As a Roman (Prequel to The Lost Hero)

6: Premonitions and Popcorn

Behold! I've finally updated!! Ain't I special? :D

I'm soooory it took so looooooooooooong, but I just felt rather . . . uninspired. Ya know what I mean?

Okay, okay, YES, I should stop watching YouTube videos of the Catching Fire casts' interviews. But I'm sure that some of you know how addictive that is . . . and I am a total Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence fangirl. So yes . . .

I'm also going through post-traumatic stress due to the testing I had at karate. I have to wait two whole weeks to see if I can go up a level . . . and I'm not convinced I did well enough. IT WAS HARD, OKAY?

Enough with the A/N. Enjoy the chapter!

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Cato was tired. He'd barely slept, thinking about his conversation with Sophia. She was a really interesting person, he'd discovered, as he got to know her. But, there was something . . . something that she wasn't telling him. He had no idea what.

"So," Joe said. "What's up with her?" He cocked his head towards Ellie, a daughter of Apollo. She was looking in their direction.

"What do you mean?" Cato asked absentmindedly.

"She keeps glancing over her shoulder, like someone's watching her, and then when she looks back, she speeds up."

"Ookaaaayyy," Cato replied. "Interesting. And how did you notice that?"

"She's hot, man." Joe shrugged.

Cato rolled his eyes. "And, she hates guys. Good luck with that one."

"Heyyyyy," he said. "So, back on topic. What's up?"

"Why don't you go ask her, not me?" he sighed.

"Err . . . you know I can't talk to any female within my age group who's not

repulsive . . ." he trailed off. "You ask her." He looked at him pleadingly.

"Fine." Cato got up and walked over. "What's up?" He gave her one of his winning smiles that even the Hunters of Artemis couldn't resist. Though he'd never tried it on one of them, technically.

"Not much . . ." she glanced behind them. "Um . . . I have something to do. See you around."

"Wait, Ellie," he said. "Is something wrong? Joe says you're acting strangely."

She looked at Joe and glared, probably thinking, who is he to take notice of my actions? But she turned back to Cato and said, "I . . . um . . . I think . . ." She leaned toward him, close. "I think there's someone here who shouldn't be."

"What do you mean?" he asked, eyebrows creasing together in a frown.

"I'm not sure who, exactly. But, someone . . . and I think he or she was sent to watch us."

"Who?"

"I don't trust Sophia," she told him.

"Okay . . . why not?"

"How could a demigod like her have survived alone for seven years? It's preposterous."

"Well . . . you may be right. I'll take your word for it."

"Good. Just . . . be careful, alright? I don't want to see you hurt."

He grinned. "Why me?"

She seemed to realize what she'd said. "Hmm, that came out wrong, sorry. I don't want to see anyone hurt."