Welcome to Camp Half-Blood!!

Becky D's imaginary friend

Claire knew that her best friend was a naiad. And she knew that naiads seemed to have supernatural gossip powers. But this was getting out of hand.

It started small - she knew about the pranks Claire and Clary were planning and demanded to join in or she would release their secrets. Then she was the first to know about Jason and Tori's 23rd break up, even before either of them told any of their friends. When questioned, she just shrugged and said, "They weren't exactly quiet."

She had then started to get worse. She told Chiron about the secret demigod party that she hadn't been invited to. She said something to Tori that made her ignore Alyx for a week. But then came the last straw.

The other day, Claire had been sat in her cabin, minding her own business, when something knocked against her window. Grinning at her from outside was Leo, holding a picnic basket. Claire laughed quietly and opened the window.

"Hello," she tried to keep a straight face when Leo grinned at her. "What do you want?"

"I thought we could have a romantic picnic. In the woods, maybe?"

Claire eyed the basket suspiciously. "Did you make the food?"

Leo shuffled his feet. "No..."

Claire closed the window, and Leo sagged in disappointment. He was about to leave when the door of the cabin opened and Claire emerged, pulling on a jumper over her Camp T-shirt.

Leo beamed at her. "I thought you weren't coming!"

"A romantic picnic in the woods with my boyfriend? The only reason for me to not go is if you made the food!"

Leo laughed, and led the way towards the woods, swinging the picnic basket happily in his hands. After checking that the coast was clear and bribing a couple of dryads to keep people away from them, Leo led Claire to a clearing.

Claire was awestruck. The clearing was beautiful, like an illustration from a fairy tale. Weeping willows whispered softly in the light breeze and the emerald green grass was soft and springy.

Leo carefully stepped through the wildflowers growing around the mossy trees and laid out a red and white checkered picnic blanket. He set down the basket and gesture for Claire to take a seat. She did so gladly, touched by how sweet Leo was being.

The picnic went really well. The food was lovely, the forest was beautiful, and yes, there may have been a short, sweet kiss before they returned to camp.

The entire thing was done under the cover of secrecy, and before he left, Leo made Claire swear not to tell anyone, so that the clearing could stay their secret. At a loose end for the rest of the day, Claire decided to seek out her best friend.

She heard Becky D's voice as she neared the strawberry fields, but when she came into view, she was alone. Becky must have heard her footsteps, because she was looking towards Claire and smiling expectantly.

"So," the naiad began, "How was it?"

"How was what?"

Becky D gestured to the wildflowers tucked behind Claire's ear. "Your romantic picnic with Leo in the secret glade, of course!"

"I- What? I didn't-"

"Don't try to deny it! You have to tell me everything - how was the kiss?"

"How do you know all of this?" Claire eventually managed to blurt out. The dryads had said that they hadn't seen anybody - demigod or nature spirit. It was impossible for Becky D to know, especially so soon.

Instead of giving an answer, the naiad shuffled her feet and tried to change the subject. Claire went along with it, but managed to steer the conversation back on track.

"How did you see us? The dryads said that nobody came near."

Becky D seemed so panicked that she was struggling to breathe. "I- I can't tell you. I'm really s-" She gagged, and just looked at Claire sadly.

Claire bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood. They were best friends! They told each other everything, even small and insignificant things! They certainly didn't keep important information from each other.

Claire felt tears sting at her eyes and knew she had to go before the tears overflowed. So she turned and walked away, salty water welling in her eyes.

Becky D didn't follow her.

That night as Claire lay in bed she felt overwhelmed by a wave of sweeping... emptiness. She felt like she'd been hollowed out and her insides had been replaced with icy liquid. She'd never fallen out with Becky. Not properly, anyway. They'd never even argued much. They'd been each other's rock through thick and thin.

Claire slipped into an uneasy sleep, a sense of dread haunting her dreams.

"I have to tell her! She's obviously upset!" Becky D hissed into the empty air.

"I won't let you. All I've done is help keep you up to date with everything your friends aren't telling you!" The wind spirit replied angrily.

"Maybe I don't want your 'help' anymore. My friends will tell me things when they're ready for me to know."

"You don't mean that."

"I do. Goodbye." Becky D walked away. The wind spirit hovered a moment, then huffed angrily and gusted away from Camp Half-Blood. It was a boring place anyway.