Hello J How was Thanksgiving break? J

Anyway here's my next chapter

No flames please, READ AND REVIEW!

Marina:

Sitting and staring at water isn't all it's made up to be. You'd think that by sitting on the sand and distantly gazing at water would calm you down, just like a character in a book or movie. It feels like I've been sitting here forever. But when I look at my watch it's only been fifteen minutes.

"Well that was helpful." I murmur and stand up. As I wipe sand off my shorts I decide to take a walk around camp.

I don't even know why I was sitting down in the first place, I guess I just feel a little jumpy and frantic these days. Why? I have no idea. But as I walk towards the strawberry fields I understand why. I'm bored.

Sure I train and fight and train some more but that's all I do. I the only time I've ever had a serious conversation with someone was with Connor and that was, what, two weeks ago? Even my own brother can't have a conversation with me that lasts for more than 7 minutes, I know because I count. And yes I have talked to a few of Percy's friends but that's just it. They're PERCY'S friends, not mine.

I'm already at the basketball court and I see Connor finishing up a one-on-one game with one of his half brothers. They say goodbye to each other and Connor turns around.

"Hey." he says

I'm so shocked that he's talking to me that it takes me a few seconds to answer "Uh, hello."

What follows that is an awkward silence as Connor bends down to tie his shoes and I stare at him like an idiot. I quickly say the first thing I can think of "You're pretty good at making goals."

Shit. They're calling shots not goals! I'm internally beat myself up while Connor just laughs. "You mean shots right?" he asks.

"Yeah, shots. That's what I meant. I'm not that good with baseball- I mean football- I mean basketball."

Connor laughs again and I turn a bit pink. Gods why am I acting like such an idiot.

"It looks like you want to turn back time and get a do-over, don't you?" he says. I begin to panic, how does he know! After a few seconds he adds with a snort "Too bad that's not possible. That would be pretty damn cool."

Pretty damn cool… I'm probably going to regret this…

"Actually it is." I spill out getting his attention. He looks at me with his mesmerizing hazel eyes and all I can do it try to keep from falling.

"What?"

"I'm only telling you this because I trust you ok? Whatever happens you NEVER repeat to anyone, not even Travis." I take a deep breath. I don't know why I'm trusting him with this, after all he is a son of Hermes. But something in my gut tells me that he's trustworthy… I hope.

I feel a familiar tug in my stomach and suddenly the floor begins to crack. I giant fissure forms spreading all the way from the archery range, through the basketball court and almost to the strawberry field. Campers begin screaming and taking out their swords, preparing for a fight.

"What are you doing?" Connor yells at me over the noise. I don't answer, all I do is look into his eyes.

Suddenly, a flash appears and I am standing on the side of the basketball court.

"See ya later Con." one of the Hermes boys says and walks away from the center of the court.

"Uh.. Bye?" Connor replies. He turns to look at me and the expression is placid. But to me that's like saying I'm a monster.

I begin to breath erratically. "You're good at scoring shots" I say quivering and begin to back up. I turn on my heels and start quickly walk away but I hear a laugh. Connor's laugh!

"Nice." he says impressed. I stop and turn around, trying to calm my breathing.

"Seriously?"

"Well the earthquake scared the crap out of me but that was probably one of the coolest things I've ever seen" he catches up to me and we walk side by side "And no one remember except us?"

"Yepp" I whisper "Our not so little secret." we continue walking in silence. I try to rack my brain for something but I'm speechless. That feeling that I felt a few weeks ago, the one that works its way up to my heart, is back.

I decide to look at the clear blue sky in front of me. Not one cloud is in sight permitting you to practically see for miles across the horizon. As I finish admiring the sun, I see a boy and girl sitting on a bench. The boy has his arm around the girl's shoulders and she's resting her head in the crook of his neck. I can't help but feel envious of the two as the boy slowly leans in for a kiss.

I look away to give them some privacy and see Connor deep in thought. "You ok?" I ask

He opens his mouth but no sound comes out. He tries a few more times, probably thinking of what to say. Finally he stutters "T-that question you asked me, about relationships, it's been bothering me."

I start to laugh but the look on his face is too serious. "Oh, not funny. Sorry" I apologize "But seriously we talked about this two weeks ago and it's bothering you now?"

"Well, Travis has been hanging around Katie a lot these days. And I can't hang out with most of the other head counselors because they're with their boyfriends of girlfriends too. Except Leo, but he just busy flirting."

"So you've been getting lonely?" I ask skeptically

He sighs in sort-of a frustrated way "No it's not that, it's just… With everyone being a couple these days it makes me want to have a girlfriend. But thinking back on the conversation we had a while ago I'm starting to realize that there's this girl that I wish was my girlfriend. I just don't know howto ask her."

"And you're asking me for advice?"

"Of a sort."

"Okay…" I exhale "What do you know about her?"

There was a very long pause after that. He's probably thinking about something good to use. That means she's important to him. We pass the volleyball court where a few Roman daughters of Mars challenged Greek daughters of Ares in a match. The ball is going back and forth between the two groups so fast that it's giving me a headache.

Just then Connor clears his throat and begins to talk quickly in a soft voice. "Her favorite time of summer is August because she loves swimming when it's scorching hot and because it's her birthday too. She has 50 sundresses, 100 different swim suits and still doesn't understand how to use the T.V. because apparently it doesn't work where she used to live…"

I stop walking and look at some far away trees, trying to calm myself down from his recent confession. From my peripheral vision I can see that he stopped too and is looking at me expectantly. I could sure use that sitting by the lake time right now.

I exhale for a few seconds "Gee, well she sounds familiar". I turn and look him straight in to his eyes. "I don't know how to do this relationship thing. For gods' sake I've been isolated underwater for fourteen years of my life."

We stare at each other for a moment, his face become sadder by the second. He looks heartbroken and disappointed even though I didn't even say a proper "yes" or "no". We continue walking and reach my cabin.

"So that's a no?" Connor says, trying to mask his disappointment. I begin walking up the steps into my cabin.

"Yes."

"Yes that's a no?"

I laugh and turn at the door to look at him. "Yes that's a yes."

"Really?" he laughs with me, the joy in his voice prominent.

"Really! Now go spread it like wildfire, I expect to be the hot topic by dinner."