I have no idea what to do. I have no idea how this will go. But I love to fall into things blindly. I guess we'll just have to see how this goes. I want to do this. I want to do well at it.

Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine. The PJO characters are Rick's. And their children are property of Takara Phoenix, who has a much more creative mind than me. This is also not set in her alternate "Chasingverse" (which is freaking awesome by the way).

…

Thess's ideal summer didn't include camp. His older sister, older brother, twin, and younger siblings all seemed thrilled with the idea. But Thess would rather stay home or hang out with his friends. Heck, even his mom and dad seemed to like the idea. They enrolled all seven kids as soon as school let out. They had a week to enjoy themselves before being sent off to what Thess thought was hell on earth. Summer camps were for babies or for people with no inkling of social life.

"Shouldn't you be packing?" Percy asked. She was busy stuffing as much as she could into one suitcase. No doubt everyone under the age of eighteen was doing the same thing. The only difference was that Bianca and Donny were going as counselors. Thess, Percy, Jimmy, Silly and Jack were all going as campers. Thess wrinkled his nose, but eventually rose from his place on his bed to retrieve his suitcase from the closet. "We do leave tomorrow, you know," Percy said.

"I know, I know," Thess mumbled, neatly folding outfits and laying them in his suitcase. He added his hairbrush, cologne, and other toiletries. He hated being unclean, even at a place like a summer camp. "Do we really all have to go? And why can't we be counselors like Bia and Donny? That sounds way better than being led around by them."

"Because we're not sixteen," Sally pointed out. Thess glared at her. But he sighed. He felt conflicted. He liked pleasing his mom and dad. He liked being the good twin of the two. But at the same time he dreaded going to summer camp. There wasn't even a rational reason for it. Thess just didn't want to go. But he would swallow down those feelings. It will make mom and dad happy, he kept repeating to himself. He mechanically packed everything else he would need into the suitcase. He blinked. He hadn't even been aware that he'd finished packing. Percy was still packing, so Thess left. Maybe someone else would need help.

"Aren't you excited?" Thess blinked. Donny was helping lug suitcases to the living room. Their mom, Percy (the actual Percy, Thess's twin was the mini-me), led Jack, who didn't seem all that eager at that very moment. Thess could hear their dad, Nico, in Jimmy and Silly's room. So the di Angelo household was abuzz the night before camp. Wonderful. Thess leaned against the wall, running his fingers through his admittedly long hair. Donny returned, grinning like crazy. "I'm excited," he said, picking up right where he left off. "We got our cabin assignments today, in the mail." At that, Thess perked up.

"Do you know where I am?" he asked his older brother. Donny wasn't much older than him. Just two years. Yet he was old enough to go as a counselor. But Donny shook his head.

"Bianca and I just got what cabins we're assigned to," he explained. "We don't have any of you guys. So where you go is just as much a mystery to us as it is to you." Thess sighed. He was hoping to know who his cabin mates were ahead of time so he wouldn't be surprised. Sometimes surprises could be fun. Maybe he wouldn't mind it too much. All his siblings would be there.

"That's the last of them." Thess and Donny turned to find their dad walking out of Thess's room, carrying Percy Junior's suitcase. "Seven kids ready for a big day tomorrow." The remaining kids followed him to the living room. It was strange to see everyone gathered in one place. That didn't tend to happen, even when they wanted it. "I can't believe you'll all be gone," Nico said.

"I know," Percy agreed sadly. Their house hadn't been empty in almost eighteen years (eighteen was how old Bianca was). "Our babies are actually going to be away for the entire summer." While it was saddening, Percy and Nico were both looking forward to some much needed alone time. Raising seven children was no easy task.

"We'll keep an eye on the young ones Mamá," Bianca promised. Donny nodded. They were the two oldest; they were the responsible ones.

"Me too," Thess said, because he was usually good at keeping everyone calm. He tried his very best to impress his mom and dad. Percy smiled softly at his children. It was going to be an interesting summer indeed. By some unspoken agreement, the children began to filter out. They had to rise early the next morning in order to prepare for camp. Even Thess walked back, albeit reluctantly. He said his goodnights to those he wouldn't see, ruffling Jack's hair as the youngest di Angelo went to bed. He stuck his head in and said goodnight to Donny and Bia, then said goodnight to the other set of twins. He used the restroom, washed his face, and brushed his teeth. Finally, he went back to his room.

"Aren't you the least bit excited?" Percy asked. Thess shrugged. He could lean either way at this point. It was too early to tell.

"You know summer camp has never been my thing," he said. "But it'll make our parents happy if I at least pretend to be happy. You know." He turned away, looking at the vanity they had in their room. Both twins used it in equal parts. Just because Thess was a boy didn't mean he didn't care about looking and smelling good. He began to run a comb through his hair, despite the fact it was close to time to sleep. "You know I'd rather stay home this summer."

"I know," Percy said. "Maybe you'll make some new friends. Or find that special girl you're always after." Thess nodded. He might be fourteen, but he was looking for a relationship. Weird, yes, but considering most six year olds at iPhones these days, it wasn't that strange anymore. The only things was, Thess was feeling things. Feeling things he couldn't explain. Girls were good, yes, but so were boys. In equal parts. Maybe that was what Thess was so worked about. A whole summer of nothing but being crowded into a cabin with boys his own age? It just seemed like a recipe for disaster. He set his comb down and gulped.

"Maybe," he croaked out. "We'll just have to see." He crawled into his own bed, pulling his comforter up to his chin. "Night sis," he added, flipping off their lamp. Percy was asleep before he could blink, but Thess stayed up long into the night, worrying. Who would his councilor be? What would his cabin mates be like? And would he find anyone special while they were there?

…

"Oh, I can't believe you're actually leaving," Percy said, hugging each of his children in turn. Jack had a hand on Donny's, gazing up curiously. It was his first summer away from mom and dad. In fact, it was all of their first summers away from mom and dad. "Have fun everyone," Percy said as Nico tugged impatiently on his sleeve. He stood erect and smiled softly at his husband. After a final round of hugs, kisses, and promises of being good and watching out for each other, Percy and Nico left, leaving the seven di Angelo siblings standing awkwardly in front of the sign. Camp Clear Waters. Fantastic. The name sounded like it was pulled straight out of the movies.

"Well," Bianca said, clasping her hands together. "Let's hop to it. Donny and I need to find our cabins and you guys need to find your cabin assignments." With that, everyone split. Donny led Jack away, more than likely to find where he was placed. Thess saw a large group of kids crowded around what looked like a bulletin board. He tapped Percy's shoulder and pointed to it. She nodded and, together, they wheeled our suitcases that way. They waited patiently in the makeshift line. Thess tugged at the collar of my shirt. It was already hot, and he was already sweating. He couldn't understand how Percy could wear all black. He could barely wear a black shirt without sweating enough to fill the lake.

"I'm in cabin twenty-three," Percy said, weaving her way back to him. "You're in cabin fifteen. I suppose I'll see you?" He nodded, feeling a little lump in his throat. It would be the first time in a long time that he wouldn't be sleeping in the same room as his sister. He wheeled his suitcase towards the battered cabins. He found his cabin by shear chance. After all, the faded fifteen was hardly noticeable. But someone rushed by excitedly mumbling about fifteen and disappeared inside. He followed at a slower pace, peering around. A bunch of preteen boys stuffed into one cabin, talking excitedly over one another.

It was going to be a long summer.

Sighing, Thess claimed one of the bunks as his own, spreading his sheets out on top of the thin mattress. Since he wasn't entirely sure what to do now, he shoved his suitcase under the bunk and stretched out on top, lacing his fingers behind his head. He listened to the excited babble around him. He glanced around. Some of the boys looked dorky and nerdy. Not that there was anything wrong with that. And then… Thess sat up quickly, whacking his head on the bunk above his. The cute blonde boy looked around, his eyes lighting on the dark-haired boy sitting quietly observing him. He crept over like he was committing a crime.

"Hi," he said shyly, twisting the hem of his shirt his fingers. "I'm Lucas Chase. But you can call me Luke. This is cabin fifteen, right?" For a moment, Thess couldn't form words. This boy was making him tongue tied. Finally, Thess put two thoughts together. And he shrugged.

"I think so," he said. "Someone ducked in here saying something about cabin fifteen, so I just followed them. Also, I'm Theseus di Angelo, but you can call me Thess."

"Thess," Luke said, rolling the name around on his tongue. Thess shuddered. His name sounded so good on Luke's lips. "That's quite the name. I like it. Hey, is that bunk taken?" Thess glanced up, but the boy next to them shook his head. "Sweet," Luke said, swinging his backpack up onto the bed. "I'll sleep above you Thess." He gave him a small smile. Thess swept his hair aside, smiling back. God, what was this boy going to do to him?

"Hey everyone." Thess stared at the door uncomprehendingly at the door as a boy Donny's age entered, carrying a clip board. "I'm Chrysander, and I'm your councilor this summer. You guys can just call me Sander." Thess nodded appreciatively. He should introduce Sander to Donny. He had a feeling his brother would enjoy this boy very much. "Alright everyone, pick a buddy for the summer. You're in charge of making sure they're on time for everything, that they understand the schedule, and just generally make sure they're alright." Thess felt a tiny tap on his head. He looked up into Luke's honest blue eyes.

"You're my buddy, kay," he said, leaving no room for argument. Not like Thess was complaining about that. "Oh hey, did you see all the girls here?" Luke asked, and Thess felt the balloon of hope inside of his chest deflating. "This summer is going to be awesome!" Luke climbed down and sat next to Thess. Throwing and arm over his shoulder. Thess briefly looked at the blonde's hand before snapping his attention back to his face. He gulped. This summer was going to be a gigantic tease.

"Y-yeah," Thess said, keeping his eyes on Sander. He didn't necessarily want to face Luke. What was he feeling? He wasn't sure. But he didn't like it. He needed to focus on something else. Luke was right about one thing. With all the girls here, there was plenty to look at.

…

Alright everyone, I hope you enjoyed this short, sorta slow start. It'll pick up as Thess's feelings grow more. Also, every time I wrote Luke, all I could think of was Luke Hemmings. He's my wittle baby.

I'm calling this Camp Clear Waters for now. If you have a different suggestion, please let me know.