My eyes sting from steering the Argo II for five consecutive hours. The others offered to take over, but I told them I was fine. To be honest, I'm not doing this to be the nice guy on board. I'm doing it because I feel like I need to pay my penance for what I did to Annabeth and Percy. Everyone on board tells me it's not my fault, but I know it is. I had to open that stupid fortune cookie. I just had to.

No, No, I think to myself, Ignore the bad thoughts, what's done is done.

I focus on steering again.

After a minute that lasts an eternity, I wonder where the others are. Yeah the sun is scorching, but jeez you'd think they would at least come up and make me some company. At the very least Coach Hedge.

No, that'd actually be a bad idea. What with everyone being a couple but me. I always felt like I was intruding when they all came up, completely focused on each other. I usually don't mind it, but flames always burst from my hands with I see Hazel with Frank's arm around her.

Just thinking about has fire coming out of my hands. Damn it, Leo.

Frank's awesome, it's just I like Hazel. Which is a problem.

I shake my head again.

When did the sun go down?

I check my wrist and it reads seven o'clock. I hate it when my brain does that.

Just then, Jason appears from below deck and jogs toward me. "Hey man, I think we should land here, for a bit."

"Why, what's wrong?"

He shakes his head, "Nothing's wrong, just-"

"We have to get to Greece, I can keep on going. Don't worry-"

"Fine! We'll keep moving!" His eyes fall then brighten, he continues, "Doesn't this thing have autopilot or something?"

I frown. It does, but I've never tried it out before.

"Yeah, but it's not tested."

Jason considers it, then shrugs. "Good enough, I'm sure good old Festus will keep us safe for a while."

I argue about it with him for a bit until I finally agree and set the Argo II on autopilot mode with a swing of the Wii.

"Okay, now come downstairs with me." He grins and I can't help but feel worried.

"Um...?"

"Just come, Valdez." He runs ahead of me down the steps and I follow.

It's dark downstairs and I immediately regret my decision of following this kid. They're all probably going to play some prank on me. We haven't pulled any pranks on board since Percy's and Annabeth's fall, but I know they'll start it up again eventually.

I start retreating when all the lights flash on in corridor, and I see Piper leaning against the wall, arms crossed. She raises her eyebrows.

"Where do you think you're going, Valdez?"

"Up stairs, away from all you devils."

She breaks out laughing. She walks up to me and throws an arm around my shoulders. "You're an idiot."

"No, you are." I lamely retort.

"Come on, flame boy," She pushes me down the corridor to the Mess Hall.

My brain connects the dots. I haven't eaten since when...yesterday? I've also been overworking myself. They're probably doing an intervention.

I'm about to tell her that I'm alright and I'll take of myself...but then we walk into the Mess Hall. And by then I can't move or talk.

Piper lets go of me and stands with my friends and Coach Hedge by the wall showing the campfire at Camp Half-Blood.

I gawk at the room and I just keep on gawking.

The table has a cake. It's a two tier cake with flame frosting. It has eight candles on the bottom tier and eight on the top one. In the middle of the cake they have a miniature Argo II (and Argo III?). Around the cake are five party hats and one plastic, golden crown with the words Bad Boy Supreme written across it with red gems.

I look away from the table and around the room. There are hundreds of orange, red, and purple balloons on the ceiling. On the walls they have a big poster with the words HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEO painted on it. But it isn't cheesy, because around it are detailed paintings of me. One of them has me with my goggles pushed up, my hair greased up, my shirt with Team Leo written on it, and my shirt sleeves pulled up, revealing fake tattoos saying things like saying things like Hot Stuff. Another painting has me driving the Argo II.

It's hard to unglue my eyes from the poster, but eventually I do and continue looking around. They have a piñata shaped like a giant hammer hanging under all the balloons to the left, and to my right I see they have Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Donkey game as well.

I look back my friends, who now sport Team Leo shirts and party hats. Hazel comes toward me with the plastic crown. I dip down and let her position it on my head.

I still can't say anything. I hadn't even remembered my birthday was today. No one ever paid attention to it. I haven't had my birthday celebrated since I was eight years old.

It's when everyone laughs and Frank flinches that I realize I'm in flames. I blush, but that only adds fuel to the flames. Eventually the flames die out, and all my friends surround me.

They push me toward the birthday cake and begin chanting the birthday song.

Don't cry, Leo, you know you're an ugly crier, don't cry.

I don't realize they've stopped singing until Coach Hedge shouts, "Well hurry it up, Cupcake! I want some cake!"

I shake my head and break into a grin.

I decide Nemesis is wrong.

I'm not the oddball, I'm not the seventh wheel.

My friends do love me.

I lean into the cake and blow the candles out.