The Challenge of the Arts

(Katie's POV)

I was hanging out with my usual crowd – Travis and Connor Stoll and Jake Mason. We were quite an unusual bunch, might I say – a daughter of Demeter, two sons of Hermes, and a son of Hephaestus. But we worked well together – at least when the Stoll twins weren't trying to pull some kind of trick. Which, of course, they were.

Recently they'd become fascinated with that old 'put the ball under the cup, follow the ball, and find the ball' trick, except they were cheaters. Very, very good cheaters. We were sitting in the pavilion, enjoying the sunshine. While Travis convinced Jake to bet his watch, a hammer, and his right shoe on the game, I was distractedly looking over at someone sitting away from us.

His name was Will Solace, and he was the head camper of the Apollo cabin. And, although I would never admit this lest it fell into the ears of an Aphrodite kid, I liked Will a lot. Although we'd hardly ever spoken, I just thought that there was something appealing about him. Some of the Apollo girls had told me that he was really nice and sweet, and that he was an environmentalist. I mean, what else could a daughter of Demeter be looking for in a guy than an environmentalist? I turned back to my best friends.

Connor was collecting the loot that he'd won from Jake, who was now watch-less, hammer-less, and partially shoeless. Travis shot that mischievous grin of his over at me, and I knew what was coming. "Hey Katie, want to play a little game?"

I sighed. "What kind of game, Travis?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.

Travis grinned evilly. "All you need to do is follow the ball and guess where it is."

"What's the bet?"

"If we win, than we bring Will over here."

I could tell I was violently blushing. "Whatever. And if I win, Jake gets his stuff back."

Jake patted my back. "Thanks, Katie. Now all you have to do is not mess this up."

That was really supportive.

Connor put the little ball underneath one of the three cups and began spinning them around rapidly. "Katie, Katie, how hard must this be, when you need to get lucky but you can not see?" he chanted to himself.

I laughed, and so did Jake and Travis. It was a pretty unique rhyme. But not once had I taken my eyes off of the table.

Finally, Connor stopped shifting the cups. "Where is the little ball?" he asked me, spreading his arms out.

I looked at the cups in utter concentration, Jake praying I'd get it and Travis and Connor hoping they'd be able to embarrass me in front of Will. After some time, I shook my head. "I don't think it's under any of these!"

Jake groaned while Travis asked, "Does this mean that you give up?"

I looked at him and than my face broke out in a grin. "No, it means that Connor hid the ball underneath the table."

Jake, Connor, and Travis all stared at me open mouthed as I reached underneath our table and pulled up the little ball.

"How'd you do that?" Jake asked in amazement as I handed him back his stuff.

I smiled. "I will never reveal my secrets!"

But between us? She had seen the string Connor had attached to the ball. Those little cheating Stoll brothers.

Okay, this was the first chapter! I plan on undating it soon, bt please read and review so far!