Chapter Five

"You need to allow yourself to be who you are, not who you think he wants you to be," I smiled softly to my patient Gabriel, son of Apollo. 

"I'm just worried that he'll disapprove of me is all. I mean-"

"SPYRA!" Gabriel was interrupted by a loud shriek of my last name from outside. I hated the voice and who it belonged to. I knew she would never go away if I just left her.

"I'm sorry Gabriel. I'll be back in a moment, is that okay?" He nodded with a frown, so I shot up out of my seat and marched out and towards Gracie Sanders, daughter of Demeter and hater of me.

"What do you want Gracie?"

"You know what I want! Last summer you two were ready to split, you even told me I could have him! Now I get back and you're all over him Spyra!"

It took my tired brain a while to get what she was on about, or perhaps I should say who.

"Luke and I were never going to break up Gracie. I have no idea what you're talking about," I said as dully as possible. Fire built itself in her eyes, and her nostrils flared like a bull's.

"He was supposed to be mine this summer!"

"That's odd, because this summer, like the last summer and three before that, he's mine." It was hard not to laugh at the expression she wore after that.

Gracie Sanders was an odd girl. Short, grey-looking hair, large scary eyes and a face that, according to many resembled a pig.

Payton came up behind her, Xavier wandering at her back. What had they done now?

Oh, did I mention this annoy sixteen year old nutcase had liked Luke every since she laid eyes on him? Last year when Luke and I were at our worst, it seemed like the camp's longest standing relationship had come to an end.

Obviously it had not.

"Here's an idea, why don't you go and talk to Luke about it huh?" Payton growled when Gracie stopped jabbing on about…whatever.

"Why should I goth brat…" Gracie squeaked back, her voice going weird from fear. Payton grinned maliciously, and even I did not miss the adoring smile that Xavier gave her for a moment.

"Because, Disgracie-" since her name is Gracie and in Payton's opinion she is a disgrace, she earned that nickname, "-you're bothering more than four people and if you don't back off I'll make you regret it."

Gracie looked up at Payton, trying to stand tall. Payton did not budge, glaring at her deeply.

"Beat it," she growled.

Gracie ran away.

For a moment, Xavier and Payton grinned at each other, which in turn made me smile. A plan begun to formulate in my head, a plan that could get them together. I had to tell Luke about this.

"Something I can help you two with?" 

Xavier and Payton suddenly returned to reality and glared at each other. Magical moment dead.

"We have to ask you something."

"Sure, but please be quick, I have a client waiting."

Suddenly the two jumped at me holding their hair, "whose hair is softer?"

Seriously.

"Have you guys ran out of competitions to verse in."

"Um, Candi?" I turned around to see Gabriel stepping out, "It's lunch time…"

"Oh, you can go Gabriel."

He smiled, thanked me for the help and left. 

"Xavier, your hair is too gelled to be soft, and Payton yours is to rough from being dyed so often. None of you have soft hair," I admitted quietly as we walked to lunch.

Both were silent, before Payton said to Xavier, "I think we asked the wrong person."

"Yeah, maybe Tori?"

"Yeah." 

Then the two went searching for Tori. I watched them walk away together. Both wore black all the time, cared about their hair, fought well, plus they had a bunch of other stuff in common.

Even Luke and I had less than that, so why can they not be like the two of us? What made them look cute was the fact that Payton is quite tiny, and Xavier, though fit had been extremely tall next to her.

"Hey," Luke came up beside me.

"Oh!" I grasp his jacket arm in excitement.

"What?"

"Two things; I have an idea to get Payton and Xavier together and your crazy fangirl went freak on me, again."

Far away I could here my lunch calling to me. I began skipping their, Luke speed walking beside me.

"Which one of my fangirls?" He joked, making me smile. 

"Disgracie, who was under the impression we would not be together this year, and upon returning would be able to claim you as her own. She can go to Tartarus."

"Woah, what did she say to you?" Luke chuckled. I was not the most violent person in the world…in fact, the only reason I know the saying 'go to Tartarus' was because Xavier and Payton said it back and forth.

"The usual, but don't you want to hear my plan?" I smiled. He looked at me with suspicion, but I just smiled. I think he wanted more detail on Gracie. It really was not uncommon for Luke to find pride when other girls took interest in him.

Disgracie was one of them and not even the worst. Lenore, daughter of Aphrodite probably had the most power over him for obvious reasons…I hated that harpy. Fortunately (thanks, possibly to my Mom) she was not back at camp yet.

"Sure," he finally said. We stopped at the edge of the lunch area.

"Okay, so we swap classes. Payton and Xavier can teach personal weapons, and we'll convince Chiron that Xavier should assist in the intense agility class. I'll teach swording with you."

He thought about it for a moment, and I quickly added, "or not. You could teach the class by yourself I don't mi-"

Luke grabbed my gently and kissed me, shutting me up. As we were beside the lunch area and it was lunch, an array of cheers and whistles came out from the other campers. Luckily Luke's back was to them.

"It sounds great," he grinned when he pulled away.

"Okay," I said. "I'll talk to Chiron."