A/N: Hi. First Tratie story. My fingers are frozen. It's really cold inside my house, and I just had icecream. Probably not the best idea. Please excuse my typos, my fingers are really stiff.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own this series or characters, Rick Riordan does.

I woke up to a series of beeps coming from my alarm clock in the Demeter Cabin. I checked the clock. 10:30.

I jumped out of bed. It was the last day of camp! I had to go before 12:00 or else I would be eaten by the demonic chicken ladies (harpies).

I threw on a plain blue shirt and a pair of jeans. I stuffed the last of my clothes from my drawer into my duffle bag.

I double-checked to make sure I didn't leave anything behind. I pulled my brown hair into a messy ponytail.

I couldn't wait to see my dad. I saw him during the times I wasn't at camp, but still, I haven't seen him all summer. It's funny: When I'm away from my dad, I miss him. When I'm away from camp, I miss Camp.

"Katie! You've got to go!" My sister Maggie, must've already been ready to go. Our families live kind of close, so Argus drives us together.

"Whatever, Maggie. Let's go," I grumbled. I paused at the doorway, because Maggie wasn't moving.

"Katie... I'm not going home this year. My dad and I... we had a fight. It's his stupid girlfriend, again. She doesn't know I'm a demigod, but... She still thinks I'm a freak. I'm not going."

I didn't argue. I knew what it was like to have you're father dating or married to a wicked witch. I'm not exaggerating. I don't think Isabel, who is my dad's girlfriend, is quite human.

I hugged her. "Okay. I'll see you later," I murmured.

"Later."

I left the cabin.

I arrived at Half-Blood Hill just before Argus took off.

He opened a door for me. I tossed my duffel into the truck and hopped into the back seat.

I was strapping my seatbelt on when I heard a voice say, "Hello, to you, too, Katie-Kat!"

Somehow, I had failed to notice Travis and Connor Stoll in seats next to me.I jumped so high, my head very nearly hit the ceiling.

"Don't call me that!"

"Whatever you say, Kit-Kat."

"What are you doing here? You guys are year-rounders," I protested.

"We were. Now we're going to our mom's place in the Queens. That's where you live, isn't it, Katie-Kat?" Travis had that smirk plastered on his face.

"Yes. It is," I admitted through clenched teeth. "My life is over."

"Excellent, that means you can show us around. What school will I be enrolled in?"

"One, over my dead body. Two, that's up to your mother."

"C'mon, Katie," Travis said, "We need to be shown around. And in order for you to show us around, we need to go to your school. Please?"

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever. Travis, you're grade nine, right? Connor you're seventh?"

Travis nodded, while Connor groaned. "I'm eigth grade! And I don't want to go to middle school!"

I thought a bit. "Travis, you go to the Green Hills High, Connor, you go to the middle school there.I don't know the name of it though."

"So, Katie-Kat, you going back to your dad's place?" Travis asked as he pulled open a (rather large) bag of potato chips.

"Yeah, I'm gonna stay with him until the summer." I looked at the chips. I may be a daughter of Demeter, but I have a fiery passion for potato chips. "Can I have some chips?"

Connor shook his head, but Travis nodded and handed me the bag.

"Thanks!"

The van kept driving. The trip was always a long one. I started dozing off. I rested my head on the door, and slipped into a drowsy state of mind that wasn't exactly sleep, but I wasn't fully conscious.

Travis waved his hand in front of my face to see if I was awake. I didn't react, so he thought I was already asleep.

"Hey, bro. Is the only reason you're going to Queens to stay with Mom is because of Katie?" I heard Connor ask.

"No, dude, I think... I think Mom may actually be excited to see us. She sent those letters asking us to come home."

I felt like a voyeur. I wasn't supposed to be hearing this.

"Well, yeah, but, still... " Connor paused. He whispered to his brother, "You like Katie!" I heard Travis punch his bother's shoulder.

"Don't say it aloud! Not when she's here with us! And it's not even a huge, gigantic crush! Dudes don't have crushes! They have... um, er, interests. Okay? Okay," Travis scolded his brother in an angry whisper.

I drifted into a deeper state of sleep.

What seemed like only a couple minutes later I felt the van pull up to the curb. Travis shook my shoulder.

"Katie? It's time to go. C'mon."

I was having the strange dream about an angry harpie coming at me with a frying pan, so my hand instinctively flew into a fist into the face of my attacker.

"Aah! Katie!" Travis held his nose.

"Oh my gods! I didn't mean to -Oh, it's you. Then that's okay, then."

"I think you broke my nose!"

"Sorry, Travis," I apologized as I grabbed my duffel bag.

"Where are you two going? I'm going a few blocks away. Can you guys find you're way to your mom's place?"

Travis rubbed the base of his nose. "Um, well, our mom isn't exactly aware that we are here."

I blinked. "What?"

Connor and Travis looked at each other as Argus pulled the van away from the curb. "We need to call her. Can we... Can we come to your house? To borrow your phone?"

"Fine. My house it is."

"Cool."

A/N: Alright, I know. Sucky first chapter. The next will be better, I promise!