Fergus Falls is a bustling little town attempting to be a city. There's no skyscrapers or massive buildings, but to my left is a Prairie Wetlands School. I hope they're teaching kids about nature there, cause that would be stellar! I'm jealous, honestly. To spend most of my day outside surrounded by wildlife and little ponds would be such a dream right now. I can only hope they don't take it for granted.

I feel like I'm jealous of everyone sometimes.

"So, where do you wanna be dropped off?" Juanita asks carefully. "There's a cool park with a button that dispenses mist that I'm taking the baby to, I could drop you at my old high school." She cackles for a second and gives me a look that makes me think I don't wanna be there. "I'm kidding, that'd be so evil of me. Mean Girls is an awesome movie, but not so much in real life."

"Tell me about it," I sigh. "Is there a library?" Maybe I can scour some Roman books to help me find another clue. "Or any places with a lot of roses?"

She frowns. "I could take you to my Nana's house but she's a bitch sometimes. Marks pretty nice though. I'll just take you to the library if that's okay."

I nod and she makes another turn into a busier part of town. It's like a town square, something in me tells me that this is the center. Down one street I can imagine as a rundown Broadway; there's sandwich shops, a theatre, and a bunch of mini stores I can't make out. My stomach grumbles as we pass a place called Cally's and I pray that we won't be stopping very far away. I would ask but Juanita seems upset for reasons I don't know and I don't want to pry anymore than I already have.

The library is relatively modest, but Juanita tells me it's been renovated. We're parked at what she calls the Stoplight Of Hell because it takes a full five minutes to turn. She clicks on her music again and a song starts playing that freezes me to the spot.

Mr. Universe.

I start singing because if I don't I'll break down and never stop sobbing. My dad loved this song, he used to tell me it was what inspired him to go out in the world away from his apparently oppressive parents. It's also the song my dad met my mom to, which is why he swears up and down that she was his One.

I glance over at Juanita and she's crying. "Are you okay?"

"Your voice is beautiful," She says through a soft cry. "Holy shit, sorry. I just feel music so hard but yours has so much," She shakes her fist. "So much power."

"He's singin', Mama?"

Juanita wipes at her face and pulls the visor down again. "Yeah, baby. He's singin'." Then to me, "Is it weird if I ask you to keep going? We've got like, three minutes."

I nod and pick it back up worriedly. I've never had anyone tell me my voice is powerful, but at the airport people were acting weird when I sang too. Maybe it wasn't me, but an entire line of men crying isn't something you see every day. Maybe I just have the goddess of despair hanging around me 24/7. That would check out honestly.

Instead of making me feel worse, singing it makes me feel better and I smile. It feels like a hug from my dad, like a "You'll be okay, kiddo." I imagine one of his warm hugs and his hair brushing over the backs of my hands as I pet Kuné. I'm glad to have them, this feels like a hug from my mom.

It finishes, the light turns green and we slowly pull forward and turn almost immediately into the parking lot.

We sit in silence for a moment while Juanita tries to compose herself. "Sorry."

"It's okay," I tell her. "It's good for boys to cry."

The smile she gives me lifts my freaking spirits to the sky. "That's so fucking awesome of you to say. I guess this is your last stop." Her eyes fall down to look at the pig and she squints hard, like she's trying to see past the Mist. "I hope you find whatever you're looking for. I once ran away from home and I met some awesome people. I never found them again, so if you find yours make sure you let them know you love them all the damn time."

I smile and spread my arms. "I'm probably sweaty and gross but do you want a—," She crashes into my arms and squeezes pretty hard. "It was really nice to meet you, Juanita."

She's silent for a moment and when we pull apart, she grins. "Please, my friends call me Adam."

"Adam. It's nice to meet you, Adam." Kuné squeals and I assume it's time to go when they lick at Adam's hands. "Alright, Kuné."

"The park?"

Adam chuckles. "It's literally across the street, Bubba." His son parrots it almost perfectly, including the "Bubba" part which is so sweet I can hardly stand it.

I get out and Kuné wiggles out of my arms to trot around on the ground and stretch. I follow suit and realize I was cramped the whole time and didn't even notice, being with Adam made it easy to forget. I hope my mom blesses him enough to continue his transition into being himself.

When I turn, I'm face to face with the guy in black. "You again."

He smirks. At first I think he's about to say something, but instead he flicks his hair to the side, tackles me in broad daylight and the world turns to black.

*

I wake up to someone tapping my cheek rapidly and turn away. That kind of hurts and I'm not a big fan. "Ow, stop it."

"He's awake," A girls voice says grimly.

A deeper voice chuckles. "I stand corrected, babe. You didn't kill him."

"Bummer."

I open my eyes, finding that my vision is so blurry I can hardly see. It's like I've got cataracts or something, I'm practically blind and my head aches. The first thing that comes out of my mouth is, "Where's Kuné?!"

"He's over here!" A bubbly blonde comes bouncing into my line of barely there sight to show me what I assume to be my pig wearing something on their head. Kuné oinks happily but that doesn't exactly change the fact that they kidnapped me.

My stomach churns a little and I frown. "You could've just said hi back."

"We had to make sure you were the right guy." The guy in black doesn't smile at me at all that I can see. In fact, it feels way closer to a scowl because he sounds annoyed with me already. "You're not tied up by the way."

He's right but I'm paralyzed anyways. "Why... did you kidnap me? I'm not very important."

"Connie had a gut feeling, and we always go with Connie's gut feelings."

I blink rapidly at the floor until I think I can see again and look up.

Holy shit.

The girl in front of me is smiling a little, and I have no idea why because she is so gorgeous she blows Allison out of the water. Her hair is back in a ponytail with gold bangles holding it together. Caramel skin covered in nics and bruises add to her, not subtract. Her button nose and calculating eyes make me remember how absolutely atrocious I must look, so I switch my eyes to the second kidnapper, and repeat the process.

I've always guessed I'm pansexual, I feel like I have a capacity to love all people. This one's a boy but distinctly darker than the girl. He's almost as tall as I am with blonde and black dreads accentuating a strong jawline and chocolate eyes that sparkle. He's grinning from ear to ear at me which makes me want to dissolve into my chair because he just keeps getting more handsome as I continue to stare in horror. Strong arms crossed together, a little scruff, and broad shoulders... he's a dream.

"I think I might be dead," I whisper in building trepidation. It kind of makes sense in a way. Why would anyone kidnap me? Maybe I'm so freaking depressed and lonely that this is my Elysium, being important and interesting enough that two gorgeous people want to abduct me.

Ugh, that's actually my worst nightmare. That's depressing.

I switch my eyes back to the girl who now looks highly worried about me because her eyebrows are raised high. "Are you okay? You're really red."

"He's blushing," The guy in black grumbles. "Like Jacob does."

"If you twits didn't know," A cockney voice says to my left that I turn to look at to see a boyish guy with freckles and ridiculously messy hair. It's shiny but looks like he's never brushed it a day in his life. He's way cute and that confirms it for me: I'm a total queer mess. "I've gotta kip to recharge my ability to annoy people. And for my dashing good looks."

"A kip?" I ask quietly, expecting to be talked over which I am but the kid holds up a hand and gives me his full attention.

It's so shocking I repeat myself far quieter.

He grins and hops out of his chair. "It's British for 'nap', of which I was taking before loudmouth Connie started hitting you."

The taller guy laughs and Connie growls, "Shut up, Hazel. He wasn't waking up and we can't hide out in here forever. There's probably a monster in this library right now."

I feel guilty for some reason and try for a smile at her. "It's okay. I guess I'm just happy you didn't kill me, so thanks."

"Aw, he's cute!" The blonde girl coos, coming up to pinch my cheek, which only makes me blush harder. Her hair is so blonde. Blonde enough to make me kind of want to wince at how bright it is. "I really hope he's who we're looking for."

"Dammit, Anna!" Another girl says behind me. "We're supposed to be interrogating him. You're all doing a terrible job. Let me do it."

I swallow as she circles around the table. She sounds scary and I really don't wanna make her angry with me. Jacob, the British kid, gives her a loving smile. "Be gentle, love."

She blushes over soft cheeks but turns her eyes to me. They're more than unsettling, looking into them makes me feel like I'm looking into the deepest parts of space. "What's your name?"

"St-Steven De Mayo." I glance down at her shirt which makes Jacob grumble but I'm not staring at her massive boobs, I'm shocked stupid at what the shirt says. "You guys are from Camp Jupiter?"

She quirks a brow and nods slowly. "Yeah. Ever heard of it?"

I glance over at Jacob apologetically, and Hazel gives me a double thumbs up that makes me wanna smile. "That's where I'm headed."

Connie steps forward and glares into my eyes. I heat up in the face all over again and curse my father, he used to blush a lot too. She just stands there for a second before sighing. "He's not lying."

"Is this the kid that fell down the stairs at the airport?" A blonde guy asks as he comes in with books like Wicked and Phantom of the Opera. "Cause that was funny."

"Hell yeah it was funny." Cops and Robbers over there doesn't look like he thinks it's funny. I look at his face and I feel cold. I cock my head at him; he seems familiar in an unfamiliar kind of way. He notices and tips his head back, but I can't tell if he's making fun of me, sizing me up for a quick homicide, or just teasing. "My name is Adam, by the way."

"Right," Connie steps forward. "We should do introductions in a place that's not here though."

"Is there a place with a shower?" I ask bashfully. I cannot bear to be in this outfit for a second longer, especially not in front of her.

She digs into a satchel and pulls out a nicely folded purple t-shirt like theirs. I take it and she watches at me stare at it, I can see it from the corner of my eye and try to focus on anything else but how that makes me feel: my heart is racing, my palms are clammy and I'm pretty sure I'm shaking. I've never felt like this before, and seeing Hazel peeking over her shoulder to watch too makes it so much worse.

A Squidward meme pops into my head, you know the one.

"Oh no! He's hot!"

And by the stars, she is too. "I have a friend we can take you to. It's a like safe house."

"Like a safe house, or a safe house?" I clarify warily.

Connie pulls her ponytail over her shoulder and turns away to start rummaging through her satchel. What does she have that I can't see? "Like a safe house."

Adam gives her cynical smirk. "Oooo, Connie's blushing!"

"Oh, go bang a zombie," She grumbles as she storms out, leaving us all to stare at each other.

They're all looking at me curiously, and probably with disappointment. Kuné hops up and trots up to me to squeal their excitement, and Jasmin frowns at them, then at me again. I wonder why they're out here of all places. Did Camp Jupiter send a Search and Rescue team? I already like it there better than Camp Halfblood, but I'm starting to get a little antsy.

Jacob snickers at Adam and slugs him in the arm. "Quit making Connie mad."

"Oh, but it's so much fun." They lock eyes for a second so I move my eyes to Hazel again.

Hazel sighs and picks up Adam to throw over his shoulder. "Alright, let's move out, CJ S&R!"

Alex groans loudly. "I thought we agreed that name sucks."

"We did and it does." Jasmin intertwines hands with Jacob and nods for me to get up. "Grab your pig and let's make like bacon."

Jacob gives her a weird look and I start to think that maybe it's weird for them to hold hands but then he grins from ear to ear. "What's shakin', bacon?"

She tries to glare at him but kisses his cheek instead. "Us. Right now."

I smile a little. They're kind of like a little family. A dysfunctional, slightly scary family, but at this point I'm willing to take what I can get. I follow them out and notice Alex snap his fingers. It's echoey and crisp, a wash of cool air hits me but no one else seems to notice.

We then proceed to walk out of the library without checking out a single one of his books. The librarian smiles at us, then returns to cataloging.