A little girl stumbled over the property line of Camp Half Blood. Her clothes were in tatters, her face streaked with blood and dirt.

She had fought all the way here, traveling across the country while being pursued by horrific beasts. But even the strongest warriors can't fight forever, and she was desperate. She wasn't sure if she would be able to make it to get help.

"Help." She croaked with exhaustion. "Please."

It took all of her remaining strength to let out a shrill yell as she collapsed. A boy, about her age, ran up to her just as the colors mixed together and the world turned black.

***

The little girl woke up in an unfamiliar bed. She sat up quickly and gasped as nausea overtook her.

"She's awake!" Someone yelled. She looked to the corner and saw the boy who had run up to her sitting in a chair.

"Who are you?" She asked. "Where am I?"

"You're at Camp Half Blood," the boy said. "I'm Travis Stoll. Son of Hermes."

"Son of-?"

"Yeah, the Greek gods are real, blah blah blah." He expected her to blanch, but instead, he was rewarded with enthusiasm.

"I knew it!"

"What?"

"Well, I can control plants," the girl explained, "and for the last few weeks, I've been followed by these big monster things. So I knew there had to be something different about me."

"You're probably a child of Demeter," Travis said. "How old are you?"

"Eight." The girl said. "I'm Katie."

"Me too! Well, I'm eight. I'm not Katie." Travis said, blushing.

Just then, a man came into the room. However, where his waist was, he seemed to become a horse. Katie tried not to stare, but she secretly wished that she could braid his tail.

"I am Chiron," the man announced. "Has Travis explained-"

"Yes!" Travis interrupted. "She's a child of Demeter, she has to be!"

Chiron nodded thoughtfully. "Very well." He held out a glass. "Drink this."

Katie recoiled slightly. "What is it?"

"Nectar. The drink of the gods." He handed her the cup and left, apparently certain she would choose to drink it.

He was right. Katie tasted it cautiously and immediately sighed in pleasure. It tasted like the sweetest strawberry; perfectly ripe, juicy, and slightly warm, like it had been sitting in the sun.

"What does it taste like?" Travis asked her.

"Uh, strawberries," Katie said.

"For me, it tastes like the Fourth of July. Funnel cake and kettle corn, and fireworks. And that taste that tells you it's a summer's night, you know?"

Katie nodded. "I know."

"I like you," he blurted out, blushing, "you're really cool."

"Thank you."

"Here." He thrust a ring on her hand. It was a soft green stone, perfectly polished. "I made it."

"Why me?" She blurted out. "Why do you want to be my friend?"

"I already told you that I think you're cool," Travis said casually. "And I didn't think my brother would like a ring."

"Oh," said Katie, because she didn't know what else to say.

"Gum?" He asked.

"Sure," she popped it into her mouth and started to gag. It tasted like sweaty socks. "What is this?"

"Ha ha, you fell for it!" He laughed.

She stuck her tongue out at him and flung the ring back at him. "I don't think I want to be friends."

"You do," he disagreed. "You just won't admit it."

He winked at her and sauntered off. She glared at his retreating back.

"I'll never forgive him as long as I live!" She muttered to herself. "He's just a rotten old boy."

***

Katie nervously fiddled with the straps of her dress. Travis pulled at his tie.

"So," he said, "don't you love this weather?"

"Yeah," she said, "um, it's really nice."

"Yeah," he said, "not too sunny or, um, unsunny."

"Yeah." They sat in silence for a while.

"Okay," Travis said, shaking his head. "I can't take this anymore." He pushed a book over at her. She opened it to see a collection of photos.

First, she saw a picture of Travis and her at the obstacle course. Travis was dumping mud down her shirt as she tripped over a rock.

"Oh!" She said. "You did this for me?" He nodded shyly.

She smiled as she flipped through the book. She laughed at most of the pictures. He had included a lot of camp activities. In one, Travis held the camera as Katie held a bow and arrow pointed at him. In another, the army that had fought Kronus stood proudly with their weapons.

When she got to the last page, though, she gasped. A little boy was carrying an unconscious little girl through camp. The protective look in his eyes was unlike any she had ever seen on his face.

"Is that the day I came to camp?" She asked.

He nodded. "Look in the envelope."

She opened it to find the green ring he had given her. "You saved it?"

"For this moment." He fiddled with his fork. "Katie- Kat, would you marry me?"

She screamed, startling everyone in the restaurant. And then she said yes.

Travis was happy when she kissed him, and when everyone applauded them. But, in his opinion, the best part of the night was when they got free dessert.

He ordered funnel cake.