HIIII! OK, I am so glad. I am exempt from the math packet for the summer, cause I have an A in math. Also, one of my art pictures is going to be put up in the school for 10 YEARS! I could be a high school Honor roll senior and be going to Harvard by then! But I just want to let you know this, I might be updating less, so don't be surprised if that happens. I will try to always update at least once a week. I have been feeling quite lazy, and I have been typing a lot. So, I am saying I am a lazy bum. But I still have a life, and I still will try to stay in the world of Fanfiction. CHAPTER 17! BYEEEEE!

-SAVE THE NARGLES

"Al-bu-qur-que. Albuqurque. Bet a drachma I can say that 5 times fast." Leo bragged as we entered the city.

As I pretended to listen to him say it, and stumble around the Qs. I had my mind spinning. I realized that in the matter of a day and a half, we drove from Los Angles to Albuqurque. It was still only around 3 in the afternoon, so the heat was baking us alive. We needed to change our chothes, get some deoderant, and overall freshen up.

"Why don't we freshen up and clean ourselfs off, then we can look around. We are not in any patiular hurry. Right?"

"Why not?" Leo answered before pulling over to a gas station. I got outof the car and opened the trunk. I grabbed my small bag with my tolietries in it, and an outfit. I went into the gas station and into the bathroom. I brushed my hair, put on deoderant and a clean bra, tank top and underwear. A yellow pleated blouse with a white skirt with lace that went to my mid-thighs was pulled over the under garments. I brushed my teeth and I also put on some lip gloss. I never really dressed this way, but I felt applied to. I don't know why.

I walked out of the bathroom, and I grabbed two Twix bars and Pepsi in bottles. It was the really good kind, made with pure sugar. Pepsi Throwback, that's what it is, I bought the snacks, and I brougfht them out to the car, which was being filled with gas. Leo was whistleing.

His hair was slicked back again, and he was wearing a clean T-shirt and the same jeans as before. He was chewing spearmint gum; I could smell it from here. He also was wearing the camp bead from this year. It was half orange and half purple, and there ws a picture of the Argo 2 on it. All of the members of the quest helped Fifth Cohort make the bead, and all the members of the quest got tattoos, claiming them heroes of both camps. Leo's tattoo had a hammer on it, while mine had a dove, the same dove that was ingraved on my books. I still cannot believe that my dad did not notice the tattoo.

I walked up to him and poked him. He turned around and yelped, clearly startled.

"Oh, it's you." He breathed as his tenceness went away. I started to laugh, and he made a pouty face.

"That is totally not fair. I didn't see you! You could of been a monster, or a police officer! You could of been a walking donut, for gods sake!" He complained.

Now I was laughing really hard, so much I was clutching to him for support. He was still pouting, but the edges of his lips were pulling up; he still thought it was funny. I calmed down after a couple of minutes. It was good to laugh again,especially with Leo.

I handed him the Pepsi and the Twix bar that I got for him as he finished up filling the car with gas. WE ate the Twix bars as we watched the cars drive past.

"I could make a better Twix bar than this," Leo mumbled with half the candy bar in his mouth. "Homemade, without preservitives, and warm and gooey with ice cream. If only it had the convienence of a wrapper. Then it could be an international sensation."

"That already exists, and the best part is, it's in your hand." I told him as I licked the chocolate off of my fingers. He pretended to scowl at me, then smiled and threw the wrapper away. I threw mine away to then hopped in the car.

We drove around for a hour or so until we decided to look around. We were in a shopping area of the city so we window-shopped, laughing at the winter coat that Dick's was advertising, even though it was still praticly summer, and pretending to be one of the models in the windows. We sat down and got ice cream at a shop, and licked off hot fudge of our fingers. But I slapped Leo's hand for trying to steal the maraschino cherry that was on top of a ridiculous amount of whipped cream. No one steals my cherry.

We contiued to browse, until something caught my eye. It was one of those tourist shops that everyone buys crap that is supposed to be 'memorable'. But I saw a girl about my age there, and she looked like a Native American.

"Hey, Leo, can we go inside that shop?" I asked.

"Sure, whatever." He said, as the bell jinges as we opened the door.

The shop could be described in one word. Crowded. I mean, there was stuff everywhere. There was a little path that weaved though the store, and a little area that was six feet square thatw as near the door that was clear, but besides that, there was no room. The girl I saw was at the cash register, tlking to a woman about a purchase. I looked around the shop with Leo, but I headed back to the entrance of the shop. The girl was tapping her fingers on the table; we were the only customers. I walked over to her.

"Hi." I told her.

"Oh, Hello. Are you looking for anything?" She replied. She had long black hair in a braid don her back and weird blue eyes.

"Oh, I was just wondering if you know where a good place to eat was." I asked.

"There are plenty of good places around here I say. But I think the greatest food ever is the roasted rabbit my grandmother makes. I'm Mae, by the way."

"I'm Piper. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. What brings you to Albuqurque?"

"Oh, me and Leo," I gestured to the back of the room where Leo was. "Are on a car trip, and we're just passing though."

"Well it's always good to come here. I am from one of the local Navajo tribes. Lots of people think that all Native Americans live in huts and hunt for food, but it is funny to see there faces when they find out they are wrong. Plus a lot of people think I'm not Navajo when they see my blue eyes. I just got them, really. Both of my parents are part of my tribe anyway, and neither of them have blue eyes."

"I totally understand. I'm Cherokee myself. I lived in Oklahoma for a good portion of my life, until my grampa died. I was teased for being Cherokee a lot, and because my mom left my dad and I when I was a newborn. But people do think I am not Indian sometimes. Well my mother was Greek, that's probably it."

"It's nice that you are talking to me." Mae told me. "No one ever chats with me, well if you count the old ladies who just want me to help them carry their stuff. And have you ever heard of that Cherokee actor, Tristan McLean? I think he is an example of how Native Americans are sucessful, and I don't moon over him like the rest of the women population of the world. Plus you would not moon over him, with your boyfriend over there and all." She said it like it was the clearest thng in the world while looking over my sholder at Leo.

"Wait, WHAT? You think Leo is my boyfriend?" I exclaimed. Why would she think that?

"Well, you are together. Alone. It looks like you can tolerate him. And he looks decent enough. Has a bit of muscle too, not super buff, but still, more than dudes I know. It all adds up." She explains.

"Well, he is not my boyfriend." I tell her. But I do really love him. Just that I am not sure if he loves me back. I feel my knife, which was inside my boot. I knew we have been though a lot together.

"Not yet." Mae state matter-of-factly. "Soon. I can see it in your eyes you really care about him. I better get back to work. It was nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you too." I tell her. I then turn to Leo "Hey, I'm leaving."

"Okay, one second." Leo replies. "Can you wait outside though?"

"Sure" I walk out of the shop. I like Albuqurque. But I cannot say it five times fast.

Review please, 118 reviews total. No long ending note. I am really tired right now. But I hope you like the chappie. Good night.

- SAVE THE NARGLES