Okay people, moving forward. Please review this one and let me know how you're feeling about this one. It's a little short and pretty melodramatic, but I promise it will set the story up for later on. Let me know you guys are still reading.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything you recognize (Riordan)

-c.c.

I woke up the next morning and got out of the cabin as soon as I could. It was hard looking at Will's empty bed. All I could think of were the feelings I had for him and how I was so unsure of how to deal with them. I did know, however, that Will was still my friend. I made sure that I saw him often throughout each day as they came and went. He was starting to work more with medicine and help out in the infirmary. I would go to keep him company when there were no patients, and he would get a chance to tell me about all of the new things he was learning and doing with the rest of the Apollo kids. He always had a great story to tell, and it was really nice just being able to to sit and listen to him. (I found out his last name finally! It was Holmes, Will Holmes) Unfortunately, the feelings I had for him only grew. It wasn't my fault that his eyes were gorgeous and his smile lit up the room or that he was just fabulous at story telling.

Also, I realized that I sucked at pretty much everything at camp. And believe me, I tried everything. Multiple times. Katie and I became pretty good friends, but to this day I cannot pick a strawberry without pulling the plant up by the roots. I tried music with Will's siblings, I tried magic with the daughters of Hecate, we already knew I wasn't pretty enough to fit in with the girls at Aphrodite, and for all I was worth I was not a metal bender like Leo. I had started to accept that I was just not good at anything, even though I would never give up trying, when I overheard Annabeth talking to Piper one day at lunch.

"You would not believe Phoebe, Annabeth. All she ever talks about is that dang book you gave her," Piper said while rolling her eyes.

"You say it like it's a bad thing," Annabeth retorted and snickered.

"It is!" Piper cried. "It's so funny though, she's trying to get Mark to read it, and you know how hard it is for him to say no to her."

"Haha! Well, let me know when she gets him hooked, he can join us for the book club this afternoon and I'll get him a copy."

Both of the girls were laughing, and all I could do was smile. I hadn't heard of there being a book club before, but it was put on by Athena's cabin, so I wasn't surprised. I couldn't talk, and I couldn't write too well, but I could read. If there was one thing I could do, it was definitely read. When you live on the streets for so long, you have a lot of free time. You would not believe the amount of old books people throw out. I promise you, I have read them all. I've read children's books, Snicket, Shakespeare, Doyle. Anything you can name, I've read it. This was my chance to prove that I could do something. I asked Piper later about when the meeting was. She seemed a little hesitant in sharing that information, but eventually I got it out of her. I showed up a little late (I had lost track of time with Will in the infirmary), but I was so excited. This might be my chance to prove to Annabeth, and myself, that I wasn't completely useless.

I walked up to the door of Athena and knocked. Annabeth opened it.

"Oh. Hi Katrina. What do you need?" she asked, clearly annoyed that I had interrupted.

I sort of shuffled my feet, nervous about asking. But I pointed inside the cabin, made a book with my hands, and then hesitantly pointed to myself with a smile.

"Oh," Annabeth said slowly as she looked around awkwardly. She put the book she had in her hands behind her back.

"Katrina, I know you think that this would be fun or whatever you think, but the point of the club is to read the book out loud with everyone and discuss it as a group. You see, that involves talking."

Oh.

I pointed to my ears. I could still listen at least. That was definitely something I was great at. Mostly. I knew the sign was vague, but she got the idea.

"Um, you know, I think it's best if you don't come in. It's too distracting as it is," Annabeth said rather quickly as she turned to go back inside. Then, she paused for a moment and looked straight at me, her eyes piercing into my mind. "It would be better if you went and did something else you could be good at."

She slammed the door shut behind her.

Honestly, I was shocked.

I wondered why I expected any different.

I loved to read. I was good at reading. Annabeth didn't know anything. Hell, she wouldn't even let me sit and listen! Of all the people in the world I could go around disappointing, it had to be her. She never acknowledged me. She never talked to me unless she had to. And what had I ever done to her? For Hades sake my own mother didn't want me around! I had tried so hard to stay on her good side with everything. But after that… I was done.

How could I go and do something I was good at, when I wasn't good at anything at all?

I realized I was still standing outside the door of Athena. I had to go somewhere, and it had to be soon; I could feel the tears gather in my eyes. I walked briskly away from the spot where I had been enveloped in so much anger and embarrassment and hurt. Nothing stopped me. I just kept walking. I had no clue where I was going, but the movement helped to calm me down. The tears rolled off my cheeks with the wind, barely leaving a trace. I was at the dock, but the sea reminded me of my parentage and I kept walking. Past the strawberry fields full of red fruit I would never pick, and away from the archery range with targets I would never hit, and far from the forest where the odds of the game were never in my favor.

Suddenly, I was at the edge of camp, standing next to a large pine tree. The tree was my only hope on that day I fought the minotaur. I thought to myself, as the bees blistered my skin, that if I got past that tree, everything would fall into place and things would start to look up for a change.

I looked up to the top of the tree.

Too hopeful. Too naive.

Immediately I became angry. Not at Annabeth, not at Percy, not even at the gods. I was angry at myself.

Why wasn't I good with metal?

Why couldn't I hit the target?

My temper flared.

Why wasn't I pretty enough?!

My fingers curled into fists.

Why couldn't I pick a single strawberry?!

My cheeks became stained wet with tears.

I can't play music.

I can't make art.

Why couldn't I be good at something?

Just one thing.

My fists shook with angry energy.

Why couldn't I speak.

I looked down at my knuckle which was now stained with blood. The same blood that was also smeared on the trunk of the pine tree.

My knees buckled, and I covered my face with my hands.

And I was in love with Will Holmes. How could ever expect him to love someone as worthless as I have discovered myself to be? My heart was doomed and my mind was condemned. How could I ever expect him to say, 'I love you', to someone who could never say it back to him. The tears streamed out of my eyes more easily now, and I did not attempt to hide them. I had accepted the failure I had become, and I was so, so disappointed in myself.

The bell rang for dinner. I wanted to be alone so badly. But sometimes you just have to hide what hurts and go. I had already pulled myself together by the time I reached Hermes to wash the blood off of my hand, and I had plastered a smile onto my face by the time I reached the dining pavilion. I had pizza that night. The gods had done little for me since I arrived, but my failure wasn't their fault. So I picked off all of the olives and sent them flying into the fire as a prayer to Hades that my unavoidable trip to the underworld would be rescheduled to a sooner date.

I was about ready to sit down at the table in the seat next to Percy, when I caught a glimpse of Annabeth in the corner of my eye. Her eyes were sharp and filled with disgust and hatred. It was a glare that would send anyone, even the largest boys from Ares, running. So I turned on my heel and went quickly the other way, trying to prevent the tears from reentering the atmosphere. This landed me at a mostly empty table. I sat on the end and quickly picked at my pizza. Out of nowhere, Nico came and sat beside me, plopping down a bag of french fries and double cheeseburgers. I was in no mood to even look at the Ghost King, and he was in no mood to look at me either. I did, however, catch him looking at my knuckle, which was still bleeding slightly. Still, I said nothing. I didn't care. He could look at me all he wanted and I wouldn't give a shit. However, the next minute I turned to face him and the seat was empty, save for a wadded up cheeseburger wrapper. Out of instinct, I opened it.

You coming?

/ / / /

The slash pattern seemed more deeply engraved in the paper, like it was almost torn through. I had to go see him. No more of this mysterious cheeseburger business. I was going to see Nico that day. But I knew the rules; no boys and girls from different cabins alone in a cabin together. So, I would just have to wait. There was another game tonight. I would go during the game. Nico never played anyway, or so I had heard. Where else would he be but in his cabin? At that point, I cared very little for the rules. I was going to get to the bottom of this.