Caleo - This new guy at camp...

Ch 13 / Emotion and Empty Seats

This morning, there was an empty seat at the Hephestus table at breakfast. 

The goddess had done her magic well, not even Chiron realised someting was wrong. 

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I went down to the canoe lake in that afternoon after all of the activities were finished for the day and found Leo sitting on the pier, staring into sapce.

I took a deep breath before walking over and sitting down on the peir next to him.

"Hi" I said, always a great conversation starter.

Leo didn't replie.

"Um, Leo?" 

Leo jumped like I'd given him an electric shock.

"OH MY GODS SUMMER!"

I didn't know wether to be hurt or confused. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you, you made me jump." He apologized, "What's up? Did the shower in the Apollo cabin break again?"

"Um, no, and I'm in Demeter cabin acctually." I said, feeling hurt that he didn't remember which cabin I was in. "I came to see if you're all right, you've been acting weirdly."

Leo ran his hand through his hair the way he dose when he's nevous. There was something so distracting about the way the muscles in his arm contacted as he did this, I coulding take my eyes off him...

"Me, acting weirdly? I'm fine! Nothing wrong.." his voice drifted off,he was staring at something in the distance that I couldn't see.

"Leo," I said softly, suprising myself by how worried I sounded, "You are not all right. What is it?"

He looked at me properly for the first time. All the hate that I'd seen in them the night of Capture the flag was gone, replaced with a far-away saddness and, tears.

"I don't know what's wrong." His voice broke, "That's the problem. I feel like there's this big hole inside of me and I don't know why!"

I've never seen a 17 year old cry. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder and let him rest his head on my sholder.The tears began to flow. 

Nemesis had been right, the pain of seeing him so utterly devistated for reasons he couldn't understand nearly broke me. But I had to be strong, Leo needed me.

I comforted him until he stopped crying. I waited a few minutes before looking down at hos face and saw that he was asleep. 

We sat there, just the two.The sun began to dip in the sky, it must be almost dinner time. I needed to wake him up, we'd be in trouble if we weren't at dinner. then I looked at Leo's peacful face. If I woke him, he might collapse into tears, he wouldn't want people to see him like that.

I'll wake him in a minute. I thought to myself. A minute passes. Then another, and another. Within five minutes, I fell asleep as well.

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There was a sudden loud 'splash!' and I awoke with a start.

It was dark, how long had we been asleep? Then I noticed that Leo wasn't next to me anymore and I remembered the splash.

I scrambled to the edge of the peir just in time to see the semi-consious body of Leo Valdez sink below the surface of the Canoe Lake. Without even thinking what I was doing, I stood up and jumped into the water.

It was freezing. Not literaly, but the sudden cold almost made me pass out. It was late Autumn, what was I thinking!

But then I remembered Leo and twisted desperatly, trying to find him. It was useless, the water was too dark, too cold, sapping my stength. Where were the water spirts when you needed them! I swung my arms through the water wildly, I was almost out of  breath, I would have to rise to the surface soon, but then my hand made contact with something, or someone, floating in the water a meter to my left.

Pulling Leo to the surface was nearly impossiable. He weiged so much for someone so small, but prehaps the water spirits were helping after all because I managed to drag him with me to the surface of the lake.

The minute our heads broke the surface Leo started gasping and thrashing around!

"Leo!" I yelled, desperatly trying to keep us both afloat. 

Leo noticed me for the first time and imediatly stopped thrashing like a mad man.

"Summer! Are you ok? I didn't hit you!?*Pause* Why are we in the lake?"

I lauged. There was an awkward pause when neither of us could think waht to say. I couldn't take my eyes of Leo's lips. They were so inviting. Stop it Summer. I told my self firmly. Don't be stupid! It's just Leo! 

Just Leo, Leo, Leo, Leo. 

Just Leo and I, treding water in the freezing cold canoe lake.

Leo smirked.

"We really should get out of here before we both catch hypothermia."

I tryed to smile, but my face muscles weren't working. I just nodded.

There was aslightly awkward silence, then Leo spoke up again,

"So, shall we go-"

But then I kissed him.

I gave in and wrapped my hand around the bag of his head, pulling him in close and kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

And for a blissful moment, Leo kissed me back, I felt his hand slip around my waist, holding me. For one, super-natural moment, he poured some of my own passion back into me. For one moment, I felt what it was like to be loved, adored. My skin grew hot under his touch, I felt a shiver of pleasure pass through my body as he held me. Our hearts beat in time. For one moment, I was alive.

And then that moment ended.

Leo suddenly drew back. Gasping. Staring at me. A look of shock and confussion on his face. His normal care-free smile was gone, replaced by an accusing look.

"Summer," he said after a second, breathless. "I don't, I can't..."

His voice trailed off and he turned and slashed his way to the lake shore. He didn't even look back as he hurried away towards the cabins. 

Leaving me floating in the icy water.

 I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update! This isn't one ofmy best chapters, but hopefully things will now start to move a bit faster.

Caleo or Leo and Summer? 

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Thank you peoplewhoarereadingthis!!! You rock!