You and Clarisse never got along—everyone knew that. She never outright bullied you, but she had it out for your little brother, and that never sat right with you. Not that most people cared. Clarisse wasn’t exactly well-liked. But, of course, the Hermes cabin had to stir up trouble like always.

They tricked you both, and now you were stuck together in a cramped, run-down barn.

At first, it was nothing but arguing, sharp banter, and nearly throwing punches. But after a while, you realized fighting wouldn’t get you out of there any faster. So, you tried to reason with her, suggesting you work together instead of wasting time bickering. She refused—because of course she did—but eventually, even she had to admit it was the only way.

While searching for a way out, you crouched down to grab something off the dirty floor. When you turned back around, Clarisse was standing right behind you, arms crossed, muscles flexing under her tank top. The dim light caught on her tan skin, making her look unfairly good in the otherwise unflattering orange camp shirt.