JUNE 8: BEST FRIENDS DAY

Chapter 9: Sacrifice

Travis groaned. He was tired after pulling yet another prank on the Apollo cabin. The Chariot Races were back on after the campers had begged Chiron for them. Surprisingly, Clarisse was the leader of this rebel group, probably to prove that the first race, in which she won, was not just a coincidence. Chiron had, unusually, allowed for one more race. Travis was not interested in the race, even though he and Connor were controlling the Hermes chariot, but he couldn't afford to let the opportunity of ruining the Apollo chariot go.

However, no matter how much Travis tried to sleep, his siblings just threw a pillow at him to wake him up, as if that would solve everything. Travis had managed to dodge the pillows but he couldn't escape when his brother literally jumped on him prying him off of the bed.

"Gosh Travis," Connor started. Travis could see black marks under his eyes. "Do you have to be so lazy?"

Travis tried to fan his brother away, "Five more minutes."

"More like five more hours!" Connor smirked.

Travis sat up, knocking his brother to the ground, "Fine, I'm up! What do you want?"

Connor's eyebrows went up in bewilderment, "We have been working on this chariot for three days straight. I am not going to let you waste those long hours."

Travis groaned, "You know Connor. Sometimes you can be such a girl."

And with that, Travis got up and got ready. He would never admit it to his brother, but after he made that comment, his mind drifted to Katie. He imagined her beautiful brown hair drifting in the wind in the Demeter chariot, going against the wind. Over the previous days, Katie and Travis had become even closer. They shared eachother's thoughts. Katie found Travis as secure and comforting, listening to whatever she said. However, she knew that the boy was still immature inside, explaining the silly arguments they had whenever they met.

Katie was ready for the chariot race as soon as she woke up. In fact, her excitement caused her stay up all night, sleeping for only an hour and waking up until dawn. In the last two chariot races, the Demeter cabin had failed miserably. However, Katie felt a spark that something special would happen this time. Something that would make Katie happy for a long time.

After a while, Camp Half Blood was wild. People were scurrying about, getting their chariots ready for take off. The fifteen chariots were lined on the field. Percy was not there, eliminating tough competition, but all of the minor cabins each had a chariot adding new, unknown competition. This is what scared Katie the most. Still, the chariots were decorated like each of the cabin. Katie was sure that the Hermes chariot was even filled with a lot of pranks. The Demeter chariot, on the other hand, was decorated with flowers and other pretty plants.

Then, at Chiron's call, the race began. In the Demeter chariot, Katie was flying the chariot while Miranda was trying to make the other teams fall behind. In another chariot, Travis was the one pranking other chariots and Connor was flying. Right away, the Apollo chariot and the Nemesis chariot stopped working. The Apollo chariot had self-exploded after Will, the one flying it, started to move, damaging the Hebes, Dionysis, and Nike chariot too. Still, nobody was killed, so nobody was punished. The other team back at the starting was the Hypnos chariot. The team members had fallen asleep well before the race started and nobody bothered to wake them up.

All of a sudden, the Ares chariot took the lead. However, the Hephaestus chariot was close behind them. Katie flew the Demeter chariot as fast as she could, but she still ended up in fifth, behind the Tyche chariot and in front of the Hermes chariot. Katie felt alive. She smiled as the wind blew on her face. She wasn't sure on what Miranda was doing, but Katie knew that her team mate was the only reason the Hermes chariot was behind them.

Katie swerved the chariot in response to the Hephaestus cabin flying backwards. The Ares chariot had a huge mace which had swung the Hephaestus chariot perfectly as the Hephaestus chariot was about to pass them. The Hephaestus chariot had flew back behind the Hermes chariot and Katie felt bad for the two people on it. They had flown from second to sixth in ten seconds.

As the second lap began, Travis fell down in the chariot as Connor swerved to avoid the out-of-control Hephaestus chariot. Travis laughed as he saw the six chariots in the starting line still. One of the chariots had been damaged by Connor, while four had been because of Travis's prank. Then, suddenly, a bottle of Greek fire flew towards the Hermes chariot. Travis caught the bottle but left it cracked a little.

The Hermes chariot was head-to-head with the Demeter chariot. Connor saw the bottle in Travis's hand and frowned at his brother. The bottle hadn't exploded yet, but both of them knew it would soon.

"Throw it on the Demeter chariot," Connor yelled at his brother. "It is close enough."

Travis looked at the other chariot. It was close enough. Still, he looked at Katie in the wheel. She looked determined. Travis could see her desire to win in her eyes. Travis couldn't be the one to ruin that. Instead, Travis threw the bottle down on his own chariot. For any other girl, Travis wouldn't have even given the action a second thought, but Katie was different. And now, Travis knew, for sure, that Katie was the love of his life. All he wished for, as he and his brother fell, was that she would love him back.

Katie saw Travis drop the Greek fire. She knew that he had done it on purpose, despite the wind fogging her eyesight. She heard Miranda cheering. Katie tried to smile but she couldn't, not after what had happened. Katie, unknowingly slowed down. Then, all of a sudden, the hot pink Aphrodite cabin sent a perfumed knife that hit the engine of the Demeter chariot perfectly. Still, Katie didn't care that she had lost. Katie could only think about what Travis had done.

After the race, Katie raced to the boy. She could not let the Travis's actions go without a compliment. As she went, she saw Travis trying to make up an excuse for his brother and the rest of his cabin.

"Why do you blame me? It was the wind," Travis whined. That obviously was not the truth, but Hermes' kids weren't taught to always tell the truth.

"The wind?" Connor suspiciously glared at is brother.

"It could happen to anybody, even you," Travis countered.

Connor sighed, "Next time, I am going to be in the back."

Travis sighed in relief. The brilliant prankster had saved himself once again. Travis smiled and turned around. Just in time to see Katie.

"Travis?" Katie asked. Travis was getting ready to make his move on the girl.

"What?" Travis asked back.

"Thank you-" Katie started. Travis bit his lip. This was the perfect time to ask her.

"-for doing that on the chariot-" Katie continued. Travis thought of what to saw.

"-and I am glad we are best friends." Katie finished.

"Best friends?"

Travis got hit with the hammer of rebound. Best friends? Best friends?! There was no way for Travis to ask Katie out now. With two words, she had literally made it impossible. Still, Travis was not one to mope. Instead, he had a ton of pranks in mind, all to get the attention of the girl in front of him. Travis would go through with the pranks. Maybe, somehow, they would make Katie like him back.

After making a hasty exit, Travis ran back to his cabin. He looked on his special calendar. "Best Friends Day." Oh, the irony!

There is something wrong with my computer, so I cannot post. However, I am still typing. I am super sorry guys! Internet is closed down for me and they said about 2 more weeks was left.

Anyway, here is a disclaimer.

I no own what Riordon owns.

Just kidding, I know grammar. Still, it is true.