A/N: Guess who's back? ME! (-like you couldn't already guess XP) ANYHOO, I'm finally updating- and thanks for everyone who submitted ideas, I wish I could use them all! However, since I can only do one (Stupid alphabet =P) let's give a special round of applause for LuckyTigger, who I guess really IS lucky, because her idea set off the special "Writer" spark in my mind…and when I'm in the zone, well, there's no stopping me till I'm done. Just ask Ginga-In-Ravenclaw. =P Love you, chicas! And chicos! And everyone who reviewed, alerted, or favorited! WARNING: THIS IS A LOOONG CHAPTER. OH, and can you catch the line from Stepbrothers, which I don't own? ;) And now…..

ONWARD, CHAUNCEY!

Haha random=D

I don't own PJO. Or Klondike bars, or their jingle. Or McDonalds and their food.

"I SWEAR TO ZEUS IF YOU TOUCH ME, YOU WILL DIE!"

The cry echoed out across the camp, making all the newbies raised their heads in question, but the rest of camp barely gave it a thought.

Because they were used to mornings like this. The mornings when one boy pushed his luck with a cranky daughter of Demeter.

This girl's last name happened to be centered around planting plants, too.

But her name was not Katie.

Her name was Miranda.

And the boy was Connor Stoll.

Who, admittedly, was currently running through the camp with a giant red welt on the side of his face while Miranda chased after him angrily with an old flyswatter.

Sleep-deprived and bleary-eyed, Katie Gardener appeared in the Demeter cabin's door, a glare already placed on her face. "Stoll!" She yelled.

The "Stoll" she was referring to was the one and only Travis Stoll. Who was actually sitting, shirtless, on Cabin 11's small front porch in a large green plastic lawn chair, a tall glass of iced water in his hand and a lopsided grin on his face.

"Yes, ma'dear?" He asked waving at her, eyes shining.

Katie marched across the lawn in a huff, her little adorable fluffy bunny slippers making squeaking sounds as they hit the hard ground. She stomped up the stairs of Cabin 11 and stood directly in front of the boy, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You know, the "angry-and-out-for-blood" mood you've got going on is pretty much ruined with your-"

Katie clamped a pale hand over his mouth. "Don't." She stated simply.

Suddenly, Travis' tongue poked out of his mouth, licking Katie's hand. "EW!" Katie shrieked, snatching her hand back.

Travis just laughed.

Angry, grossed out, and red-faced, Katie raised her hand above her head, as if to strike him across the face. Travis shrunk back into his chair slightly and braced him self.

However, Katie kept her hand above her head and glared.

Still tensed, but confused as to why he hadn't been hit, Travis opened his eyes.

"Tell your brother to stop waking my entire freaking cabin up at 5:30 in the morning to serenade my sister, who obviously has no interest!" She demanded, still posed to strike. "Why are you even up right now?"

"….To see the show…."

Katie closed her eyes and slowly counted to ten to get her anger in check. "The…..show…is over." She said through gritted teeth, glaring.

Travis put his water down next to him and clapped. "And quite the show, if I do say so myself. My brother's voice is like a mix of Fergie and Jesus."

Katie laughed out loud. "That is the most bass-ackwards thing I've ever heard….."

Travis smirked. "I can't wait for the encore."

Katie stopped laughing. "Encore? Hell-to-the-mother-chucking no."

"Oh, come on, Katie, darling. I thought it was lovely."

"Lovely?" Katie shouted. "Connor freaking reached into the window and tried to touch Miranda's hair! She's been chasing him for, like, half an hour!"

Travis feigned surprise. "Really? I didn't suggest that in any way, shape, or form. And besides, didn't you know? Connor's gonna do that allll week 'till she says yes!"

"No! Please! Not again!" Katie begged.

The smirk reappeared on Travis' face again. "What would you do-ooo, for a full night's sleep?" He sang, to the tune of the Klondike Bar jingle.

Katie glared. "I don't know….what's your price?" She asked suspiciously.

"A date."

"What? No, never!"

"But not just any date, Katie love."

"What? And I'm not your 'love'!"

"A date…to the Solstice Dance."

"….."

"So…?"

"Is that all?"

"Yes. Well, you have to do all the things the other girls will do with their dates, like, eat together, dance together, talk to each other, and stuff like that."

"….Why?"

"…I'm not quite sure what you're asking…"

"Why do you want me as your date?"

"Why are you wearing bunny slippers?" Travis shrugged.

"Why don't you have a shirt on?"

"The answers to these questions? The world just may never know…." Travis said. "Sooo…is that a yes?"

"Sure."

"Sure?"

"Yeah, whatever."

"Really?"

"Ha! No, never!"

"Oh." They both pretended not to hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Just kidding."

"Oh! Wait….what?"

"What what?"

"You're confusing me…."

"I'm confusing myself, actually…"

"So….you're going with me?"

"….yes. IF you and Connor will leave us to a good night's sleep."

Travis grinned triumphantly. "Of course. But could you call off your mutt?"

Katie's eyes smoldered. "You did not just refer to Miranda as a mutt."

"Well, Katie-bug, technically, we're all mutts, us being half-bloods and all." Travis said with a nod.

Katie just sighed. "I will tell Miranda to quit, but after this ONE stupid dance-date, you have to leave us alone." She emphasized "alone" with a hard glare. "Or I will hurt you." She finished, threatening menacingly.

"Yes, I fear you and your ferocious bunny slippers, O Mighty One." "Why, you-"

"The squeaking noises the bunnies emit are enough to scare off a Hydra and Minotaur, so do not be surprised if-"

SMACK!

Naturally, Katie smacked him just when he let his guard down.

"OW!"

"Dumbass."

*~ONE WEEK LATER- THE DAY OF THE SOLSTICE DANCE~*

"Katiiiiiee!" Kayla whined, trying to walk across the Demeter cabin in too big, too high high-heels.

Katie laughed from her place on the vanity seat. "Take those off, Kay."

"No, I want to wear them tonight so I can slow dance with Johnny!" Kayla protested.

"You can't even walk in those, let alone slow dance in them." Miranda chimed in as she flipped through her magazine.

You see, it was 2:00 in the afternoon, and the dance started at five. Therefore, Chiron called off all of the day's activities to prepare for the dance- at Aphrodite's request, of course. Because this was not just any dance. This was the Solstice Dance. Where every god on Olympus came down to Camp Half-Blood and mingled and danced alongside their children.

"I can too!" Kayla said indignantly.

Rick fumbled with his bow-tie. "Can someone help me?" He pleaded.

"Me!" Kayla piped up She made her way over to the flustered boy, but trip and fell with a squeal.

Miranda burst into laughter. "Told ya!" She taunted, ignoring the younger girl's glare. "I think it's just too cute, though." She said, going serious.

"Johnny Mayer from Athena asked me, Kayla Route, to the Solstice Dance!" Kayla squealed like the little girl she was and got up, just to topple back down. "And I will slow dance with him."

"The only thing more adorable, though," Miranda said, a wicked gleam in her eye. "Is that Katie is going with Travis Stoll!"

Rick stopped trying to tie his bow. "What?" "Miranda!" Katie hissed, whirling around to face her sister. "I said not to tell anyone!"

"Oopsies." Miranda said innocently. "Sorr-eee."

Kayla sat up, stunned. "No way!" She shouted. The rest of the Demeter kids began either squealing, laughing, or sat in stunned silence.

Katie turned back around and began furiously putting on some of her new high-gloss light pink lipstick.

"Katie and Travis, sittin' in a tree…."

"Really, Miranda? How old are you, six?"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Oh my gods!"

"But with love and mutual respect for how far the other is willing to go.

"…"

"…nice touch, Mir."

"I thought so."

~*Meanwhile, in the Hermes Cabin…~*

"How in Hades do you tie a freakin' bow tie?" Travis demanded angrily.

Elizabeth, his 14-year-old sister, rolled her eyes. "You are an idiot." She reached up and tied his deep purple tie.

"I still can't believe she said yes." Connor said, struggling to tie his own tie.

"Well, you'd better believe it, 'cause she did, and she's my date." Travis said triumphantly.

"I still can't believe you're wearing that stupid purple tie." Elizabeth said, shaking her head sadly.

"Yeah, I agree with Lizzy. You definitely lose man-points there." Connor said.

Travis snorted. And you lose man points for getting chased by an angry girl with a flyswatter and going dateless."

"True, true." Elizabeth said. "Now, enough about you. What about me?" She demanded, twirling around. Her dress a deep, midnight blue, with a small sweetheart neckline. It went down to her shins, and had some black tulle at the bottom hem, and had a pretty bow off center in her front. Her dirty-blonde hair fell in long waves.

Connor's eyes narrowed. "Good. Almost too good."

"Too good?" Lizzy said, arching an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, if Derek falls out of line, we'll kick the crap outta him." Travis answered.

Lizzy rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

A knock sounded at the door, making her green-blue eyes light up. "He's here!" She hissed. "Don't embarrass me!"

Travis and Connor exchanged a look. They'd never seen their little sister act like this.

She opened her door to her son-of-Apollo date. "See ya, guys!" She called.

Travis and Connor glared at the boy, Derek, until he quickly walked away, arm-in-arm with Lizzy.

"Now, it's time to make my move." Travis announced with a smirk. With that, he let himself out of his cabin and over to the Demeter cabin.

A knock sounded at the Demeter cabin's door.

Katie quickly hurried to it, and despite her best efforts to stop it, her heart hammered in her chest.

She flung it open to see her escort, the one and only Travis Stoll, standing there, a stupid smile on his face.

His eyes widened as he saw her. "Hi." He said.

"H-hi." She answered sheepishly.

She was wearing a dress that was purple, which faded into light pink as it reached the floor. It had deep purple ribbons that crossed across her back twice, and a swirly pattern all over.

"This is for you." He said. He pulled a single red rose from behind his back and handed it to her.

"Thanks." She said, blushing like crazy. She took it from him, an gasped in pain. "Ouch!" She cried dropping it to the ground. "Freaking thorns!" She glared at her date. "You idiot, you're supposed to take them out before you give it to me!"

"Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" He asked suggestively.

"Ugh! You're insufferable!" She said with a frown, as she marched past Travis, and out the door.

~*Dinner Date~*

"Keep your voice down!" Katie hissed at Travis. "What if my mom hears you talking to me?"

"What are you so mad about? And what's wrong with me?" Travis demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"My mom would be so disappointed in me; I can do so much better!" Katie said with a glare. She thumped him on the side of the head. "So don't act like we're going to the dance together!"

Travis winced, and hurt flashed across his eyes, but it was gone so fast she couldn't even be sure that it was there to begin with. "To bad, Katie-Kat, because when you agreed to go to the dance with me, you also said you would do all of the things other couples would do. Which includes talking to me, sitting with me at our dinner date, and dancing with me later tonight….."

"I will cut your tongue out if you finish that sentence like I think you will."

"…in between the sheets." Travis said with a smirk.

Katie was red-faced and shaking with anger.

"C'mon, babe, you know I had to, because you said I couldn't. But for the record, I was going to leave the sentence like it was. But, feel free to bite my tongue out." Travis winked.

"I did not say I would bite your tongue out, I said I would cut your tongue out!" Katie exclaimed, her fists clenched around her fork. Slowly, the fork began to bend as Katie squeezed it.

"Now now, Katie," Travis said, gently wrenching the fork from her hands. "No need to be harassing innocent silverware."

Katie let out a huge sigh. "Whatever. Let's just order, eat, and get out of here." She snatched a menu off of the table.

Currently, Travis and Katie were seated at a fancy new restaurant that was built right on Half-Blood Hill, next to the forest called Mount Olympus. You had to have reservations to eat, and you had to have dressy clothes on to get in. It wasn't a particularly large place, but it wasn't a small place, either, like the McDonald's that was also built in Camp.

Travis knew for a fact that at least 20 couples were enjoying a fine dinner date of Big Macs and Side Salads.

"I actually didn't think we'd be eating here." Katie admitted, scanning the menu of fancy foods.

"Oh?" Travis arched his eyebrows. "Where'd you think we would eat?"

"Somewhere off-camp." She said, finally deciding on her food.

Travis laughed loudly, which earned a lot of glares an shushes from people around them.

"What's so funny?" Katie asked.

"You didn't think we would be eating at Mickey D's. I'm touched."

Katie sighed and rolled her eyes as a slim, red-headed waitress appeared. "I'm Kandi, you're server for this evening." She batted her eyelashes. "What can I get you lovely folks?"

"Chicken Parmesan, and a glass of lemon water, please." Katie folded up her menu and handed it to Kandi.

"Hi, Katie." Kandi acknowledged her. Katie always delivered fresh fruits to the restaurant, especially the strawberries.

"Spaghetti and Meatballs, and a Coke." Katie gave him a look.

"What?" Travis tossed his menu at the young waitress.

Kandi scrambled to catch it to prevent it from hitting an elderly demigod nearby. "Coming right up!" With one last pointed look, she scurried away.

Katie smacked Travis on the arm. "You don't throw your menu at the waitress!"

"What? She caught it!" Travis shrugged.

Only a few minutes later, their food appeared. "Enjoy, and ring the silver bell if you need anything!" Kandi said with a smile. She left them as Travis started digging into his spaghetti, getting the sauce all over his face.

"Travis!" Katie groaned.

"Oh. Sorry." He reached for his napkin, beneath his glass of Coke.

"No!" Katie shrieked, gaining the attention of everyone in the restaurant.

Too late.

Travis yanked the napkin up, which sent his Coke spilling all over the table, splashing onto Katie's dress.

Meanwhile, while Katie was trying to reach out to grab his arm before he could pull the napkin, she hit her glass of lemon water, which splashed onto Travis's spaghetti in a title wave with enough force to make the sauce splash up onto his face.

Droplets of the lemon water went the other direction, however, and splashed into Katie's eyes.

"Burns!" She shrieked. Her flailing hands went to her eyes, and in the process he smacked her Chicken Parmesan and sent it flying to the table next to them. Her legs kicked out and hit the table, sending it falling to the ground.

Travis's empty glass shattered on the floor, particles of glass spraying up into his face, digging into his skin and sticking in the tomato sauce on his face. He stood up so quick, his chair went flying into the elderly lady behind him, resulting in her surprised face face-planting into her caviar.

People shrieked and screamed, ran and hid, and two large men in crisp suits picked up Travis and Katie and literally threw them out of the restaurant and down the hill, yelling out promises that they would be sending hefty bills and fines to each in good time.

~*The Dance~*

"My dress is ruined!" Katie moaned onto Travis's shoulder. "Don't make me go in there!"

"Too late." Travis replied, his battered and cut-up face grim. He grabbed Katie's hand and pushed his way into the amphitheater.

The amphitheater was packed with people, Half-Bloods, Nymphs, Satyrs, Naiads, Gods, and others alike.

Of course, people did stare and whisper about them, but hey, they were covered with cuts, spaghetti sauce, and Coke.

They'd cleaned themselves up as best they could, but there wasn't much else they could do.

And Travis wouldn't let this night be ruined.

"Dance with me." He said, spinning Katie around as Fire Burnin' by Sean Kingston came on. Cheers sounded all around as Travis spun Katie around again, then began to dance I time with the music, spinning Katie around occasionally, earning many laughs from his date.

Katie was grinning fit to bust, laughing as she danced. She forgot about everything as the song switched to Sexy and I Know It by LMFAO. She forgot about the cuts on her hands from Travis's rose. AS Travis switched to LMFAO's trademark "shuffle" alongside Katie, she forgot about the giant brown coke stain on her brand new, pretty, expensive prom dress. Then as she and Travis "wiggled", she forgot about the fact that her mom wouldn't be to happy to know that her prized daughter was dating a son of Hermes.

Oops.

"Katie." A hand with a faint, goldish-tint to it clamped onto Katie's shoulder.

Double oops.

"M-mother. I didn't see you." Katie stuttered.

Triple oops.

Demeter studied Katie's flushed face. "Having any fun?" She asked.

"Y-yes! Tonight's been…eventful. And fantastic." She added quickly.

Demeter studied Katie's scratched hands, then her ruined dress. "Olympus! What happened to you, Katie? You look like you cleaned out the pegasi stables then got ran over my a semi-truck.

"Gee, thanks, mother." Katie muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. I said I just fell into a mud puddle."

"Well, did your date help you up?"

"Y-yeah. Of course." Katie said. Her eyes quickly flickered to Travis, who was standing motionless and off to the side, obviously trying not to be noticed.

Demeter gasped. "That…that thing is your date? Katherine Yvonne Gardner, what is wrong with you?" Katie looked like she had just been slapped. "W-w-what?"

"Olympus." Demeter moaned, fanning her face. "Olympus! I will find that dirty rotten, good-for-nothing Hermes and teach him a lesson! And you!" She whirled around to face Travis. "You will feel my wrath!" With that, the demigods turned away as she disappeared in a flash of light.

Travis looked at where Demeter was just standing, but saw nothing but a small pile of ash (someone or something probably watched her disappear) and his brother's back as her made out with a girl…but not just any girl. Miranda. She was dressed in a long white/silver dress with black tulle on top, and a thick, silver satin belt around her waist with a large silver swirly broach on it. The seemed to have missed the exchange between Katie and Demeter.

Katie.

He didn't even think about himself and the wrath he would soon face. He turned to face Katie.

All traces of the happy, dancing girl from earlier disappeared completely. She just stood there, staring at where her mother had just been, her lip quivering, tears pooling, shaking. He swept her into his arms. "Hey, now." He patted her back. "It's alright."

But it wasn't, and they both knew it. Our dear Travis felt horribly, horribly guilty. And guilt wasn't a word or feeling he was used to. And he didn't like it. One bit.

He made a pact to himself to Iris-Message Demeter in the morning to apologize and explain everything and tell her it wasn't Katie's fault.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." Travis said.

Katie mustered a weak smile. "It's okay. And don't you dare say "No, it's not.""

Travis smiled as Katie rearranged herself in Travis' arms as Flightless Bird, American Mouth by a band she couldn't remember's name came on, so that they were in a slow-dance position. "I believe I still owe you a slow-dance."

Technically, she didn't, because that was a requirement for the bet, but Travis wasn't going to tell her that.

She stared into his eyes, and he stared back and they swayed with the music. However, the song ended shortly after, and they broke apart, looking around awkwardly, not quite sure of what to do next.

A large crystal bowl filled with a pink liquid caught Travis's eye. "Let's go get some punch." He suggested, pulling Katie along as they weaved around dancing groups and couples to reach the bowl.

Travis grabbed a cup and reached for the ladle when a thought drifted into his head. It was Connor, from earlier: I'm gonna spike the punch as soon as they set it up.

Before he could even react, a guy who had clearly had more than his fair share of the spiked punch ran into Travis, who ran into the table, which jostled the bowl, which splashed a tidal wave of pink punch all. Over. Katie.

She was soaked to the bone, her hair sticky, her dress now the color of a dishrag that had mopped up some cherry Kool-Aid and coffee. Her perfume that she'd spritzed on earlier was replaced with the stanch of alcohol and faint cherry. Her hair was disheveled and clung to her face in messy uneven proportions. And her makeup was running and smudged.

"Sorry, dude." The guy slurred as he Dougied away from the scene of the crime.

Travis thought Katie was about to cry, when all of the sudden, she burst into laughter. She laughed for so long, and so loud that tears did stream down her face. But not sorrowful tears.

She grabbed Travis's shoulders and smashed her lips onto his. The cup dropped out of his hand, forgotten, as his hands found their way to the small of her back as he kissed her vanilla-tasting lips back. Her hands crept into his hair.

.

.

.

.

Best. Dance. Ever.

A/N: Done! Whew, that was the longest chapter I've ever written, in, like, anything, ever. So I hope you enjoyed! Please review and submit your wonderful ideas, people. After all, a reader's idea became the looong piece of work you just read.

Anyway, I know I'm supposed to say something, but I don't remember what….oh, well! Anyway, I finally updated, and sorry, this was more romantic than humorous, but I laughed a bit when writing some parts of this. But every good funny love story has romantic moments, too!

Also, Katie, Miranda, and Elizabeth's dresses will be posted as links on my profile her shortly, so check 'em out!

I also know that I planned on using lots of people's ideas in all my stories, but I've forgotten all about it, so sorry if it seemed like I brush any of yall off.

Review, my lovelies!

Read on and Rock out,

NinjaNakkiOfCabin11