Chapter 4

After Luke and I finish the water battle Jess brought us towels to dry off, she said,

" Can you teach me some more moves."

" I'm sure Luke can he better."

" But you won."

" He usually wins."

I looked over at Luke who was smiling at the complement and that fact I can't stand this girl. He said,

" I got to go see Chiron. See you later?"

" Sure."

Jess said,

" You can hang out with me!"

" Joy."

After Luke left Percy came up to me and said,

" That was a pretty sweet move there Ren."

" It's not like your girlfriend hasn't done it to you."

" True."

" What do you want?"

" I think we got off on the wrong foot."

" Did we?"

" Hey, you seem pretty awesome and you don't like the consoler in the Ares cabin and I don't so something in common."

" Fine you get a do over."

He stuck his hand and said,

" Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon."

" Ren Stevens, daughter of Ares."

I decided to call this truce with him because it might be good to have him on my side, but I know I won't completely trust because he doesn't trust Luke. As we were heading to the archery range I saw this one guy gave the fine of come three feet closer and I'll kill you with my mind. The completely black clothed guy was creepy, with a capital C. I looked at Jess who seemed not able to take her eyes off the psycho. Weird complete opposites attract, I say,

" Who is that?"

" Nico Di Angelo, son of Hades."

She had said with dreamy glassy eyes, I said,

" Well, look who eyeballing the lord of the undead."

That snapped her out of it she said,

" No, he's not my type."

" You mean you're not his type."

" It goes both ways."

Then Percy says,

" He's gay."

" That might make some actual sense there Perry."

" Percy."

" What ever."

I knew that kids jeans were a little too tight, but maybe that is the style now, I don't know. We get to the archery range and Jess pulls out a bow for me and I say,

" Got one thanks."

I pull off my bracelet and it grows into a bronze bow, but I decide to use real arrows, so no one gets electrocuted. Jess says,

" That is awesome!"

" Apparently everything is."

" Where did you get?"

" My dad."

Jess took the first shot but I could tell she was going easy because she thinks I am bad, wrong. I take my arrow and release it and it goes flying splitting her arrow in half. Then we both stepped our game we both went back and forth destroying each others arrows. And then I feel a sick sense of death upon us I turn around and see the lord of the undead, he says,

" You're new. Hey Jess."

Jess says,

" Hey Nico."

" So who are you?"

" Ren."

" Neat name."

" So you're gay."

Jess screams,

" REN!"

" I'm not gay."

" Really?"

" Yep, not gay what about you Ren with a pixie hair cut?"

" Not gay."

"Why do you think I'm gay?"

" Everyone says you are."

" No, that was a lie to get rid of cupid."

" Not very smart to be messing a god."

Percy came running up and said,

" Hey the arenas open and Luke you guys want to go?"

" Sure, we were just saying that Jess and Nico should spar."

Jess says,

" We were?"

" Yes."

We left and Jess kept saying and I quote, " He's not gay. He's not gay" and might I add she about to break down with joy because she might have a shot. When we get to the Arena Luke is sparing with dummy no surprise, no one likes him anymore. I ran up to him and said,

" Hey, can you be down here to make sure it's a fair fight."

" Whose fighting? You and Percy?"

He sounded jealous when he said that any way,

" No, Jess and Nico."

" Okay, this will be interesting."

" And just so you know they like each other."

" This will be very interesting."

Before I went up to the stand Jess stopped me and said,

" What should I do?"

" You got to fight your own battles."

" Please?"

" Remember what you learned today use the emotion of your attacker."

And then the light bulb went off in side her bright little head. I sat next to Percy in the stands and another girl whose name is Piper, there are to many names that start with P. When I looked down at Luke he looked jealous and protective, of what? Me? And the Jess took the first swing, blocked. They went back and forth for a while they were pretty evenly matched. And then they were at a stand still, and slowly she started leaning in closer and closer to Nico's face. Piper said,

" She's going to kiss him!"

" No she's not love princess."

" Yes, she is."

" Watch."

And the second he closed his eyes for a kiss, she took his sword kicked him on his ass. I jumped up and screamed,

" Called it!"

Percy was laughing his ass off I guess he's starting to realize that males are really stupid. Luke was backing up because he just fell for the same thing and Piper had a look of, why is there no love anymore. This was just funny I jump down from the stands and give Jess a high five and a good old pat on the back, which made her fall flat on her face. After a knife throwing session at my dining table with my siblings we went to sing around a fire, not good. After being pushed into fire when I was eight by a bunch of other foster kids I tried to stay away from big groups and fire. Leading us in the sing a-long was Jess of course. I sat next to Luke and we sang for a while but then I started to remember the feeling of fire on my skin and it hurts. I start to tear up a little and Luke says,

" You okay?"

" Fine."