"Hey! What'd you two get?" Connor asked when Katie entered the house, carrying stuff into the kitchen.
"Food," she snapped.
"Did I do something?"
"Not you. Your brother."
"She's like a turtle. Snap, snap, snap," Connor whispered to Travis.
"Oh believe me. I know."
"What did you do?"
"Let's just say, don't ever try to pry into Katie's life."
Katie slammed the food on the countertop, completely startling Annabeth, who was quietly reading a book.
"What idiotic thing did Travis do now?"Annabeth asked.
Katie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "He's so nosy! I ask him not to pry into my life and he does exactly that."
"It normal to want to know more about a person you have to spend all your time with. Don't you want to know more about him as well?"
Well, yeah, but I'd drop it if he told me so. "Not really."
"You don't want to know about a man who basically holds you life in his hands?"
Katie said nothing.
"I think you and Travis should cook dinner together." Katie opened her mouth to protest, but Annabeth cut her off saying, "Well, what are you going to do? Ignore him? That's not very smart considering your situation don't you think? He is trying to help you. You could try not to get pissed off every time Travis does something stupid, because that's extremely often."
"I know! I know that he is trying to help me and I know it's his job to help me. But it is not his job to try and figure me out. I hate it when people do that, especially when they don't know me. Everything that doesn't relate to why someone is trying to kill me, I don't need him knowing," Katie said just as firmly.
"I was just wondering," Travis said in small voice. He and Connor heard most of the girl's conversation. He was on Annabeth's side, but didn't want to make Katie even angrier.
"Well, let's leave them to cook. Come on, Connor." Annabeth dragged Connor out of the kitchen and into the basement.
Travis watched Katie as she yanked out a rectangular aluminium cooking tray along with various spices, meat, and noodles.
"So... what are we making?" Travis asked, sounding like a pubescent male due to his failed attempt at conveying nonchalance.
"We are not making anything. I am going to make dinner, and you are going to leave me alone."
"Fine, but it's still your turn," he said sitting on the island table
"My turn?"
"100 questions. We aren't done yet. You don't have to answer my question, by the way."
"Fine, why did you ask me what you asked me?" she asked washing her hands.
"Because, you told me you didn't believe in happy endings. I was just curious. What is your favorite place to be?"
"Don't have one. Every place is just another place to me."
"Come on, isn't there one place where you are most comfortable?"
"My bed. Are you literate?"
"Very much so. Can I help cook dinner?"
"No. Why is this game so horrible?"
"Because you won't answer any thought provoking question and run the first second someone wants to know something about you." Katie didn't reply, because the only response that she could think of was 'because I can't', but she understood that sometimes you can, it's just that you won't.
"Okay, Katie, I'm sorry for trying to get to know you a little bit better, but I'm curious, especially after the whole Divorce Court thing. That was the only time you actually told me something about you that makes me understand you. When you don't answer or get angry, it makes me more curious. I want to know more about you, and I can't help it, just like how you can't help the fact that you won't let anyone understand you."
"What's your favorite color?" Katie asked trying to get him to switch topics to no avail.
"Purple. What's your favorite memory?" Katie tried to hide the fact that she was smiling.
"When I was fifteen, my dad threatened to kick me out if I kept hanging out with Percy and Luke. I said no, they were my only friends and I wasn't going to give them up. I was behind the school seething before the weird kid, Nico, came up to me and gave me a piece of chocolate. Ever since then, we've been friends. It's not exactly happy, but one of my favourites. That and when I was eleven or twelve, I went to Percy's and his mom was doing some gardening, and asked if I wanted to help, ever since then, I've always helped her garden. You should see it now, it's so pretty. We redid the whole backyard."
"See, that wasn't so hard. You told me something about you."
"Yeah yeah whatever. Are you going to wash your hands and help or are you going to sit there like an idiot?" Katie asked grating cheese into a bowl. Travis laughed, but got up and washed his hands.
"What now, boss?"
"Start by mixing the sauce, but don't put it on high. What's your favorite memory?"
"There was this time, when I was little, I remember fighting with Connor over something, but I can't remember what. We weren't talking, it lasted for a week, until Connor came into my room with flowers and chocolates, and said that he was lonely and he missed me. I asked him why he got me flowers, and he said it's because that's what our step-dad gives to our mom when she's mad." Katie laughed along with Travis for a while.
"For the record, those flowers smelled disgusting and the chocolate tasted like shit."
"What's your favorite song?" Travis asked after they stopped laughing.
"I think that is a really hard question, but I think Pretty Vacant by The Sex Pistols."
"I think I love you," Travis replied.
"My life is complete," Katie said, her words coated in sarcasm.
Katie looked over the sauce which Travis was supposed to be watching and said, "Stoll, the sauce is done and we can start layering now. Give me one of the layers."
Travis walked up to the main upstairs hallway and saw the bookcase that was secretly the door to Katie's room. He wanted to say goodnight, maybe even talk for a bit, but he really didn't want to push his luck. It's only been a day that he's known her, and she was just one surprise after another. He couldn't wait to find out more about her. He brought his hand up and knocked on the wall three times.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Travis Stoll. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" Katie droned.
"Thanks, you know... for dinner. It was really good."
"I don't know if you have the brain capacity to remember... but you helped make dinner. Shame if you didn't because it was actually kind of fun."
"Yes, it was fun! We should do it tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day."
"I don't think I can deal with you that much, but we'll see."
"So, what are we doing tomorrow?"
"I don't know. Why don't you take me on a tour of this place?"
"It's a date."
"Don't get too ahead of yourself there, Stoll," Katie laughed.
"Goodnight Katie," Travis said. Katie leaned forward and hugged him. Travis blushed. "What was that for?"
"For not being as bad as I thought you'd be."
Travis involuntarily smirked. "Was that a compliment?"
"I don't know, was it?"