Wow, I feel bad. A month long update and this is all I can give you guys? I'm a terrible author... This is just a filler chapter, nothing much happens in it. But hey, I've been sick recently! And besides, the plot bunnies only visited me on every story but this one. I know, that's no excuse... So, uh... enjoy, if I can really even say that...

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO.

Chapter Three- Blessing or a Curse?

Lee avoided the topic of Ethan's trip as much as possible for the next few days. I'm not sure why, but… that really bothered me. Maybe he just didn't want to scare me or something, but not knowing what's in the future is worse than waiting and having your worst fears haunt you about it. At least, that's what I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen.

"Shiloh, I would like to pretend you know what you're talking about. Most rational people would say the same thing." He shook his head as we walked towards to the cabins from the strawberry fields.

"But…" I bit my lip. How on earth could I put this to make him understand? "I'll always be wondering what's going to happen! I'll always be worried, and one day I'll become all jumpy and paranoid from always wondering about the future!" I cringed and made a twitching face.

He chuckled softly, but his face became solemn quickly. "Knowing the future is never a good thing…"

"But—"

"No, really." He cut me off. "Like, take the Oracle for instance," He waved his hand to the top floor of the Big House as we passed by, and the curtain seemed to sway from an unseen wind. "She was despised for her abilities—people hated her simply because she told them things they didn't want to hear, though it was their inevitable future. She was just the messenger. And I bet that at least one—if not all—of the past Oracles was scarred for life by the terrible things she had seen through her dreams. I mean, you can only imagine what happened to the last one to make her the way she is now."

He had a point, but he wasn't letting me make mine. "This is off topic! We're not talking about the Oracle of Delphi here; we're talking about what terrible things are going to happen to my best friend!" That last sentence came out a little louder than I had meant it to, and a few of the surrounding campers gave us weird looks.

Lee grabbed my shirt sleeve and pulled me over to a tree where no one seemed to be. We sat down in the grass, which was browning from the summer heat. "I wouldn't talk so loud about people's tragic fates if I were you!" He hissed.

My eyes widened. "So something bad is going to happen! I knew it!"

"That's not what I meant!"

"Please, tell me what you know. You said you were having dreams about the future, you must know something!" I almost lost control of my steady voice.

He looked out at the canoe lake, eyes almost the same color as the bright blue sky. "I… I only see snippets, every now and then when I go to sleep. It's nothing I can really piece together, but I know something terrible is going to happen in the next few years—probably having to do with the war coming up."

"Anything about Ethan?"

He opened his mouth, but hesitated. "I've already said too much. I'm sorry," He got up and brushed himself off. "I have to go."

I grabbed his hand before he could walk away, and our eyes locked for a brief second.

"Lee…" I started softly. "You have a gift. You could use it to help us all."

His face was pained. "I-it's not a gift—it's nothing near that. Seeing the future is a curse, and that's all it will ever be." He pulled his hand out of mine, and walked away without another word.

I just leaned my head against the rough bark, my body not willing me to make any other moves. "Why…" I murmured. "Why do I have to be stuck in a situation like this…?"

No more than a minute later did Vanessa Samson come jogging by, with her honey brown hair being tossed in the light wind. She was smiling and chatting with a few of her half sisters, and a pang of jealousy went through me. I tried to swallow it down, but it stayed like a lump in my throat. Sometimes… sometimes being close friends with claimed demigods hurt worse than being unclaimed in and of itself. It's like a knife, constantly stabbing at undetermined half-bloods, reminding us that our parents don't love us enough to even recognize their own children. And who knows, I could be best friends with one of my own half siblings and never even know it! The gods hate me and I would never find out why…

Kronos. I blinked a few times. That last thought could not have been from my own mind. My heart started racing, as I realized how much influence he still had in my mind. This is bad… This is bad…

I took a deep breath. Lawson, you've gotta be tougher than this! Don't let him put these thoughts in your head! Keep control of your own self! There's a reason you're still unclaimed—you'll find the answers one day. Yeah, if one day means never… I shook my head, trying to wring out any remaining traces of self-pity and fear as my friend approached me, no longer with her siblings.

"Hey Shiloh!" Vanessa chirped as she looked down at me. "What are you doing just sitting under this tree?"

"Nothing much," I sighed.

She tilted her head. "Hmm…"

"'Hmm' what?"

"You're a wreck today!"

"Gee, thanks…"

She laughed. "No, I mean, like, is something bothering you?"

I forced a smile and stood up to face her. "No, nothing at all. It's just any other day at camp."

She grinned. "Good! And hey, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" I asked as we started walking.

"Well," She laced her fingers together and looked around at the scenery, her eyes meeting everywhere but mine. "This… this is going to sound awkward."

"Hey," I held up my hands. "One of my friends is Levi Roday—I've heard plenty awkward over the years."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she looked away, a light blush on her cheeks. "Yeah, hah… it's about, uh, him."

I raised an eyebrow, venturing to what she could possibly be getting at. "And?"

"Well, um, like, do you know if he, er, likes anybody?"

I almost started laughing. "Levi? Like a girl?"

She put her head down.

"Wait, you don't seriously—you—him…?"

"What can I say?" She smiled. "I have a thing for curly gingers."

"That's…"

"So, do you know if he's into any girls here?"

I pushed the bangs out of my eyes, leaving my hand on my forehead as I thought about that. "To tell the truth, Vanessa, I have no idea. For all I know, he could be madly in love with me and would never even hint at it. It's hard to tell these things with that boy."

"Oh… well, I assumed you would know cause you two are, like, the closest people ever. I thought maybe you would know what to do about this?"

"An Aphrodite girl asking my advice about 'love'?" I mock gasped. "I thought this day would never come!"

Vanessa looked away. "I told you this would be weird!"

"Well, I don't know what to tell ya."

She was silent for a few minutes until we reached the fire pit in the middle of the ring of cabins. "Well, do you think he likes movie stars?"

I just stared at her. "Where did that come from?"

"Well, I want to be an actress when I grow up." She got a dreamy look in her eyes. Then, before I could respond, she suddenly collapsed on the ground, narrowly missing cracking her head on the edge of the brazier.

I knelt down next to her. "Vanessa? Are you alright?" When she didn't respond, panic rose up into my throat. What just happened to her? "Vanessa! Get up!" I started shaking her. "Get up!" No response. "Medic!" I yelled. "I need a medic!"

Her eyes suddenly flicked open. "No! Don't! I'm fine!"

It took me a second to calm down, and I waved away the Apollo camper who had rushed over.

"What in the name of Zeus almighty was that about?" I demanded, and thunder rumbled lightly in the distance. "You scared me!"

She smiled like nothing was wrong. "I told you I want to be an actress!"

"You didn't have to prove it to me!" I gritted out. "Come on, get up."I yanked her up off of the ground.

"So, will you help me?"

"Fine, but no more pulling stunts like that!" I said in exasperation, and we shared a light laugh.

"Okay, how about we meet in the Big House at noon tomorrow to talk about this? I have to get to my cabin to discuss some important matters with my siblings right now."

"Oh, you mean to gossip and talk about all the latest fads?"

"You know me so well!" She winked, and walked off to the bright pink cabin.

I sighed. Wonder what it would be like to have brothers and sisters like that…

A/N: I told you this wasn't a very interesting chapter. Blah D: But I promise I'll try to get this updated quicker than I just did! I just need the plot to really take off already...