The Best Birthday Ever: a Prequel to Chapter 3
A/N: In case you've forgotten what happened in Chapter 3, you don't have to read it over, Chapter 3 isn't mentioned (much) in this Chapter. I'll put another A/N at the bottom.
Katie was just finishing up her gardening course at the University, so she could teach gardening to mortals. She had desperately wanted to help make the world a better place, so, what better way than to teach mortals gardening worthy of Demeter and Persephone?
Unfortunately that meant staying up late, studying for her final exam. So on this very eventful night, Katie was struggling to read her gardening book. She was dyslexic, so this was no easy task. At 11 pm, she had almost given up when she heard a loud "PLINK."
Surprised, she looked up. The noise had come from her window. As she watched, a small round, green thing the size of her thumbnail hit the window.
"PLINK."
Then a shower of colours hit her window. Orange, Pink, Blue and Yellow things struck her window. The only person she knew who would do something this outrageous was her boyfriend, who she had been dating for 6 years.
She opened her window and stuck her head out.
"Travis!" she hissed. "What the hell are these? I'm trying to…"
But she was cut off by one of those round things flying directly into her mouth. She bit down in astonishment. It tasted like…
"Travis?" she whisper-shouted. "Is this chocolate?"
"Right you are, Katie-kins!"
Even though Travis couldn't see her, he could tell she was rolling her eyes.
"Don't you girls enjoy romantic things like guys throwing pebbles at their windows?"
"Well, yeah…"
"So enjoy!"
"First of all, these aren't pebbles, they're chocolate. Second, where's the shouted declaration of undying love?"
Travis grinned, and although Katie couldn't see him, she knew. There's something about knowing someone for half your life that helps you pick up on these things.
"Wrong! These are Pebbles! They're chocolates called Pebbles, invented by a mortal company called Cadbury! They sell them in New Zealand…awesome aren't they, those Kiwis! Their candy rivals Americans! And about the second bit…" Travis raised his voice. "I LOVE YOU KATIE GARDNER!"
Katie laughed, but then turned serious.
"Shhhh! You'll wake up the whole neighbourhood!"
"Hey, you asked for it!"
Katie mock-scowled down at him, then realized something. "Why are you here anyways, Travis?"
"Oh, I just wanted to take you somewhere."
"At," she checked the clock, "11:15pm?"
"Yup. Will you come with me?"
"No."
"Why not? Live a little, Katie-kins!"
"Don't call me that."
"I'll eat all the chocolate."
Katie sighed. There was her weakness, and he knew it. She'd always had chocolate cravings.
"Fine, but let me get a sweater."
Travis grinned. "Alright but hurry! I'm eating a green one. And a yellow one, and a blue one…"
Katie appeared something like a minute later, wearing the said sweater, which was grey and V-necked and buttoned up. She had frantically brushed her hair (nothing like chocolate to motivate you), pulled on some jeans (she had been wearing pajamas) and paired them with a bright green scoop neck.
True, it was an outfit that her friend Lacy, a daughter of Aphrodite had put together, after Katie threatened her brandishing scissors against her long, blonde hair. Lacy had been planning on an extremely low-cut skirt, dangerously high heels, and a far too revealing V-neck. Fearing for her hair, she threw together something barely up to her standards.
Katie snuck down the stairs of the house she was renting a room from, wincing when her sneaker hit the squeaky stair. She stopped, listening for footsteps. Still complete silence. She snuck out the door and closed it softly behind her. Travis was waiting impatiently.
"What took you so long?" He asked. Still the impatient, annoying boy she fell in love with.
"I did not take long!" she insisted. "Now where's my chocolate."
Travis grinned. "I finished them."
"You, you…"
"Relax, Katie-kins, I still have them." He handed them over and kissed her cheek. "Do I get a thank you?"
She pretended to think hard. "Hmm…you take my chocolate, trick me into thinking you've eaten them, and complain about the time I take to look fabulous. You want a thank you?"
"You don't need to take time to look fabulous. You always look beautiful."
"That's so sweet. Alright, who stole my boyfriend and gave me my Prince Charming that looks like Travis?"
Travis faked pain. "Ouch, Katie."
"Just messing with you…"
Travis wiggled his eyebrows at that.
"Oh, gods, Travis, not like that!"
"I still haven't got my thank-you kiss."
Katie smiled as she felt her heart race. "Not until you tell me where we're going."
"Ah, I can't tell you, I have to show you. It's not far, we'll walk."
He grasped Katie's hand and pulled her after him. Though she laced her fingers through his, she debated pulling out her dagger and threatening him until he told her where they were going. She wasn't the biggest fan of surprises, after all. As if reading her mind, Travis spoke.
"Just go with it, Katie. You'll find out soon. Don't you trust me?"
Katie smiled. "With my wallet, no. With my life, yes."
"As you should," he said. "I am a son of Hermes."
"I remember everything you've stolen from me!"
"Oh?"
"Of course! A necklace, my gardening gloves, my camp half-blood t-shirt (while I was in the shower), my iPod, my books, my pencil…"
"You could go on forever. How 'bout: your heart?"
She smiled. He really could be a romantic when he wasn't a jerk. "That sounds about right."
"Excellent. We're almost there."
Katie realized that they were walking through the city now, and on the same street as Travis's apartment building. 'Aha,' she thought.
"I bet I can guess where we're going."
"Damn. I knew I should've blindfolded you. Let's hear it then."
"Your apartment."
Travis grinned. "Well, that wasn't part of my plan, but since you've suggested it…" He trailed off suggestively.
She mock-punched him on the arm. "You…you…" She couldn't find quite the right insult.
"Incredibly hot, devilishly handsome, charming man."
"Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night." Katie responded.
"I know you agree with me."
"Lets say I do, so you can just shut up."
Travis chuckled. Then he proceeded to mime locking his lips and tossing away the key. They walked on in silence.
At night, the city looked even more stunning than usual. The streetlights glowed, but other than that, the night shadows were everywhere. Their thin fingers crept along beside Travis and Katie, only vanishing when they passed under streetlights.
In the residential area where Katie was staying, the gardens flourished, green, pink, red, yellow, almost every single colour appeared at least once. Here, near where Travis lived, the majority of the area was dull concrete. There was an occasional garden, a few trees, and lots of shops, restaurants, nightclubs, and of course, the condos, Travis owned one of which.
Their city, as usual cities are definitely was not quiet at night. The nightlife crowd was hitting the bars, and the music from the clubs followed them down the street. Katie had truthfully never come out here at night. Only once, or twice, or thrice…who was she kidding? She came out here ever since Travis had introduced her to the life. Unfortunately, that also meant she was usually sleep-deprived during school, and had resorted to a major caffeine boost in the morning, aka, coffee. Starbucks had become her second favorite store, second only after the gardening shop.
But it was worth it. Those hours up late, with Travis, at a bar, nightclub, and when he had introduced her to his usual late night "drinking buddies." She had enjoyed meeting them and found out that quite a few of them were children of Hermes. Needless to say, they spent a lot of their late nights pranking people. Even Katie had grown more and more devious and Hermes like. As a result, she'd become closer to Lacy, part of Travis's "drinking buddies", who only tagged along because she and Conner were dating. A true daughter of Aphrodite, whom she'd dismissed as shallow during camp years, she'd helped her quite a lot. Hence the outfit she wore today, courtesy of Lacy and co. (what she called the other Aphrodite kids who had dragged her on endless shopping trips since she'd told them she and Travis were dating.)
Finally, Travis stopped walking. Katie, lost in thought, didn't notice until she felt a tug on her hand and realized she had walked away from Travis, still holding her hand. She turned slightly pink, embarrassed but hoping the lack of light would cover for her.
"We're here."
They had stopped outside Travis's apartment building.
"Hey, I was right!"
"Don't be so sure, Katie-bunny."
She arched an eyebrow, or at least attempted to. She'd always envied those perfect actresses with the ability to raise one eyebrow.
"Katie-bunny? Really, Travy-kins?"
He winced. "It certainly is better than Travy-kins. That's just disturbing."
Katie smirked. "So are we going inside or not?"
"Someone's excited."
She rolled her eyes. After all this time spent with Travis, she suspected the muscles responsible for eye-rolling had gotten up to professional strength.
"Just come on, Katie-bunny."
*cough* Travy-kins *cough*
"No need to be such a name-caller," Travis said over his shoulder having already turned inside.
Katie fake-pouted, and followed him inside. The receptionist was sitting behind the desk, and Katie knew she had a "thing" for Travis.
"Hey Travis," The receptionist said, batting her ridiculously long fake eyelashes. She had heavily caked on make-up and an awful reputation for hitting on every single guy that lived in the apartment block, according to Lacy. She had to be pretty awful if even the Aphrodite kids hated her.
Katie glared at her. She seemed to notice Katie for the first time.
"Travis." She whined. "Who's that ugly girl?"
Katie's glare intensified. Travis thanked the gods it wasn't directed at him.
"Are you talking to yourself?" Travis inquired, managing to sound amused and pissed-off at the same time.
She gasped. Katie sighed.
"I only see Katie, the most beautiful girl on this planet, so you back off."
Katie grinned and took his hand. He smiled down at her, and they practically ran to the elevator, away from the hysterically sobbing receptionist.
Once the elevator doors closed, Katie was so happy she pulled Travis down and kissed him fiercely. Travis responded with equal enthusiasm. Her hands twisted in his hair, pulling him closer than she thought possible, and he pinned her to the elevator wall, kissing her just as passionately.
"How's that for a Thank-you kiss?" Katie whispered.
"Perfect." Travis replied, kissing her again.
There was a pleasant "ding" and the doors opened. A girl just younger than Katie's age stared at them with wide eyes.
At that moment, a while had passed, Travis's hands were up Katie's shirt, and his shirt was half-undone.
The wide-eyed girl backed up slowly. "Ugh, I see I'm interrupting something. I'll just take the stairs."
Travis grunted. "Just go." He was fully intent on returning to kissing Katie.
Too bad for him, Katie pushed him off. "Moment ruined. Let's go where you were going to take me."
Travis growled. "Fine," he breathed.
They stood apart for the first four floors, than promptly threw themselves back together. Just then, the doors dinged open again. It was the same girl.
She threw her hands in the air. "Alright, I give up. I swear I will never take elevators again." She stomped away muttering something about cheating scum she should be making out with in elevators.
Katie once again attempted to raise one eyebrow, and failed. "That girl has a talent of moment-ruining."
Travis groaned. "Agreed."
So they ended up sticking to opposite sides of the elevator as a precaution against the "Interrupting Girl."
Was fate always against them?
A/N: Hehe. I just needed to post this and I absolutely couldn't put the whole story into just one chapter. So part 2, hopefully will be up by the end of the week. I hope. Yeah, I haven't updated for ages, so this is the part where I confess my heart-breaking sorrow for not updating, cry hysterical tears, and promise quicker updates in the future. Here goes…I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for not updating. :'( Something about having so much time during summer hols means tons of vacations, blowing my money shopping, and forgetting to update. The inspiration just wasn't there, you know? I wrote this when I was on the way to a vacation on the Labour Day weekend. Unfortunately, that meant I wrote it by hand, so I typed it up and changed a lot, so it takes longer to write. Also, I'm such a slow typer hopefully that will change when I take typing. I have some kind of idea for the next chapter, and the one after, so this story's not over yet, but it might not have much to do with "Speak Now." We'll see. I'm kinda surrounded by piles of homework, so I might not update soon. (Dang, I know I'm supposed to promise quick updates, but that probably is only for next chapter.) AAAAAH! Math is SO infuriating. I got a B on my assignment! But I just had a test and hopefully I did well. My English class is awesome and I'm 185th in line for the SON at the library. YAY! ONLY ONE MORE WEEK (and a few days…)
Review if you actually like this chapter, or if you despise it with a fiery passion. Or are dying to chew me out about slow updates.
TRATIE FTW!
P.S. Pebbles are actually like Smarties and they do sell them in NZ, I had some there. Mmmm…chocolate.