It was the dirt. That was what was making me cry. Definitely. I wasn't even crying, really. It was more just watering of the eyeballs. Me? Cry? Ha! I laugh at that. I'm Katie Gardner. I don't cry.

I especially don't cry over relationships. Ugh. Just the word makes me want to punch a baby. Sure, I haven't had a boyfriend since . . . ever. So what? Yeah, maybe I did go to the Fireworks with Pollux last year because his brother dared him. Big whoop. So I've only ever kissed my pet hamster that I had when I was six. Who cares? I don't cry over relationships.

I especially don't cry when I see them, the new wonder couple, Travin, as the Aphrodite girls call them. Ugh! Again with the baby punching! I mean, I can handle Percy and Annabeth, Grover and Juniper too. Heck, Nico even has a handful of girls that I don't mind. I can handle all of that, but seeing Travis and Jillian Titzer just makes me sick. And no, it is most definitely not because of the reason you're thinking.

It's just that they're always together; talking, or holding hands or, worst of all, kissing. It just makes me sick. Can't they just go in the pegasus stables or something? But no. They have to choose the strawberry fields for their bonding time, always smushing plants and leaving around garbage. I've complained to Chiron over and over again, but I've realized that I entertain him. My complaining is just like a little show, a smaller and less dramatic episode of Days of Our Lives. And whenever I finish my rant, he just laughs and says, "Oh, young demigod love." . . . What the hell does that even mean?

And not only are they disgusting together, but once separated, they're just as nasty. I mean, Travis is Travis and I've gotten used to his idiocy after these past few years, but Jillian is just ridiculous. Her being a daughter of Athena and all, she's got the gorgeous blond hair and startling gray eyes, but she also has absolutely no sense of humor. And not only that, but she's all mature and grown up. Have you seen Travis? He's the most immature sixteen year old I have ever met! She's scared of spiders, too. Spiders are one of Travis's favorite animals. You see? They're absolutely terrible together! I don't really mind spiders at all.

I know what you're thinking. I know it, but it's not true. Not at all. Not in the least. No matter what you think or what my brothers and sisters say, I know that I do not even slightly have a teeny, tiny, little crush on Travis Stoll. It's not possible. He's Travis Stoll. I can't have a crush on him. Not at all. Not with that annoying little laugh of his that gets stuck in my head for days on end, not with his practical jokes that he plays on me almost once a week. I can't like him with that hair of his. Have you seen it? It's crazy, going off in all different directions. . . It's pretty cute, actually. No! No, Katie. Bad Katie. You don't like him. Not at al – crackle, crackle.

Oh shit. I'm not alone. What if there's someone here listening to my thoughts? Then they'd know that I most definitely don't like Travis. It's probably yet another couple coming to make-out in the strawberry fields. Like I said before, can't they just find some other place to get into each other's pants?

"Look, I know you guys are all hormonal and all," I shouted out in the general direction of the crackling while walking towards it, "but can't you just find another spot to do this or just leave for a bit until I go back to my cabin?"

I pushed away some bushes until I found a lump, but it was not the large lump of connected bodies that I expected. It was just a little lump. A little, sad lump. A little, sad, freaking gorgeous lump. No, Katie! Bad Katie!

"Oh," I said, trying to cover up my disheveledness. "Tweedle dumber. What are you doing here?"

Travis looked up with a small smile. "Tweedle dumber? I didn't know there was such a thing."

"Yeah, I didn't think so either. Of course that was until I met you and noticed that yes, it was possible for someone to have that low of an IQ."

He smiled once again, but it wasn't that much of a smile. It was a very small, very sad smile. One that made him look like a puppy. That is truly the cutest puppy I have ever seen. "Good one," he sighed.

. . . Did he just say . . . good one?

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"That was a good one." He wasn't even smiling any more. Now he was just a depressed puppy. It was still quite the gorgeous puppy, though. No, Katie. Bad Katie.

"What? That wasn't an insult, mister."

"Why would I insult you?"

"Because that's how you go through life. You just make fun of me to be funny so Conner and Jillian laugh."

"But, Katie, dear," – (Oh my gods, he just called me dear. Don't swoon, don't swoon) – "what is funny?"

"You is funny!" Ok, not only was that grammatically incorrect, but it was also greatly embarrassing.

He shook his head, making his hair swing around his head in funny ways. Oh my gods, there's that puppy again. That gorgeous, gorgeous puppy. Bad Katie! "No," he said, bringing me back to Earth. "Apparently I'm an immature, lazy bum with no sense of humor."

"Wait, wait, wait. I know I've called you immature and lazy, and that you have a cruel and evil sense of humor. But a bum? I've never called you a bum. I'm the only one allowed to make fun of you and call you names. Who the hell else has been calling you names?"

"Jillian."

"I'm the only - wait, what? Why'd she do that?"

"She broke up with me, that's why."

"But just earlier today the two of you were all over each other."

"Yeah, well that was earlier today."

Don't smile, don't smile. ". . . So."

"So, go ahead. Make fun of me, Gardner. I deserve it."

I sighed and sat down next to him. Our knees were touching. Te he! No! Stop! Bad Katie! "I'm not going to make fun of you." Travis looked at me as if I was growing another head. I tucked a stray hair behind my ear, using it as an excuse to make sure that I wasn't actually growing another head. That would be pretty cool, but not at a time like this. "Not right now, at least." He smiled again. I seriously need to buy a puppy that looks like him or something. "I thought you and Jillian were doing so good. What happened?"

The smile went away, and he sadly shook his head. "I don't even know."

"Did you do anything?"

"Like what?"

"Forget her birthday? Call her fat?"

"No. All I did was tell her I love her."

"Wait. . . what!? You told her you loved her?"

"Well . . . yeah."

"You've only been going out for, like, a month!"

"I know, it's just . . . I thought she was 'the one,' you know?"

"No, actually."

"My mom used to always tell me that I was special, and I don't mean like demigod special, but like mentally special."

"She sounds lovely," I commented, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

He chuckled a bit. I made him chuckle! "Yeah, so she told me that if I ever found a girl that actually cared for me to snatch her up fast cuz I wouldn't get another chance."

Now I chuckled. "No offense, but you're mom's a crazy bitch."

Oh my gods, he chuckled again! At my jokes! No!! Bad Katie! "And why, might I ask?"

"Because not only does she sound like one of the worst and unsupportive moms I've ever heard of, but she's also quite idiotic. I mean, seriously, haven't you seen them?"

"Them who?"

"Them as in all the girls that are madly obsessed with you."

He laughed once again, but I wasn't telling a joke this time. "What girls?"

"The girls that are obsessed with you! I don't know who they are exactly, but there's a lot."

". . . You're joking, right?"

"No. Why would I joke about this?"

"I don't know."

"Look, you may be an annoying whore at times – "

"Did you just call me a whore?"

" – but you can be sweet, and caring, and kind too, and why are you smiling at me like that?" What the hell is wrong with this boy? I try and make him feel better and what does he do? He mocks me and laughs at my face!

"You're complimenting me," he said with a smile on his annoying, little lips.

"I am not! You're a despicable, nasty pig!"

"What happened to the 'sweet, caring, kind, and devilishly handsome prince' you just called me?"

"I never said that last part."

"You may not have said it out loud, but I know you were thinking it." . . . Yeah. I was.

"You wish."

"I know." I sighed and rolled my eyes. "So let's get back to this whole fan club of mine."

"It's not a fan club, you idiot. It's just a few girls who are seriously messed up in the brain." Including me.

"You know you're part of it Katie. No need to lie."

"I am not!" I so am!

He laughed and looked out at the strawberry fields. Suddenly, he straightened up and looked at his watch. "Shit," he cursed under his breath.

"What?"

"I was supposed to go out and buy – "

"You mean steal."

"Don't interrupt. I was supposed to go out and get some Coke a few hours ago for Conner cuz he totally lost this bet with Percy and if he doesn't pay up soon, well, the cabin will most likely be flooded with toilet water."

"Nice."

"Yeah." He stood up and wiped the dirt off on his jeans. He kinda just stood there for a little bit, looking everywhere but at me. "I guess I should say thanks," he finally said, "for everything."

Don't blush, don't blush. I was blushing. "No problem."

"Yeah, so I better get going."

"Bye."

He stood around a bit more. It was awkward. "D-do you wanna come with me?"

"I don't know. I need to get permission from Chiron and – "

"Come on. We can have Chinese Fire Drills and throw eggs at random people on the streeeeet," he crowed.

Play it cool, Katie, play it cool. He put out his hand to pull me up. I took it, and ohmygods! I was holding his hand! He ran off in the direction of the border line with me right behind him, still holding his hand.

Ok, maybe I might slightly have a teeny, tiny, little crush on Travis Stoll. Maybe.

Awwww! They're so cute! In case you couldn't tell, I have officially declared Tratie (Kravis?) as my new favorite PJO pairing, and yes, that means more than Percabeth. Gasp! I know. I gasped too. They're just so . . . oh! I just love them! Plus, there's so much more you can write for a couple isn't actually together yet. And you don't know like anything about their pasts or anything so you get to make it all up and stuff! Oh, that's some fun chizz!

The next (and last! Yeah, it's sad) chapter of 'Confessions' should be up sometime this weekend, Monday or Tuesday at most!

Pssst! I have a secret. It's kinda scary though. I don't know if you can handle it. 'How scary is it?" A secret, so scary, that you'll light fireworks in your armpits. One, so scary, Obama peed his pants. A secret, so scary, you'll stick a bendy straw up your pee hole. You think you can handle it? I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Oh! I told you! That's some scary chizz!

All the cool kids review!

:) Jordan