A/N: you're all the best, I love all the guesses! But still, no avail.

Absolute Fan: I just love you, okay. I do.

Lily Cooper: I'll probably add in some Nico!

everyone else: you're all perfect and i can't believe people are reading this.

Anywho, here's chapter 4!

I stood in line at the pavilion with my plate overflowing with the best foods I could imagine. My favorite lasagna, garlic bread topped with bubbling cheese, and a small caesar salad.

"Alright Lace," Travis pat my back and stepped away from the burning fire, "your turn."

I sighed and stepped up to the offering table, throwing in the best piece of bread and a cheesy chunk of lasagna. Please, I prayed, if you're listening, mom or dad, please answer me. Who are you?

I bit my lip to keep from crying and walked over to the Hermes table. I put my head down and ate in silence, thinking about my predicament. I spent my whole life being abnormal without a home. I finally come to camp, a place where my differences are celebrated, and yet I'm still abnormal. It's been 10 days and my mom or dad hasn't shown any sign of claiming me.

I wonder if he or she even knows I exist.

"Hey," Connor put a hand on my shoulder, "you okay Lace?"

I nodded lazily as another tear rolled down my cheek. It wasn't fair, I just wanted to fit in.

The rest of the Hermes cabin seemed to be having a great dinner, laughing and joking around. Connor tried to join in, but he kept glancing over at me. After what seemed like hours, everyone stood and began walking toward the campfire. Connor stood up and grabbed my hand. "Come on, you ready to sing?" he grinned widely.

I shook my head and stood up, feeling lonelier than ever. "I'm just gonna head to bed," I told him.

Connor frowned, "But, it's the campfire! Everyone loves-"

"Not tonight," I interrupted.

"Alright… are you okay?"

I wiped the tear from my cheek. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired. 'Night Stoll."

"'Night," he waved weakly as I walked back to my cabin. Or the Hermes cabin. It wasn't mine, I didn't know which cabin was mine.

Once I walked away from the pavilion, the camp was quiet, eerie even. When I got to the Hermes cabin, I didn't go in. I just walked around and looked at all the different cabins. After the war last summer, they began building more cabins for the other gods and goddesses. There were now 20, and they were still building. I wondered which one would soon be mine.

I wasn't stupid, I knew what people were saying about me. Everyone was guessing who my godly parent was. For a couple days people were guessing Apollo, Demeter, or Hermes, but after my canoeing lesson with Percy the other day, a lot of people thought it was Poseidon.

I didn't think so. Yeah, I felt at home in the water. I could control it and understand it, and it could understand me. But something else was there, something different in my blood. I just couldn't figure out what.

In time, I found my way back to my cabin and passed out soundlessly.

"Wake the Tartarus up, Lace. We're goin' on a road trip!"

For some reason, I found peace in throwing a pillow at Jake. It made me feel like I wasn't not being claimed by some absent god parent.

My mind didn't make sense in the morning.

I rolled back over onto my stomach and groaned. "Jake, lemme sleep."

Someone sat on my back and I yelled into my pillow. The person laughed, "Not Jake, guess again!"

"Connor I swear to the gods!" I mumbled against my pillow.

Isaac got off my back and pushed me out of bed. "Get up, lazy butt. We're leaving in 45 minutes and you better be in the car!"

I sat up and frowned at my best friend. He had his black cap covering his curly hair, which he never wore at camp, and jeans over his furry legs, which he never wore at camp. His "Save the Wood Nymphs" t-shirt had a stain on the front that made me smile. Oh, good ol' Isaac.

"Where're we going?" I complained.

He rolled his big brown eyes. "Does it matter where we're going?" Besides Justin, Isaac was the only person that talked to me at camp who was kind of my age. Or at least looked like it, because apparently Isaac was actually 27. Something about Satyr's growing half as fast as humans.

I just stared back at him.

"Just get dressed like it's another day at camp, but we're blowing this nectar stand," he told me. Then he through a pillow at Travis. "Make sure she get's up!"

Travis mumbled something against his pillow.

Isaac waved it off and walked out.

Two hours later, Jake, Isaac, Justin, Katie, Travis, Connor, and I were walking through Central Park.

I shouldered my backpack, "Are you guys sure we're allowed to do this?"

Jake shrugged, "Usually, no. But Chiron allowed it today."

I frowned, "Why?"

There was an unusual silence. The campers all looked at each other before Katie finally spoke up. "Who knows, it's Chiron," she stated, like that cleared everything up.

Katie was apparently Jake's half sister, but I hadn't met her until today. She seemed sweet and strong. Her honey blond hair blew in the wind and her blue eyes sparkled. She, like most of my friends at camp, was 16, almost 17.

I felt like the little sister, like everyone was watching out for me. Which doesn't seem that bad, but I can fend for myself. I don't need to be babysat.

But there was no point in arguing now. We were in Manhattan! I'd never been to New York before, and it was beautiful. Yet, I seemed to be the only one enjoying it.

Katie sighed as we passed a large tree, its shade concealing a family's picnic. "Just to think that this place…"

I saw Travis's eyes lightened up a little as a small smile crept across his lips. "I know."

Katie sighed and waved her hand toward the tree. The branches grew a little thicker, the leaves became a little fuller. Travis and Katie made eye contact for a moment before looking down at their feet.

Isaac, Travis, Connor, Justin, and Katie walked a couple feet ahead of Jake and me. Jake offered me a bite of his apple, but I declined. We walked in silence before I lightly bumped into his shoulder. "I thought the Stoll's hated Katie?" I asked.

Jake sighed. "There are a lot of things that can bring people together. Like remember when Tiffany Fullman died in that car crash in Florida last month?"

I nodded slowly. That was terrible. We had to watch a bunch of video's about reckless driving and drugs. People started charities and raising money for who knows what. The entire town seemed to be grieving together.

"Well, last summer, when we had to all come together to protect our city, a lot of people died. We lost a lot of great hero's," he took a deep breath and watched Travis and Katie walk. They seemed to be talking about the statues we passed. "If something like that can't bring a camp together, make people forget their differences," Jake continued, "I don't know what can."

It was a beautiful day in the park and the mortals all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

We passed a saleswoman selling balloons by a park bench. Her green eyes glistened and she gave me a warm smile, "Lacy, would you like a balloon?"

I smiled and respectfully denied her offer, "No, but thank y-"

How'd she know my name?

Suddenly, Jake seemed flustered. He bowed, "Miss, it's a pleasure, as always."

Connor ran over to Jake and me. "Hey guys I-" he saw the woman and seemed to recognize her too. "Miss Ariadne."

She smiled at the two boys and handed me a balloon in the shape of a bull. She touched my cheek, "You have your father's hair, you know? And his nose." I looked in her eyes, full of love and sadness, and could sense that memories flooded her brain. She pursed her lips, "I just had to come see for myself."

She smiled sadley. She looked down and sighed, and then looked at Jake. "Tell my husband that I miss him, yes? And that I can't wait for the summer solstice, to see him again."

Connor's eyes widened in astonishment, "Oh yes, Miss. Of course."

She gave me a warm smile and a wink, then she was gone.

I sat under a large shaded tree by myself, eating a corn dog. I watched as Jake went over to the corn dog stand to explain to the others whatever just happened at the balloon stand. He put his hand to his forehead, began talking, and everyone tuned in. I, of course, had no idea what just happened. And Jake, of course, wouldn't explain anything to me.

But I'm used to it, so I just shrugged and took another bite of my corn dog.

"Damn girl, eat that corndog," some guy said from behind me.

About two weeks ago, I probably would have jumped 10 feet in the air. But after my week or so of training at camp, my reaction to someone sneaking up behind me was different.

So instead, I punched him in the face.

I turned around, startled, to see Justin lying on the ground. "Oh shit, Justin, I'm sorry!"

He sighed and held his nose, sitting up. He let go, revealing a small trail of blood running down his lip. He waved me off and flashed me a little smirk. "That's all you got?"

I tossed my corn dog in the trash can next to me and dabbed my napkin on his lip. We sat with our legs crossed, sitting on the grass across from each other. "It wasn't that weak," I defended myself.

He rolled his eyes and watched me wipe away his blood. "Could've been harder. Honestly, I thought you were stronger than that, Ash."

I raised my eyebrow, "Ash?"

He smiled sheepishly. "You know, like Ashkin. Everyone's calling you Lacy or Lace, I want my own nickname for you."

I laughed and shook my head, "That's terrible."

He watched me carefully as I dipped the other end of the napkin in a small cup of water and then dabbed it back on his lip.

"What?" I asked.

He pursed his lips and thought carefully. Then his eyes brightened like he just found the cure for cancer, "That's it! New nickname!"

He was now all cleaned up so I tossed the napkin in the trashcan. "Hm, what?" I asked.

"Napkin!"

I raised an eyebrow, "Napkin?"

He almost hopped up and down in excitement as he prepared to explain his reasoning. "Yeah, napkin, Ashkin? Get it?"

I looked down at my hands and laughed, "Still terrible."

He snorted, "Pft, I'm keeping it."

I lightly hit his shoulder, "Okay, then I have to come up with a better nickname for you."

He smirked, "Is this a challenge?"

"Hardly a challenge," I shot back, "because a challenge would imply competition."

Before Justin could come up with something to say back, Connor came and sat in between us, "Alright kiddos, you almost ready to head back?"

I nodded, "That's probably a good idea. We haven't gotten attacked by any monsters yet, so..."

Justin nodded and stood up, "Yeah, let's quit while we're ahead."

A/N: short chapter, I know. Don't shoot me. Plus, it took a while to update because I rewrote it, but whatever.

So why was that chick there? anymore guesses?

i love you all, thanks for reading, Don't forget to review!

happy reading(: