Get ready for extreme AW!s with...

Tratie.


I knew I couldn't do it. But I knew I couldn't live with myself if I never took the chance.

Of course, Connor was no help whatsoever. I could hear him planning against our soon-to-be(-or-maybe-not) date in the bunk below mine in the middle of the night. The plans he had figured up so far weren't exactly comforting, and I wasn't looking forward to experiencing what would happen after the monster-dust downpour.

No, I thought. You've gotta ask her no matter what. Deal with your idiot brother later, stupid.

I could feel the goosebumps rise on my forearms. What if she turned me down? What if she laughed at me? What if I chickened out and ended up babbling about things that didn't matter. Huge turn-off.

NO! Who cares if it might be the most embarrassing day of your life? Katie's worth the risk.

Connor would be so dead if he messed up my date. The prank was almost better than the time I put a fake mustache and nerdy 3-D glasses on the Ares cabin's boar head.

What if he really went through with his cold-blooded prank? To sabotage his own brother's dream date?

No. Connor's a slimy snake, but not a scaly crocodile.

Of course, I was still almost entirely unsure that I was actually telling the truth or lying. But things like that can't be lied about, right? Whatever. You need to focus right now, anyway.

I shook it off and stomped awkwardly over to the pink, sparkly, body-length mirror I had stolen from an Aphrodite kid.

First, I practiced the entrance.

"Katie... baby...Wassup?"

No. Too Vegas.

"Why, howdy, Katie!"

No way. Too Little House on the Praire.

"Yo, yo, yo-"

I'm pretty sure I sounded equivalent to Eminem when he was five.

"GRRR!" I roared, a fist closing around a handful of dark-brown curly hair.

I froze when I saw my horrifying expression reflecting from the mirror. I grimaced. I was hideously furious.

I attempted to toss my hair across the side of my forehead like Justin Bieber. I wonder if that was the key to chick magnetism. of course, my hair popped back into place in tufts of twirly strands that stuck straight up like I'd been electrified. Screw the Bieber option.

I sighed, crossing my arms. This was as good as it'd get.

I stared mournfully at myself before smoothing down my mini Mohawk and tromping out the cabin door.

I tried to make my walk to the Demeter cabin as casual as possible. I whistled, stuffed my hand in my pockets. Apparently that only made me more suspicious, because I caught a few troubling glances. One girl was clutching her diamond necklace like it was her key to life. I couldn't blame them, but it was hard not being trusted with anything except prank requests.

A queasy feeling in my stomach struck me. What if the whole thing went wrong? What if something horrible interrupted our date? What if she doesn't like me? What if she thinks I'm pathetic, ugly, and stuff? What then?

My mind immediately jumped to a prank I would-

No. I said to myself for the millionth time. Stop jumping to ridiculous conclusions.

Katie isn't like that.

By the time I caught back to reality, it was too late.

I was standing in front of the Demeter cabin. Or five feet in front of it, anyway. Either way, nothing could wipe the image of Katie Gardener's expression out of my head.

Her look was expectant but fierce as she loomed protectively over her Forget-Me-Not's. A stripe of greasy soil was smeared across her rosy cheek, a loose brown bun that looked like it'd collapse any minute protruded from the top of her head. Her usual overalls and farming boots were also covered with grimy dirt. Her gardening shovel was raised like she was planning on planting a flower in my face.

"Well?" she said. "Are you going to try and take my new experimental plant or what? If you are, then get it over with, or face the wrath of this shovel in your gut."

I snorted. I couldn't help it. She was five and a half feet of pure fury. But cute fury.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously and I hushed myself. She was actually quite terrifying. I could almost imagine the feeling of a shovel being thrust into my stomach by the look her bright green eyes alone.

I raised my hands in surrender. "I-I..."

She laughed warmly, and knelt back down into the dirt of the cabin-side garden that grew year-round like she had never even seen me. "I'm just kidding, Hermesian. Get a grip."

I laughed a little, scratching the back of my neck.

"So..." I said. "I see you're working on a new project?"

She shrugged, not taking her eyes from the strange plant sprouting at her knee. "It isn't technically a new project. I've been planning ever since I discovered we could create hybrids out of hybrids, too."

She laughed like it was supposed to be a hilarious joke. I followed after her with a rather creepy cackle.

"That's fascinating," I said, pretending to survey the plants.

She beamed, clapping her fingers together in a silent clap. "I know, right!"

She squealed really high-pitched before scooting over so she could admire the leaves.

Then she furrowed her eyebrows, pressing a finger to her chin. "This flower has halted its photosynthesis..."

"Um... what?"

She smiled to herself more than to me. "This plant has stopped producing its chlorophyll."

I nodded. Chlorophyll sounded like a cleaning appliance.

"I'll have to fix that later," she said, brushing off her gardening gloves on her overall pants. She got up from her seat in the soil. "So. What're you here for?"

"Um..." I twisted around my hands through my shirt.

She waved a hand to the wide and expanded garden. "We have a new batch of Forget-Me-Not flowers. We have a few cherry trees in the back. And ready-made bouquets with love letters already printed for an on-the-go anniversary present!"

My hands were shaking. "No, I came here to talk to you, actually."

Katie frowned. "Oh. I have no time for personal matters. We're running low on roses this week."

She picked up her shovel and made a motion with it, air-jabbing it at my face, but with a wide smile.

"Listen..." I replied. "I wanted to know if you..."

"If I have any-"

"No," I interrupted, ignoring Katie's scorn of disapproval. "I wanted to know if you have your eye on anyone."

She looked taken aback, a blush creeping its way up her smeared but beautiful face. She seemed to feel it too, because she reached up a hand to her cheek.

Then her face became more red, her circular eyes shrinking to green slits. "What's it to you?"

I scrambled for a reply. I should've thought this out more. "W-well... you see, I-"

"You have a friend that's interested?" she muttered, looking quite disgusted.

"Um... sure."

She nodded, rolling her eyes. "Sorry, but I have to decline," she replied, pivoting on her feet to kneel in the soil. "My heart belongs to all things that grow from the ground, not a simple, innocent crush."

My heart was broken. "Oh, okay... I'll let him know."


When I found out the Demeter and Hermes cabins would be in alliance for Capture the Flag, I knew I was condemned to death.

But when I found out I was battle partners with Katie, I knew I was condemned to suicide.

Two massive huddles of campers stood facing each other, sneering at the others. One group consisted of Athena, Hephaestus, Poseidon, and Aphrodite. My team was made up of Ares, Apollo, Hermes, Dionysus, and Demeter. Of course, I knew they had an unfair advantage. They had the best strategists and fighters (besides the Aphrodite cabin).

I wasn't too confident about this one. Mostly because I'd suffer from extreme heartbreak the entire time. But, I'm a man. I can suck it, right?

I lost all willpower when she trudged over.

She was her usual self, except the dirt was just over her eyelid now. She didn't seem to notice it, but there was also a dirt clump stuck in her hair.

She smiled casually, strapping on her breastplate. "Howdy, partner."

I smiled weakly, keeping a distance. "Yee-haw."

She giggled, but hushed when Chiron blew his conch.

"Demigods, attention!" the centaur yelled. "Attention!"

All of the campers turned to him.

"That's better." He cleared his throat, smirking. "You all know the rules. No new campers, correct?"

Everyone started muttering and discussing among their partner.

"Hush, children," Chiron purred, and silence enveloped the glade. "Start on my blow."

One. Two. Three.

The horn blew, and the campers immediately scattered throughout the forest.

Katie tapped my shoulder from below. "Are you coming, or what?"

I nodded, and she began running. I had no choice but to follow her.

She leaped through the forest like a gazelle on steroids. I raced after her, lost her a few times, but she was always waiting for me around the next bend or behind a tree. It was like I blinked, and she'd be gone. And then the other way around.

She finally came to a climax, about halfway into enemy territory. She turned to me, panting.

"So... the plan's to fight off anyone who tries to interfere with the flag while the others try and get it over the boundary?" I guessed.

She nodded, crouching down to rest her hands on her knees.

"Can you keep an eye... while I... take a breather?" she choked between gasps.

I was pretty tired too, but of course, I wasn't going to say no. We'd both be screwed if I didn't.

She sat down in the dirt, twirling a stem of grass with her finger. "So. Who was your friend, anyway? Your brother?"

I scoffed. "Connor? No."

She took another deep breath. "So, who, then?"

I shrugged, trying to keep my cool. I started to pace. I really regretted talking to her then. "Oh... just a dude."

"A dude, huh?" she said. "Never guessed that."

"Well, you said you had no time for a relationship. Why do you care who it is?" I asked her, trying to keep up the act.

She stared off into the distance, her eyes alert to any movement. "I still want to know. Wouldn't you?"

"I guess."

Intense silence blanketed the glade we occupied like fallen snow.

After a while, she spoke up again. "You never even answered my question."

Oh great.

"No, I didn't."

"So you're just not going to tell me? Is this 'dude' some sort of mystery man or something?" She looked bugged, and curious.

"You could say that," I reasoned, circling the clearing.

"But... Never mind." She looked defeated, disappointed.

I felt sympathy, but then remembered I was the 'dude'. The 'mystery man'.

"What?" I asked her.

She sighed, squinting her eyes against the sun. "I do have my eye on someone. But he's an idiot, and I don't get to see him much. I really don't know why I like him."

My mood sunk like I was in quicksand.

"Who is it, then?" I asked.

She laughed, and it rang and echoed like a tingling bell. "I'm not telling you until you say who was interested."

The belly butterflies were stirring up trouble again.

"Well, I-"

"Watch out!" she yelled, and drew her sword.

Maybe three campers from the red team jumped from the trees, and began circling us, a smirk worn on their faces. Katie was the first to react, me being shell-shocked and all. She lashed out with her sword point, but an Athena dodged quickly and reflexively.

"We don't have the flag," I said, attemptign to shoo them.

A daughter of Hephaestus smiled. "We know, we just need to keep you all distracted. Easy, peasy."

The Hephaestus girl jumped forward at me, and began striking me with her sword. Luckily, she hit the air by me, and it sliced harmlessly through the open air. But, of course, she wasn't done yet.

I unsheathed my sword and parried most of her strikes. Except one.

I let out a horrifying cry of pain, and dropped to the dirt.

My vision was bleary with tears, and the forest was spinning. Voices and laughs echoed and vibrated in my mind. I felt stinging in my side: a searing pain that made me cringe and writhe on the forest floor.

"Traaavvvisssss!" Katie's voice echoed in my mind, much slower than it should've been.

I saw the three enemy campers trot off, high five-ing and cheering as they made their way to where their flag was probably planted.

I saw the distant, shadowy figure of Katie rush forward. "Are you okay?"

I moaned, trying to clutch my side robotically.

"No, no," she said. "Don't touch it, it won't do you any good."

She removed my hand from my side and kept it firmly in her grasp. "MEDIC! We need a medic!"

When help didn't come, she whispered, "Stay here, Travis," she laughed, and the sound of it comforted me. "I mean... you don't have a choice, but... "

Her eyes trailed across the forest and they stayed there for a while until I reminded her with another dramatic moan of pain. She shook out of it instantly.

"Well... if there's a better time to tell you this, I can't think of one," she spoke quickly, avoiding my eyes that were now crossing and closing slowly. "Travis... I knew you never had a friend you was interested. I know you like me. And now, I think- dare I say it -can find another time for agriculture."

No matter how much I fought my eyes to stay open, I reluctantly let them shut.


I woke up in the infirmary the next afternoon.

Apollo campers rushed around my bed, tending to other injured fighters. I tried to sit up to let everything sink in, to get the feeling back in my neck, to gain full reality, but someone pushed my back down against gently.

"Wait for that," Katie said. "I recommend ambrosia or nectar first."

She guided a pink curly straw shaped like a flower to my lips. Warm liquid flooded my body and I instantly felt revived. My eyes fluttered open, and I blinked the sleep out of them. I slowly processed my surroundings.

Katie sat on my bed next to me, her hands folded in her lap. The thing that most surprised me is thats he wasn't wearing her overalls anymore. Instead, jeans and a camp shirt.

She propped me up in bed, and my head felt light but heavy all the same. The room spun, but I blinked and let it pass. Soon, the infirmary was just the right level.

"How do you feel?" Katie asked. She got up from her seat on the hospital bed and knelt by it instead, resting her elbows and chin on the edge.

I groaned, until I figured out how to use my mouth again. "Like me insides have been microwaved, frozen, and thawed."

She smiled. "So you feel cruddy?"

I nodded.

She looked like she understood. "You took a nasty bite from Macy Hicks."

I moved one muscle, and a shot of pain zipped and rocketed through my torso and up my right shoulder. "What's the damage, exactly?"

She considered,holding out a hand and counting on her fingers as she listed my injuries. "If I remember correctly... dislocated shoulder, broken wrist, and a pretty deep slash in the side."

"Yow," I sighed, impressed with myself. "Ick."

She closed the Ziplock bag full of ambrosia and held up the canteen of nectar once more. "Wanna 'nother sip?"

"Please and thank you," I gulped another swallow before laying back against the pillow.

"Pretty wiped, huh," she said understandingly.

"You could say I'm wiped," I said through moans as I felt the bandage around my torso.

She laughed weakly. "Do you remember anything?"

I strained to remember. "Well, we were talking to something, and these three campers came and totally owned me, and you were freaking out and then I blacked out."

She looked a little relieved, but bothered. "Anything else?"

I went back to the time before I passed out. Katie had told me something: something she said she couldn't tell me any other time in any other way.

"A little," I said.

"What?" she said expectantly, avoiding my eyes again.

I scratched my head with my located arm. "Well... you told me something obviously important."

"Yes," she said simply. "Do you remember what exactly?"

No matter how much I thought, though, I couldn't figure it out.

"No," I finally said, and saw the unsure look on Katie's face. "Tell me again?"

She sighed. "I'd rather not."

I said, "C'mon. Just tell me."

She took a deep, shaky breath. "Well... remember how you said that a friend was interested in me? It turns that I knew it was you who was interested all along. You're a bad liar, son of Hermes, or not."

I felt myself blush as I remembered exactly what she had said. It was imprinted in my mind like she had just said it.

I knew you never had a friend you was interested. I know you like me. And now, I think- dare I say it -can find another time for agriculture.

"I remember now," I said plainly.

She hid her face. "You do?"

"Yeah," he said. "I'm glad you feel that way. I'm miles ahead on my road to recovery."

She turned to me. I noted the way her hair was never in place, but it was always perfect nevertheless. Her cheeks were pinker than ever.

Her smile grew, her sun freckles rippling. "Good to hear."

We shared a moment of silence, where we just smiled at each other and said nothing, but we were yet saying a thousand words.

She turned away, got up and walked to the foot of my bed. Her smile never weakened.

"Now that you're on the road to recovery," she said, "it's time for me to let you rest and catch up on some work."

"Oh."

She walked around the bed. "Have a safe ride to recovery, mystery man."

She leaned down and kissed me softly on the cheek.


That was just darn adorable.

Up next: Chronicles of Chrisse

What paring for chapter 3?

-Juniver?

-Percabeth?

-Thaluke?

-or Lukabeth?

Let me know in a review. Or something. (: