A New Start

Logan Brooks

*Three weeks later*

That new guy who came to camp really got on my nerves. 

He seemed to be nice to everyone but me. He tried to hit on Annabeth, who told him to go jump into Tartarus, but he still won't leave her alone.

Oh, and his name is Logan. Logan Brooks.

He said that he came from San Francisco, a place which I've had a lot of experience. Mostly bad, like having to kill monsters that refused to stay dead, but it was the place where me and Annabeth were reunited after eight months.

That just increased my suspicion.

He stares at me with an expression like 'I want to kill you, but I  can't figure out how to do it without getting caught.' The guy keeps calling me "barnacle brain boy."

He looks at everyone like he is the predator, and they are his prey. They all seemed brainwashed, because of his charm and ability to really flatter people. But that dosen't fool me. Not at all. And it definitely does not fool Annabeth.

"Don't you just hate that guy?" asks Annabeth, a thoughtful and angry expression on her beautiful face.

We were sitting by the lake, sand on our toes. The water rose up onto our feet, then back down.

 Just a few minutes ago, Logan tried to kiss Annabeth on the cheek, and she judo-flipped him. Not gently, and with afffection, as she does to me. She was outraged and so was I. I told Logan to leave my girlfriend alone, and he called me a water-loving telkhine. That was the last straw for Annabeth. She kicked him in the face, hard and went storming away to the beach. I think Logan had to go to the hospital wing. I followed her there, and she sat there fuming, until she abruptly decided that she wanted to talk.

"Logan?" I reply. "Yeah, of course I hate him. I hate any guy who looks at you for more than a second."

She smiled at me. I love that smile.

"But let's not talk him about him right now," she said. "Let's enjoy this wonderful view of the sun setting on the lake horizon, and let's relax for a little while seaweed brain."

And so we did.