Chapter 1

My lungs were about to explode from running, but I had to go just a little further if I wanted to at least place. My limbs turned to jelly once I crossed the finish line and the announcer's voice boomed through my ears merrily, "Fourth!"

No. I was so close. My vision blurred as the other racers sped passed me, my tight jogging shorts felt as though they were cutting off the circulation in my legs, and eventually I could feel the rise of bile in my throat and although I did everything in my power to prevent it from escaping my mouth, the contents spilled out generously. I had to brace myself on all fours until I was done, to which I had no energy to stand up, so instead I decided to lay down, maybe take a little nap…

Paramedics and people crowded around me, but I didn't need any help, so I waved them off. Truthfully, my legs felt as though they were made of lead, but I wasn't anybody to be pitied, I was Analyse Hatton, for goodness sakes, and that meant independence. I didn't need my dad even before he walked out on me, and I don't need his evil wife who was left as my guardian.

A wave of relief and yet envy washed over me as she came into view. She had long blond hair and grey eyes that could be just as stormy as the clouds they resembled when you pissed her off enough. She had the criminal record to prove it. The only reason I knew her was because she punched some guy in the face and was serving community service time by being in the Big Brothers/ Sisters program although I was fond of her like the sister I've always wanted, I didn't think she was very fond of me. Even though we couldn't look more different, I had lightly tanned skin, mint green eyes, and wavy burgundy coloured hair (that's actually naturally an almond brown), not to mention I'm short while she's tall, blond, grey eyed, model –like, perfect in every possible way that drove a person crazy if they were so lowly compared (a person like me), but nonetheless she was my sister... until the end of the week when she'll probably abandon me, joyous to be freed of this duty.

She smiled (one that seemed as forced as my step-mother's) and waved, "Hey, you were great out there!"

When she saw I couldn't speak she offered me water, "Thanks," I gasped before I chugged half the water bottle down in just a few seconds then wiped my mouth with the hem of my shirt. "But I was terrible, I didn't even place third."

"Just because you're not first, doesn't mean you weren't great," she offered encouragingly, but I just gave her a look. This coming from the girl who made me rematch her in tennis six times until she finally beat me and I couldn't stand a chance.

"Please don't say that, that's what people say to losers." She laughed and brought me into this big bear hug, that hurt me a little bit, which I'm sure she did on purpose.

"Let's get out of here, I don't want to be around when they announce my name in the list of the top ten runners, aka, the three winners, and the seven others who were incredibly close, but not close enough, also known as the top losers," I whined spitting the last few words.

I was gifted with a forceful punch to the arm. "Ouch!" I yelled punching her right back, but she just punched me again, in the same spot even. "Why are you doing that?"

"Because," she exhaled frustrated, "You always put yourself down and I'm sick of it!"

"You put me down!" I shot back stalking away ignoring the fact that my legs ached and my breathing wasn't entirely steady yet, and the fact that she didn't know how much I envied her. Of course it wasn't her fault I was used to being the one good at everything, but it was her fault she was better than me at everything…she could have at least let me win once in a while.

She shot her arms up in exasperation, "What is that supposed to mean?"

It was easy to hear the wind I created when I whipped myself around to look up at her as menacingly as a five foot three person can to a five foot seven(or five foot eight) being. "You," I began trying to steady my breathing because at this point it was out of control, "You have everything! Of course you don't care if I'm not first because you don't know what it's like to be a loser. You have the hot awesome boyfriend, the pool of friends, the height, the looks, the athletic ability, hell; you can even throw a decent punch! Everything! I want at least something. Sure, I'm a jack of all trades, but I'm never a master at any one thing, while you…you are master at everything. You bring me down because I can't stand that you never see me win, which diminishes me as a worthy person of your association."

"Is that what you think?" she asked appalled and the pain was evident in her eyes, "That you think you're not worthy."

"No," I said kicking a pop can somebody littered letting it land perfectly in the trash can with a swish.

"See? That was a good kick; it went over the crowd into the trash can."

"Yeah, whatever, I bet you could have kicked it better," I muttered over my shoulder as I started making my way through the crowd. It wasn't fair how good she was at everything. I could handle she was good at art and getting guys, but a tall blonde who has looks and brains, and fought like she was trained was just not fair. What if there was more of her where she came from? How were the rest of us girls supposed to compete?

"Liz!" As if she'd use the nickname she gave me to put me at ease. Using a nice mushy relationship base meaning that symbolizes and reminds me of our friendship is such a cliché. It was almost instinctively that I started running; after all I just finished a race, what were a few more blocks? I've ended every close relationship I've had with people, too, what was one more?

My form was good, I had a great pace, I was running in low populated areas that most people were afraid of, and making sharp turns, so imagine my reaction when Annabeth caught up with me. Great, she's a faster runner, too. Surprise, surprise…

"Liz, what has gotten into you, why don't you think you're good enough to be my friend?" she asked, her grey eyes muted and serious.

I let out a long sigh. "You don't have to pretend anymore, your time's almost up. Once your time is done as my Big Sister, you don't have to strain yourself and keep in touch. I'm just a child to you, I know; you're twenty and I'm only sixteen years old. Let's be honest, and let's both be adults right now."

Annabeth let out a little laugh, "Okay… I'm honestly saying that even though you're only sixteen years old, you are not the youngest friend I have, and you have to be the coolest sixteen year-old I know."

I was so happy, it took everything I had not to shed a tear, but I couldn't resist hugging her. "Okay," she said in my hair, "Your turn. I saw a little bump under your tank top when you used the hem of your t-shirt to dry your mouth."

I laughed out loud, "You're the coolest twenty year-old I've ever met, and although you said not to do it, I got my bellybutton pierced…that's why I wore a tank top under my t-shirt." I hadn't realized my eyes were closed until I had the urge to open one just to take a peek at her reaction. I could see the storm arising in her eyes.

She took a step forward, and I held the now one quarter filled water bottle in front of me in defense, "Don't hurt me, or you'll get a face full of water."

She straightened her back, and responded coolly, "Put the water bottle down, Analyse."

"No!"

"Put it down, I'm not going to hurt you…just let me see it."

I obliged, slowly lowering the water bottle to my side, then even more slowly lifting up both shirts until they rested at my rib cage.

She was frozen solid until she saw it, "Oh thank gods," she breathed, "You actually make it look not terrible…," Gee, thanks…, "Is that a new piercing in your right ear cartilage?" It wasn't a secret I tensed, it was quite obvious because I was very scared she'd be angry about this, but then she just muttered, "By gods you need to stop piercing yourself. You have two stud holes on each ear, one cartilage on your right, and now a bellybutton stud. It better be the last one, you hear me?"

"Yes, of course, no more piercings, the bellybutton was my last one, I won't even get a nose stud," even though I already made the appointment, but I guess I'll have to cancel. After all, when the number of piercings is listed like that, it does sound like an awful lot.

"Thank gods," she mumbled again as she lead me to an openly populated place because I guess allies are kind of sketchy, aren't they?

"Don't you mean thank God," I inquired.

She stopped dead in her tracks and blinked at me. "Well, what did I say?"

"You said thank gods…"

"Oh," she said, continuing to walk, I noticed we were going back to where the race was, for some reason. "Yes, of course, that's what I meant."

"Why are we back here?"

"I left my cap on a bench," she said as her head travelled all about. Through the side of my eye, I saw a bench that was hidden behind a couple of leafy trees, so I turned my head until I could see the full of it and something limp sitting on top of it.

"Is that your cap?" I asked pointing to an old looking worn out cap sitting solely on the bench.

The relief on Annabeth's face while we walked towards it was so precious; it made her look like a child again. I guess the cap meant a lot to her, now that I think of it, she always has it with her even when she's not wearing it, I see it peeking out of her purse sometimes.

As she dusted off her cap just in case any lice-infested hobos tried it on, or the more common scenario: if it just fell on the floor, I downed the rest of my water and threw it over my shoulder.

"Ouch!"

The unexpected presence of somebody else startled me; I jumped out of my sneakers. I turned around to apologize, but stopped mid-sentence after the first couple of apologies. Standing in front of me rubbing the side of his head was some guy I had never seen before. He was probably about Annabeth's height, muscular, but not disgustingly so, he had fair skin and deep brown eyes that matched his hair, and he may have been one of the hottest guys I've ever seen since Annabeth's boyfriend, Percy. The only peculiar thing about him was that he was wearing all dark colours from his grey t-shirt to his black jeans (yes, jeans!) and sneakers, even though it was sunny outside…and he wasn't even sweating.

"Nico, what are you doing here?" Annabeth said giving him a hug you'd give an old friend.

"Well, since I left Camp Ha—" his attention that was focused on Annabeth flickered to me for an instance, as he cut off his sentence, "Anyways, I was just here seeing if anybody's heart stopped during the race or if anybody died…" Okay? Suddenly he didn't seem as attractive as before, "Then, afterwards I just stuck around, taking a stroll, but then, well, Annabeth we kind of need to do something."

"What?"

Annabeth and I followed his finger to where he was pointing, and suddenly there was this monstrous screech and there flying above the forest were these ugly monstrous creatures with wings and talons. My eyes felt as though they'd pop out their sockets as my jaw hit the ground, and I wished I hadn't finished off all that water because my throat now did feel a little parched.

Annabeth gripped my shoulders and looked into my eyes with an intensity I've never seen before, "Liz, you stay right here, okay? Don't move until we come back." There was a final note in her tone which told me it was an order, but as they started walking towards the forest, I had to use my gifted speed to catch up and haul them back by the collars of their shirts from their doom.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth yelled enraged as she fixed her plain white t-shirt.

"Are you guys insane?" I said in disbelief at their stupidity, was this Camp Whatever-the-Name-he-Wasn't-Sharing, a camp for those people who are crazy thrill seekers… or just those with mental problems? "Do you not see those…," I hesitated to find a word for those flying ugly moth things and in the end came up with nothing anyways, "things? I don't know what kind of rush you guys are after, but those things look like they can kill you! Like really tear out your heart and eyes with their razor sharp nails and eat it!" I was practically shouting by the end, so I was grateful barely anybody was around.

"Wait," said the boy, Nico I think, he looked about my age, maybe a bit older. He gripped my arm and turned me around to face him; his fingers were a bit cooled even if it was the middle of summer and he was wearing pants... in the middle of a sunny day in July! He looked at me incredulously, "Are you telling me that you can see those furies?"

"Well, yeah…can't you?"

I didn't get a direct answer. All I know is that Annabeth and Nico shared some knowing look before the things, furies, sprang for them, but completely ignored me.