A loud crack was heard outside of the Artemis cabin, making Clarisse stop to go in. "Lana? You alright in here starshine?"

An emotional gasp was heard, but nothing else, worrying Clarisse. She ran into Alana's bedroom and saw her staring at her guitar with her hands over her mouth and watery eyes. She walked closer to see a visible crack down the center of it, the paint chipped slightly. Clarisse gasped quietly and made eye contact with Alana. "Oh Allie..."

Clarisse wrapped her arms around the shorter girl, one around her back and the other around her head. Alana just stood there. She was so close to not crying until Clarisse pulled her into a hug. Now she was just sobbing into the Ares girl's shoulder.

Alana stopped crying and pulled back from Clarisse with a sniffle. "What happened?" Clarisse asked.

"I dropped it," the huntress admitted. "I don't know how it cracked like that, but it did."

"It'll be ok," the curly haired girl assured, rubbing her back. "We'll get it fixed, I'll make sure of it."

Alana went to her cabin as quickly as possible to attempt things, before heading over to the pond in the woods. She was hoping to find someone there.

The sight of dark brown curls relieved the huntress. "Hey Risse," she whispered, sitting next to her.

"Go away," Clarisse snapped, not even looking at the other girl. She didn't want to say something she would regret in her angry state. The problem was that whenever Clarisse was upset, she got mad, and Alana knew that.

Alana smiled to herself and pulled out a welded and taped up spear. "I guess you don't want this then."

Clarisse turned to her and saw the spear her dad gave her sitting on the ground between them. She laughed to herself and smiled at Alana. "Lana, did you just duct tape it?"

"No, I had some of the Hephaestus kids help me weld it," The huntress huffed, pretending to be mad. "Silena is friends with some of them. I don't know how well it works or even if it'll last long, but I know how much it means to you."

The Ares girl picked up the spear and examined it. She almost started tearing up. Clarisse scooted closer to the Artemis girl and pulled her into a hug. Partially so no one saw her if she were to start crying. "I love you."

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

The words echoed in Alana's head.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

They didn't stop.

She said it so casually.

They're best friends.

It shouldn't phase her.

Then why did her cheeks get hot? Why did her skin tingle? Why did it feel like everything changed? And why was Alana still awake hours later thinking about it?

"Uh," Alana flushed immediately at Clarisse's words. "I love you too," she said quietly, jumbled together, as she pulled away from the taller girl. "I've uh gotta go. Bye Risse! Love- uh- I- UGH."

Worst of all why did she say that?! Alana groaned into her pillow, frustrated. Gods, Clarisse probably thinks she did something now, Alana thought.

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Percy was going on a quest. Alana found out from Annabeth, who was currently trying to pretend that she didn't want to go on it. Why she was acting like that confused Alana. Apparently she didn't want to go on a quest with him? Or maybe she did? The huntress was only half listening. Either way she knew that Annabeth was actually anticipating the choosing of quest partners greatly. A bunch of the campers stood in a semicircle awaiting Percy and Chiron, including Alana, Annabeth, Luke, Clarisse, and Chris.

"The Oracle has confirmed what we expected, that this quest will proceed toward the Underworld, where you will confront the god who has rebelled against his brothers." Chiron spoke. "Hades. The entrance to Hades's domain lies under the city of Los Angeles. This is where you will journey to. Time is short. I have selected our most compelling candidates, from which you will choose two to join you on this quest and ensure that we succeed."

"Annabeth and Alana," Percy said immediately.

Alana looked at Annabeth, who had a stoic expression, but her hands were clutched together the way she only did when she was excited. Alana knew this, Luke clearly did too the way he smiled at her. She couldn't say she was surprised Annabeth was chosen, but Alana was surprised that she was chosen herself.

"Customarily, one waits to at least hear a name or two before choosing," Chiron mused, giving Percy a look. He definitely wasn't surprised, but it did amuse the centaur. "Are you sure you don't wanna hear more?"

Percy turned to the counselor. "This thing, Zeus's master bolt, we need to get it back, right?"

"Yes," Chiron answered.

"And it's gonna be hard to get, yes?" The son of Poseidon asked again.

"Extraordinarily."

"And if the mission required someone to push me down a flight of stairs for it to succeed... you'd want someone who won't hesitate when they do it. But you'd also want someone who will have everyone's best interest in mind at all times and would do anything for people who they care about," Percy explained, glancing at the girls as he said it.

Alana was kinda surprised how quickly this kid read her. Annabeth is easily to pick up on, and that was pretty accurate. Annabeth would do almost anything to succeed in things, especially if it would please her mother. Alana would do almost anything for the people she loved, even if she would never tell them. It was part of why they worked so well together. Two halves of a whole. The mom friend and the overachieving daughter.

"The quest mates will be Annabeth Chase and Alana Gatti!"

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"What the hell?"

Alana turned around to see Clarisse standing in her doorway. She had been packing for the quest in her cabin by herself.

"First, the kid fakes killing a Minotaur for attention. Then, he gets toilet water all over me. Then, he breaks my spear. Now he's taking you away from me?" Clarisse walked towards the huntress as she spoke, her words almost getting shaky.

Alana didn't realize the Ares girl would be so upset about her leaving. She simply opened her arms and waited for Clarisse to come hug her back.

"I'm coming with you," Clarisse whispered into the hug.

"No you're not," Alana pulled back, keeping her hands on Clarisse's muscular arms (which was the first thing Alana noticed when putting her hands there). "Camp needs someone to protect it, and no one can do it better than you. And you know it."

The curly haired girl just pulled her back into a tighter hug. "Just... be careful."

"I'll be fine Clarey, I won't be gone long. I'll iris call you while I'm gone too," the shorter girl smiled, attempting to not notice the worry in Clarisse's eyes.

"If you don't come back I'm killing you," Clarisse laughed lightly and sniffled.

"Deal."

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Annabeth knocked on the door to Alana's cabin, hoping she was in there. In a few minutes Alana opened the door and let the younger girl in. "Hey Annie, you all packed?"

The daughter of Athena nodded. "Yeah, are you?" Alana nodded too. She looked at her hands and started messing with them. "Was Clarisse upset?" Annabeth asked.

Alana picked her head up quickly. "Yeah," she sighed. "I knew she would be, I just..."

Annabeth inhaled sharply. She may not like Clarisse, but Alana did. And they were close. The younger girl knew how much Clarisse meant to her. "How upset was she?"

"She almost cried, told me she was coming with me, then told me not to die or she would kill me. All after bitching about Percy for taking me away from her", the Artemis answered.

"Wow, I didn't expect her to be that upset," Annabeth said.

"I feel bad," Alana muttered. "I almost want to-"

"No! Alana stop it," the Athena girl scolded. "You're going on this damn quest! You've never once left camp and you're doing something for yourself for once."

"I-" the huntress stopped herself. "Alright, just don't be surprised when I look like a lost puppy in the regular world."

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A/N: sobbing

Also there's a song that says nothing but I love you in it, and that song was all I heard while writing the part at the beginning of the chapter. The problem is I can't find the song bc I only know it bc of dance :,)