Celeste took a deep breath as Carter Simmons circled her, sizing her up. He was a tall boy with a scar running from his left eye to his chin, but other than that, he had no features that told you he was any different from any other sophomore at Goode High. It was Celeste Jackson's first day of high school and it was turning into a disaster. She had come to the swimming pool to see if there were any posters for swim team or water polo tryouts since she wasn't sure where the office was and didn't seem to be able to find Simon Hardison, the junior she had befriended months earlier. But while she did manage to find the outdoor swimming pool surrounded by a fence and right next to a sandy volleyball court, she had also found a boy who was apparently a bully.

"You looking at my scar, Jackson?"

She had been. "No."

"Think it's ugly?"

"Wouldn't know."

"What are you doing here?"

"Looking for news about swim team tryouts."

"There's no girl's team, Jackson."

"I know."

Carter scoffed and faced her again. She met his eyes. She had faced bullies before. True, they had been shorter than this boy, much less frightening, and let's see…oh, yes, they'd all been females with her strength or weaker. This boy was big. He could easily overpower her and since her mother had taken away the dagger she normally carried in her boot, there was no way for her to fight him off.

"Jackson thinks she can try out for the boy's team, eh?"

"It's not a boy's team, Simmons," she spat, sounding stronger than she felt. "It's co-ed. There just aren't any girls on the team."

"You think you can swim good enough?"

Celeste bit her tongue.

"You do."

"Well, then, Jackson. Let's see you swim."

And with a shove, Celeste was falling into the 16 foot deep pool with her backpack, clothes, and shoes. Panic flooded her and she let water soak her to the skin. She couldn't breathe. Her backpack was tugging her down and it was like she suddenly had forgotten how to swim. Struggling, she kicked at nothing, trying to get back to the surface.

She slipped the backpack off her shoulders and kept holding her breath as she kicked off her heavy boots. But she was too far under and too oxygen deprived, too weak to swim to the surface, even with the extra weight gone. Within seconds, all she saw was black.

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There was a light. It sounds cheesy, but that's exactly what she saw: a ball of bluish white light, floating above…a boat. There was a man standing next to the boat with ghastly facial features.

"Charon," she whispered. All at once, tears overcame her. She was dead. Water, her family, her friend, had killed her.

The man whose name she had instantly known from her parents' stories looked up at her and recognition flashed on his face as if he knew that the two demigods that had left his master's world alive had created her.

But just as soon as he had appeared, he was gone and there was just blackness. There was a painful pounding on her chest and tightness in her throat. Then, the tightness cleared as she sucked in a deep breath and her eyes flew open. She coughed up water and the light streaming into her eyes cleared slightly. Looking down at her was the face of Simon Hardison. His blue eyes were gazing into hers worriedly.

"Oh, thank god," he whispered. "Are you alright?"

"I…" She looked around. She was lying on concrete that was stained with water. Her T-shirt, jean shorts, and formerly perfectly curly ponytail were now all sopping wet. Simon, above her, was also dripping. And…he wasn't wearing a shirt. But before she could dwell on this, he was brushing a piece of hair off her cheek and she became even more distracted.

"Your heart had stopped. I thought…" He shook his head as if the thought were ridiculous. "Are you okay?"

"You saved me?" she croaked, her voice hoarse.

He nodded. "I was walking to the parking lot and noticed Carter Simmons staring into the pool. He got this weird expression on his face, swore, and ran in the opposite direction. I went to check it out, and there you were, drifting on the bottom of the pool with your eyes closed and your mouth open. By the way, your stuff is still kinda…down there. I assumed you'd probably want me to save your life before your homework."

"Thanks."

"My pleasure. You still haven't answered my question, though." His hand lingered on the side of her face. "Are you okay?"

"Except for the slight damage to my pride and my stuff, I think I'm fine."

"Carter pushed you in?"

"He was taunting me. He said I couldn't swim."

"Can you?"

"Of course!" she said defensively. "I'm…" She caught herself before she said, "Poseidon's granddaughter." "Yes, I can swim." Celeste felt tears forming in her eyes. "I can't believe I let this happen. And I'm supposed to be the greatest…"

"Greatest swimmer? Relax, Celeste. You panicked. It's not your fault that that asshole pushed you into the water. You were wearing your backpack and everything."

"You don't understand."

"Obviously not." He glanced around and seemed to realize for the first time that he was hovering over her…horizontally. Blushing slightly, he sat up and offered her his hand. She took it and she sat up as well, looking around. There were still cars in the parking lot and the football team was on one half of the field, talking in a circle while band took the other half. Pep squad, in their tiny work out shorts and tank tops, was stretching before their first practice on the track. No one had noticed her except for Simon.

"I'm not supposed to be a bad swimmer," she told him, her voice cracking. "If I was a bad swimmer…well, that's like my dad drowning or my mom failing a test. It just doesn't fit."

"Celeste, it's not your fault. You panicked."

"But if I just focused I would have been able to breathe, and—"

"Celeste." She stopped and met his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

After a quick mental debate and the rationalization that the worst that could happen was a bit of embarrassment, she made a decision. "You should meet my grandparents."

"What?"

"Come on. We're taking a trip." She stood and wobbled slightly, her head still not totally working. Simon instantly held her still and Celeste tried not to focus on the fact that he had really great abdominal muscles and how closely she was pressed against them. "Uh…"

"I think you're drooling a little bit," he whispered.

She closed her mouth, but he still didn't let go of her. If anything, he held her a little tighter.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Mmhm," she said, nodding.

"So where are we going exactly?"

With his arms still around her, Celeste had trouble thinking, but managed it when she closed her eyes and didn't have to look into his beautiful blues or see how his—now wet—shaggy, blonde hair fell in front of them. "The Empire State Building."

"Why?"

"To meet my grandparents." She pushed away from him and glanced at the pool. "Um, you grab your shirt, I'll go grab a cab."

He glanced down, as if for the first time realizing he was shirtless. So Matthew McConaughey.

While his back was turned, she summoned a wave in the pool to pick up her stuff, tossing it onto the side the pool, completely dry. She pulled on her boots and threw her backpack over her shoulder just as Simon turned back around.

"How…?"

"I'll explain later. Now come on."

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"You don't understand; I have to get up there."

The doorman nodded. "I know. And you're perfectly allowed, Celeste, but he's…not."

She rolled her eyes. "Stupid rules."

"Wait, your grandparents live in the Empire State Building?"

"Um, technically, yes." She turned back to the man. "I just need to see my grandfather. Or my grandmother. I don't really care. Well, considering the current situation, Poseidon would probably be best."

"Poseidon?" Simon asked. "Like the Greek God?"

The doorman laughed. "Yeah, kid. Exactly like that."

All three occupants of the large entry way glanced at the elevator as it dinged, announcing someone's arrival. A man with dark hair and eyes the same color as the sea he controlled, plus he was wearing a highly stylish Hawaiian shirt and cargo pants, stepped off the elevator.

"Grandpa!" Celeste said, giving the man a hug.

"Oh, gods; that makes me feel old," the older man laughed, returning the hug. "My dear, why are you…" He squinted in confusion at her wet curls and clothes and Celeste knew he was sensing her thoughts. "Oh. I see. And he…?"

She nodded.

Poseidon smiled warmly at the boy, releasing his granddaughter. "Well then, hello. My name is Poseidon."

Simon stuck out his hand. "Simon Hardison. Nice to meet you."

"You as well, my boy. I believe Celeste wishes for me to discuss something with you. Shall we take a seat?" He gestured to a bench to his left and Simon nodded, walking with him. When they sat, Celeste sat between them.

"I'm just going to ask you to listen, okay? I shouldn't have drowned. I shouldn't have been able to. See…it's because I'm related to Poseidon that I can…breathe under water and…do this." She touched Simon's knee and focused on the water soaking him to the skin disappearing. When it did, he looked up from his jeans and frowned. "I shouldn't have been able to let the water overpower me."

"You…he… I'm confused."

"My boy, I am Poseidon, god of the sea."

Simon glanced back and forth between the man he now thought delusional and the girl he had somewhat more than platonic feelings for who had just done something wonderful and unbelievable. Then he remembered how there had been her stuff sitting on the edge of the pool when he turned back around and how he had convinced himself his mind was playing tricks on him, that they had somehow not gone down with her when Carter had pushed her.

But it made sense. Too much sense.

"You can do stuff with water?" he asked Celeste.

She nodded. "That's why I'm such a great swimmer."

"So your grandfather…"

"Had my father with a mortal. He's a demigod. He met my mom, who is Athena's daughter, and fell in love, yadda yadda yadda, and now…I'm here, and I'm as wise as my mom and as water-loving as my dad. I'm a demigod."

"So…that's why you think you shouldn't have drowned."

"Exactly."

Poseidon cleared his throat and both teens turned to look at him. "Has he met your parents, yet?"

"No. We've barely become friends."

"Friends."

Celeste blushed. "Yes."

"Right." Poseidon gave Simon one last look. "Well, it appears that I was proof enough, so I best return to Olympus. It was nice to meet you, Simon."

"Y-you, too…Poseidon. My lord. Um…"

He chuckled before dissolving into an ocean mist.

"So Olympus is on top of the Empire State Building; your dad is the son of Poseidon; your mom is the daughter of Athena; you're a demigod that can control water and is really smart. Awesome."

Celeste smiled. "It gets easier, I promise."

Simon nodded and looked down. Celeste followed his gaze and realized she hadn't taken her hand off his knee. She blushed and pulled her hand back.

"Sorry."

He blushed but grabbed her hand in his own. Their eyes met. "When does it start to get easier?"

"Don't complain until the first monster shows up, okay?"

His eyes widened. "Monsters?"

"Don't worry." She stood, dropping his hand, and winked at him. "They get kinda fun after you've killed the first dozen or so."

A/N: Aw… ;) Thanks for reading, please review!

Love,

E. M. Zeray