THE TWO BALLOONS || A TRATIE ONE-SHOT

THE TWO BALLOONS

So far, Travis Stoll was having a really dreadful day.

In the morning, he found out that his brother, Conner, "accidentally" painted his bedframe pink.

"You traitor!" Travis said when he woke up to the bright horror.

Then, he had to face a pissed-off Katie Gardner, who practically explodes at him over a stupid prank when she could have just shown her appreciation that now she has more soil in her cabin to grow more plants. Kids nowadays... So ungrateful.

In arts and crafts, not only does he get one but two slaps from Annabeth for putting plastic spiders in her cabin. They were plastic for the love of the gods!

And then, to make it all worse, Travis realizes he's in love.

He doesn't know why or how, but he just knows that he is. He knows because his stomach does a gymnastic routine every time he sees her. He knows because he started looking at Leo's book he had given him, 101 Pick Up Lines That Will Make Her Swoon, for inspiration. He knows because every time he sees her, his mind goes completely blank. He knows because he gets jealous every time she talks to a boy that's not him. He knows because every morning he spends an abnormally long time in the shower, just so he can look better than usual for her. But most of all, he knows because whenever someone says the name, Katie, he blushes so hard, it's hard to tell if he's a tomato or a human.

Travis wished that the person who said opposites attract just shut their mouth. If he didn't have that saying nagging him all day long, he wouldn't be so frustrated.

"Katie?" Travis asks, poking her shoulder as she pulls weeds from the ground around her beloved strawberries, "Why do you like gardening so much?"

Katie looks up at him for a split second, "Why do you like annoying me so much?"

When Travis was about to respond, he saw something in the corner of his eyes.

A blue and pink balloon tied to a tree in front of the Iris cabin.

He was pretty sure they were meant for Sage Angélique's surprise birthday party, but he was sure she wouldn't miss two balloons that's for sure, right?

"Wait here," he tells Katie, as he goes towards the tree to get the balloons. When he gets back, he holds out the pink one for her.

But Katie pushes the balloon away, "Put them back, Travis," she orders, "You know you're not supposed to have them."

Travis just had to roll her eyes at this. He sometimes grew annoyed at Katie for being such a goody two shoes. He even thinks that they won't work out and forgets that he likes her. But then he sees her face, and falls back in love again.

"Sage won't miss two balloons. And even if she does, I'll take the blame." He said.

Katie looked at Travis for a second before snatching the pink balloon.

Travis smiled at the thought that she was always so hostile towards him, and so gentle and kind to everyone else.

"Ok so, what do you want me to do with this balloon?" Katie asked, puzzled.

"Katie-Kat! I am offended! You don't know what balloons are for?"

"Uh- parties?"

"No! They're for telling secrets!"

"Secrets?"

"Yeah, releasing secrets."

Travis glanced at Katie's face, she clearly thinks the idea is very stupid.

"If I do this, will you stop annoying me?" Katie asks. Travis just smirked at her and nodded.

"Fine! I'll do it." Katie says, sighing in defeat as Travis takes a black pen from his back pocket.