Sorry for making up how Thalia and Luke met out of nowhere, but I needed something to work with for the rest of this chapter.

And I think this is my last chapter, since as I finish this I realize I have no idea what to write next with this story. Oh, well, maybe that's a sign to switch to Harry Potter for a while!

Sure, I could go in a million different places, but I think I'll leave it like this, because this is probably the best story I've ever written. (Thanks, Rick Riordan, for letting me mess with your story… )

3 Kiaralilly

…

I remembered sitting in a café down the street from my apartment building when I met Luke.

I was sitting in one of the cushioned chairs, reading a magazine and trying to push the last fight I had with my mother out of my mind.

A boy burst through the café doors, then, panting. Everybody glared at him, and he ducked into the crowd and ended up sitting next to me. I felt my heart flop in my chest. He was really good-looking, with his blonde hair and nice smile.

But, at the same time, I was curious as to why he looked so nervous. And he was covered in bruises. His clothes were ripped and slightly singed.

"You look like you just got attacked." I commented.

He laughed bitterly and pushed his hair out of his eyes.

"What were you running from?" I pressed.

"Um…these jerks from school."

I could tell he was lying right away…and he was trying to ignore me.

I spotted him slipping something from the sleeve of his jacket to his backpack. It was a long piece of bronze, followed by a hilt…?

"Is that a sword?" I asked a little too loudly.

"Shhhh!" he hissed, and slapped a sweaty hand over my mouth. I hit him away and dug my hand into his backpack. My index finger hit something, and I yelped.

I pulled my hand back out, and it was bleeding. "Ow!" I accused the boy, who was staring at me in amazement. "You're not human."

"What?" I asked. First he cut me and now he was insulting me? "What do you mean, I'm not human?"

I was wrapping my finger in napkins, glaring at the boy.

"What's your name?" he asked me.

"Thalia Grace." I said reluctantly. "You?"

"Luke Castellan." He said in a hushed voice. He shifted uncomfortably. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I guess so."

"Do you…happen to only have one parent?"

This caught me as strange. "Yeah…my mom…how did you…?"

He kept going. "Have you been diagnosed with ADHD? Dyslexia?"

My cheeks burned. In fact, I had both, but I was touchy. I tried not to let anyone notice or know if I could. But for some reason, I told him yes.

He was thinking for a second, and then he turned to me again. "Have you ever seen anything…weird?"

I wanted to say, 'Besides you?', or something clever like that, but then an old lady entered the shop and Luke jumped to his feet. "I'll see you later!" he yelped, and slipped out of the store.

I tried to follow him, but once I got out of the store he was gone.

…

The next morning I woke up to yelling in the back alley outside of my window. I ran to my window.

It was that boy Luke, standing in the alley with a long sword held out at a hissing, spitting cat-lady that was bent in a ferocious crouch, cornering him. "Luke!" I yelled impulsively, and both the monster and Luke looked up in shock.

"Get back into your room!" he ordered.

I looked around my room desperately for anything I could use to help. I could throw stuff at it, but once I glanced out of the window, I saw that Luke was too close to the monster, trying to stab it with its sword. I'd hit him.

Suddenly there was a flash of light, and I looked to my bed. A huge shield decorated with a hideous Medusa and a long spear was lying on my bed. I hardly thought…I grabbed them both and jumped out onto the fire escape.

I stepped onto the ladder, which fell with a clatter down three stories, and I jumped off, feeling a little heroic as I caught the monster off-guard, and stabbed it in the ribs. It gave a strangled cry and burst into smoke.

Luke was staring at me, sweat beaded on his face. His face turned up into a smile. "You're definitely a demigod." He said, almost triumphantly.

"What was that?" I asked in a high-pitched voice. I took a deep breath and stared him down.

"A Sphinx."

"That makes no sense."

"Thalia…right?"

"Right."

"Have you ever heard of the old Greek myths?"

And that's how it all started. Once, a minotaur got away when we took down its buddy, and he went off and told everyone about my shield, which happened to be an exact replica of my father's. Eventually Luke helped me put two and two together and we found out I was the daughter of Zeus. After that things just got worse.

…

I pulled my leather jacket on, swung my duffel bag over my shoulder and got out of the Camp Half-Blood bus. Chiron was waiting at the top of the hill. When I met him, he turned to me gravely. "I'm sorry about your mother, Thalia."

I shrugged, trying hard not to start crying again. "It doesn't matter." I said gruffly, and jogged down the hill and across the camp to my cabin.

So it was back to training. For the next week I put all my time and effort into slicing apart dummies and attacking other campers with all my strength. I pulled myself up the rock wall countless times, and I even attempted to master archery.

Thwack! Thump! I reloaded my bow. Twack! Thump! The arrows arched in the air and hit the mark a little more accurately than I thought it would. Okay, it wasn't a bulls-eye, but I had just barely missed that perfect shot.

"Very good, Thalia." Chiron complemented after class. "You are improving."

I shrugged and began to pack up my arrows.

"Thalia…I told Annabeth about your mother."

I turned red. I really wanted to hit the stupid Centaur over the head. The way Annabeth had been acting around me lately, I wasn't excited to see the way she started acting around me now.

He's a teacher, Thalia. I reminded myself, and I nodded bitterly.

"She invited you to go to a nearby boarding school…the one she goes to."

My day brightened considerably. At least I wouldn't be alone…or worrying about that prophecy Chiron and Poseidon had talked about every time I whacked the head off a dummy. "When do I start?" I asked.

Chiron smiled. "You can leave tomorrow. I'll make the arrangements."

…

My brain was racked with dreams that night.

Luke was standing at the edge of a dark river. It looked poisonous…and it radiated evil. Swirling around in the river were all sorts of odd objects…like someone had dropped the contents of their attic in there. Paint brushes, car parts, scraps of damp clothing. A big, heavily set guy in Greek armor swirled into sight in front of Luke, making him jump.

Luke's face turned to a sneer and he straightened himself up. "Achilles. I don't need your advice, thank you."

Achilles blinked his pale green eyes. "Do not take this curse. It hurts as much as it helps."

An ugly, sneering lion with a tail like a scorpion's advanced on Achilles as he tried to explain himself, and he disappeared again.

Luke was looking into the river, his bitter face trying to hold back intense fear.

"Come on, Luke." The monster hissed. "Take on the curse for your master."

Luke shuffled and closed his eyes. His worries seemed to disappear from his face for a split second before he took a step forward and fell into the inky river.

…

"Thalia!" Annabeth flew forward and hugged me. "I'm so glad you're here…are you okay?" her mood switched suddenly to being concerned.

"I'm fine, Annabeth." I said exasperatedly.

Annabeth looked hurt for a moment, but before I could apologize she seemed to shake it off.

"You'll love it here. They have this amazing architecture class…I love it…I'm sure you'd find something you like…" Annabeth went on listing electives all the way to our dormitory, which was plain white with two desks, two sets of drawers for our clothes and two beds. Annabeth's side of the room was very tidy, even though it was jammed with stuff. She had homework and papers neatly organized on her desk, and her bed was nicely made with navy blue sheets. Her dresser was lined with pictures of her and her family and friends. In one she was by herself, standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial with her arms crossed over her chest triumphantly.

"I'm so glad you're here." Annabeth said. "Here at the school…and…just…alive!" she smiled.

I couldn't help but smile, too. Annabeth was my family…I was happy I was here with her. "Same here, kid." I said, slinging my bag onto the bed. "Same here."