AN: One or two more chapters and we'll arrive at the riveting conclusion! Or at least some sort of half baked conclusion...
Travis can't even look at Katie without blushing like a tomato. He knows this because Connor asked him at least twice while he was glancing in her vicinity if he wanted to borrow sunscreen. Travis had snorted and snapped that Connor should go and talk about proper skin care regimens with the Aphrodite cabin. Maybe that had been a little uncalled for, but hey, he was a raging pot of teenage hormones.
He glanced again at her table. She laughing at something Miranda said, head thrown back, shoulders hunched a little, mouth open. Two days ago Travis would have said she looked like a moron, but now... now his brain didn't even know anymore. It was so unfair, this whole feelings thing was her fault, she was the one who saved his damn life, and now he was paying for it. Again, the logical part of his brain knew that he was being completely unreasonable, but the feelings part told him that she smelled like strawberries.
He stabbed his waffle violently with his fork, stuffing an unreasonably large piece in his mouth. Connor glanced at him with poorly veiled curiosity.
"What?" He snapped a little louder than he intended. It caught the whole Hermes table's attention. He scowled at them.
"Why are you acting like you have a stick up your butt?" Connor drawled irritatingly.
"I've got stuff on my mind," he answered vaguely, flicking a persistent curl out of his face.
"Stuff like Katie Gardner?" Connor smirked, gesturing his hands wildly in her direction, before Travis smacked them down embarrassed.
"I have no idea what your talking about, and stop that, you look like you're on drugs."
"Whatever you say brother dear." Connor raised a thin eyebrow challengingly. Any other day Travis would have rolled his eyes and continued eating, but today his nerves were at an all time high, and petulant brothers wouldn't be exempt from his wrath.
"Says the guy who's been fawning over Lou Ellen for the whole summer, and yet doesn't have the balls to ask her out." It was Connor's turn to blush.
The table's attention was still on them, after all it was rare to see Travis Stoll lose his cool so completely, but Travis couldn't care less. His lips were drawn into a grim line, and then after seeing his brother's floundering he spoke again, "I'm going to enjoy free time on the beach if you'll excuse me." Travis got up violently, on purpose mind you. Dammit! If he was going to be an angry teenager, he was going to excel at it.
. . . .
KATIE'S POV
Katie saw Travis storm out of the Dining Pavilion out of the corner of her eye. Perfect, she smiled to herself. Now she could catch him alone and... erm... apologize for her comments yesterday. Or at least she could explain that the only reason she said that was because she felt drunk. Actually, drunk and hungover and the same time.
But, she argued with herself, if she did leave now, her cereal would get soggy and gross, and who wants that?
Miranda was glowing over the fact that some guy she likes had said yes to her proposal to 'hang out sometime', but Katie and wasn't listening, preoccupied more with her relationship issues. Ok, so they weren't exactly issues, more like mild complaints. Not even mild complaints, like microscopic complaints, so small you couldn't even tell they were there. Well, unless you were Katie.
The truth was... she was bored. It's like Mark was perfect in every way, but he couldn't get her blood rushing, or adrenaline pumping. So, too perfect. Gods, it felt terrible to even say it in her head. She grimaced.
It was like having two squares in a relationship. Yeah they worked out fine, and there was little arguing or spite, but they were also boring together.
She spooned some more cereal in her mouth, absentmindedly nodding at something Miranda said in approval. Hopefully it had been well timed.
Maybe she should end things with Mark? The whole it's not you, it's me speech could easily be prepared, and she was sure her heart wouldn't take a beating at all. Mark though... Mark would be devastated, and Katie wasn't sure she could live with making that poor boy cry. No, she just needed to make him break up with her. Just how would she accomplish that? Katie had no idea.
. . . .
TRAVIS'S POV
Travis had successfully made everyone avoid him in only, he glanced at his watch, a week, two hours, and 37 seconds. All of them were wary of his sour mood— which also meant insults would be flung and pranks would be ruthless. Unfortunately, they also noticed his lack of pranks on the Demeter cabin as of late.
Julie was the only brave soul who would ask him why, "So what's the next prank gonna be loser." Loser was an endearing term for her...
"I dunno," he shrugged.
"Well I've got a good idea for the Demeter cabin." She plopped down next to him, perfectly aware of the fact that she never offered prank ideas, considering it beneath her.
Travis narrowed his eyes, "Actually I've got an idea for the Aphrodite cabin."
"Aha," she bounced up on the bunk, knocking his pillow on the floor, "I knew it! You totally have a crush on Katie Gardener! And it only took you like 5 years to figure it out." Travis tackled Julie down hissing at her to shut up.
"Gods! Someone might hear you."
"You're not denying it," she singsonged.
"There's no point. You're ruthless."
"Go after her knight in shining armor! Don't let your princess escape. Of course, I could always help you out. You know, for a small fee."
There was always a catch with Julie, he sighed to himself, "She's happy with Mark." His stomach twisted at the words.
. . . .
KATIE'S POV
Katie Gardener didn't know what she was doing, sitting here by a dock making out with a boy whom she wanted to break up with. The kiss was good and all, but she just couldn't help but feel like a horrible person— was she a horrible person? Maybe she should just break up with him now and stop being a terrible push over.
Miranda would call her sweet, but overly caring. Her mind flickered over to Travis Stoll, because if you want a rude, but straight forward answer you go to him. He would say that she's stupid, and there was no point in dragging it on. Great, now she is was thinking of a different guy, an enemy, while making out with her boyfriend. It was getting so much worse!
Katie pushed back on Mark's chest and they lapsed into an awkward silence. What even was a conversation, she though sarcastically.
Mark grimaced, "How was archery?" Katie groaned to herself, that was the third time he'd asked the same question.
"Fine. How were, er, the flying horses doing?" Drat she'd forgotten the name.
"Pegasi?"
"Yes, them."
He chuckled, "Fine I suppose, though Blackjack did have a cut on his leg, minor, but still..." She tuned out what was sure to be an extensive rant about horses.
After about two minutes her patience was beginning to wear thin, very thin. Finally in one big pot of annoyance her thoughts bubble over her lips, "I can't do this," she corrected herself, "us." So much for making him break up with her.
Mark's eyes widened in shock. "Huh?" He asked dumbly.
"I like you, but I just don't like you like that. I was upset that day in the forest and I'm sorry and I took things to fast and I still want to be friends and I feel like a horrible person." Gods that was a whole bunch of word vomit.
Mark looked at the ground, eyes surely watering, and nodded mutely.
Seeing that it was time to go Katie rose to her feet and put her hand on Marks shoulder, "Thanks for a very sweet first relationship, and kiss. It will stay in my heart, irreplaceable."
"Is it that Stoll kid?" Mark asked, voice wobbly.
"No." She answered sure of herself, "it was time for us to move on. You'll find someone ten times better than a stupid Demeter kid with a bad tan. You deserve it." She smiled sadly and turned away walking back to her cabin, suffering only from the small ache of regret from making her boy- ex-boyfriend cry.
. . . .
BOTH POV
Travis Stoll thought that it was a mirage when he saw Katie Gardener willingly walk towards him, no spade for mutilating in hand. In fact, he almost dropped his sword, and actually succeeded in nicking himself.
"Gardener." He sniffed coolly, wrapping his bleeding hand in his camp shirt— not a good idea by the way. Blood is way hard to wash out.
"Stoll." She regarded him equally as unenthusiastically. Travis felt a pang of disappointment.
"I heard about your split with the blinding sun of the Apollo cabin." It had been a few weeks, and he still wouldn't admit to anyone that he'd jumped for joy when he'd heard.
"Don't call him that." She gritted.
"Aw is mama Katie worried." Ok, Travis, now would be the best time to stop antagonizing your crush.
"Gah! You're insufferable! Can we talk somewhere else. I've got something to say, privately." Travis's heart skipped a beat, or maybe 10, 20, 30; it was a miracle he was alive.
"Alright I'll bite, your wish is my command," he stuck out his arm, "let's blow this popsicle stand." She hesitated when taking his arm in hers, but then surrendered to the crazy. Walking to the beach was no easy feat, especially when two mortal enemies were doing it together arm in arm like best buddies. The strange looks were abundant, and so was the ever glowing tinge of red that decorated Katie's face and the back of Travis's neck.
The beach was empty to both parties delight.
Travis started, "So what do ya need to say?"
"The comment I made to you when I was half unconscious was uncalled for, and awkward, and weird, and I feel like I have to explain what I felt like— drunk." Both of them were bright red.
"Yeah, OK, cool." He choked out.
Katie blanched, "No remarks about how awesome you are, no poking fun at me, nothing?!"
"Er, do you want me to?"
"Of course I don't want you to, but-" she paused suddenly at a loss for words, "Why are you so civilized all of a sudden?" Her eyebrows raised skeptically.
He shrugged noncommittally, "Dunno."
She stuck her tongue out. Nothing. She called him insolent. Nothing. She even smacked him on the back of the head. Nothing.
"What gives?" Her words sounded whiney, but only because Katie was unnerved. Glancing over her shoulder she grabbed his collar, "If I'm going down you're going down with me." It was all some elaborate ruse, someone would be running here any second with a vat of slime or chocolate or whatever evil concoction the Stoll brothers had planned. How could she be so stupid; she'd walked right into their trap.
"Kindly let go of my collar Gardner," the words sounded strained even to Travis. He wasn't even trying to shrug her off, just looking anywhere but her eyes. Was that tree always there? The bark was so uniform, and kind of pale, too pale for a tree, what species was it, perhaps aspen, in California-
"Travis Stoll stop ignoring me!" His eyes snapped up to meet hers, they were mad.
"Look I really don't want to talk about it. Can we just move on and pretend we don't know each other? Cool? I'll leave you alone if you leave me alone." She took a step back, startled.
"What are you on about?"
"I-I just don't want to have anything to do with you." He squeezed his eyes shut. A little space and this crush would be nonexistent, then life would be back to normal.
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!" She stormed off, angrily. Why was she so angry, this was a dream come true! Gah! Life was so confusing!
AN: Review please :).
