Sup peeps! I got some great reviews on Chapter Fifteen. I'm glad I stirred so much emotion in you guys! That really is my goal!

VIRTUAL HUGS!

To: Blackrosesroit, Meepmeep123, Pandastyle, Vivi007, The Avian-Olympian, ReadingGurl07, and Complicated-Little-Jellie

Replies:

Blackrosesroit: Thank you! And I love hearing from new readers (though you multiple time reviewers, I still love you lots! It's just cool when I see a new name, but you old-timers, DON'T STOP!) Again, I'm glad I stirred emotion!

Meepmeep123: Aw! I'm sorry but that makes me so happy! Conveying emotion just means that I am becoming a good author! And read below, I have a plot idea, but I don't wanna give it completely away.

Pandastyle: Ha! I'm like a couple time-zones away I think. I live in Wisoconsin, which is why I didn't feel bad making that crack about it. While we're on the topic of WI I would like to point some things out to my readers:

1) We are not all obsessed with cheese. Believe it or not, we have lactose intolerant people too.

2) We're not all obsessed with camping or outdoors or whatever. My families version of 'camping' is staying at an old beat up cabin with electricity, a stove, microwave, toaster, oven and bringing our own blankets to sleep in beds/blow up beds, while also bringing one (or four if your my mom) pillow(s) and a fan to sleep with.

3) CRAZY THOUGHT HERE GUYS! AMAZINGLY, IT IS WARM HALF OF THE YEAR! Seriously, we had like a drought spell this summer where the grass was all yellow. It was crazy hot, reaching sometimes almost a 100.

Okay, sorry. I ranted.

Back to Pandastyle: I'm so glad you're hooked! :DDD And as I said, I think I'll update this weekend. My other stories I'll probs only update on the weekend, but since I'm making this my prority story, I'll update this one as soon as possible.

I might have updated AGAIN last night but we got a crazy storm and my power went out. :( So no wifi.

Vivi007: I'm leaving you in suspense! HEEHEEHEE! I know, I'm mean. ;)

The Avian-Olympian: Thanks! I tried to make Percy's kind of sound like his books and I tried to make Annabeth sound a little more sophisticated, without sounding stuffy. And yeah, I think you were the one who suggested Hercules. I'm actually kinda pumped cuz like the next day, the Percy FB page released a picture of Hercules and I'm like "IT'S A SIGN!" So, there's a good chance he'll be in it. And is Farter a match name I don't now about or does it just sound like 'fart'? And, aw, thx! That's so sweet of you to do!

Complicated-Little-Jellie: Thanks! That means so much!

Okay guys, I think this chapter is shorter, but I KNOW you'll love it! Like, I'm positive. I'm hoping my inbox is flooded with reviews!

Also, for a 'plot' I got an idea, but I may need to make up a minor god. I'll look up to see if the god I want exists, but f he doesn't, I may just make him up. Is that cool with you guys? Cuz I think I wanna bring that in soon, but got one more big scene planned first.

MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!

*Insert you cursing my pen-name(cuz you don't know my real one) for leaving you in suspense*

And I think most questions will be answered relatively soon. You guys will probs find out the same time Zack does, which I'm planning to do after my 'big scene'.

Again, suggestions for this story and my 'Here We Are, I guess' are much appreciated!

So, I realized that you never really got to find out who Kara and Alex were. Well Kara is Ares and Alex is Apollo.

I REALLY love this song for this story. (The one I've mentioned like three times.)

Your clothes never wear as well the next day
And your hair never falls in quite the same way
You never seem to run out of things to say

[Chorus:]
This is the story of a girl
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world
And while she looked so sad in photographs
I absolutely love her
When she smiles

Other great songs to match the story: Check Yes Juliet by We The Kings, The Hunger by Flyleaf, Hero by Skillet, Awake and Alive by Skillet, Lost in Paradise by Evanescence and Emergency by Paramore. I probs have more but my Ipod's being goofy.

Whoah! Long Authors note! Sorry guys! To what everyone cares about!

THE STORY!

Disclaimer: ...

Song: ...my Ipod's being Wonky!

READ ON!

That night I fell asleep on the couch. I replayed the video nine times, each time pausing it at the end. I lost count of how many times I looked at the pictures. I probably read the letters, even though it gave me a migraine, four times each.

I wasn't sure what time it was when I heard a knock at the door. I pounced up, my years of living on the run causing me to be a very light sleeper. I slowly walked over to the door, my hand gripping my fathers pen. While it was unusual, I had opened my door expecting a pizza delivery guy and found a monster a few too many times.

I looked through the door's peephole and saw Zack standing outside.

"Lena?" I heard him call.

My thumb went to my teeth as I looked down at my outfit. I was wearing on old, over-sized, blue T-shirt of my fathers with a pair of black spandex shorts. My hair was loosely thrown into a ponytail and my loose hairs were held back with a cheap white headband.

Reluctantly I opened the door. "Hey, Zack." I was all too aware of the fact I had not brushed my teeth or put on deodorant yet.

He didn't seem fazed by my appearance. "Hey, Len's. May I come in?"

I glanced back. The contents of the shoe box was strewn across the couch and table, and my parents image still filled the TV screen. I turned back to Zack. "Hold on." I closed the door and swiftly gathered the photos, letters, and horn back into the box. I then shoved that under the sink in a cabinet, the first place I thought of. I then sprinted back to the TV and, with a pang of sadness, turned it off. I then sprinted back to the door and yanked it open.

I realized too late how that might appear.

I tried to gather my composure and held the door out for him. "Welcome to my humble abode, or whatever."

He walked in, his eyes absorbing every detail.

"I know it's not a penthouse or anything..."

"No," he said. "It's cool. Where's your mom?"

I bit my lip. "Out," was all I said.

He nodded, as if he understood.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

"You told me to come here, didn't you?" He sounded unsure.

"Well, yeah, I did," I replied, shifting from foot to foot. "But you have school today."

He just smiled. "Believe it or not, I've been called a truant before."

I raised my eyebrows. "I gotta admit, you got this good-boy vibe."

He laughed. "Maybe I do, but the people kinda label you a bad-boy after getting kicked out of a few schools, leaving many of them with several hundred, or thousand, dollar repairs."

I nodded, sympathizing. Although, especially after my parents death, I had stopped trying to convince people otherwise. I kinda just embraced the bad-girl attitude. Suddenly I wondered how much of that was just an act.

Zack has been making me question a lot of things about myself as of recent.

An awkward silence filled the room.

Zack coughed. "I thought about what you said. I really, really did. I lied awake last night for hours going through all the options, I tried really hard to be rational, and I realized something."

"What would that be?" I asked quietly, tucking a piece of hair nervously behind my ear.

His blue eyes pierced my green ones. "I'm not rational."

I wanted so bad to croak 'But I am,' but the words wouldn't come.

"I don't know what it is about you, Lena." He continued. "I mean, I've had my share of fights and monsters. I'm normally fairly cautious. Then you come along and blow all those walls down like they were build from toothpicks and children's glue. Lena, I realize you're secretive, I realize you have skeletons in your closet you're not ready to face. I'm not gonna snoop, you deal with those on your own time. I'll be here when you're ready to talk...because Lena, I'm not leaving. Not unless you look me in the eye and tell me you don't want me to, but you'll have to mean it Lena, otherwise, you're stuck with me."

I tried. I looked him in the eyes. "I don't want you here." It was barely a whisper.

He just kinda cocked his head. "I don't believe you."

"You should leave me."

He grabbed my hand gingerly. His hands were much larger and warmer than mine, fully encasing my small cold hand. "This was never a matter of should or shouldn't. It's a matter of can or can't. Tell me Lena, that you don't care about me, and I'll leave"

Tears filled my eyes once again. "I don't care about you."

"I don't believe you." That's where he did something that surprised the Hades out of me.

He leaned in.

And he kissed me.

Every rational thought I had flew straight out the window.

Now, I had never been kissed. Any guy who tried swiftly got a knee to where it hurt most. So, therefor, I had no experience in the matter, but if I had to say so, Zack was excellent.

The kiss was nothing passionate, it was sweet and soft. His lips were warm and gentle. He had a hand cupped around each of my elbows and my hands rested awkwardly on his chest. I started to lean in when I realized exactly what I was doing.

I was kissing.

Zack.

Right after I had been trying to get him to leave.

I shoved him away, both of us breathing heavily. I refused to look at him, while that seemed to be all he was doing to me.

"You care," he said, "just as much as I do. You just don't understand it."

"I don't," I muttered, but I knew he heard. "Zack I...I'm not sure I can do this."

"That's okay, Lena. You'll work it out at your own pace, but I'm not leaving you to figure it out alone."

"Zack, you don't get it. You may not be rational, but...but I am!" I shouted that last part.

He pulled me into a hug. One arm around my back, the other holding my head, as if I was a fragile child. I felt like one, I was shaking enough to be.

"That's okay, Lena. That's okay. Your mother's Athena. Rationalism is to be expected."

We stood there for a while. I had little desire to move, and neither did Zack it appeared.

"Zack," I finally spoke. "What about your mom? What about Kara, Lexi, and Alex?"

He paused. "I thought about that."

"And?"

"And..well, I'll miss them sure, my friends that is, my mom a little I guess, but I realized that I'd miss you more."

"You don't know what you're getting yourself into," I warned.

"You're right," he said, "I don't, but I'm ready to find out."

More silence.

Minutes passed before Zack spoke again.

"You're mom isn't out is she?"

I just shook my head in his shoulder.

I don't know how long we stayed there. After a while he said he should probably leave and I agreed. After making me promise several times to stay put and not ditch out of the city, he left, seeming rather reluctant. When I closed the door, I just leaned against it.

I put my hand to my lips, still feeling the warmth of his lips on mine.

I wished so much I could say I hated it.

That it had disgusted me.

And that Zack did too.

But I hadn't.

It didn't.

And neither did he.

I half groaned/half-shouted and threw both fists at the door, placing my forehead on it.

"Why is my life so GOD DAMN complicated?!" I shrieked. I swear my voice echoed. I just stood there, listening to my quivering breath.

'I suppose, if I wanted you to understand anything about my life it's that everyone needs some help every now and then, or often, and that's okay, you just gotta be as loyal to those people as they are to you.'

'I guess what I want you to take from all this is that don't be afraid to let others in. I had been afraid for the longest of times, but it was worth it. Even the pain of losing your father. It was all worth it. I would have done the eight months, just to have five minutes with him again. It's another thing I don't regret.'

Those had been my parents words. Thinking of their letters at that moment, when I needed them most, made them feel like ghosts. Still looking out for me just a little too far out of eyesight.

My heart ached for their presence.

"So, Lena," I said to myself. "Got any plans worthy of Athena up your sleeve?"

I didn't.

I sighed and slid down to the floor, once again curling into a ball.

"Now what?"

I had no reply to that.

If you somehow read this chapter the first twenty minutes it was up, I added a bit to it at the end. I was gonna make that the beginning of Chapter Seventeen, but I fel like it would fit better here.