Authors Note:

If you are reading this now and think it looks vaguely different then before… you're right. In light of the new 'Lost Heroes' series (yay! :D) I decided to revamp this story. I set it a while after the end of the PJO series so that it would also take place after Lost Heroes and so I wouldn't have to really concentrate about keeping with whatever will be released in those books. Just a general disclaimer. :)

I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Ringworld or Disturbia

Enjoy!

Leslie

'Stupid sons of Eris,' I thought viciously as I wrung my hair out. I was drenched, my shirt almost see-through, thank god for camisoles, that's all I can say. It was a few days after most of the other campers had gone back home for school. I was one of the year-round campers.

I'm Leslie Badriya, Daughter of goddess, no pun intended, knows who. Well, I know my human parents… just not the Greek deity one. Supposedly Percy Jackson asked this big favor of the gods after he defeated Kronos, and part was to have the gods have to claim their half-blood children by the time said children turn thirteen. The thing is it's been years and so far, at least for me, nil. I should be more patient I guess, but I'm 16 years old. I should know by now.

I stomped past some of the cabins for the minor deities: another part of the request, and towards the Hermes cabin. 'I fought in the battle of Manhattan, I deserve a little respect,' I thought. I flipped by wet braid over one shoulder as I walked in and over to where I slept. I had some towels shoved under my bed and I grabbed one and some fresh clothing before going off towards the bathrooms. Mathew and Jason Patterson had played a prank on me and a few other girls that involved a bucket of water and a sandbag. I don't even know how they convinced that tree nymph to dance like that.

After drying myself off and wrapping my hair up in the towel I threw on the pair of jeans and a homemade Joan Jett t-shirt, avoiding the scar I had on my ribcage I had gotten when I was fighting with a snake woman by the Empire State Building. I had to give it to the kids of Apollo; they could patch you up real good. I walked out as I was working on untangling my way-too-curly-to-exist hair and I almost smacked into Michael Doore, a son of Hermes.

I felt my skin go red, but I doubt anyone could notice seeing how dark it was normally. "Where are you going?" I snapped, attempting to hide my embarrassment at crashing into my crush as I exited the girl's lavatory. "This is the girls bathroom," I said, placing my hands firmly on my hips as I glared up at him. Stupid tall person.

He looked amused. "And the guys showers are right next door," he said, holding up the towel and shampoo he was holding. I would have gone a deeper shade of red if it were possible.

I wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that, and instead threw my towel over one shoulder and walked off towards the cabin again. I heard him chuckling behind me as I left.

'This is so not my day.'

Eating at the Hermes table was always an adventure. Shoving so many hungry teenagers into a space smaller then a compact car is not the best idea ever, though more and more were migrating over to the new tables they had brought out for children of minor gods or too tables belonging to Apollo or Aphrodite or Demeter or some other Olympian. At this rate I was going to be the last unclaimed kid sitting at the Hermes table. Yay me.

I was in the process of digging into my BBQ when I noticed a new girl sitting a few seats away. I raised my eyebrows as I looked at her. She looked about my age and was short, Asian and had her black-brown hair down to her shoulders. She was glancing around nervously as she ate. I shook my head. There were so many people coming in. I wonder if she had been claimed yet. I would have figured she would have been if she was even here, but she probably was in the same sitch I was in: attracting a lot of monsters until dad sent me here.

She looked up at me as I looked over at her and gave me a half-hearted wave. She looked like passing out. It was so pathetic looking I grabbed my plate and went to sit by her. "Hi, I'm Leslie Badriya," I said as I sat down.

"I'm Shiyumi Kireimizu," she said quietly.

"You new here?" I asked, grinning at her.

She nodded. "I just arrived today. Have you been here for long?" she asked, a heavy Japanese accent distorting her words slightly.

"If you count 6 years as long," I said, attempting to sound cheerful but only sounding bitter. "This is my second time year-round."

"That is indeed an extremely long time," she said, sounding suitably impressed.

"I wouldn't say extremely long," I responded, attempting to sound modest. I don't know if I succeeded or not, but she was too polite to say anything.

"So, are you a daughter of Hermes or..." I said, trailing off at the end.

She shook her head. "I am… unclaimed as they say," she said with a weak smile. "And you?" she asked as she took a bite of her food.

"I'm unclaimed too," I said, shrugging as I fingered a piece of bread. I tore off a piece of it and popped it into my mouth. "No big dealio though. I'll know soon enough."

"I guess I will too…" she said, biting her lower lip. "But I mean, who do you think it could be?"

"Well, do you have a mortal mom or a mortal dad?" I asked. I was trying extra hard to be friendly to her. My day had been hard enough, but the prospect of a person that I haven't been annoyed at recently was almost too good to be true.

"My mother is a normal human," she said, sounding a little amused.

"Maybe it's Ares," I teased. "I mean, you seem so chaotic."

She finally laughed. It was rather high pitched, fitting for her manner. "Oh yes. I just love war," she said.

"Could everyone stop eating," a voice said. I looked up and saw Chiron standing up in front of everyone. Once everyone's eyes were on him Dionysus, the head of camp stood and came up. He sighed.

"As most of you've noticed," he said, sounding annoyed. "There are a few new campers. Inez Bowmond and Shiyumi Carymissue, could you please stand up."

Shiyumi stood up, along with another girl. The other girl had very curly red hair and delicate features. She sat at the Aphrodite table and smiled charmingly at Dionysus before saying, "Actually, my name iz Ines Beaumond." She had a french accent and smiled at everyone around her before sitting down. Shiyumi didn't bother to correct his pronunciation of her name and just sat down again.

Dionysus started talking about something but by now I had completely zoned him out. What I really wanted to do right then was to go back to the cabin, listen to my ipod and read some more of Ringworld. I realized he was done talking when everyone around me started getting up and heading to wherever they were heading. I jumped up and stretched my arms out in front of me. I saw the girl, Ines walking past. I noticed her shirt was pink, but decorated with black skulls and hearts.

"Nice shirt," I said. I couldn't resist. She turned to me and smiled. It was less fake then the smile she had given everyone when she corrected Dionysus' pronunciation of her name.

"Thanks," she said. "Your in Hermez right?" she asked.

I bit my tongue. Everyone thought I was Hermes. It was annoying. "Unclaimed," I said.

"Ah," she responded. Shiyumi stood next to me. She smiled at her. "You're… Shiyumi Kariemizu?" she asked.

"Kireimizu," Shiyumi corrected with a small smile.

"Well, pleasure to meet you both," she said, before walking off to catch up to her cabin mates.

Shiyumi and me stood there for a bit before I turned to her. "You know where the cabin is right?"

She shook her head. "I went there earlier but I forget how to get there," she said apologetically.

I grinned. "Follow me then." We started walking towards the cabin. As we walked I started pointing out the various people. "That's Travis Stoll. Son of Hermes. His brother is around here somewhere… anyways, watch out for them. Pranks and all that. That's Clarisse. She's a daughter of Ares. Scary but ok if you get on her good side."

Shiyumi nodded as I told her, barely saying anything. I was starting to think that was the norm for her when we got to the cabin. "You got a bunk right?" I asked.

She nodded. "'Kay then," I said as I walked in. It was less crowded then it would have been during the summer, but it was still a little cramped. I went over to my bed and reached under it into my bag, fishing out my book and my ipod. I was plugging the earbuds in when I looked up to see Shiyumi still there. "I'm just going to be in here for the rest of the evening," I said.

She nodded again. "Thank you for showing me the way here," she said before wandering out. I collapsed back and turned the volume up as Disturbia came on."

"It's the thief in the night to come and grab you. It can creep up inside you and consume you."

Ines

I checked my reflection in the mirror in the girls bathroom before I left. "Ines," a girl called. I turned and looked, enjoying the feeling of my hair bouncing against my skin.

"Oui?" I asked, giving her a smile. It was a girl from my cabin and she returned the smile.

"I think you forgot this at dinner," she said, holding up a hair clip. It was black and pink striped.

"Merci," I said, taking it and sticking it in my pocket. She wandered off and I started walking towards the lake. I was thinking about that summer. Right at the end of August my dad informed me (apparently at Aphrodite's request) that I was the daughter of Aphrodite and that it would be in both of our best interests if I went to this camp, Camp Half-Blood or something, for the school year.

I was, and am, totally thrilled about being the daughter of the goddess of love, but still annoyed about being here. I was planning on visiting my friend Maria in Spain later that year but I couldn't now. America wasn't too great either. For one thing, I had to brush up on my English before I could come here. For another thing, it was so different from France in many obvious ways.

I sighed and strolled down the dock to sit on the end. I kicked my sandals off before sitting, and let my feet dip into the water. I leaned back on my elbows and kicked a little water up. It was early September so it was still warm enough to stay outside later and be comfortable. I heard someone behind me and I looked up to see a boy, maybe a little older then me, standing on the dock. He had dark hair and tan skin. 'Cute,' I thought approvingly.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know there was anyone here," he said.

"Don't worry about eet," I said. "I'm Ines… Ines Beaumond."

"Michael Doore," he said.

I patted the dock to show that I didn't care if he sat or not. He sat down next to me on the end of the dock. 'Hmm… really cute,' I thought. 'Maybe I'll make him fall in love with me.' That was one of my hobbies. Making cute boys fall in love with me. Most of the time I don't see them again for a year and by the time I see them again they have a girlfriend. It's fun. Some people tell me that makes me a flirt. I agree.

"So Michael Doore, you new 'ere too or…"

"I've been here for a few years," he said. She smiled flirtatiously at him.

"That's interesting… you must 'ave been 'ere for zat battle last summer zen… right?" I asked.

He seemed a little disoriented as I smiled at him. This was working. How satisfying. "Y-yeah," he said.

"Zat must 'ave been… frightening."

"Just a little," he said. Oh good, he was trying to brag. I smiled at him again.

"'Ow brave." I cocked my head at him as I smiled. "Well Michael, I really 'ave to go… I 'ave things to do. Eet was a pleasure talking to you though," I said. I stood up and slipped my feet into my sandals. I started walking off after smiling down at him, and I flipped my hair back as I did. I could practically feel his eyes on me.

"Zat was fun."