Cliff Diving

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own the awesomeness that Rick Riordan have oh so awesomely made. If I did, this would probably be published now, wouldn't it?

"So, you new here?" Travis flirted, brushing a hand through his curly brown hair as she shot the Aphrodite girl that look he used to give me.

I can't stand it anymore! The past few weeks, Travis had flirted with girls all around camp when he's with me! Usually, and it pains me to say this, he pays attention to me. Just me. But ever since that stupid Christmas dance Chiron held for the campers where I had kissed him, he was avoiding me twenty four seven. I guess he's just not that into me, but seriously, he's the one always hitting on me. Maybe it's just him. Maybe it's because when I finally give in, he gets scared and runs away. Maybe... Oh, what do I know about what goes through that creepy place he calls his brain! I give up!

I stomped away from the pair with fury towards the beach. I know it's usually where Percy goes to cool down or to just do something to keep him from boredom, but really, that's everyone's sanctuary in this camp. Nothing beats the blissful peace of the beach shore, and I can assure you that the beach on our camp territory is just plain wonderful.

But right now, that's not the case. It was high tide by now, and the waves were crashing down hard on the shore. To make it worse, the sky was a dark shade of grey, signaling the coming of a storm. I know storms won't be able to pass camp borders, but I have a feeling this one will, because I have a feeling that this one is Zeus' doing, not just any normal storm. If anyone would swim there right now, they would absolutely drown, except for Percy of course.

I skulked off to the top of the cliff and dangled my feet over the edges. I have no idea why, but I feel like I would calm down if I actually gazed at the storm coming. I tried to not think of Travis, but as crazy as it seems, I just can't. He's always been that constant thing in my life, just pestering me and flirting with me even if he knows it'll go nowhere, but now, he's not so constant anymore. He's off flirting with other girls, and he's off pranking who knows who!

I'm not usually this kind of person, but hey, you have to give me a break. We're all like this when we're in a funk. Really.

"Katie?" Called out a familiar voice. Oh hell no.

I immediately got up from my position and attempted to make a run for it, but dammit, that boy catches up fast. "Why did you run off like that?" Travis asked with an amused grin on those crooked lips of his.

I didn't answer him. Instead, I tried to dodge him so that I can run off and never admit to him that I was feeling things that I shouldn't. Especially not towards this idiot.

"Katie, please tell me what's wrong," he pleaded, serious now. "Tell me what I did wrong."

Okay, that's it. That is by far the stupidest question I've ever heard. I snorted, "yeah, you don't know what you did wrong. Funny. I'd believe it if you weren't doing it a hundred times already since last Christmas."

I rolled my eyes as the lights in his brain switched on. "Oh, so that is what this is about..." he surmised. "I can explain."

I didn't give him an answer to that ridiculous statement. "Move," I ordered. "I don't want to talk to you."

"No," he replied simply. "Not until you let me explain."

Like Hades I would let this douchebag explain.

I tried to think of ways to escape this horror scene, and apparently, there was only one way out; the cliff.

With a sudden burst of spontaneity, I turned my back to him and made a dash towards the edge of the cliff. Travis cursed under his breath when he realized what I was going to do. "Katie, that's dangerous! You could hurt yourself!" he yelled desperately over the roaring waves.

"You're not my mother!" I called out to the guy frantically trying to keep up with me. "GO AWAY."

He, ever so stubbornly, refused to follow whatever I said and continue going after me. "Katie, please!" he begged.

Too late. I was already stripping off my outer garments and into the swimsuit I wore underneath for my earlier plans to swim with my cabinmates that was cancelled. At least I got to wear them.

Travis reached me just as I jumped off the thirty foot cliff. I could hear him swear over the storm as I plummeted to the raging sea. From my peripheral vision as I headed down to my death, I could see another figure jumping into the sea with me. Oh great, Travis and I are going to die together. How fun it is to go and meet him in the afterlife.

In a matter of seconds, I was dunked into the freezing cold water, and I couldv'e sworn I would die right then and there if it weren't for something warm building up inside my chest. As I resurfaced, Travis got into the water. He got in with a perfect nosedive and boy did he look good, but now's not really the time to discuss the certain good looking boy that just plunged to his death just to make sure I was okay. IDIOT.

I was thrown around by the sea, and so was my so called knight in shinning armor. I knew it, I am going to die! I'm going to mentally say goodbye to everyone I know... BUT, all of a sudden, a really bright glow enveloped me, and this warmth that makes me all giggly inside was just suddenly there inside my body.

When the blinding light died down, Travis and I were on the beach with our bodies slumped on the ground. I had a feeling Travis was unconscious coming from his steady breathing and the silence of the beach. If he were awake, I'd bet a million dollars he'd be super hype.

"No you're not silly," said a giggly voice coming from a figure looming in front of us as if reading my mind. There was a blinding light surrounding her head, but I had a feeling who she was.

"Lady Aphrodite," I acknowledged. "Thanks for saving our lives..."

The light around her finally died down. The first thing I noticed about her is her face. Oh gosh, I'm willing to turn gay for her. Seriously. If you've never seen Aphrodite, you've never seen the meaning of true beauty. Her face is crazy enticing, and don't get me started on her bod- what the Hades was I talking about?

"Sorry sweetheart, but that's just a side effect of being the goddess of love. Everyone, including women, just falls in love with you when she wants to," Aphrodite giggled. Then she giggled harder when she saw Travis and I sprawled on the sandy beach floor. "Now, let's get down to business. Travis won't remember my being here after I left, it'll only be you. Anyways, you don't really have to thank me, I was, after all, the one who gave you that burst of spontaneity that gave you the urge to jump down the cliff, but trust me, what's going to come up will be so totally worth it."

She had left me to process that bit of information before continuing with her childish giddiness, "I just love Tratie! It's so adorable! Now you go and give me some good entertainment!"

With that final note, she disappeared into thin air, just like that. And just like that, I knew I didn't much like Aphrodite anymore. She almost killed me and she actually thinks I'll give her the entertainment she wants? Yeah right miss A!

Travis stirred awake. "What happened?" Travis groaned, his fainting spell fading. "Why does my head hurt so much?"

"Long story, I'll tell you later," I said, putting a hand on his arm.

Apparently, that gesture brought back his memories. "Oh right! That reminds me. Katie, I'm really, really sorry for flirting with other girls like that, but I thought you hadn't want to be with me. I saw how horrified you look after we kissed and all that, and trust me, that hadn't been a walk in the park for me. I thought you were disgusted by me, so I decided to leave you alone."

He took a deep breath before continuing, "the last thing I want to do is to hurt you, so please believe me when I say I really like you and had no intention of being serious with another girl except for you. I've always liked you ever since you first came to camp, remember?"

I fought the urge to smack my lips on his right then and there. Where the Hades did this side of Travis go on a daily basis? I so wouldn't mind seeing the caring side of him everyday. "Look, Travis," I sighed. "That look was for the kissy faces your immature cabinmates gave me after we kissed. It was in the middle of the dancefloor after all, and people could easily see, especially Connor."

He chuckled and asked smugly, "well, does that mean you like me?"

"I'm not sure about that, because I still think you're a complete ass," I glared.

"Oh come on, you know you love me," he said smugly, bringing himself up to a sitting position.

There was no answer to that because right after, I couldn't stop myself, I actually tackled him into a kiss, a deep and passionate one at that. I bet Aphrodite's entertained now... DAMMIT.

"Whoa, what was that for?" breathed Travis as we pulled away. "Not that I object if you want to do it some more."

I glared at him.

"So does that mean yes?" he asked.

"Yes to what?" I asked, confused.

He grinned. "Why, to being my girlfriend, of course!" he stated, like it was the simplest thing on Earth.

I can bet you know my answer.

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