Shiloh flips eagerly through the slightly (just slightly) yellowed pages of the book.

She started reading it on the way to school (somehow reading in a moving school bus doesn't make her sick) and she is already halfway through by the break.

Today she skipped her ceremonial spot by the trees on the school ground for the comfort of her class, the December wind is quite vicious.  She has snuggled on her seat, third on the row by the window, with her book in one hand and a doughnut in another (Mrs. Daniels was feeling extra cheery today) when she hears Ria and Akshara screech in her ears.

"Loh, oh please get up let's go to the ground. The sun is coming out."

"Yes! And do us a favour by leaving that book in the class."

"Um, no it's okay. I'd rather stay here. It's too windy outside anyways. You guys go ahead." she says.

"Oh come on, Shiloh. The amount of time you stay cooped up in the class with nothing but some fat book for company is painful. Get your ass off the seat, you are so going out outside with us." Ria retorts.

Shiloh wants to point out that they are the ones staying in the class most of the time, having lunch with their friends while she sits in her favourite corner on the school ground in the lunch break, but stays silent anyways.

"No, I really don't want to go, please." she says, a smile to soften the blow of her somewhat harsh words on her lips.

"Ugh, fine." Ria says.

"We'll get you some coffee from the canteen if we go there." Akshara says with a cheery smile. Always so cheery.

"Cool" Shiloh grins and then goes back to her book.

She manages to read through a chapter before she is interrupted again.

She groans.

"Never penned you for the Percy Jackson type." someone says.

She looks up to find Eli seated in the seat in front of hers.

In the two or three months since he first came up to her in the lunch break, Shiloh no longer feels nervousness erupting inside her when she sees him. That does not mean that his dimples and smiling eyes don't make her want to rub her eyes.

"You would be surprised." she says smoothly, smirking. In her mind though, all she can hear is "Smooth move" "Smooth move" on repeat.

"Yeah, I mean I always see you reading Sidney Sheldon or something like that." he says.

"Hmm" she says. She is not really good at conversations, you see.

Also, she wanted to go back to reading her book, but Eli has a presence she cant really avoid even if she wanted to.

The truth is, not that Shiloh would ever (ever) admit it out loud, she finds talking to a certain someone more enticing than her book. And that is very (very) unlike typical Shiloh.

"So, what do you think of Percy yet?" he asks.

"He's good, but Annabeth's way better." she says.

He scoffs.

She raises an eyebrow at him. (He doesn't need to know how her heart is beating at that muscle movement right there).

"What, Percy is cool, okay?" He sputters, cheeks red. Somehow he lost his confidence in the middle of their wordless exchange.

Strange, Shiloh thinks.

She has the sudden urge to laugh. In normal circumstances she would have kept her mouth shut, (she is good at keeping her mouth shut) but for reasons she quite cannot fathom, she bursts into laughter.

And Eli is laughing with her.

When both have stopped laughing hysterically, Eli asks if she wants the other books in the series since he has them.

Shiloh fights the urge to hug him.

"Really!?" she exclaims.

"Thank you, God you are amazing." she says, smiling with her teeth showing.

She notices the tip of Eli's ears go red.

"Don't mention it." He mumbles, smiling nevertheless.

A/N: I know I have been away from the story for quite a long time. Sorry for that. I'm in my final year of high school and God it is so hectic. Don't worry, no matter how much time I take, I WILL finish this story (barely any reads don't bother me. I write for myself if not for anybody else).

Things are going to get interesting from the next chapter, promise. This chapter is so mediocre, tbh.

Much Love, Sarah