Chapter Ten (Leo's PoV)

The next day, I get up at six o'clock and head straight to the forge. I work hard, and try to take my mind off Calypso and Dayton. Just my work. Other Hephaestus campers wander in and out, but I pay no attention to them.

After a lunch of pork chops ("Hephaestus"), I go back to the forge. My half-siblings don't come, however. Probably at combat lessons, scaling the lava-spewing climbing wall, or hanging out with other campers.

As I work on a new sword, Festus II flutters around me and brings me nuts and bolts, which I don't need, but the thought is nice. Suddenly, the door opens. The Apollo camper, Sabrina, walks in, followed by the queen of green apples, long hair, and being too flirtatious herself, Dayton.

Dayton brushes her hair back. "Hey, Leo." She giggles. "Sabrina was just bringing me here because I asked if there was a place I could make my own weapons."

With that, Sabrina leaves, and Dayton wanders over to a work table that's two tables away from mine. She pulls out some tools from the bins and starts to tinker. I roll my eyes and turn back to my sword.

A minute passes. Then I hear, "Uh, how do you actually make a sword?"

I laugh. "Sabrina didn't tell you?" I hear Dayton sigh, and she says "No."

I can see Dayton out of the corner of my eye. Her full lips are suppressing a frown, and her eyebrows are furrowed, giving her forehead a cute wrinkle.

Stop it, I tell myself. You love Calypso, and Dayton's just a friend. All those thoughts happen in a second, and Dayton is still looking at me.

"You hammer some of the Celestial bronze into a somewhat sword-shaped slab, and then dunk it in the lava for ten seconds. Pull it out and hammer it some more. If it still isn't sword-y enough for you, put it in the lava again and keep working on it. When you're finished, put it in the cold water for ten seconds and then you're done."

Dayton comes over to my table. "That's a lot of steps." Her ponytail brushes my shoulder. Her hair smells like green apples, just like yesterday. "Don't be surprised if I stop by your table 'cause I can't remember."

"'Kay."

She goes back to her table and starts her sword.

A few minutes pass in silence before Dayton speaks again. "Who's that girl who sits at the head table? The one with almond eyes and long caramel hair?"

"Oh, that's Calypso. She's my…" Dayton looks at me expectantly. Time to be honest. "Girlfriend," I finish.

"Oh." Dayton looks down at her sword. For a second she's quiet, but then she says, "I think I need to dunk it in lava again." She's looking down at her sword.

"One more time should do it," I say. I nudge her hand with mine gently, and she looks at me with wide eyes. She closes her eyes and leans in ever so slightly.

This isn't what I meant, I think to myself. I was just nudging her hand over to the lava sink! But Dayton's leaning in, and I don't want to hurt her feelings. I start to back up slowly, but Dayton keeps leaning forward.

Our lips are about an inch apart when the forge door bangs open. It's Percy and Dakota. I jump away from Dayton as if she blew fire at me. Then again, I am immune to fire, so if she blew fire at me, it wouldn't hurt. Ah, here we go. As if she tried to stab me.

The commotion causes Dayton's eyes to snap open. She flushes when she sees the space between us. "God, what do you want, Dakota?"

Dakota sends a look at Percy, who grins crazily. "We're supposed to find you. It's almost time for dinner, and you both have to get back to your cabins.

Dayton nods and turns to me. "Sorry," she mumbles, "I got carried away. I'll see you later." As Dayton turns towards Dakota and Percy, her ponytail brushes my shoulder again. The scent of green apple lingers in my nose as she flounces away.

I stare after her, but movement by Dakota and Percy brings my attention to them.

Dakota grabs Percy hands and intertwines their fingers. Percy just grins back at her. He doesn't let go.

/\/\/\/\

(Calypso's PoV)

After dinner, Leo and I meet by the beach. He's fidgety and seems to be very nervous.

After brushing my hair back with a shaking hand, Leo says, "I keep meaning to ask you: how did you know that Percy and I had a fight?"

"Oh, that was simple. As I told you once before, seeing the past is simple magic, seeing the future is not. I just used magic to see into the past and to see your argument."

Leo's eyes widen. "Oh no," he says, his voice an octave higher than normal. "There's, uh, something I should tell you then-"

At just that moment, that girl Dayton walks by. She smiles, "Hey, Leo."

Leo looks at her. His eyes are wide and when he speaks, his voice cracks. "Dayton! What are you doing h- I mean, hey, what's up?"

Dayton laughs. "I live here now. And Dakota, Dawson, and I are taking a walk along the beach." The Dawson girl walks up to us. As she passes, here knee-length skirt swishes and I catch the scent of lavender. "Hi guys," she says quietly. Leo nods his head and mutters a hello while I say, "Hi Dawson."

Dakota jogs up to us then. As she skids to a stop, I catch a whiff of cinnamon. "Well, this must be a party." She crosses her arms and grins. "Dayton," Dakota says, "isn't he the one-"

Dayton elbows her sister hard in the ribs. Leo looks downright terrified now. "Excuse me for asking, but the one what?" I say.

Dakota looks at Dayton, then down at me. "You didn't tell anyone except us, Day?"

Dayton shakes her head frantically and says, "Nope. And you won't tell anyone either."

Dakota snorts at this and opens her mouth. Without warning, Dayton tackles Dakota and pins her to the ground. "What the fu-" Dakota never finishes her sentence because Dayton has her hand tightly over Dakota's mouth.

I look at Leo. He's frozen in place.

Dawson clears her throat. "Both of you stop it," she says to Dakota and Dayton, who are still tussling on the ground. "And," Dawson continues, looking at me now, "by the one, she means the one who almost kissed Dayton in the forge this morning."

Leo unfreezes.

"Dawson," Dayton says angrily, "why would you say that?!"

"She wanted to know, so I told her."

I look at Leo. "Is this true?"

"No! Dayton almost kissed me! I was going to back away! I didn't even-"

"Going to?! GOING to?! You were GOING to back away from her? Meaning you didn't?!"

"Calypso, please listen to me! I told you, Dayton almost kissed me! I didn't almost kiss her!"

"I don't know what to believe anymore!" I stand up and start stalk away, hoping to make it to the Big House before I start to cry.

I hear Dakota as she says, "See? She was going to find out anyway." Turning back, I see Dayton is off Dakota, who's standing off to the side with a smug look on her face. Dayton looks at Dawson for a second and says, "How could you?" Then she starts toward Leo, who's standing up and staring after me.

I yell, "Dayton, you can have him. I don't want a liar and a secret-keeper who will only keep breaking my heart."

Dayton reaches for Leo's shoulder, but he starts to run towards me. "I was going to tell you, Calypso, but then she showed up. I swear I was going to tell you! Calypso, please!" Leo's reached me by now, and he cups my face in his hands. I try to pull away, but as he speaks, Leo's voice is so completely broken, so I stay to hear him out.

"Calypso, just listen to me please. I love you more than anything else in the world. If there was only one island in the ocean and we were the last two people alive, I'd know I'd be fine because you're there. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about the Dayton thing earlier, but I was going to. You were right, you were always right, she's nothing but trouble. I should have listened to you, but please stay. I need you in my life. You are my world. I love you so much."

His thumb wipes away a tear on my face. I sigh. "Leo, I love you too. More than you could ever know. I just need some time to think, so please, just leave me alone."

Leo's arms fall away as he watches me leave. I brush away any remaining tears as I run to the Big House. I dash past Chiron, some satyrs, and the camp director, Mr. D, as they play pinochle in the lobby. Once I'm in my room with the door shut, I let myself cry truly and fully. Sobs wrack my body, but I hug my ribs in an effort to hold myself together.

I hear knocks at my door as well as Hazel's voice. But I just shout, "Go away. Calypso's not here." And this is true. Calypso is not here. In her place is a ghost of a girl. A ghost who's had her heart broken too many times. A ghost who wears her brave face, but now can't put it on. A ghost who has been broken beyond repair.

No, Calypso's not here. I don't know when she'll be back. Sorry.

/\/\/\/\

Hey guys! A/N time! It's Little Defiance with another chapter of Gone. And the plot thickens. And now the chapterly stuff!

~Next update: Wednesday, September 10th. Woah, September.

~I'm putting a sample of my TMI fanfic, About a Boy, up this Thursday (the 4th). It'll be the first chapter.

~It's getting more serious- the triplets move in on Leo and Percy. Foresee Jason.

~This story is actually prewritten, up to about Chapter 17. I haven't written for a few days, though. Momentary writer's block, I guess.

~Possible sequel to my one-shot, Yes. Check it out!

~Keep writing those reviews!

I think that's it! I hope all you guys like this chapter! 1,068 views and counting!

Be strong my little demigods.

-Little Defiance-