OK, so sorry I haven't been posting in a while! BTW: This is my favorite story that I've written. I'm having so much fun! :) Please R&R! Wait, i'm forgetting something. Oh yeah! DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, or Travis, or Katie. :(

Day 4 Cont.: Streamers and Stargazer Lilies

-Katie POV-

Chiron was busy when we walked into his room, so Travis and I had to sit on the couch. Lilac and Starlet from Aphrodite cabin were pleading with him. "But Chiron!" pleaded Lilac, "there has to be some way! If not, I think I would die!"

"And what a shame that would be," Travis muttered in my ear. I gave a quiet laugh, and for the first time, realized how close we were sitting next to each other. And how poofy my hair was that day. Wait- why was I worrying about that? I never worried about my hair! It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that Travis Stoll and I were literally sitting so close that we could be joined at the hip or something! Could it?

I tried to concentrate on the Lilac and Starlet and not on the fact that Travis smelled like peppermints.

"We, like, need to, like, put up the decorations, like, now!" Starlet was complaining. "Without it, the dance will, like, be soooo, like, boring!" Lilac nodded in agreement, sending her blond hair cascading down her back.

Chiron sighed. "I'm just afraid that there will be no time to put up the streamers and glitter! The counselors are working over-time anyway, as it is."

Lilac turned around to look at Travis and I, and squealed. "OMG! Travis and Katie can do it!"

Chiron scratched his beard. "Well…."

"Like, PLEASE?" pleaded Starlet.

Chiron sighed again. "Fine. Travis and Katie will do the decorations. Now, you two girls need to go back to your cabins."

"EEEEIIIIIII!" Lilac and Starlet screamed and gave Travis and me huge hugs. "THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!" They bounced out of the room.

Travis turned to me. "What just happened?"

Chiron ran his hands through his hair. "Well, I believe we have found a chore for you to do today. There are some streamers, glitter, and wall hangings, provided by the Aphrodite Cabin, in the shed. You two need to hang them up and decorate the dining pavilion for the dance tomorrow. When you are done, you may go back to your cabins. You will be done with all the chores you need to do. Your punishment will be over. Thank you."

As we walked out of the office, Travis and I exchanged relived looks. This was easy! Hanging up some decorations? Cake. We'd have it knocked out in 30 minutes.

However, when we got to the shed, our happiness was greatly dampened. As usual, the Aphrodite cabin had gone way over the top. Mounds of rolls of streamers were stacked on top of each other. There were about 15 disco balls and lights. And don't even get me started on the glitter.

Travis groaned. "We have to put up all of this?"

I shrugged. "Let's see how much we can actually fit."

We borrowed a wheelbarrow that was leaning against the side of the shed and stuffed all of the streamer rolls into it. Then, we wheeled it towards the dining pavilion. It was too early in the morning for anyone to be there, and it was also off limits for anyone except the counselors to go in. Everyone was eating in the campfire pit starting today so that we could set up for the dance. Everyone was excited, and everybody we passed was chatting about the dance. "Who are you going with?" and "What are you wearing?" As far as I knew, I was going with nobody, and I was wearing nothing. I wasn't even planning on going. At all.

As soon as we got into the pavilion, Travis turned to me. "Hey, can you do your vine thing again? It would definitely be easier to put up the streamers if the vine could carry us around."

I nodded. "Hey, that's a good idea!"

Travis stuck his tongue out at me. "Don't sound so surprised, Miss Priss."

"Just grab the roll of streamers."

Travis gave me a lopsided grin and I felt a swooping sensation in my stomach, almost like when you're going down on a roller coaster. I smiled back and raised my hand. Vines shot out of the ground and twisted together to make a platform for Travis. When he stepped on, they rose up slowly to the top of the columns. He started taping the streamers up, while I started spreading glitter on the tables, floor, and lots of other weird places. When we finished, we picked up the wall hangings and started taping them to the walls. It was easy; I handed two pieces of tape to Travis, he taped the thing up, and we moved on. For the first time in a really long time, I started to think. About how nice it was today, and how close Travis was to me, and how his hair was tousled a little from the breeze and it smelled really good, and-

"So, are you going to the dance with anyone?"

Startled, I turned to Travis. His cheeks looked a little pink. "Um, no. I don't think I'm going to go. You?"

Travis shook his head. "Haven't ask asked anyone yet." He looked out of the pavilion and into the strawberry fields. "So, I don't know anything about you. Tell me. What's your family like?"

Well, that was a sudden change of subject. "My dad lives in Illinois. He grows peaches."

Travis made a face. "Peaches are fuzzy. They have fur."

"Peaches do not have fur!"

"Do too."

"You sound like a Kindergartener." I continued, "My dad's girlfriend is like, this eco-hippie. She's really nice, but kinda embarrassing, too. She drives this eco-friendly van that looks like something from Scooby-doo."

"Groovy, dude."

"But I'm a year-rounder. I- I don't see them very much. Too many monsters. I was ruining my dad's life. He was afraid every second of every day. I had to come back to protect him."

Travis nodded. "Yeah, my mom is like that. Scared of monsters. My stepdad doesn't know about, you know, the whole demigod thing, so I don't visit a lot."

"Yeah, I guess it's the same for a lot of us. But I've found a home at Camp Half-blood."

Travis smiled. "OK, so what's your favorite….flower. You're a child of Demeter, so you have to have a favorite flower!"

I laughed. "Stargazer Lilies. You can find them in the woods; they're everywhere. Here, I even have a hair clip with a Stargazer Lily on it." I pulled out my ponytail holder, and my hair fell all around my shoulders. Travis looked at it for a moment, and then said, "You should wear your hair down."

I blushed. "Well, here is a Stargazer Lilly." I showed him the clip that I had attached to my hair band, and he nodded. "Cool."

I was about to pull my hair back when Travis grasped my arm. "Wait." He took my hair band and pulled the clip off of it. Then, he took the clip and used it to push back a few strands of hair leaning in my eyes. My heart had started beating ten times faster than normal, and Travis' touch was light. It made my insides turn to goo. He smiled at me. "There. Perfect."

We stood there smiling like idiots for a moment, and then Travis opened his mouth. "Hey, so, about the dance-"

And in that moment, I knew he was going to ask me to the dance.

And then I heard the click-clack of high-heels on marble. We spun around to find a glamorous girl smiling at Travis. I vaguely remembered her name, maybe Dillan?

She wiggled her fingers. "Hi, Travis! Connor told me. Can't wait to go to the dance with you tomorrow night!"

I recoiled from Travis like I'd been slapped. I turned to him. "You—you—I HATE you, Travis Stoll!"

And I ran from the pavilion, tears streaking down my face.

If only happy ever afters came so easily, like they did for the people in Tangled.

Well, life's not a fairy tale, Katie. Grow up.

I ran to the Demeter cabin and collapsed on my bed, sobbing.

If I hadn't been so busy trying to get out of the pavilion, I would've noticed Isabel standing in the shadows, smirking.

NOOOOO! Isabel we hate you! BTW: Travis was trying to ask Katie out, and Connor actually didn't tell Dillan that Travis wanted to go to the dance with her, it was Isabel. And Dillan doesn't actually like Travis, she's just doing it for Isabel. MEANIES! Isabel will never steal Travis away...will she? We'll see...in my next chappie! R&R! Please review if you have any good ideas!

Cheers!