This is a collaboration between LCT and Becca. This story starts at the beginning of summer in the year following the Battle of Manhattan.
Chapter 1 - Welcome Home[]
Sean's POV[]
Has it really been nine months since the Battle of Manhattan? I still have nightmares about it every night. I can still see the faces of every one of my lost friends in perfect detail. I really don't know how I got enough sleep to get through another year of school. But it doesn't matter now. I am back at camp. I am back home.
Things are better than ever here as well. My hat is off to you, Percy Jackson. I don't know what you said to the gods, but it must have been awesome to get all these changes made. One of the best parts, the new cabins. No more sleeping in that overbooked motel that some people call cabin 11. Now I have my own bed, in a cabin dedicated to my dad. Well, maybe not just to my dad.
To make best use of some pieces of land, lesser gods that are tied in with each other and don't really have enough kids to fill a whole cabin are sometimes grouped together. My dad, Anteros, is one of the four Erotes, so I share a cabin with the children of the other 3; Eros, Himeros, and Pothos. I certainly don't mind that arrangement. Each of us living there has plenty of personal space and we don't have to be by ourselves at dinner time and in team activities.
I arrived back at camp late last night. I had just enough time to see my new home and claim a room before it was time for lights out. Since campers are still arriving today and maybe tomorrow, the formal daily schedules haven't been posted yet. So, after breakfast, I decided to go out for a jog around the grounds and reconnect with some of my favorite places.
After about an hour of running, I sprint up the big hill that overlooks the big house and the volleyball courts. It feels good to get a good physical workout in after so many months of desk patrol during cold weather. I stop to catch my breath and stretch a bit. I then decide to sit and watch some of the other campers get a game of volleyball started. There are several new faces from all the newly claimed demigods coming in now, but I still recognize one older blonde boy and a really cute redheaded girl who were in cabin 11 with me last year.
I give them a wave. The blonde boy raises his hand in a kind of have wave half salute type gesture. The redhead smiles and waves move energetically until one of the other girls says something to her and she looks away, blushing. Then I just about jump out of my skin as someone speaks from right behind me.
"Cute! I definitely have to add her to my list of candidates for you this year."
I turn to see a girl smiling widely at me. "Hey, Aiko!" I smile back and give my younger cousin a hug. "You just get in?"
She nods and gestures to the suitcases behind her. "Mom just dropped me off and I figured I would come up here to get some fresh air before I try to squeeze my way through the cabin 11 crowd to get to my bunk."
"Oh! So you didn't hear? Quite a few of the new cabins mentioned last year have been finished. We have a new home." I grin as I watch the shock on her face tranform into excitement.
"Oh, thank the gods!!!!" She falls over into the soft grass and laughs up to the sky.
She sits up again a moment later as we both hear one of the camp vehicles rumbling up the dirt road with a new wave of residents. About eight campers hop out. Most we recognize as returning campers. One brown haired boy brings a quick blush to Aiko's face and I can't help making her turn a deeper shade of red when I promise to add him to my list of candidates I am going to fix her up with.
"Don't you dare!" She says and punches my arm lightly. We both share a good laugh before turning our attention back to the three new campers. A very tall and thin boy reaches up and tries to pull a suitcase down from the luggage rack on top of the van, but he starts a small avalanche of bags sliding down off the roof.
He tackles a shorter blonde girl to the ground to keep her from getting hit by the rain of luggage. From this angle, it looked like a pretty heroic thing to do. He took quite a few blows to his back that probably would have knocked the smaller girl silly. From the stream of curses she hurls at him, I am pretty sure she didn't see things in the same way. He just stands there taking the harsh words calmly, which seems to make the girl pause and there is an awkward silence between them before the girl grabs her bag and walks off after the other campers heading to the big house.
"Did you see that look on her face, during the pause?" Aiko turns to look at me with excitement.
I look right back at her with the same excitement, "Did you see the look that flashed across his face?"
"We HAVE to get those two together!!!!" we both say at the same time.
Chapter 2- Here We Go![]
Aiko's POV
Oh, my gods! This is going to be the best summer ever, I just know it! My favorite cousin Sean and I are going to pair up those new kids, Serena and Dominik. Plus, I got my own cabin! Er, sort of... but it's better than that sweat sock stench in the Hermes cabin!
Speaking of the Hermes cabin... Dominik and Serena are trying to find bunks (I'm seeing this while I'm dragging my luggage to my cabin, by the way). I almost squealed! Their bunks were so close to each other! I could tell Dominik had no complaints, but Serena glared at everyone and anyone. She took the bunk anyway, which she'll be glad she did soon!
I had just gotten all my luggage into the cabin. I loved the new cabin. It had gold and pink and red, lovey dovey colors. It was perfect, to say the least. I squealed and threw my arms around my twin brother, Ren. "Isn't it perfect? I love it! Don't you?"
Ren smiled. "Yup. Perfect." We got our things moved in, talked with our cousins a bit, and before we knew it, it was night time already! I curled up into my comfy cozy bed, pulled the pink and gold rose comforter over my head and had a restful sleep.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
The Next Morning....
I stretched, letting the golden light of the morning flood into the room. My female cousins who I shared the room with had already woke up, leaving the room spotless. I pulled myself out of bed and changed into some True Religion jeans and my Camp Half-Blood shirt. I was a bit lazy today, so I pulled my hair up into a neat ponytail. Then, seeing as my skin was clear as always, walked out of the cabin, pulling on my shoes at the door where I left them.
Ren had waited for me outside of the cabin, as we did for each other anytime that the other decided to sleep in. We smiled at each other and walked to the Dining Pavilion. Ren was describing to me his dream- which, by the way, was really weird- when I accidentally bumped into Nos, the daughter of Nyx.
"Hey!" she growled. "Watch where you're going!"
"Sorry! I didn't see you there!" I apologized, knowing how she likes to beat people up. She grumbled something I couldn't make out, then walked away. Ren and I exchanged glances, trying not to laugh at the look on each other's faces. We just grinned crazily and walked to our table, where Sean was waiting.
"Hey, there you guys are! The schedules are here." He handed us our schedules. Ren looked it over carefully, while I just skimmed. I noticed for Beginning Archery Sean and my own name were on there for teachers. I grinned again. "Beginning Archery, eh? So we get newbies?" He grinned and nodded. This was going perfectly!
Sean waved and walked away to the farther end of the table with his half-siblings, where he had already started eating. Ren and I grabbed our food and scrapped off some very good looking pieces of bacon into the fire, the smoke smelling like roses. We walked back to the table, eating in almost complete silence. When we had finished, I realized that the next thing to do was for me to teach. I said goodbye to Ren and ran off to catch up with Sean, who had left a few minutes prior to me.
He was at the archery range when I got there- I couldn't help it that I hate to run! Dominik, Serena, and some other newbies were waiting for me. Whoops. I walked next to Sean, trying not to look embarrassed about being late, and we started the lesson.
Sean started out by having everyone introducing themselves, then told them the basics. I felt stupid, just standing there, while Sean explained everything. I, just so that I could do something, helped them pick out which bows were right for them. I really wish archery was a partner thing, just so Dominik and Serena could be together a bit. All of this pretty much took up the entire hour, except for the last ten minutes or so. Everyone had their bows, knew the basics, and we didn't want to let them start shooting around the first day. We all just stood there awkwardly.
"Um..." I said, trying to fill the silence, "Sean? Do you think we could let them out early?"
"Don't see the harm. We're done for today. Class dismissed." Our 'class' got up and walked away, not seeming to want to be trapped in the awkwardness anymore than we did. I sighed and looked at Sean.
"Next time. For sure." I said.
"Of course." He agreed.
Chapter 3 - What do we have to work with?[]
Sean's POV[]
Well, one class done and no progress in getting those two to notice each other. I wonder if I could have done more, like think up some kind of quick pairs activity. I try not to be hard on myself though. This was only the first class and they have barely known each other for 24 hours. Breathe. Just breathe. There is still more than enough time for everything to fall into place.
I check my schedule and see I am schedules for one my electives next, Volleyball. Awesome! Just what I need to help unwind. I start to walk down to the courts and see Dominik standing around with his schedule in hand, looking lost.
"Hey, Nik. You need some help?"
He looks up at me and gets an embarrssed look. "Oh...h-hey Mr. Sean."
"Mr. Sean? Gah, that makes me feel old..." I chuckle.
"S-sorry...I'm just..." He looks around as if trying to find a landmark or sign or something.
"You need help finding your next assignment? Here let me see your schedule." He hands it over to me and I scan the day's list. "Oh, hey! You are over at the volleyball courts too. Come with me and I will show you the way."
We walk together down to the volleyball area and see several other campers already gathered and setting up some two-on-two matches. I lead Nik up to the edge of the court and shout out, "Hey! Anyone still need some opponents?"
"Down here!" A voice calls out and I see the familiar red-headed girl, Felicity, waving us over. We head down to the last net and see she is waiting there with another dark skinned girl...Vivica, I think her name is, though I am not sure.
"Standard shirts vs skins game." Vivica says as we approach.
Felicity adds, "I suggested we take skins, but then Viv said you guys would be too distracted to give us a good game." Everyone bursts out laughing at her joke, except for Nik who is now a deep shade of crimson.
I strip off my shirt and shoes and walk out onto the warm sand. Nik hesitates before doing the same. I gotta say his physical presence is less than awe inspiring, but the trianing here at camp will take care of that in time. I just need to focus on building his self confidence some and make sure he knows what to do in case he ever finds himself on a date.
Hmmm...looks like I will need to give Nik some practice with volleyball as well. He seems to grasp the rules well enough, but he is just not much of an athlete right now. Luckily we don't get blown out too bad, because every play I make seems to result in Felicity stumbling, tripping, or missing her shot right afterwards. I know she is a good player, so either me being a skin is distracting her or she is just trying to be nice and letting us stay in the game. Gods, I hope it is the former.
Vivica though is good and is determined to win as quickly as possible, so it is only a matter of time before Nik and I fall in defeat. It was all in fun though and we have a good laugh as we talk about the different parts of the game. Even Nik smiles and laughs a little with us. Good. He has some potential to relax and be himself around girls. Mission accomplished for now.
Aiko's POV[]
Oh my gods, I am sooo glad Sean decided to let the class out early. Aside from the awkwardness at the end, I really need to pee! I run to the restrooms and came back out just in time to see an argument going on at one of the water coolers that have been placed near the different training areas. Three boys are laughing as they seem to be surrounding a smaller figure whose blonde hair is just visible over their shoulders.
I hear a sharp crack as the head of the the middle boy goes flying back. As he rocks forward again, he falls to his knees. That gives me just enough of a view to see Serena throw the contents of her water cup into the face of a second boy. I think Crayola needs to add a new shade of red to their crayon color palette to capture just how mad she is at that moment.
The wet boy and the one untouched boy jump back before grabbing their companion with the bloody nose by the arms and hauling him away. I shall not repeat the curses that were hurled between both groups. This document would probably burst into flames if I did.
I walk over to Serena and she quickly turns her fury on me as she hears my approach. "What do you want?!?!?....oh! Ms. Aiko....I am soo sorry"
"You know fighting is not permitted outside of organized activities, right? The last kids that did it were deep fried by Mr. D...." I say with as serious of a face as I can manage. Yes, I am lying my butt off, but it does effectively derail whatever angry rant she has planned.
Serena goes pale. "Please don't turn me in! It wasn't my fault! They were harassing me! Gods! Why are all boys such jerks?"
Well, at least I know where she is starting from. This might be a little tougher project then I first thought. "Oh, they are not all bad. Look at my brother or my cousin. They are both great guys! There are others too that I have noticed around...close by..." She looks unconvinced and I can see she needs to get her mind off of boys completely right now. "Tell you what, let's go back over to the shooting range and get some one on one time in. Target practice can be quite calming sometimes."
She nods and we walk back over to the archery range. A couple of other campers have come over since class ended and are making use of the range before the next class starts up in the afternoon. Serena and I grab our bows and line up with some of the available shorter range targets.
Serena goes first so I can watch her form. Stance, good. Grip, good. Drawing motion, good. Holy crap, girl! How did you miss the target by that much?!?! I stare at her critically, trying to figure out what I can adjust to put her more on target. I decide maybe I should take a shot or two as an example to her.
"It is all in the focus...picture where you want to hit and let the arrow go there." I say as I draw back my bowstring.
Serena laughs, "Maybe you should pin one of the boys to the target then. Like that one over there...." She points.
Oh dear gods...he...is...GORGEOUS!!! I can't help but check him out head to toe. Sadly, I had just reached his toes when my mind went numb, followed by my arm, and thus my arrow went flying...right to what I was looking at....
"OW!!!!!" He howls in pain as he falls to the ground, my feathered shaft sticking out of his foot.
"Oh my gods! I am so sorry!" I yell as I run over. "Here let me help!"
"No, please..." He sucks his breath through gritted teeth as I work the arrow out of his foot.
"Sorry!" Oh, gods! Why did this have to happen with him! "Here, let me help you to the infirmary at least."
"No, no. You have done quite enough already..." He grunts out as he gets to his feet. "You stay here and get some practice. Lots and lots of practice...please!" He starts to hop on one foot towards the infirmary by himself.
I stand there beet red with embarrassment as I watch him go. Serena walks up giggling behind me.
"For what it's worth, teacher...I thought that shot was perfect!"
Chapter 4 - A serious problem.[]
---The Next Day---
A feathered shaft sticks out from a short range target on the archery practice range. There is a slight whistle followed by a crack as a second arrow splits the first in half. "Oh yeah! Right in the tenders! Lay your hands on me, Jeremy? Not...any..more..." Serena laughs as she pulls her next arrow and takes aim at the double bullseye.
She closes her eyes, overlaying the images of boys she already hates over the target. She slowly opens her eyes and lets the shot fly. This one doesn't split the other arrows, but it is still well within the center bullseye area. She jumps as hands start clapping behind her.
"See, Demetra? I told you she had the makings of a hunter as soon as she stepped out of the van. Now pay up!" One girl says to the other as she holds out her hand.
"Well, I wasn't so sure about that after her shooting yesterday, Rachel. I will admit though, she is a fast learner. And she has a good attitude...but that doesn't mean you win anything yet!" the second girl says back to the first as she slaps her outstretched hand away and walks over to Serena. "What's your name, girl?"
Serena looks from one to the other, somewhat stunned by their silvery white hunting outfits. "My name is Serena. Who are you?"
"I am Demetra. This is Rachel. We are hunters serving Lady Artemis."
Rachel gives her a half wave. "We think you might have the skills the hunters are looking for. You come with us, serve the goddess directly, stay young forever, stay healthy forever, unless you fall in battle. Only thing you have to do is pledge yourself to Artemis and swear off boys forever. The last part doesn't sound like it will be a stretch though. What do you say?"
Aiko comes running back up to Serena, drinking cup in one hand and water spraying from her mouth as Rachel makes her offer. "No!!! Serena, don't do it!!!"
Serena gives Aiko a sideways glance. "Why not? What they are offering is pretty good. And I can certainly do without boys! They are all jerks! Every last one! Where do I sign?"
Aiko jumps forward and grabs Serena by the shoulders and pulls her back from the hunters. "You don't know what you are saying! I admit you have had a rough time, but they are not all bad! There are plenty of good ones out there, I swear!"
Serena looks at her with a questioning stare, "Name one."
"Your dad." Aiko says quickly. "I know you care about him and he has loved you your whole life. Proof positive there are good guys out there."
Serena hesitates, "Well that is true...but he might be unique. You can't prove there are other good guys out there just off of one example."
Aiko sighs, "How about a bet then? I bet you I can find you a special guy to fall in love with. If I win, you are going to be happy with that guy. If I lose, you can join the hunters and I won't interfere anymore."
Serena giver her an appraising look, "Ok, I can agree to that. But the guy has to be someone here at camp. I am not going to be dragged all over the place for you to try to fix me up. We need a time limit too, because I am not going to wait forever. I like what I hear from these two."
"Til the end of summer then. I can find you a guy by the end of summer no problem." Aiko says, knowing that is plenty of time to set something up.
Rachel shakes her head, "No can do. The hunters are just here for rest and resupply. We are out of here in two weeks. If you don't join us by then, the deal is off. And it is rare that we ask anyone twice."
Aiko goes pale, Serena smiles. "That settles it then. You have two weeks to find me a boyfriend or I join the hunters." Serena holds out her hand and Aiko seals the deal with a handshake.
Rachel adds,"Well now that that is settled, why don't you come with us Serena and meet your future hunting companions."
And with that, the three girls depart the practice fiel, Rachel trying to welcome Serena to their ranks and Demetra arguing about how much the girl still has to prove. Aiko goes running off in another direction. "I need to find Sean, now!"
Chapter 5 - Damage control.[]
Aiko's POV[]
--- Ten Minutes Later ---
"Sean, I'm really sorry.." I said to my older cousin. I had just told him about the bet. I felt awful, since I did it without telling him. And the deadline-- two weeks away! This was suppossed to be fun, but when it can change someone's life forever....
"No, no. It's okay. We'll make it work." He smiled reassuringly, always looking on the brightside. I was still panicing, but that made me feel an eency bit better. I smiled back. "Besides, this just means we can get Nik and Serena together even sooner!" He said, brimming with even more optimism.
I nodded. "I'm just going to take a walk.. okay? I'll catch up with you later." He nodded, seeming concerned, but he left me to my thoughts. I walked away, not really in any direction. I ended up about right next to the infirmary.
The brown haired boy from before, Praxis (you remember, the one I accidentally shot with an arrow), was just limping out of the infirmary, with a bandage over his foot. Oh, here comes more guilt. Ugh, I can just feel the frown lines sinking into my face.
I tried to look less depressed and walked up to him. I could see a mix between disappointment and pain flash on his face when he saw me. "Oh, you again. If you have anything even remotely sharp, just keep walking." I know he was joking, but I just felt awful.
"Praxis, I'm really, really sorry! I didn't mean to hit you with the arrow, I was just distracted. Like I said, I'm so so so so so so so sorry!! Do you think you could ever forgive me?" I apologized enough for hitting him with like, eight arrows. I was officially pathetic. I must've had the puppy dog eyes thing going on, because his face softened immediatly.
"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm fine. You could've hit me somewhere else that would've hurt a lot more." He smiled. I smiled back, relieved, then ran up to him. I threw my arms around his neck.
I quickly released from the hug, since I was blushing. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best!" I yelled, already jogging away. He just looked at me with a stunned expression. There was one weight lifted off of my shoulders.
But there was something much more serious than shooting a cute guy in the foot going on. Oh, I needed a plan and I needed one now. Too bad the only thing I could think of was that cute guy.
Why is being a teenage girl so hard?
Chapter 6 - Laying a foundation.[]
Sean's POV[]
---Afternoon on the day of the bet---
Two weeks?!? Doable. Deffinitely doable, but it is not going to be easy. I can't count on them both living in cabin 11 together to help bridge the gap, since they are due to be claimed at any time. If those two are going to have a happy future together, the trust has to start building today. I think I may know how to start doing that.
As one of the older campers, I am expected to teach or assistant-teach a lot of the younger members, so I see Nik and Serena in more than just Archery class. Today, they are both in a close combat class together that I assist with. Before class starts, I have a quick word with the primary instructor and he nods along with my idea. As the students start to gather, he calls the class to order. "Listen up! We have a special lesson planned for today. The best resource you have in combat is not your weapon or armor, it is your allies. Today's training is going to show you just what we mean."
I step up and have each camper call off numbers in order to determine pairings. Obviously I precalculated where everyone is standing to make sure Nik and Serena's numbers match. Once the pairs are set up, I lay down the rules. "This will be a simple sparring match using shields and blunted training swords only. One person carries the shield, the other carries the sword. Your free hand will be tied to your partner's free hand. You MUST work together in order to succeed!"
I start to tie the pairs together and we get our first injury right away and two beefy guys decided to start a tug-a-war contest with each other and promptly both strain their arms and shoulders. Please gods, don't let that change the course of this drill.... The others all go ok though and Nik and Serena react exactly as I hope. They watch the rope being tied, glance up at each other's faces, then both look away blushing and try to focus on how interesting the ground is down by their feet.
The matches get underway and I see that they are not so perfect when fighting together. Sure, some of that is to be expected since they are both still new to this, but I can tell some of it is purposeful. Serena has the shield and does a very good job of blocking shots directed at herself, but almost seems to make an effort not to fully cover Nik as he gets whacked by the other teams blade. Ouch, he is going to have some bruises by this evening....
About halfway through the session, I call a break and announce that the partners will now switch places with sword and shield. Some groups seem ok with this, but there are a few previous shield-bearers who demand new partners because they know their teammate took a lot of hits and may be looking for some revenge now. Serena is one of those that speaks up, but I deny all the requests for changes.
The new round begins and Serena practically cowers behind Nik at first, so he has no choice but to defend her if he wants to defend himself as well. I throw a few choice words at Serena to get her to move forward into a position she can attack from, which she does with some hesitation. She seems almost shocked that Nik is doing a good job covering her. He even takes a few more bruising hits himself while making sure she is well protected. She smiles and starts to take a more aggressive approach, which quickly turns the match heavily in their favor.
As the session wraps up, I go around removing the ties from each team. As I get to Nik and Serena, I take my time undoing the knot so that I have a chance to talk to them. "You two looked really good towards the end...when you started to trust each other and work as a team. You both need to open your minds a bit and realize not everyone you meet is going to hurt you."
They both nod and give each other a half-smile. It's a good start as far as I am concerned. Now I just need to find Aiko and figure out quickly what the next step needs to be. There is still a lot to be done, and the clock is ticking...
Chapter 7 - Trying to make sense of it all.[]
Nik's POV[]
---After dinner---
OWWW!!!!! I picked up so many bruises in that practice today, I can't move at all without hitting a sore spot. Sitting this close to the bonfire is pretty uncomfortable too, but it would be even more painful to try to move away. I was told they have medical supplies available at camp to heal just about anything short of death, but I guess these injuries are just shy of what qualifies for using the good stuff. Some Ares guy told me to stop whining because pain is good for us. Not sure I agree, but I wasn't going to tell him that.
Looking back on the day though, I gotta admit that getting hurt was soooo worth it. I mean seriously, I had no idea a girl's skin could be so soft and warm. But there I was, tied to an undeniable example for an hour or more today. And she smiled at me too. She is probably way out of my league, though. She is pretty enough to get any guy she wants. Why pick a stringbean like me? Dear gods, if I have any chance with her at all, please give me a sign.
What happens next is certainly a sign from the gods. I am still trying to figure out though if it is in response to my request or if I am just being talked to in general. I suddenly find myself being lit up by this glowing cloud. It illuminates me light a spotlight, except it is coming from nowhere and hitting every part of me all at once. Glowing runes swim around me and other campers stop to point and stare. I see money changing hands in some sort of bet and others start to clap for me. The cheering gets really intense when Mr. Chiron steps forward and announces to everyone, "Behold! Dominik, son of Hecate!"
A handful of campers, who are apparently my new half-brothers and sisters, gather around and welcome me into their cabin. I have to admit, I have no idea who Hecate is the goddess of. I really don't care either at this point. I just know she is my mom, and it feels good to be wanted.
What really makes me feel special is that Serena actually takes the time to say a quick congratulations as she walks by. Maybe mom timed this to give me a little help. I hope so. Thanks, mom, if you did.
One of my new brothers slides into the seat next to me and comments, "Cute girl. You two involved?"
"No..." I answer with a sigh. "Would be nice though."
He looks me over, "Yeah, not exactly lady killer material, are you? Don't worry about her not being interested. Bulk up a bit and I am sure at least one girl around here will take notice." He pats me on the shoulder and walks away, eyeballing Serena the whole time.
I sigh. He is right. I am probably wishing for too much. If that's the case, I hope the gods help her find someone who will make her happy. Oh and PS to that request, please don't let it be with my new brother. I have a strong feeling that he is up to no good.
Serena's POV[]
---The Next Morning---
Sunlight flooded through the dirty Hermes' cabin windows. I stretched, after already getting ready. I walked out of my cabin to see one of Nik's new brothers standing outside. He heard my footsteps, turned, saw me and smiled.
He wasn't bad looking; shaggy black hair, and dangerous looking purple eyes. He was tall, about six foot something, and had well toned muscles and was tan from the summer. He looked like someone a tweeny-bopper would go gaga over, but I knew better.
"Hey there. You're Serena, right? Welcome to camp!" He said, sticking out his hand for me to shake. I took his hand a shook it, eyeing him suspiciously. He didn't let go of my hand.
"Yeah.. I'm Serena. You?"
"Axel Merlo, son of Hecate, and hopefully a future friend of yours," he said, smiling mischeviously. I have a feeling he didn't want to be my friend, exactly.
"Right... Well, I have to be going now." I pulled my hand out of his, turned and walked towards the Dining Pavillion, since I had been late getting up to breakfast. After walking for a little bit, I felt someone lay a hand on my shoulder, then quickly remove it. I weighed the pros and cons of flipping this person martial arts style, when I heard their voice.
"Uh, Serena, sorry to bother you but.." It was Nik. Thank gods I didn't flip him. After yesterday, I guess I don't hate him, but nothing is going on between us. Well, I guess we're sort of friends- ugh, whatever. Labels are dumb. "Uhm, you know Axel, my, uhm, half brother? Well, uh, he's kind of got his eye on you... and I've got a bad feeling about him. I just thought that I'd warn you... so I'll just, uh, leave you alone now."
He walked away, before I could even have time to react. I turned a little bit, just so he was in my peripheral vision. "Hey, Nik!" I called after him. He turned, looking surprised that I would talk to him. "Thanks. I appreciate it." He smiled and nodded, then continued walking away. I could feel a small smile creeping to my lips.
A deep, dark, particularly unused part of my brain decided to start up again by saying, All guys aren't so bad. I thought I'd killed that part of my brain... This could be bad.
Chapter 8 - There's one in every family...[]
---Morning on the 2nd day after the bet---
"Ughffff!!!" The sound comes out half as an exclamation and half as air just escaping his lungs during impact. As tall as Nik is, his feet don't even reach the ground as Axel holds the front of his shirt and pins him against the wall.
"What did you tell her, you little punk? The camp is all buzzing about what a creep I am and how I am up to no good!" Axel shouts.
Nik gasps for breath, finally managing to get out, "I told her cause it's true...you don't want her...you just want a piece of tail...."
Axel draws back his arm and then strikes Nik solidly in the eye. Nik crumples down to the floor and starts to cry. Axel stands over him. "Get this straight, stay out of my personal business! You get in my way again and I will make your life in this cabin a living hell!" Axel spits on him and then storms out of the room.
Nik gingerly touches the area around his eye and immediately sucks his breath in through gritted teeth. That is is going to leave a mark, both around the eye and on the back of his head where he was knocked into the wall. Feeling a little dizzy, he stumbles to his feet and starts to walk towards the public washroom to clean up.
"Oh my gods! Nik, what happened?" A familiar voice calls out to him as he stumbles along the path.
Nik looks up, but can't see who it is through tear blinded eyes. He wipes his one good eye with the back of his hand and sees Serena's concerned face start to go in and out of focus. "Oh! Serena! It...it was nothing. Just an accident. I...I fell...that's all..."
"Are you sure you're ok? You look a little unsteady..."
"Yeah, I will be fine. I just need to clean up and splash some water on my face." Nik tries to say as he straightens up and tries to put on a brave face.
"Well, ok then. See you around. And try to be mroe careful..." Serena replies before running off to her next activity session.
Nik finally reaches the bathroom and washes himself off with cold water. He looks up into the mirror with one eye. The other won't open and is covered in a nasty purple-black bruise. Great, now I am ugly and looked like a crybaby in front of the one girl that matters most, Nik thought to himself. With a sigh, he turns to leave and face whatever else the day has in store for him.
"...So you see, with all the cabins we have now, everyone is spread out. There isn't the same level of closeness and trust among the campers this year. If we can hold this dance and maybe a few other social events that bring everyone together to mix and mingle in a casual way, then it will be good for moral and help keep the family bonds tight."
Chiron strokes his chin as he considers what Sean just said. "You make a good point Mr. Tempreze. I am not convinced it will have as big of an impact as you say, but I do see some benefit to it and certainly nothing negative."
Mr. D adds in, "Just so long as it's clear that all camp rules are still in effect. This is not an excuse for everyone to go wild and do whatever they want..."
Sean qucikly replies, "No, sir. Just a dance. Consider it an modified bonfire gathering, just something that allows us more incentive to move around and mix cabins instead of sitting in our regular groups."
Chiron jots down some notes on a pad of paper. "Very well, go ahead and organize something. We will see how the first one goes and determine from there if we do more as the summer goes on."
"Thank you both!" Sean bows before the two camp leaders and then hurries out to begin putting up notices around camp.
Serena wipes the sweat out of her eyes brushes back the hair that is sticking to her forehead. Training here at camp certainly doesn't mess around. When you get stronger, the challenges increase to match.
She holds a small recyclable paper cup under the cooler's nozzle and pours herself a cool drink. As she tilts her head back and downs the water, a shadow falls across her from the opening to the tent where the cooler is at. She turns to look and sees a grinning Axel standing in the entryway.
"Hey! Just the girl I wanted to see. You hear the news about the dance coming up? Just under two weeks away. I think you and I should go together. We would make quite the couple." Axel smiles at her like the Cheshire Cat.
A wave of uneasiness washes over Selena. "What? A dance? No...nobody told me..."
Axel steps a little closer. "Great! Then that means nobody else has asked! C'mon just the two of us together on the dance floor?" He reaches out and takes her hand as if about to pull her into a dance number.
Serena steps back and yanks her hand away. "No! I'm really not much of a dancer and I should get going, because my instructor is expecting me back on the field any second now." She tries to step around him to exit the tent, but he sticks his arm out and wraps it around her waist to pull her back inside.
"Hey! Where you going? I just want to talk. Is it because of what that punk brother of mine said?"
"Let go of me!" Serena screams as she tries to wiggle out of his grip. "And he isn't a punk. I think he was trying to tell me the truth."
Axel grabs her arms roughly in his huge hands. "Everything he said is lie. He couldn't possibly know the truth!"
"Hey! Get your hands off her!" Nik yells as he walks in through the tent flap.
Axel looks at him with fury in his eyes. "I told you to stay out of my business, little brother! Or do you need another black eye to remind you of that?"
Serena stares daggers at Axel, "You did that to him?"
Axel turns back to her, "Yeah! That's right! He needed to learn to keep his nose out of other people's business." Axel turns back to Nik, "Like right now! Turn around and go and forget what you saw here."
Nik stares back at him. "No! You let her go right now!"
Axel laughs at him, "Make me, wimp."
Nik doesn't hesitate. He charges across the short distance and tackles Axel around the mid-section. Axels hands are pulled away from Serena as both boys go crashing to the floor. Axel is slightly bigger and stronger and is much better trained, but Nik seems to have a lot more determination. Serena stays back, not wanting to hurt Nik, but she does get a few good kicks in at Axel when his back is exposed to her.
Both boys are pretty battered and bloody by the time they finally break apart. Axel staggers to his feet, "Fine! You want your little tease! Take her! You probably aren't the first!" He staggers out of the tent and turns in the general direction of the infirmary.
Nik turns to look at Serena. "You ok? He didn't try anything before I got here?"
"No! I mean, I'm ok. He didn't do anything...But you're not! Look at you!"
Nik tries to wave her off. "He was going to try something, I know it. I don't know how. I just do. And I will be fine."
"C'mon," she says as she tries to pull him to his feet. "We need to get you some of that healing stuff." Nik nods as he stands and she leads him form the tent. "And Nik..? Thanks. I am glad you came to help."
Chapter 9 - How to ask[]
---Morning of the fourth day after the bet---
Sean sits on a grassy hillside, just off of one of the camp paths. He holds a sketchbook in one hand as his other hand digs through a pencil box, trying to find just the right colors to use for the upcoming dance's theme. It has to be something fun and romantic, to fit with his underlying goals. Yet it has to be something that as few gods as possible will find offensive.
He starts with a medium shade of blue, figuring that both Zeus and Poseidon can consider that a tribute to themselves without thinking it is a tribute to the other one instead. He looks out over the dining pavilion, bonfire, and common areas between cabins to find just the right spot and then begins to sketch. The dancefloor can go there. The musicians form Apollo here. Refreshments just off to the side of that. Yes! I think that will work.
As he begins to trace some silver and gold highlights around the musician's area, he sees a familiar face walking up the path. "Heya Nik! How are things going today?"
Nik walks up and sits down next to Sean. His eye has healed back to normal and only a little dark tint to the skin indicates there was an injury there before. "Morning Sean. Things are going well...at least I think they are. Do you have time to talk right now?"
Sean sets aside the sketchbook and pencils. "Sure! What's on your mind?"
Nik blushes slightly and starts to look nervous. "Well, it's about girls. I thought with you being a child of Eros, you might know something about this."
"Anteros actually," Sean smiles, "But still in line with what I think you are asking, so let's hear what you have to say."
Nik stumbles over the words as he says, "Well, there is this girl I like...but I don't know...how do I talk to her?"
Sean keeps smiling. "How do you talk to any of your friends? How are you talking to me right now? It's not as hard as most people make themselves believe it is. Start by becoming friends and building up some trust and let your feelings for each other grow from there."
Nik nods along as he takes mental notes, "But how do I know if all she wants is to be freinds or if she is interested in something more?"
Sean shrugs, "At some point you just have to ask and be ready to accept whatever she says."
Nik presses him, "Yeah, but how do I ask? What do I say?"
At that moment another figure comes walking up and sits down next to the two of them. "Well, you boys look like you are plotting something good. What's up?" Felicity says with her usual cheery voice.
Nik fidgets and turns a deeper shade of red, not saying much. Sean smiles at her though. "Talking about girls and how to talk to them."
Felicity laughs and turns to Nik, "Well, good thing I showed up then so I can correct any misinformation he is giving you. What did you want to know?"
Sean answers, "He wants to know specifically what to say to a girl to find out if she likes him."
"Just ask her, silly." Feleicity replies.
"Yeah, but...like, how?" Nik says grasping at words, "Can you give me an example?"
"Sure!" Sean says and turns to Felicity. "Fel, I want to know, what do you think of me?"
Felicity smiles and goes a little red herself, "Well...you are smart, funny, totally cute, and someone any girl would be lucky to have..."
Now it is Sean's turn to blush a deep red. "R-really...? Um...you want to go out with me on a date then?"
Felicity just throws her arms around Sean's neck and pulls him into a long kiss. Both Sean's and Nik's eyes go wide at her bold move. They finally break apart, Sean and Felicity staring into each other's eyes. "I'll take that as a yes, then" Sean finally manages to get out.
Feleicity giggles. "Of course it's a yes, dummy!" She kisses him quickly again.
Nik sits by quietly, wondering if he should give them time to be alone together. Sean turns to look at him and gives a cough to clear his throat. "See? Couldn't be easier..." Sean says and smiles at Nik.
Nik smiles back and stands to go. "Thanks! To both of you. I think I know what I need to do now."
Nik practically skips down the path as he leaves, but Sean barely has time to notice before Felicity tackles her new boyfriend onto the grass and begins to smother him with affection.
Chapter 10 - Asking for trouble.[]
---Afternoon, 4th day after the bet---
The early afternoon sessions had just ended and Nik made sure he got to a position overlooking all the major paths before the majority of campers passed by. He just has to make sure he can see her before she passes by.
Nik keeps himself focused and eventually sees the familiar blonde hair he has been waiting for coming through the crowd. He runs down to meet her. His heart feels like it is beating a million times a second, partly out of excitement and partly because he is more nervous than if he was about to walk through a cave full of sleeping hellhounds.
"Serena!" he calls out as he gets closer, waving his hand in the air. Not that he needs to, since his tall frame is easily visible above most of the campers.
Serena looks embarassed as she hears her name and all of her friends around her stop talking about whatever was going on before and start whispering and giggling over the boy running up to them. "Uh...hey, Nik. What's up?"
Nik looks embarassed with the flock of girls around and tries to get Serena off to the side, by herself. "Hey,uh...can I ask you something? It's...kinda personal."
Serena lets herself be led off to the side of the path. "Um, ok. What's on your mind?"
Nik swallows, trying to remember the example from earlier in the day and trying to sort out the jumble of words that are running though his head. "What do you think of me? Do you like me?"
Serena gives him a sideways glance. "Has your brother or someone else been trying to put you down again? Do you need help dealing with him?"
Nik shakes his head, barely remembering to breathe. "No, no. Nobody is bothering me, I just want to know. Do you like me?"
Serena shifts uncomfortably, not knowing where this is going...or perhaps knowing too well where this is going. "Yeah. You have been one of the only decent guys I have met here."
Nik smiles. "Great! Because there is a dance coming up soon and...well, I am not that great of a dancer, but still....I was wondering...will you go with me? As my date?"
"NO!!!!!" The answer comes loud and quick. Heads of nearby campers all turn to look in their direction.
Nik just stares at her in shock, clearly not expecting that answer after what he thought she just said. The answer given in reflex leaves Serena looking a bit shocked too, as if she is surprised at herself for saying it.
Tears start to well up in Nik's eyes as if she just inflicted the most painful wound imaginable...which to a romantic soul, she basically did. "I...I see..." Nik turns around and starts to run.
"Nik! Wait!" Serena calls out as he quickly sprints away. "I didn't mean....oh, what have I done...?"
Confused thoughts swirl through her mind. She can only think of one person who can help her sort this all out. She needs to find Aiko.
Aiko stands by the lake, lost deep in thought. "Stupid bet," she mumurs, tossing rocks into the lake. "Stupid Hunters, stupid boys! Stupid love!" She chucks a large rock far into the lake. It hits the water with a satisfying splash. She sighs and sits on the sand.
"Hey! Aiko!" Serena yells, running up to her. Aiko turns to see who it was.
"Oh, Serena!" she says, composing herself and fixing her hair. "What's up?"
"I think I really messed things up," she says, plopping down next to Aiko.
"How? What did you do?!"
"I.. Nik asked me to the dance.. and I didn't mean to, but I practically screamed no," she muttered, looking guilty. "Then he ran away, and I tried to get him to come back.. but he didn't listen.."
"Oh, Styx. This could be tragic. You should go find him now and sort things out. Best to fix the damage early."
Serena nodded. "Thanks, Aiko." She smiled then stood, dusted herself off and ran off of the beach, searching for Nik.
Aiko sat on the beach, thinking again. A splash in the water causes her to lose her train of thought. She quickly turns to see who through the rock.
Praxis stands a few feet behind her to the right, smirking. "Hey there."
Her eyes go wide, and her face starts to turn red. "H-hi, Praxis.. Whatcha doing out here?"
"Oh, nothing," he shrugs. "Just wandering and thinking."
"Me too, actually," she replies. "Wanna sit and think together?"
He smiles and nods, then sits beside her. They sit in silence for a few minutes, watching the sun set. His arm slides to the other side of her, wrapping around her waist and pulling her a little closer.
Aiko smiles, looking at Praxis. I take it back, she thinks to herself. Love and boys are defiantly NOT stupid.