Here We Go Again (Sierra Lestrange Book 3)

Chapter One: Home Sweet Home (Yeah, Right)

I took a deep breath and let in the wonderful smell of the strawberry feilds baking in the sun, the veiw of the mismatched cabins.

"Sierra!" a voice farther down hill called. I couldn't stop the huge, goofy smile from spreading across my face. "Zeke!" I ran down hill and hugged him tight.

He lifted my feet off the ground and spun me around. I couldn't help but laugh. He kissed me and put me down. "Are you okay? Are you hurt at all?" I smiled at his paranoia.

"I'm fine. Just tired and low on supplies." He pouted. "You didn't miss me?" A fake tear slid down his cheek. "Of course I did, Stupid." I hugged him again. He smiled and put his arm around me.

"So. How long are you going to be here?" he asked as we walked into camp. "I dunno. A while probably. The world out there is so horrible now with him alive again. His followers have taken over the Ministry Of Magic." He sighed.

He knew all about the wizarding world. I trusted him and told him everything that happened. "Well, for tonight, we don't have to talk about that. It's me and you time. No talk of danger and problems. Just us." I smiled and nodded.

"That sounds wonderful. Almost too good to be true. I just have to change my clothes. If you hadn't noticed, I'm not dressed for New York weather."

He looked me up and down in my raincoat and hat. "You look so beautiful, I hadn't even noticed." I smiled. "Well, I'll look better after a shower and a change of clothes." He sighed dramatically.

"Well, I don't think I can wait that long." I smiled. "Oh, I think you can." "I suppose, but I'll count the seconds until we see each other once more."

I rolled my eyes and took off my raincoat, revealing a red t-shirt with black designs all across it. I held out my hand. "You can walk me to my cabin so it's not as long."

He took it and led me down the hill. "You know, Lestrange, you've changed since your fifteenth birthday," he said. "Is that so? How?" I asked. "You seem.... older. More mature." I sighed.

"I know. I feel different. I've been laden with so much more responsibility now." He nodded. "Well, we're here," he said, stopping.

We were in front of the new Hades Cabin, that was empty a lot of the time. "Bye," I said, hugging him. "Bye, I'll see you later." I nodded. I went into the cabin and was met with an awful sight.

Dirty clothes litter the floor, beds were unmade, and sword lay on the floor. I knew what that meant. "Nico Di Angelo!" I said.

A minute later, I heard a toilet flush and the door to the bathroom opened. "Hi, Sierra," he said, a nervous smile spread across his face.

"What happened to this place? Actually, I don't want to know." I gave him a hug and went to the dresser.

"Nico, you are so busted if you don't have this room cleaned by the time I get back from the showers." He groaned. "Now you sound just like Bianca," he muttered, just loud enough for me to hear.

"It's called the big sister authority." He groaned again. I went to the showers and changed quickly and went back to the cabin.

"Hey, you did a good job," I said. The floor was clean of dirty clothes and the beds were made. I put my dirty clothes away in the hamper.

"So, Nico. What have you been doing while I was away?" I asked. "Traveling, really. I got back here yesterday." I nodded. "Cool," I said, nodding.

The conch horn blew a little later and me and Nico went down to the dining pavilion. We sat at the table and just talked. Not about anything particular, or remarkable.

 In fact, all I could really remember a few months later was the fact I'd smiled more than I had since the ministry had been taken over. 

After dinner, I went to go find Zeke. After twenty minutes of searching camp, I decided to check the forest. After a few minutes, I saw him. He was sneaking through the trees secretly.

I didn't call out to him just yet. I mustered all the sneakiness and stealth I had from living with the Hermes Cabin and crawled up the trees. I leapt from tree to tree in near silence.

He stopped in a small clearing, as though waiting for something. "Zeke?" a voice, near a whisper asked. I strained to hear it. "I'm here, Angela," he replied, almost as quietly.

A pretty girl with blonde hair and blues eyes stepped through the trees. I gasped, realizing who it was. Angela Wens, daughter of Aphrodite.

I didn't know her much, just that she was one of the nicer girls from Aphrodite. "Zeke, we shouldn't be doing this. I mean if Sierra-" He held up a hand and she went silent.

"I know you don't want to hurt her, and neither do I but you are the one I love. I thought it was her, but now I know who my soul mate is. You, Angela. I love you."

Then he did the worst thing I could think of. He kissed her. On the lips. I wanted to turn away, but I couldn't. "Zeke, I feel so guilty. We have to tell her," Angela said.

"She's probably asleep. We'll tell her tomorrow." Angela looked uncomfortable. "Come on, Zeke. I can't get over it. I feel so awful. We have to tell her now."

They began to argue quietly. I turned and ran away. I went back to the Hades Cabin, and grabbed my backpack. I grabbed new clothes.

I was leaving first thing in the morning. I'd get  the Ambrosia and Nectar and anything else I would need in the morning. I changed into sweats and a t-shirt.

I sat on my bed, thinking. He was dead. I was going to kill him, go to the Underworld and send him to the Fields Of Punishment. After a few minutes, a knock came at the door.

I looked over at Nico. He was snoring away. I let out a deep breath and stood. I hesitated at the door. I opened it. Zeke and Angela.

I had to resist the urge to punch them both in the face.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked, pretending yawn and rub the sleep out of my eyes. Angela looked a bit scared, as she should be. I could turn them both into cockroaches if I'd wanted to.

"Hey, Sierra. Um.. I like your t-shirt," Angela blurted out. I looked down. It was an old ratty t-shirt that the writing was too faded to read.

"Umm.. thanks?" She nodded. "Sierra, we have something important to tell you," Zeke said, looking down at his feet.

"Oh, wait. Let me guess. You're breaking up with me for Angela," I said, crossing my arms over my chest. They stared at me, dumbstruck. "How did you know?" she asked.

I glared at her coldly. She shrank back behind his back.

"I'm not stupid. I saw you. You know, this wouldn't have hurt as bad if you'd just told me when I got here. You know, I'm not that surprised about you, Zeke. You broke me once. Now you do it again."

I slammed the door in there faces and pressed my back against the door.

I sunk against the door and began to sob.