Perfect Timing: a tratie story

December // Chapter 6

1924 words
Katie Gardner

I sigh and look at Miranda. Can we go now? I mouth. She rolls her eyes and continues to follow the game going on around us. Miranda has always been a little more extroverted than me so of course when the aphrodite cabin had their annual girls night, she dragged me along.

"okay um dare" a girl from the Apollo cabin giggled on the other side of the circle

"I dare you to stand on the table at breakfast tomorrow and do an impression of Chiron" a girl named Sarah from cabin 10 responded

Miranda and I give each other a knowing look. The dares in the last few rounds have gotten kinda lame. After the plan was finalized for breakfast, the same girl looks around for someone to ask.

"I'm not sure. Who hasn't gone yet?" she asks to narrow down the choice, and I raise my hand. Unfortunately, I'm the only person that does.
"it's Katie, right?" she smiles at me

"yeah, and um dare I guess?" Since the dares haven't been hard I'm not too scared to go with that option right now. Then, out of the corner of my eye I see one of my other sisters whisper and giggle with someone. As what they say is passed around the circle, I start to panic because she knows about my small crush on a boy from the Hephaestus cabin and might use that for the dare. After a few more seconds of whispering, giggling, and me wondering if I can change my answer to truth, the Apollo girl (who I heard someone call Chloe) has reached a conclusion with the help of about half the circle.

"I dare you to iris message Travis Stoll" she giggles

I freeze for a second, caught off guard. "you want me to what?" I look at Miranda for help. Much to my dismay, she looks to be having a lot of fun. "why?"

Chloe looks at me confused "well you hate him, right? you're supposed to do something you don't want to do" she laughed

"oh yeah I guess," I laugh nervously "but I've never actually done an Iris message before"

"that's okay!" pipes up a voice from beside Miranda, I turn to see Violet from the Iris cabin smiling at me and leaning forward excitedly. "I can help you, it's so easy" and with that she stands up and holds out a hand to me. I take it and follow her to the bathroom where she explains everything to me and hands me a drachma.

"good luck," she smiles and walks out while the mist ripples to show Travis sitting up in his bed rubbing his eyes

"what the Had- Katie?" he asks, awkwardly clearing his throat "are you okay? do you need something?" he asked, his voice still raspy from sleeping

I realize it's well passed midnight and feel guilty for waking him up when he probably has school the next day. But, though I'd never admit it, I thought it was sweet that he was worried. "No, I'm fine, really. I'm just uh supposed to call you" I say slowly, realizing I had no real plan on what to say

he stares at me for a second, processing what I said, "um, you're supposed to call me?" I hate that he looks so cute when he's tired

"oh i'm playing truth or dare in the Aphrodite cabin. Against my will, believe me" that makes him smile

he sits all the way up in bed and pulls a shirt on

"oh you can go back to sleep, don't get up or anything- i'm just- I'm probably gonna go anyway I just had to-"

"oh so you want me to take my shirt back off" he laughs

"what?" I cover my face "oh my gods. that's so not true. i'm trying to be nice. just- just keep your shirt on" I say, crossing my arms. typical.