "Sorry. I'm fine... hopefully." She translated for him as she touched the side of her head. She could see blood on the palm of her hand. She must've hit her head on a rock or something when the horse threw her off. She was still recovering from her wounds from Kronos' Camp. She didn't know how much more pain her body could take before giving up. No particular place hurt more than the other, but she was pretty sure a cut on her side opened up or she broke a bone somewhere. She was still feeling relatively dizzy, and she felt like if she stood up, she'd just fall right over again.

Sutton could still hear the laughs and snickers of the other campers; she could practically feel them pointing at her. She was tempted to throw a throwing knife at one of them to possibly scare them or even hurt them. But she knew Chiron wouldn't allow that so she refrained from doing it. She looked at the person who talked to her for the first time, and he looked familiar. She dismissed the thought because he was most likely in the Hera cabin with her and had seen him pass through once or twice. "I'm Sutton, daughter of..." She said sluggishly. Oddly, she couldn't remember who her god parent was. "someone." Sutton finished finally before blinking a few time obviously confused. She stood up slowly, and she already felt like she was going to tip over. She could see the horse that had thrown her off a few yards away. She wanted to go after it but decided it wasn't the best idea. The horse would probably kick her or something and she'd end up getting a concussion. Today was not a good day for her.

Sutton nodded her head at what he said, partly because it was like he was still talking underwater. Eventually it started to clear up, and she started clearly listening when he said his name. She was sure if it was her imagination or not, but it sounded like the laughing was getting louder. How that was possible, she didn't know. She gripped Charles' arm as she leaned down to get the throwing knife out of her boot. With quickness, she threw at the laughing group of campers. Usually, she was great at hitting her target, but right now her aim wasn't the best and she didn't have a particular target to hit. Her intention was just to scare them off, but she wouldn't mind if she hit someone by accident. At this point, she wasn't thinking straight and didn't know right from left. If this was what being drunk felt like, she'd never drink.

At the mention of the infirmary, she couldn't help but sigh. Sutton had just gotten out of that place less than a week ago. They surely wouldn't be happy to see her. When she had been there, no one had come to visit her except Daniel only because he felt bad and Cressida was in the bed next to her. She turned to him and stared at Charles for a moment as if she was searching for something to say. After a moment of looking at him, she lied, "I can make it to the infirmary on my own. I don't want to bother you anymore than I already have." Her real plan was to go to her cabin and just take some ambrosia. She'd heal eventually, but it was better than staying at the infirmary all by herself. "Thanks for your help." She added before taking a wobbly step back.

Sutton was about to argue that she had just been there less than a week ago and didn't want to go back but decided against it. She couldn't help but let out a long, draw out sigh before saying, "Okay." She heard someone call out to her, and she was tempted to say something sarcastic back, but she was too busy trying to stay upright to say anything.

Sutton absolutely hated the infirmary. There was nothing to do except sleep and heal, and she was the type of person to always be doing something. She was sure the Apollo kids were glad to see her leave because of her constant moving around the building. "Is my head supposed to hurt this much?"She asked lowly so only he could hear. The rest of her body was starting to return to its previous state before she had gotten thrown. Some places were starting to feel better than others. She had been right and the stitches on her cut had opened up a bit. "Do you work at the stables?" Sutton asked as the entrance to the infirmary neared. When the pair arrived, a son of Apollo already recognized her immediately. "Back again Sutton?" Even though her head still hurt, it didn't hurt enough for her to not think of a quick reply. "Last time wasn't my fault." She responded through gritted teeth.

Sutton nodded her head when Charles said he used to live in a ranch. She wasn't used to actually living in a home. Her father made them travel all the time, and if she wasn't traveling she was at boarding school. She was used to the big hotel rooms and the penthouses on the top floor. She couldn't truly call anything her home other than camp. Her family did have a home, but it was vacant most of the time except for Christmas and Easter when they knew she came to visit. She rarely visited them because of her father, but she did for Max. She wouldn't have done it if it weren't for him. His face always lit up when she came to visit and that was the only thing that drove her to come back.

The infirmary wasn't as packed as it was last time she had been there. She couldn't help but note that Cressida's bed was empty so Sutton would be alone. Sutton practically consider the daughter of Zeus as a sister, and once she found out what she did this time, she would not be happy. She'd assume that whatever Cress said, Daniel would agree with. She was planning on attacking the Apollo healer with the celestial bronze dagger in her back pocket so she could go back to her own cabin to fix herself there. Even is this unstable state of mind, she noticed the look the Apollo healer gave Charles. She would've attacked him right then and there if Charles would've left already. Right now, she was doing a lot of things she would've never done in her regular state. "Is there a problem?" She asked venomously with narrowed eyes.

Sutton didn't understand. Why didn't Charles say anything? And most importantly how did he make it seem like it didn't bother him? She was used to that feeling from everyone else, but she couldn't just stand there and take it. She wouldn't usually give it back to the person, but right now her brain hurt so much she didn't particularly care. She learned that you had to care for your friends and family. She considered him her friend already, even though he might think she was irritating for Gods' sake, but it didn't matter. He was the only person who had helped her out of that entire laughing group of camper.

Sutton was about to respond to the healer, but shut her mouth when Charles gave her a look. All she could do was tap her foot impatiently, desperately trying not to say anything. The healer gave him a curt not to answer his question before leading Sutton to one of the beds to examine her. Before she followed him, she said to Charles, "Thanks for your help. Maybe I'll see you around the cabin." She finally followed the healer to one of the empty beds. About an hour later, she was laying in one of the beds. They had fixed her up rather quickly, and her head didn't hurt anymore, but they said they wanted to keep her there for the rest of the day incase of internal bleeding. There she was, doing absolutely nothing except look at the ceiling and think. She didn't even have a book to read. She sighed as she looked around the empty room. She was all by herself.

All Sutton did for an hour was hum songs to herself and oaky with the sheets on the bed she was laying on. One of the nicer healers left a book on the bed, but Sutton had read it a few times already. She could practically recite the whole book out loud. The infirmary was still mostly empty as the day went on. No one came to visit her, but the healer that had given her the book had talked to her for a few minutes. She had to leave to attend to someone else and help them with their injuries. The son of Apollo she had met when they arrived past by her occasionally, and she simply gave him dirty looks as he walked by. Other than that, she didn't do much and for a girl with ADHD, it was very unnerving. She just wanted to get up and leave.

Sutton was actually surprised when Charles came back. She didn't actually expect him to, most people said things that they didn't mean. She was glad though, and a bright smile lit up her face. "A bit better actually. Thanks for bringing me here again." She said. She was sure that her thank you's were starting to get annoying, but she couldn't help it. "Now that my head doesn't hurt anymore I can remember who my god parent is." She added as a joke. "Did you find the horse?" She asked concerned. The horse might have thrown her off, but she didn't care. If it got lost, it would be all her fault.

Sutton sat up more before crossing her arms over her chest. "Selene, Titan goddess of the moon." She responded triumphantly. Her smile only got brighter as Charles pulled. A hair out next to her bed. It was definitely better staying at the infirmary when people came to visit you, otherwise it was just drab. She was used to the business of the Hera cabin. People were always leaving, people were always coming. She enjoyed reading in the Hera cabin. Sure it wasn't quiet, but it seemed like home. Or the closest thing as possible to home. The quietness of the library always unnerved her. The Athena kids were always there studying, studying for what exactly she didn't know. There was occasionally a person or two there who just happened to love reading, but they usually just grabbed their books and left.

"Oh that's good. I was hoping he didn't get lost." Sutton could tell that it looked like he wanted to say something, and she was going to ask what was wrong before he started talking again. She listened to him and shrugged it off. "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault. It would've just been nice if someone told me that before." She added with a lighthearted laugh. She cast her eyes downward as she asked quietly, "How come you didn't do anything when that healer gave you that look? Didn't it bother you?" She finally looked back up at him. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

Sutton couldn't help but give him another smile. "Do you have any half-siblings?" She asked curiously. She looked like the only daughter of Selene so far. She would've preferred to have a few half-siblings. Someone related to her and have the same mother. She would've loved to have someone help her with her powers, she didn't know a single thing about using them. Controlling them was the hardest part, but for now she had just given up on them. They weren't that useful in a fight anyway.

Sutton simply nodded her head at what he said. She was going to say something else but decided to leave it. A healer walked over to them then. "You can leave now Sutton. There doesn't seem to be any more problems." The healer walked off as Sutton got out from under the sheets. She was more than glad that she didn't have to stay there anymore. "Do you want to go back to the stables?" She asked with a small smile. She rarely went to the stables, and she wouldn't mind spending more time there now.

"One on my dad's side. None on my mom's side so far." Sutton said shrugging it off. She felt practically by herself. Her dad hated her, her mother was a Titan, and she had no siblings. Her half brother hardly counted because she saw him once every few years. She loved him as if he were her real brother though. Whenever she did visit him, she tried to spend as much time as she could with him. She wished she could call him, but it'd practically be asking for a monster to come and get her. Even when they could talk on the phone, the reception was bad and she could barely even understand what he was trying to say. "I wish I had a half sibling in camp though." She added sadly.

"Sure, why not? Worse things have happened to me before." She responded. Her mind drifted towards Kronos' Camp. That was definitely worse than falling off the horse. Kronos' Camp was definitely worse than anything else. She had the scars on her arms and back to prove it. The nightmares she got every night only reminded her of the terrors she went through. She'd never be able to forget it even if she tried. She'd probably never set foot off campus ever again unless she absolutely had to. She'd have to eventually if she wanted to visit her brother. Just already thinking about it made her nervous. Sutton looked through the window to see that the sun was already starting to set. "Besides, we have time before we have to go back to the cabin."

Sutton wanted to go the stables. She was definitely still scared about the horse doing the same thing again but she was definitely prepared. She knew which horse to not go near this time. She'd never properly been to the stables before. Maybe once or twice to go see someone, but she'd never ridden a horse here at camp. She supposed she'd never found the point in it when the camp had a library she could enjoy much more. Sutton followed Charles outside. She had to walk a bit faster to catch up, but she didn't mind. It was still somewhat warm outside as the sun kept sinking towards the horizon.

Sutton looked at him with confusion before she remembered. "Oh yeah, right, um..." She said with a slight hesitation. "When I fell, and you came to help me, the campers laughed louder. Doesn't it bother you when people do that?" She asked curiously. She didn't know how or why he didn't do anything about. She could only take so much until she exploded or got upset. She was used to it by now, but it still hurt.

Sutton watched him carefully, and she could tell he didn't want to answer. "Actually, just don't worry about it." She said before he started talking. She listened to him carefully and nodded her head along. "I'll have to remember that next time." She said with a warm smile. It was definitely hard to calm herself down at times. Most of the time she could keep her cool, but when she got mad there wasn't much she could do about it. "Since I asked you a question, it'd only be fair if you asked me one. You have any for me?" She asked with the smile still on her face.

They arrived at the stables soon just as the last bit of the sun was going down Half Blood Hill. She looked at all the horses before looking back at him. "Which one's your favorite?" She inquired as she walked past by some of the horses. She finally stood in front of Bucker, the horse that had thrown her off. She immediately felt bad. "What do you usually feed the horses?"