"You're just worrying too much. It's fine. Come on. Let's get out of here."

"Are you sure you can walk?" asked Matt.

Stella had been in the infirmary for about 24 hours with a bunch of people babying about her stupid ankle. It really didn't hurt that much. "I'm pretty sure."

Stella got up there was a slight pain but it was not unbearable.

"I swear if that Leo guy ever-" Matt started.

"'That Leo guy' saved my life," Stella cut in. She didn't like to admitt that, but she didn't want him to be blamed for it either.

"Whatever," Matt rolled his eyes, as they started to head back to the Hermes cabin.

She gave a questioning look at Matt. Is that jealousy, she heard? She couldn't help but smile at the thought. Then quickly shook her head remembering Matt was right in front of her.

"What?" he asked returning her smile.

"Oh, nothing. It's just funny when you get all defensive."

"I was not getting getting defensive! I was simple being-"

Stella crossed her arms.

Matt sighed, "Okay, now I am being defensive."

She giggled, which got a slight smile from Matt.

"Are you sure that ankle feels better?"

"Well there's only one way to find out," she replied micheiviously.

"And what would that be?"

Stella looked up at the red moon above, "Race you to the lake!"

"Oh please, I'm the son of Hermes, like you could-"

Stella pushed Matt backwards and started running towards the lake. Her ankle had healed fine by now, but she still didn't want to push it, by running too fast. Besides, she had to at least give Matt a chance.

"Hey! That's not fair!" he whined as chased after her.

"Life's not fair!"

After a while Stella finally made to a clearing that open to a beach by the lake. It was a dreary scene as the red moon cast a red glow upon the water. The trees' branches sagged longing for the sun to come up once again. A couple of water nymphs glared at her and swam away, before Matt came panting heavily behind her.

Stella laughed, "Someone steal your air, Son of Hermes?"

"Gods you're fast," Matt managed catching his breath back.

Stella looked back to see if the water nymphs were still there, but there was no trace of them. She looked up at the red moon, wondering what Bob and Damasen were up to down below her.

Stella felt someone coming up from behind her, and wrap his arms around her. "What are you thinking?" Matt whispered in her ear.

Why he always asked she had no idea, but it was like he always knew when she was sad.

"How lucky I am," she turned around to face him. She didn't know if she would ever have the courage to tell him about Tartarus.

He looked into her eyes, so that she could see his emerald eyes. They were close enough that she could notice little some gold flakes in them that she hadn't been able to see before. He looked down frustrated. "I'm sorry, Stella," he mumbled.

"What do you mean you'r-" Before she knew it, Matt's lips collided with hers. She could feel butterflies in her stomach, and kissed him back. She found herself fighting a moan as he deepened their kiss. Finally he had established his feelings for her.

"Okay! Okay! We get! You two can stop trying to swallow each other now!" called Amy as she appeared from behind a bush. Nyssa following right behind her laughing.

Matt turned bright red, which got a laugh from Stella. Although she was pretty sure she was blushing as well.

❇❤ « 5 days later, Matt and Stella are now dating, one day until the quest and Nico still hasn't decided, yet » ❤❇

Stella was sweeping graphics wines off the floor of the Hermes Cabin, when Matt came in.

"Hey, babe, where is everybody?" he asked.

"Everyone's out pranking Mr. D right now. I'd be out there too, except he threatened if I messed with him one more time he'd turn me into a dolphin," she explained as Matt cleared the grape vines off his bed.

"There's enough butchered plants in here to give the whole Demeter cabin a heart attack," he muttered.

"Yeah, so, have you heard about that quest Nico and Leo are going on?" she asked.

"You mean the one for that screwy project about East and Light?" he asked.

Stella nodded her head. She had heard everyone murmuring about it. Some were wondering who would be the third person to go on the quest. Some people had even started kissing up to Nico hoping he would pick them.

Stella saw that a quest was clearly a way to get attention around here. For the past week ever since that accident with Leo, everyone had been treating her like a defenseless newborn baby. If they only knew, she thought. She needed to get everyone's attention that she could fight for herself. Attention. Maybe even from her parents? It just might just work, if she only could get to go on the quest. Although something told Stella that Nico would pick that Solace guy he hung around with.

Matt laughed, "Yeah, can you believe those people playing all nice with Death Boy just to be able to go on a stupid quest? What a bunch of idiots."

Stella frowned at this, "What do you mean? You mean you don't want to go on the quest?"

"Hades, no! I don't want to go on any quest! Quests are either really lame chores for Chiron or the gods, or they start some gigantic appocaliptic war that we have to fight, and this one sounds like the second. Going on a quest? Nope, not me. Not after what Percy and Annabeth went through. Not after what happened to Leo."

"What happened to Leo?"

"What hasn't happened to Leo?" Matt snickered.

Stella would have laughed, if her dreams of being claimed by her parents hadn't just plummeted back down to Tartarus. She flopped onto the nearest bottom bunk, and stared at the graffiti cover wood above her.

A few seconds later a concerned Matt was crouching over her. He pecked her on the neck and asked, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Stella didn't answer. She just stared in confusion at some words carved into the wood:

Luke sings 2
Katy Perry
in da shower
Why on earth would someone carve that above a bunk? she asked herself.

"Stella?" Matt called.

"Do you- do you think..." Stella trailed off. Do you think I'll ever be claimed? Is what she wanted to say.

"Do you think they'll pick you for the quest?" Matt tried to finish her question.

Stella looked at him puzzled on how he knew she wanted to go on the quest. Am I really that easy to read?
Matt smiled that devilish grin of his, "You're not that hard to read, Stella. And as for you going on the quest thing, I honestly doubt. They rarely send newbies out on quests, well unless they're really special, like Leo, Piper and Jason, or Percy. But I highly doubt they've ever sent a demigod out of camp unclaimed."

Stella frowned. Unclaimed?! Did he really just say that? Was that all she was to him? A price on a puzzle out of place? Worthless, just because her stupid parents won't bother to claim her? After all the trust I had given him, and he only thinks of me as silly stupid girl who needs to be protected. Stella tried to control herself. She cleared her throat and pushed Matt to the side.

"I got to go," she said as she started to walk out of the cabin.

Matt got up, "Babe, that's not what I meant. Stella? Stella wait!"

She paused before she left the door, "What?"

"I- I," he stammered.

"How could you? You know it's not my fault that my family hasn't claimed yet! You know I hate being that one kid who everyone has no idea who she is, or what!"

"That's not what I wanted to say!" he denied.

"Then what was it?"

"I just- I just don't want you to go."

"Listen, Matt. And listen good, if you think just because we are dating means that you can order me around, you are wrong. If I want to go on a quest, I will go on a quest."

"But-"

"But what?" she snapped.

"You'll get hurt. I can't let you get hurt," he defended

"Why does everyone keep saying that? Who do you think I am, Matt?! A damsel in distress? I can protect myself, and I certainly don't need you to protect me. For Heracles' sake! I grew up in T-" Stella stopped herself. No, no one would understand, certainly not him. She slammed the cabin door, before she could say anything else. Where she was stomping off to she could care less.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

-----------------------------------------------------------------
(A/N:)

*like a horse* Ha-a-a-ay!

Yeah, sorry for not updating in a while. Robotics has been taking ALL of my free time. (Yeah, Leo would be proud of Samoa, the robot.) But robotics is almost done, so hopefully that means more updates.

Yeah, I know. I got a couple together and broke them up in one whole chapter. Lol.

Oh! Thank you for 1.19k reads! :D Luv mi readers. (How much is 1.19k anyway?) I put a random video and pic up Four you guys.

And before I go shout out to Brandos for editing my story! Check out his account with his friend: Leo8Percy

On that note:
Wweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! :D