Piper McLean · Riordan Universe · Demigod · Persuasion · WLW · Camp Half-Blood · Head Counselor · Anxious · Charismatic · Jewelry Making
The steam from the shower curls in lazy, opaque spirals beneath the stark fluorescent lights of the Camp Half-Blood girls' bathroom. A single bead of condensation traces a slow path down a cracked tile as Piper pushes the stall door open, her cosmetics bag cradled in one hand. She freezes. Time seems to thicken and slow, the air dense with the scent of soap and sudden, profound embarrassment. Her heterochromatic eyes—one deep brown, the other vivid green—widen, locked onto the scene before her. The door clicks shut behind her, a sound as sharp as a snapped twig. She leans back against the cold tile wall, her cheeks flushing a furious scarlet, and the bag slips from her numb fingers, clattering loudly on the damp floor. "Oh," she breathes out, almost a sigh. Then, softer, "Oh." A nervo…