I lied

"STOLLS!" Katie Gardener's voice carried over the sound of Camp Half blood. She was seething, her face was so hot with anger and embarrassment the grape jelly that was lathered all over her was almost boiling.

The boys playing Basket ball stopped, the Aphrodite dimwits that had been taking turns braiding hair and gossiping started laughing. The Satyrs that had been heading to the arts and Crafts building quickly sped up to hide a grim smile.

The rest of the Demeter cabin was shocked. Not one of them had gotten hit with the delicately planned prank. It was just there cabin head. Always the cabin head.

Travis and Connor appeared around the corner of the Iris cabin walking with smug smirks on their faces. "You called KatieKat?" Travis grinned his brilliant smile.

"Don't you dare call me that!" Katie spit, "Why am I covered in a coating of Grape jelly?" Her voice was dangerously low.

Travis seemed at ease with the situation, "Dunno," He said, "Why?"

Katie rounded a punch that nearly took off his head. Travis yelped and toppled to the ground clutching his cheek and spitting out blood. Connor laughed at him.

"You're next!" Katie threatened.

"Whoa, whoa!" Connor held his hands out in an I-surrender motion, "As much as I like a vicious flower, I don't really think you want to punch me."

"Oh, really?" Katie snarled, "I disagree."

"Yeah, you wouldn't want to waste any time punching me when you might want to be getting that artificial sugar and substitute jelly consistency off yourself."

Katie froze, as the rest of the Demeter cabin heaved a collective gasp.

"What?!" Katie screamed, panicking. She began scraping the glop off her frantically, "What the Hades is wrong with you! You know all Demeter kids are allergic to artificial sugars!!"

Travis and Connor started backing away. Travis's cheek was swollen up, making it hard for him to continue to smile— he wasn't even trying anymore.

Katie was really freaking out now. The jelly stuck to her hair and clumped together. Her clothes were ruined and her back was itching as the substance trailed down it. The Demeter girls ran forward but none of them dared touch her. The Apollo kids ran up, Will with his medical box already open. Nico was drifting behind him an got cut off by the ring of people that showed up. Lou Ellen from the Hecate Cabin ran of to find Chiron. People were yelling things at each other.

The Stolls easily ran off to the safety of their cabin. The Hermes boys were grinning like they knew something no one else did. Connor ducked into the room first, Travis lingered.

Travis turned around, "Oh Katie, About that artificial sugar thing," He shouted over the noise, Immediately gaining everyone's attention "....He lied."

Everyone froze.

"What?" Katie whimpered.

"It's purely natural sugar." He said.

He slammed the door closed. But that wouldn't stop Katie's string of curses lighting up the air. A few tears dripped down her face and mixed with the sticky concoction.

"I HATE YOU TRAVIS!!" She shrieked, "I HOPE YOU ROT IN TARTARUS!"

***

Travis held the door closed. The cabin was silent, sensing Travis's stiff change of mood. Katie's curses flooded through the windows which Cecil gratefully closed.

"Look, Trav-"

Without warning Travis whipped around and knocked Connor in the face. Connor's head snapped back and he toppled into the bed post of one of their brothers. He fled to the ground choking on his blood, and spitting out a tooth.

Travis shook out his fist examining his newly split knuckle.

"What the Hades-"

"Oh Don't EVEN!" Travis snapped over his younger brother,"What were you thinking?! Scaring her like that?! Demeter kids aren't just allergic! It's deathly allergic! She thought she was going to DIE, You IDIOT!"

The Hermes kids backed away. They knew it was better not to be involved. Behind the jokes and smiles, Travis packed a mean punch when he wanted to. Connor was in this by himself.

"Did you hear her?" Travis asked almost comically, "She hates my guts! Thank you!"

"Did you want her beating your brains out instead?" Connor sat up trying to stop the blood flow from his mouth.

Travis's face went red, "You knew I liked her!" Travis turned away from his brother, "Don't ever talk to me again. I'm never playing another prank."

"But...but..." Connor for once wasn't smiling. Travis pulled a bag from under his bed, he shook it out and placed it on his comforter. "You can't. The Camp.... We always play pranks. Travis....You just cant."

"Watch me," Travis glared at his sibling, "I'm leaving Camp. Tomorrow."

The fire in his eyes showed that nothing could possibly change his mind. Connor was too stunned to even try.

***

Travis went to see Will before he left. The entire Hermes cabin was awkward about it.

Breakfast was tense. Travis wasn't talking to Connor and Connor only poked at his food. No one else at his table would meet his eyes. No jokes were being said, only an occasional half-hearted comment about another table.

Across the Dining pavilion, Katie sat with her table. Her eyes were always cast down at he table and she barely ate anything. Everyone seemed to notice the difference in the Hermes table. A silence followed Connor after he excused himself ten minutes early, and headed back to the cabin.

After that the questions started being asked, Malcolm, an Athena kid leaned back and asked what was wrong.

The Hermes kids looked at Travis warily, but didn't answer. Rumors were whispering before Malcolm had even turned around. Travis dropped his fork with a clatter onto his plate, stood up, and just left.

He didn't want to hear it.

He grabbed his per-packed bag from under his chair walked towards the Big House infirmary.

Will was already in there. He sent Travis frown and walked over. Neither of them spoke really. Will glared at him and jerked him into the light to get a better look at his bruising face. He mumbled something about Travis being and idiot, and went to get some ambrosia.

"Will you stop that?!" Travis snapped finally, Will intensified his glare.

"Why should i?" He responded in the same tone, "You nearly gave everyone in the camp a heart attack! Katie could've Died! The last thing we need is another death!"

"It wasn't fake sugar! I made sure! I would never have let Connor put Katie in Danger! It was not my idea for Connor to go scaring her like that!"

"...it wasn't?"

"No!" Travis yelled angrily at the ceiling, "I busted my knuckle on his teeth for it too!"

After their brief conversation Will glared a little less. He examined Travis's knuckle as well, and gave him a proper amount of Ambrosia and a couple ibuprofen to go with it.

No one noticed when Travis stepped out of the infirmary. By that time the Camp had started it's actives. The Dionysus Cabin was heading to the lake for their canoeing lessons, the Iris Cabin was starting up the Arts and Crafts building. Travis could even hear the swords clashing from the Arena where the Jason and Nico were tag teaming against the rest of the Apollo Cabin and Ares were rough housing on the Blacktop of the Basketball court.

The air smelled like the strawberry fields even from this far up. Travis could see the Demeter cabin walking towards it.

He glanced one last time around, preserving as much of the memory as he could. He'd iris- messaged his Mother last night to let her know he was coming home. He told Chiron before breakfast, that he was leaving and the centaur wished him good luck and farewell.

"Running away, Delinquent?"

Travis was so startled by her voice he almost dropped his bag.

Katie stood down the hill a little, hands on hips. She looked scarily like her mother when she nearly turned Connor and him into trees for picking almost all the flowers in the Demeter's kids private gardens.

Travis turned away, from her trying to hide his shame. His brother tricked her in a terrible way, and he was an accomplice. No matter his intent, he was part of the wrong side of that prank.

"Not really, Flower." He said, "Just heading home for a little bit."

"What?" Katie snarled, "Got cold feet over your prank?"

"It wasn't my idea." Travis said coldly. Katie looked taken aback by his tone. "Sorry," He added, "Sorry, about Connor. That was out of line."

"Yeah." Katie said flatly, "Just a little."

"If it helps, I never would've let him actually hurt you. " Travis started towards the border. He was surprised to see Katie following. He wondered why she wasn't in the strawberry fields like her siblings, cursing him still. Down the Hill Connor led the Hermes kids to the stables for a Pegasus training session. Piper walked by and said something to him. He glanced up and his brother a sad look on his face.

"Will you come back?" Katie asked in a calmer tone.

Travis pondered her question. "I'm not sure." He answered truthfully, "My mom sounded thrilled to see me again. After that i might stop by New Rome and try for a couple years of high school. Then travel a little bit of the world. I've always wanted to pickpocket in Madagascar and Chinese might be fun to learn sometime. After that maybe...."

"You made that up on the spot."

"Yeah." Travis nodded, suddenly feeling awkward. Why wasn't she yelling at him yet? She should hate him. Why did it just look like she was the only that came to see him off?

"Send me a post card?"

"Oh yeah, sure. Every city I visit." Travis grinned, "I'll even take a couple selfies with the most poisonous plants I can find. Just for you."

"You're so sweet." Katie rolled her eyes, "Delinquent."

Travis was oddly pleased with the nickname. It made his face heat up a little. They reached the border of the Camp, Thalia's pine tree standing tall in the morning light. If you looked hard enough, you could see the waves of orange magic that kept the monsters out.

Travis looked at Katie one more time, Soaking in the sight of her. Her dazzling green eyes, cute little nose that own a splash of freckles. Her hair was down naturally a glossy brown. Her clothes were dirt stained but she didn't seem to mind.

"I guess this is bye." She said.

Travis bit his lip. She was right. He had to go. The longer he lingered the harder it was to leave at all. He wasn't just leaving Connor or Katie, he was leaving his childhood, his pranks...

"Bye." Travis said, swallowing a lump in his throat, "Flower."

"See ya, Delinquent." She gave him a small smile by her heart wasn't in it.

He stepped closer to the border.

"I lied you know." She said suddenly, "About wanting you to rot in Tartarus. I was just scared."

"I know." Travis gave her a reassuring smile. He gathered what was left of his will and stepped out of the border. He chanted under his breath, "Don't look back, Don't look back, Don't look back..." He knew if he wouldn't be able to resist if he looked back. If he saw Katie standing there on the hill all alone. Travis walked forward and disappeared over the dip the hill.

***

Katie watched him. Her heart had swelled and popped all in the course of one conversation. Why was he leaving? She thought it was because of her, hating him. Like she rightly should.

But Katie wasn't mad at him. Just sad. Terribly sad.

She couldn't stand Travis Stoll. He was an idiot.

She just wanted to kiss him.

She didn't want to see him go. But after the breakfast and watching him leave with that bag in his arms it hurt. Everyone told her she could do better, she was such an unfortunate soul because the Stolls always pranked her. But Katie kinda liked it.

You know when Connor was scaring her half to death.

Her eyes closed and she breathed in trying to remember what scent Travis smelled like. She understood why he left now. He wasn't mad at Connor or ashamed by his actions to her much. He was punishing himself.

It was both sweet and depressing at the same time.

What he didn't know is that Camp wasn't home without him. She doubted it ever could be.

Katie let a tear fall down her cheek.

"Oh Gods Damnit!"

She looked up to find Travis bounding back to her. He left his bag by at the border, and picked her up in a single motion. Katie felt joy leap in into her heart. He spun her around and she couldn't help but press her lips into his.

A kiss.

Imagine that!

It felt like someone had just open a door in her mind, letting in a much needed breeze. His lips moved effortlessly in sync, like it was meant to be. Like they were meant to be.

Travis pulled back first setting her on the ground, but keeping his arms around her in a hug she hoped would never end.

"I'm not leaving Camp." He said breathlessly, "I'm not leaving you." He had tears in his eyes and they mirrored the one in Katie's. "I lied."

~~~

Maybe "I lied" can be our "Always".

I felt bad for ruining everything else so here's a happy chapter! YAY! Enjoy it. I worked very hard on this.

~Greenninjagal