A / N: Hello! Don't worry, this isn't the last chapter. I think I might do one or two more, but then that's it. There will be another book after this, I think.

Disclaimer: I don't own PJO ... yet.

14

The shower was brutal. I looked in the mirror and frowned. My eyes were an icy blue, glaring out at myself, emphasised by the sharp, stubborn set of my jaw. I felt slightly scared of myself. As a result, I just dressed in an old navy polo fleece jumper that used to be Dad's and a pair of grey track suit pants, not wanting to look too scary. My lip trembled, and I tried to pull myself together. I wasn't allowed to feel sad. I broke up with him. No, that wasn't right. I was allowed to be upset, but I just had to remember that I was responsible. Either way, I had to stop shaking before I saw Audrey.

In the time it took to calm down, I pulled my hair down and braided it into two plaits down my back, much like the way I had worn it when I was little. In a way, I felt just as vulnerable as I had back then.

I stepped out of the bathroom and climbed the steel rungs of my ladder, sitting cross legged next to Audrey.

"That shower must have been brutal," said Audrey, copying my own train of thought.

I smiled weakly, tucking a fly-away behind my ear.

"He wasn't angry at you, you know. When he shouted at you, I mean," she told me.

I had been waiting for the Leo attack. Audrey obviously thought we were made for each other.

"What would you call it then?" I said, some part of me genially curious about what she had to say.

"I think he was scared for you. He thought you were going to die in the labyrinth."

I sighed. "I know, but he could have at least been nicer about it."

Audrey bit her lip. "I know Maia."

There was a moment of silence before she said, "Okay, let me tell you a story. Well, it's not really a story, but you know what I mean."

I lay down, propping myself up with my elbows, my plaits swinging around my shoulder. "Yippee! Story time with Audrey!"

She rolled her eyes but kept on going. "Before you came to camp, Leo wasn't interested in girls. I mean, at all." Oh no, Jack's story on repeat, I thought warily. "He'd always been super guarded, you know. When you came though, you seemed to have broken down those walls. It was like you had unlocked a whole new Leo. Jack especially was surprised. And when he got awarded a quest, instead of choosing one of his other friends, he chose you, the first girl he'd been interested in years. He loves you, Maia. He really does."

"You're right," I said.

"Really?" said Audrey, surprised that I'd cottoned on so quickly.

"Yeah," I said. "You are right. That really wasn't a story at all. In so many ways."

Her face fell. "Maia," she moaned.

I grinned at her expression. Things were getting back to normal.

"He was your first though, right?" she asked.

I frowned, puzzled. "First what?"

Audrey sighed for the second time in the same day due to my lack of romantic experience. "First boyfriend of course!"

I gathered my sleeves in my hands, looking down.

"First ex-boyfriends, now, I think," I mumbled.

I sniffled, but quickly disguised it as a cough as Audrey gave me a knowing look.

"I knew it!" said Audrey, a little too loudly. "Not about the ex-boyfriend part," she corrected herself hastily. "But seriously? First boyfriend! A girl like you! No wait," Audrey paused accusingly. "You rejected everyone who wanted to?"

I bit my lip nervously. "When you put it like that … I was waiting for someone special."

"And Leo is that person!"

I face palmed myself. "Wrong choice of words."

"Still, you guys will get back together."

My shoulders slumped and I flopped down on my back, staring at the ceiling. I heard the creaking of springs as Audrey climbed down my bed. Audrey would never listen. Leo and I were done. Officially done.

"Uh-oh," Audrey murmured quietly. "Mama Bear is back."

I snorted into my pillow as Holly burst through the door, rounding on Audrey.

You were allowed to just talk to her!" Holly scolded. "Not let her get up and walk everywhere!"

"She got up by herself. I was trying to stop her!" protested Audrey.

"Right here, guys," I mumbled.

Holly folded her arms and Audrey humphed.

"Maia, show her your leg. It's all healed now," said Audrey.

I pushed up the leg of my grey tracksuit pants to show the smooth unmarked skin.

"Well, okay then," said Holly grudgingly. "But your time is over. Get out, now!"

Audrey left the cabin like a scolded puppy, her head hanging down.

"Thanks," I murmured.

I had a feeling that Holly would have a different opinion on the Leo factor, and I was guessing that was why she came in.

Holly tied her hair into a ponytail and then climbed up the ladder to take Audrey's spot on my bed.

"So, do you want to talk about it?" asked Holly kindly.

I blanched. I hadn't expected her to ask permission. Holly really was the Mama Bear in our friendship. I wouldn't tell Audrey this, but I probably trusted Holly a lot more with sensitive stuff.

"Okay," I mumbled. Then after a pause, I said, "Audrey thinks that Leo and I are destined to be together."

Holly laughed. "Audrey is a big believer in First True Love. It's a little hypocritical, though, seeing as she has never been in a relationship that has lasted more than two weeks."

I giggled.

Holly smiled, happy to see me feeling a little better. "I think they should make a TV show named Audrey Dates Everyone."

"Has she been with a Stoll brother?" I asked, not sure I really wanted to know.

"Both," said Holly simply.

"No," I said, shocked.

We both started laughing, but the rain cloud over my head caused the laughter to die down pretty quickly. A lump rose up my throat, and I swallowed violently. I just couldn't joke. At least, not at the moment. I needed to recover.

"What do you think I should do?" I asked quietly.

Holly noticed my change in mood immediately, and her eyes softened.

"Contrary to popular teenage beliefs, I think that people fall in love more once," she said with a soft smile. "And each time will be just as wonderful as the next, and, probably just as painful."

"I don't think I can handle this much pain, let alone more than once," I said, my voice breaking slightly.

A tear trickled down my cheek, and then more and more until my eyes were streaming. Holly lay me down, my head in her lap, stroking my hair. She soothed me, and I gave a weak smile. I knew now why people talked of hearts breaking. My heart had broken into a thousand little pieces which were now cutting their way through my chest.

I cried. I kept on crying until my eyes were completely dry. Holly smoothed my hair, and began braiding it. I sniffled, and tried to ignore the giant hole in my chest.

"I want to see Chiron," I whispered.

"And he wants to see you," said Holly calmly, finishing off the braid with a hair tie.

I sat up, startled. "Why?"

"Chiron wanted to talk to you when you first came back, and passing out doesn't change that," she said simply.

I laughed hoarsely. "Passing out again would nice."

Holly smiled knowingly, and I climbed down from my bunk to get changed into some more appropriate clothing. Settling with my orange Camp Half–Blood t-shirt and a pair of jean and sneakers, I headed for the door.

"And Holly," I said, turning to look at her over my shoulder. "Thank you."

She smiled. "Anytime."

I hurried out the door, not wanting to keep Chiron waiting. I was more careful this time, avoiding the Apollo archers and looking where I was stepping. Many campers had either heard or overheard about Leo and my breakup, so many of them were staring at me, but I tried to ignore them. I really hated how fast gossip and rumours spread.

I was dreading reaching the Big House where I would have to face Jack and Leo again. I came up with a strategy: just look anywhere but where they were sitting.

I opened the wooden door of the Big House, carefully this time, rather than nearly ripping it off its hinges as I had so many times before. Chiron was in his wheelchair form, as the roof in the Big House was too low to allow a horse. His hair looked patchier and he had large bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. I wondered what had made Chiron so tired and stressed.

Leo and Jack were sitting down at the table where Mr D and Chiron normally played pinochle. The seemed to have been in deep conversation, but they stopped talking abruptly when the noticed my presence. I sat down on the couch, partly because I didn't want to sit near the boys, but mainly because I didn't want to sit in Mr D's chair.

"Maia," Chiron began gravely, in a voice that made you think there was a big speech ahead. "Jack and Leo have already told me what happened, and we were just discussing Nagrata's intentions. Though," Chiron paused, rubbing the stubble on his chin thoughtfully. "According to them, they only arrived once the fight had already started, but you must have done very well to last that long." I narrowed my eyes. What was that meant to mean? This was just another piece of infuriating evidence that I was a weakling.

"I would like to hear your side of the story, Maia," Chiron continued, adjusting the blanket over his non-existent legs. "If you are willing to share. Is true Nagrata wants revenge on the gods?"

And so I started to explain what Nagrata had shared with me. Chiron wanted every little detail, word for word, including what Nagrata looked like. Then of course, Chiron had me repeat my story again and again.

Once I had finished Chiron asked, "So Nagrata is a son of Hecate?"

"Yep," I confirmed, wondering how many times I would have to repeat myself before he would stop asking.

"This is very serious," he muttered to himself. "I must relay this to Olympus. Yes, yes, I have a meeting there on Monday anyway…"

Olympus again … It's not like the gods are a bunch of magical fairies that can fix everything.

"It would be best if you three do not accompany me," Chiron said apologetically.

"No problem," Jack assured him.

Chiron nodded, and Jack and Leo instantly dismissed themselves, not caring to shut the door gently. I stayed back, however. I still had something to discuss with Chiron.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Maia?" asked Chiron, calmly noticing that I had failed to leave the room.

I paused. I didn't know how to phrase what I wanted.

"I want you to help me train. I don't want to be the weakling anymore. I want to be able to fight for myself," I said firmly.

Chiron did not look as surprised as I expected. He looked almost as if he had been expecting this.

"You are not weak, Maia. But," he added, seeing the impatient expression on my face. "I will help you train, if you wish."

"You will?" I said, my face lighting up with delight.

"Yes," confirmed Chiron, his smile lines around his eyes crinkling. "You may want some rest, as we are starting tomorrow. Eight o'clock."

"Tomorrow!" I exclaimed. "Alright then. Um, bye!"

I hurried out the door, waving to an amused Chiron, and relishing in my success. I wouldn't be the damsel in distress anymore. Chiron was going to train me, just as he trained all the other great heroes. I wanted to tell someone. Not Jack or Audrey, because I couldn't deal with them right now. Not Holly, because I had just spent the last twenty minutes crying on her lap. Who else understood what I wanted? What other person did I feel comfortable telling everything to? My brow furrowed as I thought, but then realisation struck me. Dad. I would talk to Dad.

A / N: Please review!