I Nearly Blow up the Washington Monument

Something that I never got to show off to anyone before I died was my speed. I am incredibly fast- no joke. So, when I lived in D.C., we (Nico and I) went to visit the Washington Monument. Doesn't it look like a giant ice cream cone? There's absolutely nothing special about it!

Anyway, we were just looking up at the sculpture when I got antsy. I had ran up to the thing and- I don't know what on earth I was thinking- started to climb up it. I could hear Nico yelling at me to get down, but I honestly didn't care. I had seen something at the top- something that could destroy everyone. I couldn't let these innocent people die.

With my speed, I made it there in ten minutes. There was a man- actually, now that I look back on the awful moment I don't think he was really a man- placing a huge device on the tip. "What are you doing?" I had asked as if little girls climbed the Washington Monument everyday. He had smiled at me as if he had expected this to happen.

"I'm blowing up the monument," he answered as if he was talking about brushing his teeth. I smiled back at him, just to confuse the stranger.

"No you're not," I told him. The man shook his head and let out a deep laugh that frightened me, though I didn't show it.

Then he cleared his throat. "You are just as brave as your father told me you were. If you don't want me to, then try to stop me," he taunted. This surprised me.

"M-my father?" I asked. He knew my dad? But… why would he talk about me to a blows-up-monuments guy? Something's wrong about this man…I looked up at them man then downwards to where Nico was. The man was watching me cautiously. I was starting to get mad at him for some reason I didn't know… he just had this aura that made me want to start yelling at him. "So? What about my father? How do you know him?" I asked defiantly, staring him down.

He looked at me with a bit more anger in his eyes, "If I were you I'd watch how I talk to people. Some may not be as forgiving as I am of rudeness, but I respect your braveness." I noticed he had a military hairstyle. He wore leather clothes and combat boots. "My name is Ares by the way. Your name is Bianca right?"

I nodded. Wait… did he say Ares? "Um…Ares, like the war dude right?" I asked trying to break the ice.

"You have no idea. Well, go back to your brother, he's getting worried… and tell your father I said hi."

"Ok. Wait. No! I'm not letting you explode the Washington Monument!" I exclaimed. This guy is seriously getting on my nerves. He smirked.

"You are a hopeless mortal. Now flee- or else," he told me. I frowned. Who still used that word?

"OK, dude. I am a citizen of the U.S.A.! Are you? I don't think gods count," I taunted as an easy grin spread across my face.

"OK! THAT'S IT! I'M FED UP WITH YOU AND YOUR SMART-MOUTH ATTITUDE!" he screamed and pointed a finger at me. I stood rooted to the cement in shock. Then he placed his hands on the huge device and pressed a button. Without thinking, I launched myself at Ares. Apparently this took him by surprise because he didn't swat me away as soon as I hit him.

"You… little… BRAT!" he screamed between panicky breaths. I stood up and eyed the device. I almost laughed when I saw the clearly labeled ABORT button.

"I can't believe this! You're scared of an eleven-year-old?" I taunted as the grin spread across my confident face.

"OH! YOU ARE SO DEAD!" he yelled and ran at me like a bull. At the last second I sidestepped and threw myself towards the machine.

"Not today, Ares!" I screamed and hit the cancel button, but not before it went off. "Crap!" I hissed at myself. Nothing was happening though.

"Great job, kid! You passed the test, but trust me. Much worse things await you after you die- oops… Did I say die? I meant… Bye!" Ares said and dissolved, leaving me to ponder what he had said. I was going to die and then bad things were going to happen? I steadied my breathing and returned to the task at hand- getting off the building.

"Bianca!" I could hear Nico yelling, "Get down!" I looked over the side of the monument and saw fire fighters gathering at the foot of it.

"Jump down, little girl!" someone called through a bullhorn. I shook my head. My worst fear in the entire world was the free-fall sensation. There had to be another way. I glanced at the bomb and saw a parachute draped over it. I walked over and read a note from Ares that said, "GREAT JOB- SEE YOU IN THE FUTURE! ~ARES." I took the parachute and strapped it on as if I'd done it a billion times. Then I hurled myself off the building.

Leo gives me a Present

That night Leo let me sleep in the Hephaestus cabin because the Hades cabin was under construction. Oddly, I didn't have any dreams. When I woke up Leo was getting dressed- he didn't have his shirt on. I noticed he had an eight-pack and blushed for the fact that I was examining him. "Hey Bianca! What's up? The sky, I know…" he exclaimed and laughed at his own joke. Then he noticed he didn't have his shirt on. "Oh…"

"It's fine," I told him a bit too quickly. "I mean- uh- I don't really care… It's not like I was watching you or anything." Leo rolled his eyes with a grin painted on his face.

"Right. Are you feeling better?" he asked. I nodded, but remembered Ares and flushed. I sat up and put my face in my hands. I started crying and heard Leo approach me. He wrapped his arm around me.

"Hey, It's OK," he whispered. That made me sob even harder.

"NO IT'S NOT! My brother is missing! I'm supposed to be dead! I have to lead a quest that might kill us all! I'm a threat because-" I cut myself off. I was not going to tell him.

"You know why you're a threat?" he asked incredulously. I shook my head and nodded at the same time, which looked pretty weird but who cares.

I sniffed and made my decision. "Ares gave me a test. He nearly blew up the Washington Monument and I had to stop him, OK? Now leave me alone," I explained. Then I heard Leo stand up and walk away.

Then he came back. "Will this make you feel better?" he asked solemnly and put something around my neck. I looked up into a mirror and saw a beautiful necklace on me. It was silver with a single red crystal heart.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH LEO!" I jumped up and kissed him on the cheek. "I LO- I mean I like you a lot!" I recovered. He sat there paralyzed and touched the spot where I kissed him.

"I am never washing my face again," he murmured to himself. I laughed. Then my stomach growled. "Let's go eat breakfast!" he said enthusiastically. Then I frowned.

"Leo, I can't show my face! And if I put on the cap people are going to think there's a ghost or something!" I told him.

He grinned. "Leave that to me."

As I ate Leo stared at me. "Whuivit?" I asked through a mouthful. He chuckled in a daze.

"Ah… She's so cute when she eats," he murmured when he thought I couldn't hear him. As I laughed he flushed. "Oh- you- uh- heard that… uh… I think I'll just..."

"Where's Percy? When do we start our quest?" I asked, suddenly remembering that I was leading a quest.

"Oh… we're- uh- leaving in an hour… By the way, Annabeth told me that you need to meet her on the beach," he said, trying desperately to recover.

I got up and grabbed the Yankees baseball cap. "See you in an hour!" I called as I put on the cap and left the cabin. Then I started off to the beach. Annabeth was waiting there and once she felt me tap her on the shoulder she told me to take the cap off. I did.

"So… You like Leo?" she asked, getting straight to the point. That took me by surprise.

"Pft… What? NO! Why would you think that?" I asked in a small storm. She rolled her eyes.

"Denial! That's what I said when people asked me about Percy. Look where I am now," she said with a grin. I looked away from her and to the sea. "This is where I come when I need to think, you know? The sea reminds me of Percy, even if I didn't know it when he first came to camp. I come here to clear my mind ever since…"

"You really love him don't you?" I asked her to change the subject, but also a little curious. They seemed to like each other so much, to have a connection…

"I-Yeah. I do." She said. "I really do. He's perfect! He's handsome, funny, incredibly loyal, brave…"

"I get it. I just wish I could find my prince charming like that."

"Which comes back to my original topic. You still haven't answered my question." She said.

"What? Yes, I did!" I answered.

"No. You didn't answer it with the truth." She said as a matter of fact.

"Fine! I LIKE HIM! There are you happy?" I exclaimed. She looked at me and smirked. Oh gods! What have I done? "Please don't tell anyone!" She kept looking at me, then, before she answered, I noticed her gaze at something behind me.

"Uh- Hi-um- Are you ready to go Bianca?" Leo said. I noticed he still looked a little embarrassed from the morning's event. I looked back at Annabeth and she smiled at me with knowing eyes. I told him I was coming and turned back to Annabeth.

"Please. Remember not to tell anyone…about…you know." I whispered.

"I promise not to tell anybody except Percy. You know I can't keep secrets from him, I never could!" she replied truthfully.

"Fine. But only him! And if he tells anyone, especially Leo, I swear, I won't hesitate on killing him."