Wow it's been a long time since I updated this! Sorry about that! I hate research papers, don't you? The writing I do for English has to be about a complete 180 turnaround from fanfiction, and I've been working on it all day, so don't be surprised if this is a little formal.

Song That's in My Head: Kryptonite

Mood: Annoyed. I hate homework

Diss: Immature friends. Fistfights are not the answer, and there are more interesting topics than a certain unit in a certain class which I haven't started yet and would not wish to talk about while I am EATING!

And this is me praying that/ This is the very first page, not where the storyline ends/ my thoughts will echo your name until I see you again/ these are the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon/ I was enchanted to meet you- Enchanted by Taylor Swift

I got up the next morning feeling extremely good. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, I had an extra hour of freetime to hang with Nyssa-

I spoke too soon.

Sighing, I flopped down on my bed. Suddenly I didn't feel like going to breakfast anymore.

Nyssa isn't the type to let things go so easily. She would most likely be still mad at me, and there was nothing I could do about it. I learned the hard way to let Nyssa come around on her own.

I wondered what I did to set her off so badly. It wasn't like she liked me or something, she was my best friend, the one I had known since the beginning of my stay at Camp Half-Blood. She showed me the ropes, kept me out of trouble, made sure I didn't screw up too much. Nyssa was that solid rock of stability for camp. She was so much like Beckendorf in personality it was scary. When she was shaken, the whole camp was shaken. If she dies, a small part of camp will die, too. Just like with Beckendorf.

"Hey." My newest sister, Angeline, sat on the corner of my bunk. I tried to shut the doors, but she moved in the way. I groaned, and buried my face in my pillow.

"Look" Angeline started. "I have no idea what happened, or how you're gonna fix it, but that's not my problem. That's yours. My problem is that my new found big brother is moping on his bunk, probably about some girl. I'm new here, so I don't know how things work around here, but I'm one-hundred percent sure you screwed up. That much is obvious."

I turned and looked at her. "Go to breakfast. I'm not hungry."

Then my stomach growled to prove my point.

"You are hungry." Angeline stated, and I wasn't going to argue with her. "Now, either I've got this all wrong, and you're sick, or I've got it right, and you screwed up with a friend or girlfriend or whatever. Look my point is, if you screwed up, I can't help you that well until you tell me what the heck is going on. Do you want some chicken soup or something?"

"I'm not sick." My gosh, she was more stubborn than anyone else I had ever met. Except for-

"Nyssa." I groaned. "She was my best friend, and I screwed up, and she got mad at me, and I don't know why."

"When she was yelling at you, what did she say?"

"She said that I should like someone for more than them being the first pretty girl I saw after I got rejected or broke up with someone. She said I was disgusting, and I can't like someone for more than their looks and have them like me back for the same reason. She said 'We all get it! Yeah, you're hot. I have to admit that. But you're so superficial!'"

"You are dense." was all my extremely helpful little sister said.

"Thank you. Go away."

"Listen, Will, I'm going to help you whether you like it or not. I'm your sister. I'm here for you. That's what's family's for. Look, you're going about this the wrong way. I'm guessing you've fought with her before?"

"Yeah." That was an odd question.

"What happened the last time you had a fight?"

"I stayed in the cabin playing music until Nyssa came and started yelling at me more for not training."

"That's your problem. Get out there, train your fat butt off, and show Nyssa that she hasn't affected you. I've talked to her before, and she seems like the type of girl who respects reality, and non-fantasy type stuff. What she'd expect from a superficial person is to stay and hide after having an argument until someone goes and yells at them more, which is what happened last time. The best thing to do to show her you're not superficial is to get out there, train, but acknowledge the fact you guys had a fight, by steering clear- but not too far- nodding to her when you pass her on a trail or something without stopping and trying to talk to her, and acting like any other normal day. Also, instead of walking around to nowhere on those extra breaks I heard you got, well actually that's not such a bad idea, but help train the younger kids. Offer to help with repairs, or teach someone how to play an instrument." Angeline said, grabbing my hand and dragging me up to breakfast.

"Thanks, Angeline."

"My name's Erica."

Crud.

Then I saw her.

Nyssa was wearing camo cargo pants, a black muscle shirt, and instead of her usual bandana, her hair tumbling down her back in soft curls. I never noticed Nyssa had curly hair before, probably because she kept it up in a knot thingie under her bandana.

An-Erica, sorry, turned back and smirked at me. "Come on, Archer Head. Keep moving."

When I didn't, she went behind me and kicked me SUPER HARD in the rear.

"What the heck!" I yelled over the laughter. "What was that!"

"I believe it is called a kamicazie. I don't think it is though."

"Good to know." I grumbled, rubbing my lower back, and glancing around the pavillion.

Just about everyone was laughing, including Nyssa. I took a risk, smiled, and waved.

She looked shocked, but grinned (which she never does) and came over.

"Party Ponies, Erica!" I hissed, looking for my little sister slash adviser. She waved over from the Apollo table with a cheerful smile and wave, before turning back to her cereal.

Trying not to panic, I turned around right as Nyssa reached me.

"Look, Solace." Nyssa said, flipping her long hair over her shoulder, distracting me for a second. Then she went on. "I know we fought yesterday, and I'm still mad at you, but I'm starting to rethink some things. I might be wrong, but maybe you aren't as superficial as I thought. Don't get cocky. So. . . I'll see you around."

"Yeah." I mumbled. "I'll see you around."

I found myself praying as I walked to my table. Please, let this be where my story starts, not where it ends. My thoughts were echoing her name throughout breakfast, and I felt as if I were slow, dumb, and bright red, like my dad's cows. I saw Nyssa again, as she headed to the braziers, and a new wave of idiotic smiles rippled across my face. I felt I had held some words back, as I left our conversation too soon, and I felt enchanted. I was under Nyssa's spell.

Right then a forkful of eggs was launched from across the table. Erica was smirking at me.

"I told you-"

"Don't even go there."

"I didn't know she had so much power over you."

"Neither did I."

"You realize the Stoll bros have a black book out and are writing in it? I have no idea what it is, but the way they keep glancing at you and snickering can't be good."

I looked over, and saw that indeed, Travis and Connor have their blackmail book out.

"Not funny." I growled, and they quickly turned back to their breakfast.

"So what are you going to do about it?" Erica asked. "It's not like you can walk around camp getting distracted every time you see her."

"So I use a tactic that has worked every other time this has happened. It just hasn't happened this bad, so it's gotta be someone really attractive."

"What do you mean?"

"Find a girl, obviously."

"I would start yelling at you, but I'll just let Nyssa do it later when she inevitably finds out."

"Good to know." I mutter, then glance casually around the Pavillion.

"So why do you always revert to player mode? Cause it is seriously sexist."

"Don't think that's something you call your brother." I looked at Erica, alarmed.

"Sexist, meaning biased to one gender, not sexy, which you are not."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Answer the question, will you?"

"Sometimes, it's to make her jealous, but that's never worked. Mostly it's to distract myself from her because she obviously isn't interested."

Erica looked at me, kind of like the way Katie looks at Travis when he's played a prank, or like how Annabeth looks at Percy when he's translated 'I need my bow' to 'My Grandpa ate chicken'.

"You really are dense, aren't you?" she muttered to herself, turning back to her cereal.

"Hey!" I protested.

"I'm your little sister, what do you expect, sunshine and roses?"

"Kinda. . ."

"My point exactly."

"What is your point, anyway?"

"I'm walking away now."

"Wait. Wait, Erica, hold on! What do you mean by dense?" I pretty much yelled for the entire camp to hear, resulting in some snickering.

"Figure it out yourself. Isn't the son of the sun supposed to be bright?" She called back, smirking, and the Athena Cabin laughed appreciatively at her joke.

"Very clever!" I yelled, then sat back down.

"So is this!" I heard Erica yell, right before a huge glob came falling down from the ceiling of-

Is that pudding?

"ERICA!" I yell, covered in brown goo.

"She could have at least made it butterscotch!"