The Next Generation

Chapter 3 - Kas

I hid my smile in my food as I heard Ethan practically announce his question to Zara. I knew it. He was that little love-struck guy from the millions of books that I had read. I watched the whole thing unfold, the same as everyone else, out of the corner of my eye. Well, like some of the people. Most campers were full on staring, and I think Zara could have felt it, because her face turned a light shade of pink. Despite this, she kept her attitude. She lifted an eyebrow, and stared at him, seeming to draw out the suspense. And it was working. Ethan began to twiddle with his fingers while Bee scampered off to the other popular kids, at their own tables. I noticed one was missing. Sammy Zhang, maybe? I couldn't tell. Zara pursed her lips, like she was trying to contain a smile. She glanced at Ethan with a content expression on her face, and said,

"No,"

He looked shocked, along with the other campers, who gasped and whispered. I bit into my tortelini to hide the smirk that was spreading on my face like a parasite. I was liking this girl more and more. Ethan scrunched his eyebrows together in a concentrated look. I saw a few of my half sisters melt in longing at that. I sighed. I didn't see how he got everyone around his finger. Everyone, except, that is, me and Zara, apparently.

"But why not?!" He exclaimed. Zara continued eating a delicious looking garden salad contently. Whatever blush on her face from the crowd was gone, and she seemed to be done with the conversation they were having.

"I have my reasons," She grumbled. If she wanted him away, that was the wrong thing to say.

"Like what?" Ethan crossed his arms, waiting for an answer. Zara took her sweet time chewing and swallowing her food before answering.

"Well, you asked me during lunch, which is the only time I get some peace and fresh air. So you can go apologize to a tree, because you're using all of the air it's producing," She stabbed a poor piece of lettuce and shoveled it into her mouth as Ethan turned away, and headed back to his own table. I whistled.

"That was intense," My siblings, all five of them, nodded in agreement. "I'm full. I'm going to head to... Well, somewhere that's quiet," I left them to their food, and jogged off to the Big House.

Once there, I weaved through hallways until I found myself in his library. I breathed in the smell. I loved the smell of books. Old, new, borrowed, my own, it was the smell of home. Which made sense, because I grew up in a library. Besides the pegasi stables, this was the only place that felt normal to me. A flickering fireplace sat in the far wall, with poofy furniture, perfect for just settling in and reading a book. The room was tall, and books lined each and every wall, some even I hadn't read. I grabbed the book I was reading prior to today, which was The Little Prince, and flopped into the nearest armchair, reading quietly for a few, amazing, minutes of silence. My blissful silence was interrupted, though, by a guy, who rushed in, and without thinking, sunk into a couch, and put his head in his hands, the fire crackling in reassurance, it seemed.

He was well built, with coffee colored skin and cinnamon hair, which was falling in waves across his hazel eyes. Despite the camp, he wore a purple shirt, and jeans, like a regular half-blood who went to camp jupiter. I sighed internally. I knew who this was. Sammy Zhang. Legacy of Mars and Pluto, or Ares and Hades, whichever you prefer. Dating Rose Smith, an Aphrodite girl, and a feisty one, at that. I'd seen girls swoon over him the moment he walked in a fifty mile radius of them, which made me feel weird.

I must have sighed outernally, too, because he glanced up at me, and jumped in his spot, turning the fire engine red. I smiled softly at this development. Why was he embarrassed? We all had our moments, where we feel bad, or embarrassed, as he was now.

"Uh, hi?" He said in a musical voice, that sounded kind of awkward at the moment.

"Hey," I replied, doing a sort of a half wave. I could imagine what he was seeing.

A daughter of Iris, the same that he had walked in on fighting a battle, who was wearing a Camp Half-Blood shirt that she managed to wash out all of the brighter colors so it looked softer, paler orange, pale blue cargo pants that stretched down to her ankles, and a white beanie covering her thick wavy locks of caramel hair. An average demigod, nothing special. I tried to fill the silence with something.

"I'm guessing you didn't come in here to read?" I asked, bookmarking my book and closing it. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Nope. I just- needed to get away from everyone right now," He sighed, donning a pained expression, before a smile flickered through it. "But, apparently, it seems I didn't," I laughed at that, just for a second, before curiosity took over me.

"What happened?" I inquired softly, glancing at him. He frowned and turned red again, which was a little cute, not that I'd say that to his face,

"What makes you think something's wrong?" He replied, drumming his fingers on the side of the couch he had sprawled on. I smirked slightly.

"Well, no one but me comes in here, so that's a factor," He rubbed his forehead, suddenly looking older than fourteen.

"I guess you're right. But why are there so many books here if no one but you comes in?"

I glanced upward at all the novels I had yet to read.

"I actually don't know. It might be-" I stopped halfway through and narrowed my eyes at him. "Stop making me talk about books! You know I could stay here all day if I could!," He chuckled,

"Yes, but it distracted you from the topic. And you fell for it. Admit it," I sighed.

"Fine. I'll admit that it had me, for one second. But seriously, what's up?" He grumbled, and after a second, confessed,

"My girlfriend broke up with me. Really publicly, too. Did the usual stuff, called me some names, told me was a bad boyfriend, and that she hated me, and she left. Nothing else to it," I cocked my head at Sammy, who was staring at row after row of books, his fingers still drumming over the hardwood. He tore a hand through his hair, "It just makes me so-just- mad that I can't talk to a decent person," I gasped mockingly.

"I'm not a decent person?" He chuckled.

"Well, beside you, because my friends, they would tease me or not help at all if I went to them and every other person would just get close to me for popularity-ugh, this is like a therapy session," I smiled, and after a second, laughed.

"I promise you, I am no therapist," He chuckled too, but I continued. "But, tell me something. How many girlfriends have you had?" He snorted.

"Way too many," I snapped my fingers, excitedly.

"Exactly. Take a break, just be single for a while, and wait to find someone you really, really, like before you decide to go back," He raised an eyebrow.

"That's not bad advice. Are you dating someone? Cuz with your lo-um, advice I mean, you sound like a dating veteran," I rolled my eyes.

"Yep, I'm a dating veteran. One of the few who survived the war of love. I drove the tank of engagement rings," I didn't know why that was so funny, but a glance at each other was all it took to send us, dying of laughter, to the floor, cackling and laughing. I wiped tears from my eyes. "Okay, but seriously, no, I'm single,"His eyebrows raised slightly and he froze, staring at... something. I looked behind me, trying to follow the direction he was gazing at. Not finding it, I snapped my fingers.

"Um, hello?" I knocked on his head, and asked, as he jolted back from his trance, "Do I need to do head surgery on you? Because I don't think you have a brain in there," He smiled crookedly and fist bumped me, which was a little odd, because I'd never done it before. He stood up, and started walking to the door

"Whelp," He said, "I gotta go meet my friends. Wanna come?" I raised my own eyebrows a little surprised. I pointed to myself.

"Me?" When he nodded, I continued softly as we exited the library as friends"Why not. I mean, it's not like I have anything to lose."