The Daughter of Apollo

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Kiss and the Plan

Chapter Twenty-Three-The Kiss and the Plan

I was tired and exhausted by the time the gang took me back to Camp Half-Blood. I was ready to collapse on my bunk in the Apollo Cabin and drift off to the sound of soft music. But I didn't. I was known for being a tad....nocturnal. As weird as it was with Apollo being, you know, God of the Sun and stuff. But I'd always been more alert, more awake, and more focused during the night time hours.

So I sat on my bunk-it was the one nearest the window-and looked out at the night sky that was filling with stars. I had opened the window to get the clearest view of the stars, and feel the cool night breeze on my face. I was so transfixed with the beauty of it all, I hadn't noticed when the silhouette of a figure stood, leaning against the side of the cabin next to the window.

"Hey," the voice belonging to the figure said.

"Connor?" I asked hesitantly. He laughed and nodded slightly.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be sleeping?" I asked him in a whisper, doing my best not to wake my siblings, who were turning in their beds, obviously affected by the noise and the breeze.

"I should, but I can't. And I just had a feeling. Come on outside, we don't want to wake anyone, trust me! Travis and I accidently woke them and they cursed us with rhyming couplets that didn't wear off for months!" I raised an eyebrow but proceeded to climb out the window as quietly as I could, making only the slightest noise when my foot hit the leg of the bed, stubbing my toe. I looked back at the room to see little ten-year-old Andrea Parks stirring in her bed. I quickly continued out of the window and told Connor to hurry up so we could go somewhere else to talk.

Connor grinned in the moonlight and grabbed my hand and pulled me along since I didn't know where anything was really. For a second, I could vividly see in my mind Andrea scrambling to the window waking Nina, Will, and some of the other guys as she stared after us, smiling from ear to ear. She was singing softly, and not very loud, but in the quiet and still night, it could be heard around the Camp. "Jaycee and Connor sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g...." She continued the song then made her way back to her bed singing under her breath, "Jaycee's got a boyfriend, Jaycee's got a boyfriend, Jaycee's got a boyfriend."

If possible, that small vision made me blush harder than ever as Connor led me down to the beach, where the moon and the stars were more beautiful and were wonderfully reflected off the water's surface. "So why are you really up this late?" I asked him, sitting down on the soft sand in my pajamas of a tank top and sweat pants. He sat down beside me, dressed similarly in a t-shirt and sweats.

"Wanted to see how you were holding up."

"I'm holding up fine," I grumbled, looking anywhere but him. I didn't really know him well, but I knew him well enough that I was able to tell...certain feelings I had. And I didn't like them. Not at all.

Connor sighed and looked at the water. "You know when I said I had a feeling I shouldn't go to sleep?" He asked suddenly.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Because I had a feeling you were still awake, too. But it was like there was a voice inside my head, prodding me to go to the Apollo Cabin right outside the window. I can only guess that it was Aphrodite." I shrugged before I could register anything he said. "And," he continued, "because of feelings like those, I know you're not holding up fine."

This was probably the most serious I'd seen Connor Stoll ever. This was probably the only time I'd seen him not trying to make a joke out of life. Then my brain decided to actually catch up on what was going on and I registered that Aphrodite was the goddess of beauty...and love. Oh gods, was he trying to say what I think he was trying to say? Oh gods, I hope he wasn't cause I don't know what I'd say back. Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods!

"Hello?" He waved a hand in front of my face as I continued to stare at the water. "Anyone in there? Jay, you home?"

I blinked and blushed again. "Wha-What?"

Connor's shoulders fell. "You mean, you didn't hear any of what I just said?"

"I heard up to where you said you knew I wasn't fine," I breathed in a deep breath. With the moon's light, I could see-out of the corner of my eye-the sad look on his face. Then, on impulse and stupid ADHD, I turned my head and gave him a quick kiss to the lips before standing up and stalking back to the Apollo Cabin, wishing I had my sweat shirt so I could pull on my hood. I had just made it to the window, checking to see if everyone was asleep, careful to notice that Andrea kept tossing and turning, half-asleep, when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Jaycee!" I heard a voice behind me that was becoming all too familiar.

I turned abruptly and made the 'Shhh!' motion with my finger. Connor didn't even bother to keep quiet as he tried to catch me before I went back into the cabin. I was about to climb back into my cabin when I felt someone's hands grip my shoulders and turn me around sharply. I could feel the butterflies in my stomach as he crashed his lips into mine. At first, I shocked and my eyes were wide at the movement. But slowly, they began to close, and my arms moved as if this were natural, wrapping themselves around his neck.

The soft squealing of someone close and nearby made us jump back to see Andrea standing in the window jumping.

"I knew it!" She whispered as Nina began to get up again and Will covered his head with a pillow muttering, "Can't she ever sleep?"

Nina stood groggily out of her bed and went with a great sigh towards the little girl.

"Andrea, what is it-" Nina stopped mid sentence when she saw me and Connor standing there awkwardly. "Oh, I see. Got a picture Andi?" Nina asked smiling innocently.

Andrea nodded and held up a digital camera. "The flash was off too!" She smiled as she handed the camera to Nina who looked at the picture.

"Good thing it's a full moon, or else you wouldn't have got a picture this good!" Nina smiled and then turned the camera to us. The picture had the stars out and the full moon high in the sky, it's light shining down on the Camp, illuminating everything in the picture. But the focus was on two people, one with a mop of curly brown hair, and the other with dark brown hair that looked nearly black and, even in the moonlight, her (natural) red highlights shone.

I blushed a deep crimson shade of red.

"Please get rid of it?" I said in a whisper. Nina shook her head and Connor smiled sheepishly.

"Nah, I think I want a copy!" He said. I rolled my eyes as I said a quick good bye and climbed back into Cabin Seven through the window.

I knew Nina wouldn't be getting rid of the photo anytime soon...not before showing the whole Camp. And if she showed the whole Camp, then news will travel to Drew-my brother, mind you. That reminds me, wonder if the Clown ever found out it was me?-who'll be out for Connor...

Wait.

If Drew comes for Connor, I can devise a plan around that and save my family, no matter how much I didn't really like them, and I could save Drew from himself. Maybe even find him a nice, non-cheating girl who lives nearby and he can see her on a regular basis. And the plans swarmed my head as I fell into a (nearly) dreamless sleep, knowing I was going to be pestered and bothered by my siblings for quite a while.