Leo Valdez signaled to his troop - they really weren't a troop, they were more of a hodgepodge of children. One ran into him, and he whispered, "Little men and women, we are supposed to be quiet now. No one should know we are here."

"But Leo!" Ethan, one of his nosiest boys, whined. "Why do we have to do this?"

Leo placed his finger on his lips. He pointed to the group standing in front of the cafeteria doors, the blonde headed Jason explaining something. His camp troop stood around him, almost as if they were hypnotized by him. Leo wished his troop would listen like that to him. Most ran around or talked right through him. Some ignored him outright. 

"Last one to the playground is a rotten egg!" Jason shouted, taking off from his position at the front of his troop. 

Leo ducked behind a tree, being as stealthy as possible. He didn't want the other camp counselors to know that he was smuggling more hot chocolate to his group than any other group. This had been going on for a week, and Coach Hedge and Chiron, Leo's bosses, suspected someone was taking more hot chocolate than they needed. 

"Go, go, go!" Leo whisper-shouted, sending kids running toward the cafeteria. 

"I don't run," Becky said, resting her hand on her hip. 

"Do you want a piggy back ride?" Leo asked, stooping down to her level. 

Her face lit up with a smile, warming Leo right down to his bones. He loved his job as camp counselor because he could help children. He never got help when he was a child after his mother died. 

He lifted her up onto his shoulders, holding loosely onto her legs. She was one of his smallest children, around the age of six. He took of running, and Becky giggled in his ear. She shouted, "Go faster!"

He didn't think he could go any faster, but he pushed his legs harder. Muscles burning, he slowed to a stop. He nearly ran into the wall of the cafeteria, and Becky screamed. He winced as he set her on the ground. His chest heaved up and down as he pushed the door open, holding it for his group of ten. 

"Okay," he said, his voice ragged. "Miss Chase will get you your hot chocolate. Leo needs to sit down."

He plopped down in a chair as Annabeth approached the group. She shot Leo a look, saying that he needed to stop coming for extra hot chocolate. But she spread a smile on her face and said, "There are cups of hot chocolate at the table right over there."

She pointed to a table on the far side of the room, and the children ran. 

"Leo," she said, sitting down next to him. "Seriously? Calypso's group is coming in about five minutes."

"So?" he said, his hands playing with his watch. At the sound of Calypso's name, his heart sped up slightly. But he dismissed it. He had already disassembled it by the time his group came back. "How does it feel to not be a camp counselor this summer?"

She shrugged. "It's actually very boring."

"What do you even do now?"

"I coordinate all the activities for each group," she explained. "I make the schedules and host the feasts."

"I wouldn't be able to do that," he said, messing with a gear from his watch. "I can't sit still long enough."

"Oh, I know," she said, laughing. "I just can't believe they gave my old job to Octavian."

"You know him?" Leo asked, resting his elbows on the table. "Our groups never do anything together."

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "I went to school with him for a semester. He is literally the worst guy ever."

Leo laughed. "That's good to know." 

Someone cleared their throat behind Leo and he dropped his head. "Hey Calypso," Annabeth said, standing up. 

"What is he doing here?" 

Leo turned in his chair and offered a crooked smile. Calypso's caramel hair hung in a braid over her left shoulder, and her dark eyes bored into Leo's. Her white t-shirt clung to her torso, and Leo had to take a deep breath. 

"You're the one who's taking the extra hot chocolate!" Calypso said, her almond eyes going wide. "I knew it was you!"

He smiled slightly, loving the thought of her thinking about him. "Yeah," he said, nodding. "You caught me."

She glanced at Annabeth and said, "You knew about this?"

"Obviously," Annabeth replied. 

"And you allowed it?"

"Why not?"

Calypso shook her head, her braid wiggling to her back. She crossed her arms and said, "Annabeth, Percy said he needed you."

"Why?" Annabeth asked, her eyes flashing. 

"He misses you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and said, "Leo can make your group hot chocolate."

Leo was about to argue with her, but she stepped outside before he could say anything. Calypso's group mingled with Leo's as she said, "Yeah, Leo. Let's go make hot chocolate."

"Hey guys," Leo said, using his hands as a microphone. "We are going to the kitchen for a few minutes. Be good, please. If you all aren't good, we aren't watching that movie I smuggled in for us."

His group immediately sat down as Calypso's group screamed about how unfair it was. Leo laughed as the two of them walked toward the kitchen. 

"You are not a good camp counselor," she said, shaking her head. "This summer camp is not supposed to have electronics."

Leo shrugged. "I don't follow much rules."

He held the door open for her, and she nodded in thanks. He shoved a door stopper under the door, not letting the kids out of his sight. 

"I don't understand why we give the children hot chocolate when it's nearly ninety degrees outside," Calypso said, waiting for him.

"It keeps them awake," he answered. "At least, that's what Piper and Hazel told me when I first started out here."

"It sounds like you know every female that works here," Calypso pointed out.

Leo ducked his head. "No. Well, yes, I do. But most of them have boyfriends."

"You don't have a girlfriend?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "I would have expected you, of all people, to have one."

"What? Me of all people? What does that even mean?"

"You flirt with every girl you see," she said as he grabbed a pot from one of the many cabinets.

"They don't seem to enjoy it," he replied, pouring water into the pot. He turned the dial and lit a fire on the stove. 

"You make hot chocolate with water?" she asked, standing right next to him. He could feel the heat drifting off of her.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "At least two of my kids are lactose intolerant. The chocolate is enough for them as it is."

"That's . . . that's actually very nice," she said softly.

"You didn't think I could be nice?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, that's not it," she shot back. 

He added the packets of chocolate to the boiling water and stirred slowly. He glanced at her and saw a dirt stain on her hip. "What happened there?" he asked.

"Octavian," she said sourly. "He wanted to show his group a new move he learned in karate."

"He knocked you down in the dirt?" he asked, incredulous.

"Yes," she said, running her hand over the dirt. 

He took the pot off the stove and poured the liquid into cups, his mind racing. He did want to prank someone . . . It had been a few weeks since his last prank. And Octavian seemed like the perfect guy to prank.

"What is that look supposed to mean?" she said, pressing her hand into his bicep before he could walk back into the cafeteria. 

He was totally distracted by her touch, and he nearly dropped the platter in his hands. The liquid sloshed around in most of the cups as she steadied it. Her fingers brushed his, leaving fires burning along his skin. 

"It's nothing," he muttered. 

They walked back into the cafeteria, but none of the children were there. This time the platter fell to the ground with a thud. 

"Where did they go?" Calypso asked, her voice shrill.

Giggles erupted from a table off to the side. That was one of the only ones with a table cloth, and Leo lifted it up to find all the children under there. He got down and said, "Get out. Now."

Each kid scrambled out and stood in front of Leo as he crossed his arms. "Why did you all think to do that?" he asked. "That was not a good decision. My group, you won't be able to watch that movie."

"And my group," Calypso said, her shoulders touching Leo's, "you all won't get hot chocolate."

"But Leo!" Becky said, her eyes watering.

"These are the consequences for your actions," he replied. "You did something bad, so I have to take something away from you."

"Can we make it up somehow?" Ethan asked.

Leo glanced at Calypso. If they helped his prank, maybe they could watch the movie. All of them, even Calypso's group. "Everyone, come closer," he said, wrapping an arm around Calypso's shoulders. Her head whipped to look at him as everyone crowded into a circle. "I have an idea," he said, nodding. 

"Is it a prank?" Becky asked brightly.

"Yes," Leo said, smiling mischievously. "My target this time is Octavian. We are going to fill my water balloons up and I will station each of you around the building. When we see him, bombs away."

The kids cheered as Calypso whispered, "No. I won't do this."

"Yes, you will," Leo answered. "And you're going to be the one to nail him in the face."

Before she could protest, he ran outside with the kids, dragging her with him. "Go to my cabin!" he shouted, the sun hitting his eyes. He squinted and smiled at Calypso. The sun was to the left of her, creating a halo around her head. She was angelic as it was; it didn't help that she looked like a real angel. 

His empty hand reached into his pocket and he grabbed his keys. He unlocked the door and said, "You all wait out here."

Calypso followed him in and he gave her a look. "What?" she asked. "I'm not a child."

"You should stay with them," he replied. "I don't want them to run off."

She nodded, her cheeks suddenly pink. "Right."

She let go of his hand and stood outside with the kids. He sighed in relief; his bed was a mess. He didn't want her to see that. Frank kept his side clean, but Leo didn't really care. The kids that were in their sleeping cabin were generally clean as well, which didn't help Leo's case. 

He reached under his mattress and grabbed the multiple packages of water balloons. He glanced in the mirror and nodded. His curly hair was a little shaggier since he hadn't cut it before he came to the camp. 

He exited the cabin, locking it up. He didn't trust his boys that stayed there. Most were known to steal.

"The water hose is right over there," Leo said, pointing to the center of the camp. Many seats were set up around a fire pit. They kept the hose there just in case the fire broke out of the pit. "I'll fill them up, and Calypso will help sort them out for you guys."

He sat down on the grass, tearing open one of the packages. He grabbed a blue balloon and stuck it on the nozzle of the water hose. He filled it up to almost bursting and handed it to Calypso. Their fingers brushed, and Leo let go very quickly. Whenever she was around, his head didn't act normal. 

"How many are you going to fill up?" she asked, pressing her back into his. He guessed she sat down right behind him, and he wasn't complaining. 

"Most of this package," he replied. "Each group is going to get like five balloons because we have about twenty kids with us."

"How many will we get?"

"Two."

"Why?"

"We only get one shot," he said, laughing. "Besides, each kid will have one. I get one, and you get one. It's very fair for everyone."

She nodded. She grabbed the balloon he handed her and said, "I have never pranked anyone before."

"What? Really?" he asked. 

"Yeah."

"I have pranked a multitude of people in my life," Leo said, laughing. "I usually only target people I don't like, though. And that's a lot of people."

"Why are you targeting Octavian?" she asked.

"He pushed you in the dirt."

She sat up a little straighter. "That's it? That's why you don't like him?"

"Yeah," he said, his face warming. He was glad she wasn't facing him. "Besides, Annabeth said she doesn't like him."

He had a few balloons left in the package, but he didn't want Calypso to get up. He liked having her near him, touching him. 

"Is that the last one?" she asked as he handed it to her.

"Yes."

"Okay guys," she said. "Split into groups of five, please."

He was glad to have her actively join the prank. A smile appeared on his face as the kids crowded around their balloons. "Octavian will be coming with his group from that direction," he said, pointing from one of the trails. "I want you all to hide. Ethan, take your group over behind the grills. Becky, you can stay here."

"Where will you two go?" Becky asked.

Leo glanced at Calypso and said, "We will stand right inside the cafeteria. Would one of you whistle to alert us that he's near. When we come out, we all will throw our balloons."

The kids nodded and ran off. 

"Do you think they will stay where they are?" she asked as he held the door open for her.

"Yes," he replied. "My group loves pranks. I think yours will, too, after this."

She laughed, the brightest sound Leo had ever heard. He let the door shut softly behind him and he leaned against the wall. Calypso joined him and said, "This is the craziest thing I have ever done."

"Really?"

"Yeah," she said, nodding. Her braid spilled onto his shoulder with the nod. Cinnamon wafted into his nose, and he closed his eyes. "I was very sheltered growing up. I never left the house. I never had any visitors. It was just me and my dad."

"That must've sucked," he said, shaking his head. His eyes opened. "I lived with my mother before she died."

"How did she die?"

"She was caught in a fire," he explained softly. "I couldn't save her."

"I'm sorry," Calypso whispered. "I didn't know."

"What does a nosey pepper do?" Leo asked suddenly. 

Calypso looked at him. She was silent for a second but said, "What?"

"Gets jalapeño your business," he said with a little smile.

She burst out laughing. It filled his ears like birds chirping, easily becoming one of his favorite sounds ever. "That was great," she said, giggling. 

"You really thought it was funny?" he asked.

"Yeah. You didn't?"

"Most people don't." A frantic whistle hit his ears and he jumped up. "Octavian is coming!"

They opened the doors and saw Octavian and Nico leading their groups over to them. Leo looked and Calypso and nodded. They both threw their water balloons and others joined them. Many missed, but a few did manage to hit Octavian. One spilled over Nico's head, and his eyes grew darker than they already were.

"Who did that?" he asked. He was much angrier than Octavian was. 

"I think I did that!" Calypso whispered to Leo. "I'm the one who hit Nico!"

"Run!" Leo yelled, taking off. Calypso gripped his hand as she followed him. The children appeared out of their hiding places and ran after them. 

Calypso broke down laughing as they neared the forest. She leaned against Leo and said, "That was thrilling. We need to do it again."

He smiled. "Yeah. We do."

She met his lips with hers for a split second, and the kids yelled about how gross they were. Leo was definitely surprised as she grinned at him. He couldn't move as she said, "Alrighty, guys. We need to go apologize to Nico and Octavian. And then we're all watching that movie Leo brought."

They cheered. Leo's smile was the biggest it was in such a long time, and he realized he was actually happy. He gave Calypso a hug before whispering, "Thanks for today."

"You're welcome, Leo Valdez."