It was one of those beautiful end of summer days; you know that it can't last, and winters and wars will come, but it is so beautiful you don't care. Regular camp had ended a few days ago, and only a few year rounders like Jake and I were left. You would never have guessed that a few weeks before, camp had almost been overrun by monsters in a huge battle - which my half brother had died in. By now almost everyone was out of the infirmary, so I had plenty of free time.

Jake and I paid a Hermes kid a couple of drachmas for a "liberated" 6 pack of Coke, then walked around the canoe lake to our favorite picnic spot. We walked in silence most of the way, but once we got there, we began to talk.

For the first few minutes we talked about small things, like cabin inspection and capture the flag. But then I said quietly, "You know, now that Lee is ... gone ... I'm actually second in command."

"Welcome to my world, bro," replied Jake who was second in command of Hephaestus cabin. " Want to start signing autographs?"

"Be serious for a moment here, Jake. What if, gods forbid, Michael or Beckendorf got hurt or died? You and I might end up as head counsellors."

"Nah, man, Beck'll never die. And Michael's got a cabin full of healers behind him."

Didn't help Lee, I thought, but kept it to myself. Jake was doing his best to stay positive, and I wasn't going to stop him.

"Still, even head counselor wouldn't be as bad as what Percy's got coming, all that prophecy crap."

Jake and I, like everyone, had heard rumors and not so rumors about Percy's role in the Great Prophecy - although none of the rumors agreed with each other.

"Percy has Annabeth, though." I said. That was another rumor - this time a lot more credible. "Even if they won't admit it, they're like soul mates. If we're head counsellors, we'd have nobody."

Jake shook his head like Will, you are so dumb sometimes. "We'd have each other. Plus heads get all the chicks."

An uncomfortable silence stretched between us. There was something I had been thinking about telling Jake. I wasn't sure, but he was my oldest friend and really trustworthy. Still, I had this feeling like saying it would make it permanent.

Suddenly the sun, which had been hiding behind a cloud, broke out into the open. I felt warm and happy, like I always did in the sun. It's kind of cheesy, but I felt like it was an encouraging message from my dad, Apollo. Since he's the sun god, he can do that kind of thing.

I guess because of my dad's approval, or maybe ... well, I don't know what. But I said to Jake, quietly, "Jake, I'm gay."

He had been just about to say something, but instead he blurted, "Me too!"

And there was something funny about it, so I burst out laughing, and then Jake did too, and I had this weird feeling in my stomach; sort of the opposite of healing someone, good energy being added, not subtracted.

So we laughed, and the warm feeling in my stomach faded, and we sat there in happy silence, until Jake's stomach growled. I jumped up in mock surprise and exclaimed "Where's the hellhound?" Jake punched me in the arm and said "Shut up, Solace!"

Then we walked back to camp to make preparations for the coming war.