A / N: Hello again! Time for a new chapter!

Disclaimer: Bluuurrrrrm. I'm sleepy. I don't own Percy Jackson. Goodnight.


9

I woke up, my body curled against Leo's. His eyes were shut and his face was one of complete vulnerability. He had none of the tough guy look on him when he was sleeping. It took me a moment to remember the night before. I remembered drifting asleep, my head rested on Leo's shoulder. I looked around. It was barely dawn. The other campers probably weren't up yet.

"Leo," I whispered. "Wake up,"

Nothing. I nudged him with my elbow.

"You have to wake up,"

His eyes gradually opened, that same unnaturally vivid green.

"Come on," I whispered. "We have to go,"

"Already?"

My blue eyes bored into his. "Yes. We were lucky not to be caught by the curfew harpies."

"Those fat little chicken ladies? They couldn't catch us even with proper brains."

I laughed. His gaze on me was like a beam of light warming my insides. Though when he stared at me now he seemed to be wondering the exact same thing I was. How can someone this amazing like me that much? I already didn't know how I felt. I was worried. What if Leo didn't even like me the way I did? After all, I kissed him first.

"You don't regret it?" he said quietly.

I looked down. "No I don't,"

I knew that much at least.

"Me neither,"

After what seemed to be forever, he said, "I guess we better go then."

"I guess we do."

Leo walked to the edge of the roof, keeping low, and jumped off. He landed, brushed his knees off, and extended his hand. I took it and jumped, landing next to him. Suddenly cheering began from all around us. Gleeful Demigods had just jumped out from behind all the surrounding bushes. It seemed all the campers were there. Leo and I both looked at each and then back. I laughed nervously and Leo grinned. Kids surged around us, many wolf-whistling and yelling.

"Finally!" someone said.

It was Tom.

He clapped Leo on the back and shouted something incomprehensible into his ear.

Leo gave him an exasperated look but my weak smile was broken off as Audrey had just basically tackled me in a hug. "You two are so cute!"

I noticed immediately that Audrey wasn't wearing make-up, an event I thought would never occur. Maybe Chiron didn't let her because she was still healing. I didn't mention it because I doubt she approved of Chiron's decision.

"I think the lovebirds need warming up!" yelled Tom over the crowd.

"I don't know. They're looking pretty hot already," Holly said, looking a lot more confident than when I first saw her.

The campers laughed.

"A race!" Tom announced. "To Zeus' fist!"

Zeus' fist? The clump of rocks in the forest was given that nickname for its uncanny resemblance to a fist sticking out of the ground. The forest was quite far from where we were actually, but I am a long distance runner. I put on a smile.

"What do you think?" I said to Leo playfully. "Too far for you?"

He grinned. "Nothing's too far for me,"

I winked at him. "Game on,"

I started sprinted through the grass, wishing I was wearing proper running shoes instead of my white sneakers. I slowed down. I knew I could easily outrun Leo, but I wanted to make it a little fairer. He wasn't far behind, but every time he got close I went just a little bit faster. All the while my mind was racing with confused thoughts. But if Leo didn't like me he would tell me right? I pushed the thoughts away and kept on running. I reached the rocks first and raised my arm in triumph.

"I win!" I announced when he reached me.

"And that -" said Leo, breathing hard. "- is why you do not try to race a professional sprinter,"

"Not sprinter, long distance," I said immediately.

He smirked. "What would you like then, for beating me?"

"This," I said.

My lips met his cautiously at first, but I didn't want gentle. I half dragged him towards me, his shirt in my fists. He gave a soft groan against my lips as we kissed with such passion that it might have consumed me. Now Leo's hand was on my back, pulling me in closer. Our breaths were short and unnecessary. Leo's skin was burning hot and sweaty but I didn't care. It seemed to last for a million years. Or maybe only a few minutes. Or an hour. Or possibly several sunlight days

Too soon I heard from somewhere in the distance Mr. D's voice yelling to the ears-droppers, "I know this all very exciting, but you pestering half-bloods need to get to your classes."

I broke away, not wanting to tear my gaze from his. With another shout from Mr. D I turned and began running back. I ran fast, because for all I knew the harpies were lurking around in the forest. I still wasn't sure it was a coincidence that the bird ladies hadn't caught us, so I suspected they were now holding a grudge.

I caught up to Holly and Audrey who were walking up to Arts and Craft class. I slowed down to match their pace.

"Hey Maia!" said Holly brightly.

She had a sort of glint in her eyes that hadn't been there the night she came. I smiled inwardly. I knew how nice it was to finally belong.

"And you're welcome too," said Audrey seriously.

I frowned. "What for?"

Audrey smiled an all-knowing smile that I would normally associate with Jack. "Well someone had to distract the harpies,"

My suspicions were confirmed.

"Well then, thank you," I said, giving a small smile.

"I won't be around much next year, I promised my Dad I'd stay with him and see how it goes," Audrey told me as we walked into the classroom, Audrey gliding gracefully up the stairs in high heels which, she informed me, took a lot of practice.

Audrey had told me about her Dad. Apparently they hadn't got along very well since he married her stepmother, who was a very strict banker. They had had twin girls which Audrey described as 'ungrateful little brats'.

"It doesn't matter. You're still my best friend ever," I assured her.

"What about Leo?" she said nudging me with her elbow.

"That's different," I said.

Holly smiled. "It sure is,"

We sat down at a whittling bench.

"You two are officially a couple now?" she asked. I could feel myself blushing again.

"I don't know. It was just once," I said, picking up one of the blocks of wood and grabbing a small knife.

"It's soooo romantic," she gushed.

Geez, you just have to say one word to Audrey, and you'd already know she's part love goddess.

"Shut up." I moaned.

"But everyone saw!" she protested.

"About that. I need to contact Chiron concerning the privacy issues going on here."

I dug a chunk out of the wood block violently. A head popped in next to Audrey. I recognised Sarah from the Apollo cabin.

She propped herself up with her elbow. "Well he must like you a lot. A part of your heart you will resurrect? And the last lines of the prophecy... first true love if I say so."

I looked at her. "One; how do you know about the prophecy? And two; what last lines?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You don't know the lines? Wow. Anyway, my dad is the god of prophecies. I get to know about this stuff."

I bit back my question. Sarah would never tell me the lines. Instead I pleaded, "Please don't let this go viral,"

"Oh but it already is," Audrey said slyly.

She hadn't made so much as a dent in her wood block.

I sighed and put down my tools. I had been making a miniature sculpture of Rusty, of when he was carrying us to San Francisco. I couldn't bring myself to concentrate.

As it so happened, I didn't need to. There was a loud dog's bark from the other side of the room that made the ground tremble. I didn't need to turn around to tell that it was Rusty, standing at the doorway, as he couldn't fit in the door. His nose poked through the door way, leaving the door to clatter on to the ground.

"Who invited that thing in the camp?" shrieked Sylvia.

A couple people sniggered and others looked around the room for the person that let a monster of the underworld into camp.

"Me," said Jack, ducking his head and raising his hand.

I flashed a beaming smile at him, and he went red. It's moments like these that make me hate Aphrodite. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a large fleshy purple thing making its way inside. Rusty's tongue had slid into the room and licked Jack full in the face. A murmur of appreciative laughter spread through the room. I pushed out my chair with a grinding noise that made me wince, and got up. I navigated my way between the tables and walked over to Rusty, pausing only to give Jack a quick hug. I ducked as Rusty's tongue slid out for the second time, accidentally delegating the slobber treatment to the person behind me. A shrill scream came from the current victim of this latest coating. I turned around and my heels to see an irate Sylvia Jones. She sat there, screaming, all her designer clothes drenched in slimy saliva. A tiny part of me felt sorry for her, but that soon vanished with her next comment.

"He's a monster!"

My expression hardened and I opened my mouth to speak, but Jack got there first. I looked at Jack in surprise, remembering that those had been his exact words when he had first met Rusty.

Jack put his hand to his ear. "Excuse me, what was it you were saying about yourself?"

Someone sniggered. I smiled, biting my lip.

Sylvia folded her arms. "I said he,"

Jack nodded slowly, and rocking back on his chair. "Yes. That's why I thought you were referring to yourself,"

Sylvia opened her mouth to speak just as I realised what she was going to do. There was no way I'd let her charmspeak my friends.

"Stop talking Sylvia," I murmured.

The rest of Sylvia's sentence was lost. She glared at me, thrusting a rude hand gesture, seeing as she could no longer speak. I only gave a small smile.

"Sylvia meet Rusty. Rusty meet Sylvia. He's my new pet." I patted Rusty lightly on his enormous muzzle.

Sylvia somehow managed to look even angrier than she already did, but everyone else just grinned. They didn't really like Sylvia either. A timid saytr dismissed the class, edging to the corner furthest from Rusty as the class filed towards the door. No one could've concentrated with Rusty sitting at the doorway anyway. Jack took on the task of convincing the saytrs that he was harmless, but Chiron didn't seem to mind when Jack and I told him. In fact, I was almost getting the impression that Chiron actually liked having Rusty around.

"Maia," Chiron said as I went to follow Jack out the door.

"Yeah?" I said cautiously.

I really hoped this wasn't about the unauthorised night on top of Demeter's cabin.

"I have an offer for Rusty," he said.

It was a couple of seconds before a noticed my mouth had fallen open.

"I would like him to guard the camp, as we have been getting a disturbing amount of monster attacks this year. I fear that the magical barrier is failing. Rusty could stay year round,"

I didn't speak at first for shock, but then said, "You... you want Rusty to stay?"

Chiron nodded. "Yes. That is the idea at least,"

"Um, sure, I guess," I said blankly.

I had known I couldn't keep him at my Dad's house, but I had tried not to think about where Rusty would have to go without me. This seemed like the best option. The only option.

Chiron gave a small bow. "Thank you Maia,"

He turned tail and galloped off to no doubt tend to some other issue in the camp.

Well, that was quick.

He suddenly stopped and turned around. "The camp notices were delivered to the cabins today. You might want to check them out,"

I nodded. Swinging around on my heels, I headed back to cabin ten. Inside, the cabin held an eerie silence instead of the usual chatter that came from the now absent campers. I kicked off my sneakers and climbed up the rickety ladder and into my bed on the top bunk, wincing slightly as the metal rungs dug into my feet. It was painfully obvious that I was a new camper. All the other wall space that happened to be next to a bed was littered with old photographs and posters. The only photos I'd stuck up were the ones of me and my Dad, and, in several of them, Emma too. I sighed. It was times like these that I missed her more than ever.

Then I noticed a small green envelope lying upon my pillow. The little cartoon pegasus in the corner made it instantly recognisable as a camp notice. I ripped it open (not very neatly) and began to read. I knew Dionysus must've filled it out, because he stubbornly persisted on getting my name wrong. A tradition he upheld with every camper.

Dear May Lightworm,

If you intend to stay at Camp Half-Blood year-round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you vacated your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin work in the evening. They are authorised to eat any unregistered campers. All personal items left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit. Have a nice day!

Mr.D (Dionysus)

Camp Director, Olympian Council #12.

I wasn't a hard decision. I wanted to go home. I knew I'd be leaving Audrey, Leo, Jack and all my other new friends behind, but I would see them again next summer at least. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw another letter. It was from Dad. I laughed. Dad hated writing letters, but a phone call isn't really an option when you're trying to contact Demigod Central. He asked whether I was okay, and that he'd understand if I wanted to stay year round at Camp Half-Blood, but that he thought the food was probably better at home then what camp food was. I wrote back to straight away. It took a lot of scrunched up prices of paper and scribbled out sentences before I was happy with the result. Fitting a fortnight long quest into one piece of paper was no easy task. I told him everything and that of course I'd come back. When I walked out of my cabin, it was with a wide smile on my face. I finally going home, and I told Chiron that. I wasn't going to give the cleaning harpies another excuse to eat me.


A / N: One more tiny chapter to go! Please review.