Welcome back, Scrivener, I am so happy to have you and my newly repaired laptop back. Along with all of my notes for all of my stories, since I hated having to write without them.

Oh, and welcome back to my readers, too. Can't forget about you guys.

So, I promised you all a sequel in November (though I plan on making a whole series of stories in Rick Riordan's chronology style), and thanks to the return of Scrivener, I managed to get it organized much earlier than I expected. So, I've been working on the first chapter of the new summer for you. I'm hoping to make this story even better than the last one, so wish me good luck and keep sending in that feedback for me. The more I get, the more inspired I am to write (you know, around assignments and all that).

And that's a good thing, considering that National Novel Writing Month is starting in a few days, and I'll be digging out some of my novel projects (you know, the ones that I actually plan on getting published), and I'll be working on finishing a whole novel in less than a month. Along with four major projects for my various classes. Busy, busy, busy...

Just like during the last story, I will be looking through the reviews on this one in case anyone wants to suggest a demigod. If you've read my other story, you know the drill for getting one put on the list. If you haven't read my other story...you might wanna go and read it first, because this is a SEQUEL, a second story in the series that this will become.

This chapter is going to contain some Nico and Ciara moments (you know funny and cute stuff that we all love, well I hope that we all love it).

Please Enjoy.

Why did I want to go back to mortal school again? That's a question that I've been asking myself a lot lately. It's not like I don't have other options, but for some reason that I can no longer fathom, at the end of last summer, I thought that it would be fine to just go back to my regular school like nothing happened.

Big mistake. Like, Chimera big.

For the last ten months, I've been mulling over the same problem almost daily. I'm bored. I'm hyper. Sitting still is even more difficult than it used to be. And it's almost impossible to focus on anything my teachers say. Because of that, my grades this past year have suffered a little, dropping down into straight B's. It's actually rather appalling to think about, since I used to get straight A's.

My teachers have been asking me if there's anything going on at home that's been giving me trouble, or if I need to talk to someone. But my answer is always the same. No, I don't need to talk to anyone. I mean, what would a mortal councilor be able to do for the kind of things I have to deal with? And everything is fine at home, so it's not even any of the normal things that hold most kids back from doing their best. Actually, it's better than ever at home. Now that Mom and Dad aren't keeping a mountain of secrets from me, I feel closer to them than ever.

No…my problem seems to be a fairly simple one, actually. I'm a demigod, and I spent all of last summer burning off every bit of my excess energy one way or another. Not to mention that since the little incident with the golden death mask, my energy levels have at least tripled. I didn't even know that was possible. But I suppose that it must have been something along the lines of my demigod nature having been dormant for twelve years prior to the incident.

So…I suppose that answers the question, right? Then why it is that I can't seem to burn off the energy anymore, no matter how hard I work in sports?

Now that it's the end of June once again, I'm starting to suspect that the reason for my inability to focus stems from the fact that I'm stuck in a classroom for six hours a day, five days a week, trapped in the vile contraption known as a desk. Whoever invented them must have been a sadist. Not only are they as uncomfortable as my parents used to tell me, but they make all sorts of noises, like they haven't been oiled since the nineties.

Instead, I'd much rather be running around, swinging a sword, or two, or tossing daggers at a target, or even shooting arrows to try and set a record. Not that I would ever be able to beat Sam's record. That boy is amazing. I would even take the damned climbing wall over sitting in a desk, bored out of my mind. What I need is not sports with mortals, but exercise with my friends. The not quite mortal ones. The ones who can actually push me into sweating an ocean that refuses to adhere to my skin, thanks to the powers I inherited from Grandpa.

That's why, when the last bell of the year rings throughout the mortal school, cheers going up all around me, I simply sigh in relief. Finally…it's over… I sling my bag over my shoulder and make for the door, now that the classroom is thankfully cleared out. I learned last year that it's best to just wait in the classroom until everyone has started racing out of the school. You're less likely to get trampled that way. It's the one thing that mortals can do almost as well as monsters. And I would know, since I've been chased and nearly trampled by a monster army before.

Another piece of advice that I took to heart was to empty my locker ahead of time and keep my backpack on me. So while all of the other students are scrambling with getting their stuff out of their lockers, I can just stroll through the halls, unnoticed. Never before have I so wanted to get out of this place, the compulsion is actually rather frightening.

Well, so far, I've gone relatively unnoticed, that is, until my classmate Cassidy spots me. She races over to me, her backpack flopping off her shoulder like a beached dolphin. "Hey, Ciara, I didn't know you were into older guys!" That came completely out of nowhere.

I blink bemusedly. "Wait, what?" I have no idea where any of this came from. "What are you talking about?" As far as I know, I have never given any indication as to what I am or am not into. And I certainly haven't figured out what I' into. I'm thirteen, I'm not supposed to be trying to figure that out. I'm too busy trying to not only get through school, but survive long enough to graduate. And that's still quite a few years off.

Cassidy giggles loudly. "Oh, don't be like that. There's a gorgeous man waiting for you in the lobby!"

"A gorgeous man?" After last summer, I've learned to be suspicious of just about everything. "What does he look like?" And how old is this guy? Because just the fact that you used the word man probably means that he's way too old for you. And if he's too old for you, then he's definitely too old for me. And considering that I know some very old people, that's actually not too difficult.

Cassidy's grin grows wider. "Tall, dark, and definitely handsome. He looks foreign too, and he's got a bit of an accent, but he speaks English perfectly."

Wait a minute… This is sounding frightfully familiar. "Olive skin, hair like the night sky, and eyes like melted chocolate?"

Cassidy nearly swoons at the description. "Yeah…he's so dreamy…"

I snort with laughter. There's only one person that fits that description that would come to get me at school and not try to burn the place down. "I should probably have said this earlier, but I don't have a boyfriend." Though I know exactly who's waiting for me. "But if you want to meet him, you can show me where he's waiting."

She nearly squeals with delight, and she grabs my arm, dragging me eagerly towards the lobby. "So, what's his name?"

I smile wryly. "Well, if it's who I think it is…then his name is Nico di Angelo. And yes, he's foreign. He was born in Italy." Not to mention that he's got a half brother who was born in England. And I think that Sam might be onto something when he says that Hades has a thing for European ladies. Then again, my relatives come from all over the world, so it's hardly exclusive to the lord of the Underworld. That's probably one of the most interesting parts about being a legacy of two of the Greek gods, the sheer diversity of the people that I get to meet.

I can hear the whispers increasing as we get closer to the lobby. And they all seem to be discussing the same thing. The mysterious man who's shown up at our school out of the blue. Though I have a feeing that it's hardly something unplanned. In fact, I would bet five drachma that Dad sent Nico to get me. After all, it means that he and Mom could leave early for camp, and Nico could just Shadow Travel me there. After all, it's not like they're trying to keep a huge secret like a whole world of gods and demigods from me anymore.

The lobby comes into sight, and the number of people watching and wondering has increased. They must not be used to seeing older people outside of the staff hanging out in the school. And right there, leaning against the wall in the middle of all of the attention, is my godfather. And he looks surprisingly calm, considering that there's people pointing at him from all over the place. His little brother would probably have a heart attack if he was the object of that much attention. That, or he might crack the ground open and let it swallow up my school.

Cassidy giggles even more as we get closer, prompting me to roll my eyes. She's definitely got the wrong idea…and why is she so interested in this anyway!? We're thirteen! But I fear that those questions will go unanswered, because as soon as Nico spots me, his smile draws me over to him, fully occupying my attention.

Nico subtly ignores the overeager girl behind me, focusing all of his attention on me. "Hey, Ciara. Did you have a good time at school?"

I grimace slightly. "Have you seen my report card?" It's something that I'm definitely not proud of and I'm not looking forward to showing my parents later.

Nico smiles apologetically. "Hey, straight B's is great. I mean, have you seen your Dad's old report cards? He was a straight C's student at the best of times. And you've had a lot on your plate this past year."

He's definitely right about that. Since I stayed at the same school for this past year, I've had to make sure that none of the mortals discover any secrets that they shouldn't. Though it's not like I've gone and flooded any bathrooms in this place. Not to mention taking detours and being extra careful on my way home, since monsters could sneak up on me at any moment. And I definitely don't want a repeat of what happened last summer with the manticore.

But pushing that aside, I smile up at him. "So, are we heading home first, or straight to the cabin?"

Cassidy gasps behind me, her hands over her mouth. Then, she leans towards me, whispering quietly. "I know he's gorgeous, but is he making you do things you shouldn't?"

It takes me a minute to take that in and translate it, something that I often have to do with incomprehensible classmates. But once I do, I feel my eye twitch in irritation. She took that completely the wrong way. There's no way that Nico would ever sdo anything like that. "Cassidy…maybe we should do some introductions." I back up, right into Nico's arms. "This is my godfather, Nico di Angelo. And just so you know, not only is he twice my age and an old friend of Dad's…but he's gay and married. And when he says cabin, he's talking about the cabin I stay in at the summer camp that he and my parents help run."

Her eyes go wide, and it's actually rather funny to see. "He's married?" I know that Nico looks like he's still in his early twenties, and it might be hard to imagine that he's permanently attached to a bright, bounding ball of sunshine, but it shouldn't come as that much of a shock to anyone that he's married. And that's not even counting the complications surrounding the story that I got told one morning at breakfast about how Nico was actually born almost a century ago. I nearly dropped my sausages on the floor when they told me.

Nico shakes a little behind me, probably trying to keep himself from laughing. Then, he holds up his hand, revealing the silver ring adorning it. "I'd be lying if I said that you weren't the first to be shocked. Now…" He kisses my hair and takes hold of my hand. "Let's get going. The boys are waiting for you."

I smirk slightly. "Which ones?" Three of them probably want to hug me, and the other two probably want another shot at kicking my ass. So it could be any of them, really.

Nico chuckles. "Sam and Eran mostly. Caiden has also been rather vocal in his demands that I come and get you out of school early. And even though he's not going to admit it, my little brother has been waiting rather impatiently for you to return to camp." Then, his expression grows a little more serious. "You know, if you're starting to have trouble here, I could always talk to the principal and have you transferred to a private school."

That's a topic that has come up several ties over the last year. Now that I know all about the demigods and monsters roaming the world, Dad suggested that maybe I should transfer to either the school in New Rome, or one of the schools here in New York that has a large population of demigods. One of those schools is the now private school that Nico has been suggesting. Brooklyn Academy for the Gifted. And so far, I've turned down a transfer every time.

Though with my grades dropping, I'm wondering if maybe it's about time I reconsider. Though, that can be a debate for another day. Because right now, I have a whole summer ahead of me, and some rather impatient friends waiting for me at camp.

So, I shake my head. "Let's talk about this another day. Right now, it sounds like there are some idiots waiting for me to show up."

"True." Nico doesn't protest the idiot label, probably because he agrees with me. "Then let's go, Jules-Albert has the car waiting outside."

"Oh?" I was under the impression that we were going to be shadow traveling to camp. "Alright then." I suppose that I can sped a few extra hours hanging out with my godfather. I turn back to my old classmate and smile. "Later!"

"Uh…later." She watches, rather stunned, as Nico walks me out the front doors, down the steps, and into the parking lot, where a black SUV is waiting for us, with its driver Misted to look more human than the zombie actually is.

Before Nico can reach for the handle, I pull the door open and toss my backpack inside before following it. Nico chuckles and follows me into the back seat, instead of calling shotgun or something. I frown slightly. "Aren't you gonna sit up front?"

Nico chuckles quietly. "No, the SUV is just a front." He taps on the darkened windows. "No one can see inside, and it's dark in here, which means that it's safe to travel from. Remember, there are some serious rules about what we can and can't do in front of mortals. Plus, it made the mortals less suspicious about me coming to pick you up with the vehicle out front."

It occurs to me that it's actually a rather good idea. With the premise of driving away stuck in the mind of anyone watching, Nico can just grab me from in here and go. No messy Mist cleanups, and little to no chance of being attacked before we can leave. "Oh. That makes sense." It's funny, only last year, I was completely oblivious to all of the mystical things going on around me. Now, it feels weird to think about people not being able to see the things that I do.

Nico smiles gently at me. "So, are you ready to go?"

"Well…that depends…" I consider the probability of Mom being a perfectionist versus Dad being forgetful. "Did they already bring my stuff to camp?" Last year, I was pretty unprepared for going to camp, but this year, I made sure to pack ahead of time. I've spent the last couple of weeks getting a duffel bag ready with everything I could possibly need in it. Dad thought that it was excessive, but Mom praised me for being prepared.

Nico laughs once more. "Yes, they brought your bag along. When they got to camp, Annabeth was already scolding Percy for nearly leaving it behind."

I sigh with relief. If Mom was scolding him, rather than panicking, then that's a pretty good sign. "Alright, then I guess we can go."

Nico tugs on my arm and pulls me into his lap, a place that I like very much. "I'll have Jules-Albert drop your backpack off at home for you. Is there anything that you need out of it?"

I shake my head quickly. "Nope, I've got all of my essentials on me." I lift up my left hand and let him see the bracelet there. "I'm all ready to go. And when we get there, I'm hoping to find someone to burn off some energy with. I've been sitting still in a classroom for thirty hours a week, for the past ten months."

"That's a long time." Nico smirks at me. "It's hard to believe that you could possibly sit still that long."

I scoff at him. "Well, it wasn't easy, let me tell you. But I managed it pretty well. I just wish that they'd let us have outdoor classes or something, I need more fresh air than this."

"Well, there'll be plenty of fresh air where we're going." Nico wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly. "Ready in three…"

A grin curls my lips. "Two."

"One." And just like that, the two of us disappear into the cold, gravity-defying darkness.