The last three weeks have been the best weeks of my life! I went to this awesome summer camp, French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, and loved every second of it!

The last three weeks have been the worst weeks of my life. As if it wasn't bad enough that I'm being blackmailed by a millennia old psychopath. As if it wasn't bad enough that one of my best friends and I won't even be in the same room as each other. As if it wasn't bad enough that one of my other best friends, Angeline, is being dragged to a boarding school across the country by her disapproving dad.

Chiron is making me go to public school.

That's right, after Skylar (not surprisingly) told everyone in camp my little secret about being a elementary school drop-out, Chiron decided he couldn't allow me to waste what he called "a potentially brilliant mind". So for the past few weeks, in between glaring at Luca and trying to learn more about Caligula, I've been taking tutoring lessons from Malcolm in Athena cabin. Let me just say, regarding schoolwork, I am not in the least bit upset I missed out on so much.

But today, Malcolm was willing to give me a break, in order to say goodbye to Elliot, who was going home for the season.

"Are you sure you want to leave? I could really use your help on this."

"I'm sorry Emma, but I've got to go. School starts next Monday."

"Yea, yea I know, but what about the dreams? You the one whose dreams led us to the..." I glance around and then lower my voice. "Templars..."

"Look, if I have any more dreams, I'll call you, okay? My step-dad says he's going to give me a new IPhone for my birthday. It's gonna be sweet! I'm thinking the cover is gonna be gold..."

I growl. "Am I the only one even remotely concerned about this guy. He could put us federal prison, Elliot. Federal prison! But don't worry, I'm sure your step-dad can use the fancy new IPhone he bought you to call you when you're locked inside!"

Elliot takes a wary step back.

"Yeesh Emma, calm down. I'm also worried, but we haven't found any more clues, and I'd rather not have a massive panic attack like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Emma, take a look in the mirror. You haven't slept, you've barely eaten. When you're not studying with Malcolm you spend your days at the training center decimating some poor straw dummy . What did those dummies ever do to you? And then, you spend hours hunched over a computer trying to dig up any scrap of helpful info you can. When's the last time you took a break? When's the last time you laughed? Or smiled? And I mean really smiled, like, because you were sincerely happy." As he says this, a green pickup truck with Delphi Strawberry Fields printed in white on it pulls up. Elliot climbs in.

"Emma, you've become a total.. what's the word? That word I heard in a Mel Brooks film... meshuggena. You've gone completely meshuggena." As he delivers these final stakes into my heart, the truck begins to pull away.

"We'll keep in touch!" He calls as he drives down the road.

"Skylar am I meshuggena?" I ask her later at dinner.

"I don't know what that means."

"Crazy. Am I crazy?"

She takes a long time to answer. Not a good sign.

"Well, you have been acting... a lot more serious since you came back. But I wouldn't worry about it. I mean, sometimes when something's important to you get all.. I mean, remember when we had Latin finals, and you hadn't studied all year? You didn't leave your books for anything but the bare necessities, but you learned a year or Latin in two days, and totally aced that exam."

"So what you're saying is, I've got a one track mind." She nods.

"Exactly! I mean there's nothing wrong with that, right?" I shrug. We sit in comfortable silence for a moment.

"Skylar?" I ask tentatively.

"Yes?" she replies.

"Do other people think I'm crazy?" She exhales sharply.

"They've noticed you've changed. Most of my cabin thinks you're upset because Luca rejected you."

"What do you mean, rejected me?"

"I mean, like... romantically." I sit in stony silence for a moment. Then I start to laugh. A little at first, then louder and louder, until I'm banging my hands on the table and practically rolling across the floor. Skylar joins me.

"Can you imagine-" I chortle "Can you imagine me being love-struck, by Luca! Staring at him all moony eyed from across the room..."

Skylar joins in "Writing 'Mrs. Luca O'Neil' all across a notebook..."

"Seeing his face in my dreams..."

"Accidently on purpose dropping your backpack near him in hopes he'll pick it up..."

"Finding a napkin that he dropped and nailing it to a wall with his picture plastered all over it..."

"Okay, now we're just getting creepy." We, with great effort, stop laughing. Skylar then points toward the Ares table.

"Speaking of which, he was looking at us just now." I glance in Luca's direction sure enough, when I notices my gazes he starts, glares, and turns away.

"You know, you two really should just apologize." I frown.

"Why should I apologize? I haven't done anything wrong. He started it!"

"Maybe, but you finished it." I sigh.

"Okay, so maybe I did go a little bit overboard after the Great Filling Station Fiasco."

"Emma you went on a five minute rant about everything that was wrong with him, complete with incredibly colorful language. I'd never even heard a bunch of those words before."

"That's what I get for growing up in a bad neighborhood. Look, I really wish I could apologize, but then he'd win."

"What do you mean, he'd win?"

"Like, I'd be admitting that I was wrong, and he wouldn't."

"So what would you do if he apologized to you?"

"Then I'd apologize back, because I know it would be mutual." Skylar shakes her head for a moment and then massages her temples.

"Emma, what if I told you I had the exact same conversation with Luca a few days ago."

"You talked to him!" I scream.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't want to have to pick a side between my two besties. Besides, somebody has to get you two talking again." I deepen my frown.

"Skylar, if you weren't the only non-tutor person I have left to talk to, I'd so give you the silent treatment right now."

"So, is that a maybe on apologizing?"

Whew, newest chapter is all done! As you've probably guessed, I'm trying to include a little more character development. I'm really inexperienced, so if you have any advice feel free to offer it. As usual reviews of any sorts are welcome, as well as any jokes you'd like me to share during the forward.

- Sage