A/N

Please take the time to R&R. Sorry I didn't post when I said I would, but I. . . I . . . I could come up with some lie for why I didn't post but the truth is I was lazy and had writers block, I still do but oh well. I hope you like this chapter.

Alt. excuse

Yeah I was totally going to post but I had a hot date so whatever.

I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians, but there has got to be a parallel universe somewhere out there where I do own it, so I wrote this. I don't own Troy either, the movie that is. The ancient city on the other hand…

QotD:

"War is young men dieing and old men talking"-

Odysseus, in Troy

Θ۞Θ

There was a loud horn like sound and my eyes opened. I found myself looking up into the smug face of Max Johnson, a fellow Hermes kid. He had a big orange air horn in his hand. I found out what the sound was.

"Wake up bro" he said "It's almost shower time"

I tossed the dark blue covers to the foot off my bed and swung my feet out and down to the floor. The polished cement was cool to the touch. I shook my head trying to get rid of the sleepy feeling.

"What are you a dog?" asked a passing Hermes girl, Janet. I made a cheesy woof woof noise.

She ignored me and returned to the girl's side of the cabin. There was a cheap flimsy wall that divided the two halves of the cabin. People rarely paid a mind to it. We were siblings after all.

I pulled a pair of Khaki shorts, an orange half-blood shirt and a button up plaid shirt. I was tempted to skip this morning's shower but in the end I opted to deal with the cold water. I tossed on yesterday's clothes to avoid walking across camp in my robe.

The Hermes kids almost always failed their inspection so I was right about the cold shower water. We got off better than the Hephaestus kids, who'd, neglected to put away two thirds of a Sherman tank they'd left out on their floor before inspection.

After I'd taken my two minute speed shower I toweled off and tried to put my hair into a 'just out of bed' look. I buttoned up my shirt and headed towards the sword arena, only a few more hours to kill before capture the flag. I'd heard that Percy and Annabeth, our (engaged) camp instructors were going to play for either team. Percy taught basic combat and Annabeth did something with battle strategy. I'm not sure exactly what. I wasn't much for theory, I was more of a hands on camper.

My name is Sam Grayson. I don't exactly stick out in a crowd, bright blue eyes and dirty blond hair. But of course sticking out is bad for a demigod so I guess I should be thankful. Not that I was much of a demigod, I wasn't an exceptional swordfighter, or a great strategist, I wasn't even particularly fast. I could shoot a bow alright, but not as well as the Apollo kids. I guess you could say I was the Jack-of-all-Trades type. Most Hermes kids were.

The one thing I did pride myself on was finding ways around tough spots. You know, if I can't beat some crazy monster in an honest sword fight, there's not much stopping me from fighting dirty. Its not that I'm all dishonorable, I'd just rather survive. Don't get me wrong, I don't fight dirty when I'm faced with campers. However as far as monsters and various people trying to kill me, fighting dirty is fair game as it were.

During one capture the flag game in order to return the flag I went out and found some vicious beast. I proceeded to insult its mother then run straight into the enemy camp with the monster on my tail. While they were all pre occupied with the Giant Lion headed monster I stole the flag and won the game. Was it cheap maybe but who cares I didn't end up with any new scars so that's a win for me.


I crashed through the bushes into the creek bed. My breathing was ragged and shallow. I was out of shape, seriously out of shape. It's a sad day when holding my sword for too long makes me tired. How can I ever beat a monster in a fight when I can't even beat my own sword?

I stooped to my knees in the swift water and pressed my lips to the current. Cool and refreshing, even if I wasn't a son of Poseidon the water still did me some good. Behind me a demigod sprinted into the creek bed. It was Mr. Jackson, our sword instructor. "Not even into enemy territory and your already beat, come on Grayson lets go." He sprinted across the river into enemy territory.

I pushed myself to my feet and followed after him. I darted around trees, and leapt over fallen logs. After a while of running and searching I found myself in a small clearing. It held a massive oak tree, surrounded by bright green grass. I knew the tree belonged to the wood nymph, Sonia. I use nymphs to escape punishment all the time. You know, play a prank on someone, then when they're looking for whoever did it, you're hundreds of yards away hiding in the forest. Dryads could seriously move you through the woods fast.

I hadn't noticed them when I first walked into the clearing but there were three Ares campers leaning against Sonia's tree. I could never beat all three of them . . . in a fair fight.

"Well. Well. Well." said the biggest of them "looks like we've got a lost thief boys."

"Exploring is no fun if you know where you are" I answered nonchalantly, I needed to get close to the tree, I didn't think I could outrun them and I couldn't beat them, the tree was my escape.

"What are you doing?" Steve, the smaller one asked

"What? You're the only people allowed to lean against his tree?" I asked having approached the trio and propped my elbow up against the tree. They looked at me like I was insane, maybe I was.

Without another word the biggest of the three swung his sword strait at my neck. I casually ducked out of the way, and put my back against the tree. "No reason we can't be civil" I said glancing up at the branches above my head. Where was she?

"What? Praying to daddy?" Steve asked as I glanced at the branches again. "Too bad he isn't a real god."

That got me mad. "At least my dad doesn't have a pig for his symbol" I replied calmly pushing Steve away from me.

The big one slashed at my neck again, this time his sword embedded itself in the trunk of the giant oak. She was definitely coming now. "Yeah, he can read he can right, he can even have conversations that don't end in bloodshed and humility."

I blocked one sword strike with my shield, but the second dug into my bicep. CRAP, she better come! As the third guy wound up for another strike, I vanished. Well I didn't vanish. I was whisked up into the air by two slender hands.

"Are you insane?" asked a familiar voice. It was Sonia "How did you plan to get out of that"

"Exactly how I did," I answered a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.

"Moron," she sighed in exasperation.

"Really?" I asked "I thought it was clever"

A pained expression erupted out of her elfish features. We both looked down and sure enough the Campers were trying to use their swords to chop down Sonia's tree.

We won the game of capture the flag. Of course it took some serious persuasion on Chiron's part to convince the nymphs to released Steve and his cronies. My guess was that they'd have marks from where the tree roots had dug into their skin for a long while.

"Good game me bretta" said Kingston, my friend from last year. He was a son of Poseidon. I know what your thinking, a Jamaican named Kingston, I guess old god Ahab had a sense of humor.

"Ditto, what are you up to Kingston?" I asked

"Some o de Hephaestus rigged up de canoe lake, dey say its warm as can be," he looked around to see if anyone was watching "on de down low, bretta we don't want dis secret gettin out but I here tell de Aphrodite girls bin invited fo a night time swim."

"Sounds like more fun than a bonfire with the Apollo kids," I said

"Den tag along Sammy" he said with a smile "long as you don tip nobody off."

We walked off towards the canoe lake. We tried to stay in the shadows so as to avoid detection but we still bumped into Emma.

"Sammy? Kingston?" she asked enthusiastically "what are you doing, the campfire is that way?"

"We tired pretty one?" joked Kingston. I knew this was just how Kingston spoke to women, usually I didn't care but it annoyed me when he spoke that way to Emma. But that was just because she's my best friend. I think.

"Sounds like the truth" Emma mumbled sarcastically. "You two are going off to make trouble aren't you?"

I couldn't lie to Emma. She was my best friend, that's why right?

"We just tired" lied Kingston. It was dark so Emma couldn't see my face, I nodded. And immediately felt terrible about lying.

"Tell me the truth Sam" she said bluntly.

I was speechless. What was I supposed to say? I couldn't rat out Kingston but I didn't want to lie to Emma either.

Kingston saved me before I had to answer. "We goin to de lake" he said giving up the charade. He gave me a meaningful look, like you'd do the same for me.

"Why?"

"To swim," said Kingston, he got this weird far off look in his eyes.

"Mind if I come?" she asked.

Kingston let out an almost inaudible sigh before he continued on his way to his cabin. Motioning as he did for us to follow. He slipped into his cabin and changed from his red battle board shorts to his blue swimming board shorts. I'd only ever seen him in jeans once. We stood outside Emma's cabin as she changed. Personally I wasn't a huge fan of swimming, but how many guys can pass up the opportunity to see a bunch of beautiful girls in their skimpy bathing suits.

"So ow long you ben likin Emmy?" Kingston asked in a low voice.

"She's my best friend." I answered not sure where he was going with this. "We've been friends since my first year of camp."

"You know what I mean bretta. I heard she ended it with Todd over de school year." He said with a wink

Before I could answer Emma walked out of the Apollo cabin wearing a brown and neon green bikini. Her wavy golden brown hair was let down, and her just brushed her shoulders. The flood lights on her cabin showed her perfectly tan skin, like all Apollo kids. Her eyes were this chocolate brown, that turned lighter when she was in the sun.

"Samuel Grayson what are you staring at?" Emma's voice jogged me back to reality. Kingston burst out laughing, his hands clutching his sides.

"Ooh gimme bretta a break, you breathtaking Emmy" She blushed, and I felt, I'm not sure about the adjective, Envy? Jealousy? I couldn't place it.

"So I heard you and Todd broke up" I said casually to Anna.

"Yeah, he was getting clingy" she said dragging her big toe through the water. The Hephestus, aphrodite and demeter kids were all swimming around. Kingston kept sending up columns of water to pick up campers and toss them across the waves.

"That's too bad" I said but apparently she heard the insincerity in my voice. I never liked Todd something about him made me hate him, like he had some kind of anger inciting aura around him.

"What was your problem with Todd?"

I didn't know how to explain. "He was just weird I guess. He pushed my buttons.

"Oh really"

I never learned what she had on her mind because at that very moment two giant hands, made of water shot out from below the pier and tugged us into the water.

I hefted myself out of the water onto the pier. My clothes were sopping wet and there was no way I could swim in them. I took off my dress shirt and my camp Half-Blood T. Kingston was so dead. I slopped my wet clothes onto the aluminum dock and turned towards the water. Kingston was actually standing in the middle of a water typhoon. How was I ever going to get him.

As much as I wanted fake revenge I decided it'd be better to just bow to social pressure and join the group. I quickly pulled my sopping wet wallet and Zippo out of my pockets. Hopefully it'll still work, if not I could just replace it.

I dove into the shallow water and swam towards the group of kids. All shouting and talking to one another and worrying who Kingston would half drown next. The good thing about Kingston was he realized we couldn't breathe water, so whenever he pushed you under there was an air bubble around your face. It didn't lessen your shock though.

After another hour or so everyone started heading back towards their cabins. I tugged on my sopping wet shirts and stood on the sandy beach. The moon was big and hanging just above the beach, so seeing wasn't particularly hard.

"You know I'd never gone swimming in the dark before" said Emma. She was sitting in the sand behind me. The moonlight illuminated her skin, making her look like some kind of shiny goddess.

"Its dangerous" I said, usually I laugh in the face of danger, but I wasn't a huge fan of water, at all. "It'd be tough to find someone if they were drowning."

"Yeah, except we had a water god hanging out with us" I plopped down in on the sand beside her.

"So now Kingston's a god?" I asked feeling slightly down trodden

"No" she answered. It sounded frantic for some reason.

"But his dad was floating around us the whole time, on one of those pool toys.

"I thought that was a Hephaestus kid"

"Nope, I saw his trident, and when we were done he just kind of melted into the water.

"Wow, Kingston's dad is cool" I said, cool enough to hang out with a bunch of teenagers and not even stick out. A single wave rolled and crashed against the beach sending the water up to splash against my feet.

"I guess,"

"Back on the dock" I suggested "You were about to say something"

"Forget about it" she said her cheeks turning red in the moonlight.

"I could have sworn you were going to say something more"

"Forget about it, I've decided better on it" she leaned across the small gap between us, a smile on her face. Emma pecked her lips against my cheek. I swear my heart almost stopped. What did this mean, Emmy had never acted like this before. I liked it, though I wish my cheeks didn't look as red as the second set of a baboon's.

I tried to say something but it came out as a weird strangled sigh.

Emmy giggled "I'll see you tomorrow Sam," She put her hand on my arm for a few seconds before standing up.

As I walked back to my cabin I couldn't help but let my mind wander, and wonder about Emmy, why had she done this? Did she like me? Did I like her? Did she think I liked her and decided to let me down easy?"
I was walking back to my cabin. I took my time and plodded along in the sand and the grass. I heard the curfew harpies in the distance but I didn't care, I was in bliss. Albeit confused bliss, but bliss none the less.

I don't own Peter Johnson and the crazy Russian Huguenot adventure.

Take a little time to R&R, then get off your $$ and review my story. Joke

Laters-

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