Charlie,

Dinner never seemed to end.

We got there with reservations and were seated immediately, though we probably would have been treated the same because Hermes was a god after all. We tried for the least awkward seating arrangements, but it still managed to be awkward. We all ordered drinks (and, though I felt like I desperately needed a drink, I was only allowed a soda), and we listened to Hermes talk about work.

While we decided on our food, Kate and Noah were mostly talking to each other, laughing most of the time but having a serious conversation other times. Sam and Hermes began to talk, and there was absolutely no talking between Chester and Aiden. And Angelique was still so mad at me that her words were limited, and she spent most of her time drinking from her Champaign class. So we mostly sat in awkward silence.

We ordered, and Angelique began to warm up to the idea of conversation. She spoke out a little more, beginning with snide comments towards me. And, just as Aiden and I were beginning to get comfortable with talking, Angelique ruined it and got into talking, too.

She began to flirt with Aiden by the time our food got to us, and I couldn't stand it.

Half-way through dinner, I refused to even look at Aiden, even though part of me knew it wasn't his fault that Angelique was throwing herself at him. I would only talk to Chester, and that stirred him up to talk to Angelique more.

By the time we were being asked about dessert, there was no way I could stand another moment of this.

We all voted to skip dessert. The elder wanted to go to the club, and the younger wanted to get away from each out.

The next thing I knew, we were all back in Hermes's golden limo, and only Hermes spoke, giving out the plan.

The agreements were made easily for the older kids. When we got to the hotel, they were going to the club, and no worry was needed on the lack of proper ID's to fake their age. Hermes would wave them through, and they would have fun.

For the younger, there was a bit more trouble.

Hermes kept trying to think of activities we could all enjoy, but he couldn't really decide on anything.

By the time he was suggesting put-put, Aiden was interjecting.

"You know, I'm pretty tired actually. I think I would like to go home and get some sleep," Aiden told him, rubbing his neck nervously. Angelique's smile seemed to fall, but it's not like he was going with her in the first place.

"Are you two tired?" Hermes looked to me and Chester, and we both nodded.

"Long day, I suppose," I glanced at Angelique, glaring, "Shopping with Angie was so fun it took all the energy out of me."

"It was fun, especially finding that dress. It is so cute on you, Charlie," Angelique said cute in the way you say a five-year-old's dress looks so cute on her.

My nose crinkled.

Kate was quick to stop us before it got too far out of control.

"It really was great, a wonderful idea on your part, Hermes."

"Why thank you," Hermes took the compliment readily, and he took over the conversation again.

But Angelique and I kept eyes on each other, a death glare in her eyes and daggers in mine.

This lasted the entire way back to The Lucky Coin, a silent stand-off between us threatening to blow at any moment. My finger-tips felt like water boiling, and I felt a wave of anger-fueled water threatening to crash at any time.

Only the idea of the limo being flooded stopped me from speaking, and she had her own reasons for keeping quiet that I didn't care about.

When we got to the hotel, my anger was bottled up inside of me, not threatening to explode anymore but not fading either. It was liberating to get out of the limo, and I felt antsy to get away from Angelique as we all stopped in the lobby for Noah to give us a speech about not doing anything stupid.

"We'll be fine, I promise."

"You'll stay in the penthouse?" Noah crossed his arms.

I avoided that question.

"Trust me, Noah. I'll be fine."

Noah looked like he wanted to get an affirmative answer on that question but decided to listen to me, and he nodded.

"Alright, have fun. Be good. Love you, Charlie," Noah kissed the top of my head.

"Have fun, alright? Stop worrying all the time," I smirked, and I raised my eyebrows, "Save a dance for Kate."

He glared at me, and I let out a laugh as I watched him go into the club after everyone else.

But my smile didn't stay, and my ease faded.

Now I was stuck beside Aiden, who I was so unbelievably mad at. Logic couldn't comfort me, though I wished it could. My Athena blood couldn't conquer the Poseidon passion I had inherited. And, even more, I had also gotten my mother's jealousy…

"Let's go," I turned towards the elevator, my void frigid, and Aiden and Chester followed me, though I managed to always be a step ahead of them.

I pressed the elevator impatiently, trying to clear my thoughts. But they were determined. They wanted to plague me as horribly as they possibly could. Logic tried to set order, but my feelings were resolute. And Aiden and Chester's presence only made it worse.

The elevator doors finally dinged open, and a bunch of young girls here for a bachelorette party piled out, giggling and even a few winking at Aiden on their way out.

As I got in the elevator, I wondered if I could ever cope with that if we did ever get together.

Girls all adored him, boys wanted to be him. He was the angel girls spend their lives dreaming about and longing for. He was Mr. Perfect that only seemed to exist in Romantic Comedies. Aiden had a sense of loyalty, was smart, and proud in the best of ways.

And I wasn't the only one who noticed.

Everyone who caught sight of Aiden did.

He radiated perfection, a trade handed down from his father.

And, if I couldn't handle Angelique, how could I handle other girls? Girls who are his own age, who have more in common with him, who are prettier than me, who understand him better…. Girls he's supposed to be with….

Aiden was the clear chose for anyone else. If this was happening to someone other than me, I would wonder why she would even consider giving up someone like Aiden…

But, standing in the shoes to choose, I saw the fine print to the perfect deal.

As I kept thinking, my thoughts jumbled up in my head, and I felt awkward as I leaned to the back of the elevator and watched Aiden put in the key to the penthouse.

Silence was ended by the soft tune of the elevator music and the hum of the machine, but it didn't make it any less uncomfortable. We all were in separate edges of the elevator, equally spaced out and equally awkward with each other.

There was a collective sigh of relief as the elevator finally got to the penthouse.

"See you guys in the morning," Aiden nodded weakly to each of us, not meeting Chester's eyes, and he started up the stairs to his room.

"Let me see what there is to do around this place," Chester began to climb the stairs after him, and I stood back, watching the two of them.

I had to be away from them at least for a little while.

I needed air, I needed space.

I needed to do something stupid….

I slid back into the elevator, my brain screaming against it, but my brain wasn't in charge. I was, my feelings controlled me now. And my feelings had never been very smart…

My brain agreed with my protection, it knew that things were better that way. My brain understood why I could never be alone, why I had to be watched all the time. My brain knew that there was a mad woman on my tail.

But my feelings didn't. I felt resentment towards the contestant protection, wanting to try to prove myself. I didn't want to be a kid forever. I felt smothered by being watched all the time, and I longed to be alone even if it was just for a little while. And I knew that this mad woman would probably kill me and that I couldn't live out the rest of my life this unhappy.

I pushed the button to go to the lobby, and I felt the liberation and fear of being without protection. It was a combination of butterflies and nervous naseau. It was lightheadedness and constant awareness of the danger in my surroundings. And I loved it…

Kate,

When I got into the club, the pulsing lights blinded me for a moment before I could see it, and, when I did, I understood why Hermes had such a love for it. The circular ceiling was golden and had the etchings of the golden drachma. The music was pounding, and everyone crowded onto the coin-shaped dance-floor that looked like a coin but kept changing colors.

Above the music, I could hear Angelique say something to her father, and she kissed his cheek before walking off into the party, disappearing in the crowd, and Hermes smiled at us.

"Have fun!" Hermes nodded, picking up a drink as he went off into the party himself.

Now it was just me and my older brother.

Sam was too shocked at the party, his eyes darting from the dance-floor, to the bar, and to a few pretty girls along the way. Finally, his lips formed a big and wide smile, and he ruffled his hair.

While he was mentally making his game plan and possibly picking out a girl for the night, I felt at my trench coat. I knew that it was time to take it off, that I had been hiding my dress because I really only wanted to wear it here. But I suddenly felt fear about it.

It was made for a skinnier, less curvy girl, but it made jaws drop with me. The dress was skin tight, and, as it was a bustier, I somewhat felt like my chest might just pop out. My skirt was longer than most of the dresses here, but it was still short for me and seemed even shorter with my super-high heels.

It took almost all of my courage to slide out of the jacket, and turn back to the coat check.

"Hey, where's-" Noah walked in and stopped.

No, staring at my dress.

I did everything not to blush, but I wasn't sure it was enough.

"Sorry… um, w-where did Sam go?" Noah tried, and I turned back to see that my brother had disappeared into the crowd while I was summing up the courage to take off my jacket.

"There was probably a girl," I smirked as I walked towards him and checked my coat, and Noah laughed.

He still seemed to stare at me, but he was trying to make it less obvious.

I wasn't sure whether I should be flattered or not…

"I guess we're on our own tonight," Noah smirked, looking out to the party.

His reaction was so different from Sam's about the party that it made it sometimes made it hard to remember that they were so close. He was excited, I suppose, but it wasn't that of almost childish excitement and overwhelming smiles.

But Sam and Noah had always been like that.

"At least we're not with Angelique."

"Oh you two. Gods, the girls just seem to hate Angelique."

"Well, Charlie has more of a reason."

"The dress?" Noah asked hopefully.

"More like who the dress was worn for," I laughed, "You know she likes them, right?"

"Both?"

I nodded, a small smile as we began to slowly walk our way towards the bar.

"Oh gods," Noah moaned.

"Somebody needs a drink," I playfully put a comforting arm around him, and he leaned in to me.

"I thought boys were supposed to have cooties at this point."

"You didn't act like girls had cooties when you were that age."

Noah blushed.

"Times have changed," he shrugged.

"Yeah, that stuff has gotten worse. You're pretty lucky you lasted this long," I laughed.

"You were pretty good when you were thirteen."

"I spent that entire year in love with Reece, the star of the swimming team."

"Reece Wilson?"

I nodded.

"Oh my gods, I remember that guy. You liked that guy."

"I was in love with that guy," I blushed.

"But you never spoke to him," Noah kept watching me, "I always thought you liked Austin."

We both felt the presence of the word in the air, though it wasn't as strong and awkward as before, and I hated that we still had to feel that.

Austin had been our best friend. He was one of us, he should have been here on this quest.

In fact, things were supposed to be completely different with Austin…

He was supposed to be the guy, the one I would fall for and love forever. Everything made sense for our match. We were enough alike to last but different enough to keep it interesting. There was mutual attraction, though it had never come to a head until we were older. And we were such a cute couple…

But the feelings I was supposed to have for Austin were for Noah. Everything was wrong, everything was ruined.

And, even worse, I settled for Austin, though I didn't know it at the time. And it drove us apart, it ruined what seemed like Aphrodite's plan. To top things off, we even lost him as a friend, pushing me and Noah to get closer.

"No, that was when we were older…. I wonder how he is."

"I remember he got a college scholarship for football, but I don't remember hearing anything other than that…."

Austin's name had already dampened our moods, and, by the time we did get to the bar, Noah wasn't the only one who needed a drink.

We both ordered, and Noah held up our penthouse key, which prompted the bartender to tell us that the drinks were on the house.

As we each got our drinks (the bartender made it fast by ignoring the rest of his customers and doing us first), I held up my glass for a toast.

"We're going to have fun, no more depressing conversations. Just drinking and dancing, got it?" I asked, determined that we were going to have fun tonight.

"I'll toast to that," Noah smiled as he toasted his glass to mine, and I smiled as I took a drink.

I wasn't exactly sure what it was other than it was the Lucky Coin's signature drink and the glass had a golden drachma etching on the bottom. I didn't know what was in it, and I doubted that I really wanted to know either. All I knew was that it tasted good and it did the trick.

"Let's get started on that toast, shall we?" Noah smirked, motioning to the dance floor, where I could now see Sam dancing with some girl in a skirt so short it could have been a top really.

Sam hadn't forgotten the spirit of tonight. Tonight wasn't about the prophecy, Charlie, or anything else other than us. Tonight was about forgetting about that stuff.

Tomorrow, we could deal with reality (and some pretty bad hangovers). But, for tonight, we were free.

I smiled back at Noah, his eyes twinkling in the bright lights.

"You're on."

Noah,

As I was standing by Sam ,downing my shot and letting out a loud laugh, my eyes caught some blonde smiling at me, a kind of smile that only alcohol would inspire.

She stuck out in the room to me, mainly because her white teeth were even brighter in the lights. Her bright blue dress stuck out, too, and her friends giggled as they noticed I was looking back at her. Even from here, I could hear their alcohol induced giggles.

The girl wasn't completely lost to the drink, but she wasn't all there…

"Oh my gods, yes. We found her. This is your girl for the night," Sam urged, looking like he might drag me by my ear if I didn't go on my own.

"No, Sam-"

"No, listen, Noah. You are going over there. Listen you are going to buy a drink," Sam began, and I cut him off.

"I am not going over there! You go over there!"

"Your stressed, I get it. It has been a long week, I understand completely. This will help. Here's what will help you. You are going to talk to her, buy her a drink, get a drink for yourself, and maybe more will happen. Just go talk to her. If you don't like her, make up an excuse and ditch."

"I'm not going to ditch."

"You can do it nicely," Sam tried, "You know, say your little sister called you. Oh, or your girlfriend, and say it was really nice meeting you and how you should meet your girlfriend because you would be good friends. Something like that…"

"I am not doing that."

"Why not?" Sam complained, looking at me like I was insane.

"I can't just go hook-up with some girl."

"I see no reason why not."

Because of Charlie. Because of everything.

No, because of Kate…

I couldn't go off with some girl when I knew Kate would be in my head, that I would be thinking of Kate when I was with her…

And I couldn't do it to prove myself either, not when she was right there. When she was staying basically next door, in the same penthouse. With a brother who would want to announce it to the world.

"Because I don't want to."

"Just go over there."

"How about you go over there? You seem pretty keen on it," I crossed my arms, frowning at him.

"Because she is looking at you!"

"So what? She can look at someone else."

"How are you not getting this?" Sam put his hands on my shoulders, shaking me as if that would suddenly change my mind.

It didn't.

"You have a chance, and you are freaking wasting it. This is pretty basic stuff," Sam rolled his eyes, and I did my best not to do the same.

"Fine, I will go and say hello if it will shut you up. Wherever it goes from there, it doesn't matter, okay?" I knew I was simply going to say an awkward hello, explain that my friend put me up to it, and possibly make small talk. But I wasn't going to do much else.

And I definitely wasn't going to do what Sam wanted me to do.

It just seemed easier to meet him half-way and get him to shut up.

"Fine, fine. But you'll like her, I know you will," Sam patted me on the back like he had won, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes this time.

I was pushing through the crowd full of drunk people falling all over each other, people making out on the dance floor, and dancers obsessed with the song. If I hadn't already had a few drinks, I probably would have been annoyed with the lengths I had to go to just to get to this girl who I didn't even want to talk to in the first place.

But the shots had definitely helped out my irritability.

I was moving past a bunch of girls giggling near the bar and scanning the crowd when I noticed her.

Kate was the prettiest girl in the club. Her hair looked the best, her make-up got the most attention, and her dress was the most stunning, even if not the most provocative. I wasn't sure I had ever seen her like this, but I really wished I had.

Her hair had been curled and down in waves, but she pulled it up in a curly ponytail once we got here. Her dress fit her perfectly, though she had complained to me that she thought it looked too tight, and it commanded attention. Her face was always beautiful, but it just seemed even more striking. And she looked so… graceful, so confident, so… Kate.

And I was just a love-sick guy in the friendzone.

I was about to force myself away and not be that weird guy staring when I finally noticed who Kate was aiming her smiles at.

My stomach dropped to my feet, and my frown was so deep I thought that it would never leave.

It was a guy…

No, not a guy. It was the guy, the one girls dream about their entire lives. He was the older, less secretive and army-like Aiden.

His hair was blonde and perfect. His manner was engaging but not too excited. He was perfectly shaved, which was actually pretty hard to do. He dressed like my hero, David Beckham, and looked just as good in it. He was the man everyone hated…

And I hated him even more.

I couldn't help it. Curiosity and a desperate hope that he was gay or something forced me through the crowd. I didn't even notice who I was moving past, who I apologized for pushing past, who I was even moving away from. My eyes stayed locked on them.

His sultry smile and her beautiful smile. His eyes not leaving hers and her engaged demeanor. Their conversation continuing, though no one could hear anything over the music. Her occasional sip at her drink and his interest moving away from his drink to Kate.

I felt the shots from earlier climbing up my throat as I watched them.

It was the moment I knew I should have looked away. I should have gotten a big bottle of something and gotten as far away from them as I could. But I just couldn't look away. It hurt so much that you just had to let it hurt you more. You hated it so much that you just couldn't stop. It burned your eyes so much that you couldn't let them focus on anything else.

And I just kept moving closer to them, not sure what I would do when I got there.

Would Kate introduce me? Would he politely shake my hand and would I hate him more by the second? Would she put it in nice words for me to go back to Sam and let her keep talking to this man?

My fear was getting the best of me, but I couldn't get a handle on it.

And then he looked down to his coat and pulled out a phone. He checked the caller ID, seeing if it was important enough to leave Kate for, and he let out a frown. He smiled politely and explained something to her before going off, and she nodded, keeping his seat available for him though.

By now, I was at the bar.

Her eyes happened on me.

"Noah," she smiled, and I came towards her, my voice no longer working.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" I finally asked, motioning towards the barstool he had just been sitting at.

"Oh, no. Well, kind of. Martin was just sitting there, but he went to take a phone call. It's fine."

"Who's Martin?"

"Oh, just some guy I was talking to," she almost seemed to blush.

It was all I could do not to puke up Tequila on the bar.

I suddenly regretted agreeing to drinking games with Sam.

"Really?"

Jealousy consumed me.

"Yeah, he actually lives here in Las Vegas. He owns a casino around here."

"He owns a casino? That's pretty cool," I nodded.

She smiled at me, crossing her arms.

"Don't do that face."

"What face? I'm not doing a face."

"You don't like him!"

"How could I not like him? I don't know him." I didn't like him.

"You really don't like him?"

"I've never seen the guy."

Lie number two.

"You would like him."

"Maybe."

And lie number three.

"You're doing it again," Kate rolled my eyes.

"Doing what?" I smiled, playing along mainly to forget my envy of him, "I'm not doing anything. I'm just sitting here."

"No, you are doing exactly what you have always done. Every guy I liked, every guy I dated, just about every guy I met. You gave that look, that look that scares everybody. And then, almost like magic, you would just convince me to give those guys up. I am convinced you used magic."

I did. Chiron and Malcolm helped out with that one.

But I would never admit it.

"I did not, you decided you wanted to dump them on your own. I just agreed with you. You always complained that I didn't agree with you enough."

Kate gave me that look of, "Oh sure." I feared and adored it at the same time.

I simply smiled wide, and I felt comfortable with her, doing my best not to think of the fact I was in Martin's seat.

What kind of a name is Martin anyway? And owning a casino? Really? If he is old enough for that, why is he hitting on a college girl?

"Hey, so, do you want a drink?"

Kate looked at me, as if both shocked I was asking her and a little bit hesitant to give up on Martin like that. But then her lips formed a big smile.

"I'm in."

I held up the room card and a drink was promptly delivered without charge.

"Dude! What are you doing?"

I moaned, and I looked back to see Sam, staring at me like I was the biggest idiot on the face of the planet.

"You're supposed to be talking to her, not Kate."

There was absolutely no way I was leaving and going to talk to her now, not when Martin could show up again.

"I realized she didn't want me," I lied, and I could tell by Sam's face that he was really wondering if I had taken a soccer ball too hard to the head.

"What?"

"She was smiling at you," I kept going, "I was half-way there when I realized she was still smiling but at you."

"Me?" Sam asked, and I nodded.

Sam seemed to think it over, looking towards the girl again and then back at me.

If I hadn't just given him a boost to his confidence, it probably wouldn't have worked.

But I knew Sam, and I knew it would work.

"You should go talk to her," I smirked, raising my eyebrows, and I silently prayed he would go for it. and, finally, he did.

"Wish me luck," he laughed, and he was gone by the time Kate and I started laughing.

"Was she really looking at him?"

"Nope."

Kate laughed even harder, nudging me.

"Let's go watch him," Kate grabbed my arm, and I followed after her, laughing as we squeezed past everyone.

By the time we could see him, Sam's magic was already working. She seemed a little pissed at me, which I got as she noticed me out of the corner of her eye and directed her attention adamantly back at Sam. But she was still mesmerized by Sam, affected by his charms and the alcohol of tonight.

The girl smiled and leaned on him, and he wrapped his arm around her as they began to walk to the bar.

How does he do that so easily?

Sometimes, I was convinced he was really the son of Apollo or something, but Aunt Kate and even Athena swore up and down that he was the grandson of Athena.

But then again, I guess you have to be a genius to do that…

"How the Hades does he freaking do that?" Kate laughed, crossing her arms.

"You're his sister, you should know."

"You're his best friend, you should know."

I nudged her, and I stood closer to her than I usually would.

I didn't slide gently away as she wrapped her arm around mine.

The jealousy had sparked something in me. I didn't want any new Martin to find Kate…

The speakers turned to a familiar song, the stereo making the floor shake beneath us. I smiled wide, remembering the song from almost two years ago. A song from a summer spent playing around in the lake of Camp Half-Blood.

Kate smiled, too.

"For old time's sake?" I smiled, and Kate answered by pulling on my arm to the dance floor.