Author's Note: Hello, everyone! I'm back!

Ok, well, here's the next chapter of Seeing Katie, and I'm so glad that all of you like this story! You're making me blush with all of these reviews! But, don't stop reviewing! I LOVE the reviews, almost as much as all of you love this story!

Anyway, enjoy! By the way, all of you do know that Katie Gardner is a real character from Percy Jackson, not just some OC that popped into my imagination, right? Just making sure. :)

Read on!

-Scars

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Chapter 5:

Mysterious Letters from No One

Katie was sitting by the archery practice field, her head propped up on her hand. She was sitting on the wooden bleachers that were built by the archery field, so, whenever there was an archery event, the whole camp could sit and watch. The bleachers were about ten feet off of the ground and Katie was sitting on the very top row. There were about three fields, each one filled with targets and everything someone needed to practice archery with, not to mention things to hurt themselves with if they didn't use the equipment correctly.

Katie was waiting patiently for her best friend to finish her archery practice so that they could both head out to the pavilion for dinner. Since her friend was a daughter of Apollo, she liked to take extra time for practice so she could perfect her aim.

"Marissa!" Katie called down to the field, her friend being the only one left on the first field. "Are you done yet?"

Marissa looked up from where she stood in position, ready to release her arrow. She sighed slightly and looked up at where Katie was sitting.

"No, not yet." Marissa went back to her position, aiming with one eye shut a little bit. "Hey, Katie," she began as she attempted to put her arrow in the absolute perfect location before she let go of it, "would you mind not interrupting my concentration? That way, I'll be done quicker."

"Sorry, Marissa," Katie threw back, rolling her eyes and smiling a little in spite of herself. "I forgot you were in the zone."

She heard Marissa chuckle vaguely from the bottom, and after that the quiet seemed to swallow them both, the only sound coming from the second field, where Marissa's two brothers were supposed to be practicing on their archery. Instead, they were both chasing each other out of the grounds to the pavilion for dinner with a pair of arrows, laughing like idiots.

"Immature Imbeciles…," Marissa muttered from her position, straightening her arm to get her aim just right.

Katie just sunk back into her seat on the bleachers, her ears listening to the two boys' fading laughter, while her mind was traveling, thinking of everything and nothing at the same time.

What would she do about Pollux? The boy never left her alone these days! Only at the times where she actually needed the stubborn son of Dionysus was he not by her side. He was becoming clingy and fidgety at odd and unexpected times, driving her absolutely nuts.

Then… there was… there was that one…. No. Katie refused to let herself think of the other male that seemed to be invading her thoughts. The dark haired boy who just so happened to be only a year younger than herself. The one who's eyes lit up with mischief… the one with the magical smile… the boy in the Hades cabin….

Katie shook her head, attempting to rid herself of all of her thoughts and went back to trying watching Marissa practice.

Marissa blew the strand of hair that hung in her face, hoping it would move from her line of vision. She pulled her arm a tad back and then let go. The only sound that they could hear was the whizzing of the arrow as it left her hand and landed on the target. It landed just above the bull's eye; it missed it by nearly an inch.

Marissa cursed under her breath, but the fields were now so quiet, that Katie could hear her. She had been trying for the past half-hour to make a perfect bull's eye.

Katie laughed faintly to herself. Oh… Marissa.

The two had been best friends since the third grade and had discovered that they were both half-bloods together in the sixth grade. Katie had always been a shy, dark brown haired girl, tending to blend in better, while Marissa was a bright and cheerful red headed girl, and was more outgoing and dedicated. Marissa had noticed Katie when she seemed invisible at their school, back when Katie was a new student. They both brought out the best in each other.

And, there was one thing Katie knew about Marissa: She never gave up on anything.

"Don't worry, I'm definetly going to get it this time," Marissa said, sensing Katie's smirks and unsaid 'I-told-you-so's, nearly smiling herself. Katie had been trying to convince her that she couldn't make a bull's eye because of the wind that was blowing, and that they should go down to dinner already. She would show her… that daughter of Demeter and her knowledge of nature….

Marissa lined up her bow, measuring the wind in her mind and trying to get it in near-perfect alignment, to have Katie eat her words. Slowly, but surely, she released the arrow.

It landed with a loud twang, right smack in the middle of the target.

"AH-HA!" Marissa exclaimed, suddenly jumping up and down once in place. "I TOLD you I could do it!"

Katie scoffed and crossed her arms stubbornly, but grinned. "Big deal," she went on. "All you did was measure the wind's strength, the way it was blowing and position your arrow right were the wind would carry it ever so slightly, so it would land in the middle. No biggie."

Marissa looked up at the bleachers and stuck her tongue out at Katie. "You're just mad because I did it, when you said I couldn't."

Katie's grin grew wider as she stepped down the bleachers two a time to get to the ground. "I didn't say you couldn't, I said the wind would make it difficult to make it."

"That's basically telling me I couldn't do it, if you ask me." Marissa smiled at Katie, Katie reaching the bottom quicker now.

Katie looked at her, grinning in triumph, and said, "But, that's just the thing: I didn't ask you. So… your opinion on the matter doesn't mean a thing to me."

Marissa grimaced in defeat as Katie laughed at her friend's expression. "Oh, shut up. Just come down here already."

Katie waved her hand as if waving the matter aside. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." When her feet finally reached the ground, Katie grabbed her friend's arm. "Come on, let me help you pick up all these arrows you used trying to make that stupid bull's eye."

Both of the girls set off around the field, picking up the countless scattered arrows Marissa had used.

Once they had collected the seeming to be never ending stock of arrows and stuck them into Marissa's enchanted arrow holder, Marissa slung the magical bag onto her back and grabbed Katie's arm.

"Let's go. Now we can finally have that dinner we've been waiting for."

Katie jeered at her. "You mean the dinner you made me wait for?"

Marissa poked Katie in the rib with her elbow. "Hey, you know better than anyone that when someone tells me I can't do something, I'll show them that I can, so you brought this upon yourself."

Right then, Katie opened her mouth to respond, when suddenly, the two girls heard a loud and familiar TWANG! Katie had hung around the archery field long enough to know what that sound was, and Marissa knew the sound by heart like any child of Apollo would: The hitting of an arrow to a target.

Both girls whipped around, Marissa's red medium-length hair that went only a little bit past her shoulders flying around her face and nearly hitting Katie in the face with her fiery locks. There it was: An arrow. It had hit the same target Marissa had just been practicing on. And, attached to the arrowed seemed to be a little note….

Marissa was the first to react. She immediately let go of Katie's arm, threw her bag of arrows to the ground lightly and ran toward the arrow.

Katie followed her as Marissa began to untie the note that was connected by a small string to the arrow.

"Why would someone shoot this here right now?" Marissa asked in wonder.

Katie shrugged, just as confused as she was. "Maybe it was your brothers," she suggested, knowing how much Marissa's older and younger brothers liked to prank their sister and fool with her like this.

As if the tiny note held the answer to her question, Marissa began to open the note with hungry eyes.

Katie attempted to peep over her shoulder and see what the little roll of paper held, but suddenly, Marissa turned to her, her eyes wide.

"It says, 'For Katie Gardner,'" she said, staring at Katie as if searching for an explanation.

Dumbfounded, Katie took the paper from her best friend and read over the first fold carefully.

She was right. There, written in neat print, was her name.

Katie unfolded the small sheet of paper, only to see more writing. Katie read on, completely perplexed, with Marissa reading the paper eagerly over her shoulder.

It read:

Dear Katie,

I love your laugh. It makes me think of bells. Your voice is magnificent, too. Simply intoxicating.

Katie blushed when she read this. Was this some sick joke? Who wrote this anyway?

Your scent makes me think of flowers and agriculture. Well, I expect nothing less from a daughter of Demeter.

Katie smiled as her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red.

The way your eyes seem to peer right through me and see everything, even things that I'm hiding, makes my knees buckle slightly under me.

Wow. Who was it that Katie made feel this way? Who's head had she gotten into so much that she made his knees buckle?

And your smile… the way it seems to accept everything, even the bitter truth.

Katie didn't think she could get any redder. Marissa didn't say a word from where she read it, which worried Katie slightly. Her best friend in the world… not even making comments about this? Something wasn't right…

But, Katie kept reading:

In fact, I love everything about you, Katie. I can't find one fault in you.

Ok, Katie had to know who had written this. It could possibly be Pollux; he was NEVER this poetic. Then… who was it?

Well, except for the fact that you are dating Pollux. What's so great about him? Give me ONE reason why he's worth putting up with everyday. I see the way you are confused and tortured inside. Is HE the cause of all that? Is he the reason for all of this internal torment? Then tell me, why are you still with him? He doesn't make you happy, I can see it in your eyes. You're torturing yourself, Katie. The only person you are hurting by continuing this relationship is YOURSELF.

And me, of course. But this isn't about me. It's about you. I only want what makes you happy, and clearly that terd is NOT the answer.

Ok, this definetly wasn't Pollux. But… the odd thing was… all those things this person had said about Pollux where true in her heart. But… she never really let herself admit these things. She didn't know why she was dating Pollux, and, now, whenever she thought of his name or his company, she almost felt a sick taste in her mouth, as if she'd just taken disgusting medicine. She had no idea why she put up with him anymore. I mean… she used to like him, but that was the past. She had never let herself believe that the spark she once had with Pollux was gone, and that… she wasn't interested anymore.

But… how did this person know all that? How did he know that she felt tortured and torn inside? No one else seemed to notice how she felt on this subject… so how did this person know?

And why did this mysterious writer care about her so much?! Who was he? And… how did he know all of this?

The signature was only, 'A Silent Admirer,' which didn't say much. Who was this person, who, surprisingly, helped Katie admit the truth about the lie she was letting herself believe? Plus… this person had straightforwardly called her pretty and intoxicating, which would make any girl blush and want to try to find this letter's true author.

That was the only question that bothered her: Who is this person, and why did they send this letter?

From behind her, Marissa's only words for the note were, "Wow. Who would have the guts to say all that to you, even if it is over a letter?"

"I… don't know," Katie said, almost feeling her heart soar at the idea of there being an actual human being out there who found everything she did and everything about her to be wonderful.

"Oh yeah… so what where you going to do about Pollux?" Marissa further asked, taking the note from Katie's shaky hands to further examine it.

Katie had, naturally, told her best friend about all of the things that were going on between her and Pollux: The confusion… the uncertainty… all of the turmoil that invaded her happy and supposedly relaxing summer.

"I really don't know about him," Katie said, closing her eyes and sighing. "It's just that… I want to break up with him, cause I just don't feel anything between us anymore! But… Oh My Gods, it's just so confusing." Katie slunk down and sat on the bottom bleacher, burying her throbbing head in between her knees.

Marissa sat beside her, rubbing her best friend's back and hugging her, attempting to give her even the tiniest amount of comfort.

"Well… maybe one thing will cheer you up: you've got a secret admirer now. One that said he loved your laugh."

Katie smiled from Marissa's shoulder, and, for some odd reason, found herself thinking about the only occupant in the Hades cabin who she had become closer to over that last couple of weeks.

* * *

Annabeth Chase smiled from where she sat, behind a bush by the archery practice grounds, a bow in hand but no arrow.

Katie had gotten the note. Annabeth saw the way she blushed when she read the letter and read it as if it were a lifeline… almost like she was… considering all that Nico had written about her. Of course, his identity remained a secret, but it was still good enough for her.

Annabeth scoffed to herself.

"And Nico said this would work…."

She grinned and turned around, running away from the archery field and off to dinner.

* * *

When Katie had calmed down enough for them to head to dinner, both girls walked side by side, talking about anything but Pollux.

Katie laughed at all Marissa's jokes and attempts to make her friend feel more at ease.

Yes, Katie had told Marissa about Pollux. But… there was one thing she hadn't told her about: Her confusing, yet pleasing feelings for Nico Di Angelo. So… her feelings for this boy were kept to herself, pushed beneath her heart somewhere.

When they got to the pavilion, a little late, as usual, they both parted to sit at their cabins tables.

Katie barely ate a thing. She just sat down, moving her mashed potatoes around with her spoon, her mind going a hundred miles an hour.

Katie blush at the mere thought of the note. That's just how heart-warming and sincere it was.

Who was this 'Silent Admirer'? What did he want? Did he mean all the things that he said?

If he did, then Katie had a possible distraction from Pollux on her hands. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad, after all….

She was so distracted thinking about the note she had received, that she didn't notice Annabeth grinning victoriously from the Athena table, and Nico, sitting at the Hades table alone, staring at Katie like a hopeless puppy, still ignorantly believing that his feelings for her were still a secret.

"What's wrong, Katie?" one of her half sisters from the Demeter cabin, Jessica, that was seated right next to her asked her, sensing that Katie hadn't touched her food and was looking rather red around the cheeks.

Katie blushed an even deeper shade of red, looking down, feeling embarrassed that someone caught her blushing at nothing in particular. "Nothing…," she muttered, trying to catch herself.

From the Apollo table, Marissa leaned towards the two Demeter sisters sitting together and muttered, "Oh, don't mind Katie. It's just her secret admirer."

Katie blushed deeper at the mention of the person who sent the sweet note she had received, as Marissa smiled at her and turned back to the Apollo table, almost like saying, "Your welcome."

"Is that true, Katie?" Jessica asked with genuine interest. "You have a secret admirer?"

Katie stared at her shoes and mumbled, "Well, sort of. It's… a little confusing, like the rest of my life." She muttered the last part, more to herself then to Jessica.

Jessica just nodded with interest and went back to cutting her meat and chewing.

But, there was one other person who had heard what Marissa had said, besides Jessica and Katie.

And that person was Nico Di Angelo.

Nico sunk in the bench of his table, feeling suddenly miserable and hopeless all over again.

Katie had a secret admirer? Someone besides himself had noticed her loveliness and wonderful way of being, and had beaten him to telling her how he felt and taking her from the torture that went by the name of Pollux?

Now, he felt truly alone and hopeless. His quest for her heart was useless, and now, it didn't even matter anymore.

Nico felt like someone had just slapped him across the face. How could there have been another guy already?

He was now ready to hang up his overalls and give up on love entirely.

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Author's Other Note: Well, we've sadly reached the end of this chapter. Now, I know it seems that Nico's given up on Katie and all forms of love, but, he will soon be out of this slump, discovering in one of the later chapters that he is the secret admirer (and, not to mention, be angry at Annabeth, too). Not only that, but Katie will find time to bond with Nico in person, too. So, this isn't the end of the adventure! I can assure you of that!