Outside of the dining pavilion, Madeline ran for her cabin. When she reached it, there were streams of tears rolling down her face. She jumped into her bed and began to sob. How could they do that to me? She thought, They know that I cannot stand being embarrassed!
How had her brothers even known she'd had a crush on Fred? She ripped the paper from the back of her Camp Jupiter T-shirt and stared at it in disgust, crumpling it up and tossing it into the wastepaper basket.
"Madeline?" A voice from the doorway asked, "Can I come in?" The voice was deep and gruff, it was most likely male. Madeline sat up and then gasped as none other then Fred came and sat down next to the tearful girl on her bed.
Madeline felt herself blush again. ARGH. Why did she do that so much, especially in front of her crush? She looked down at her lap, her bubblegum-pink hair falling in her face as she tried to hide her embarrassment.
"Why did your brothers do that to you?" Fred asked as one of his hands drifted to her back. He began to rub soothing circles on her back, as if it would soothe her breathing.
"They're mean," Madeline sniffled, way too aware of Fred's hand on her back, "They tease me unmercifully. It's unfair."
Fred hummed as Madeline sucked in a shaky breath, she looked up at him. She knew her father would be proud of her as she chose between yes and no. She straightened her back and tilted her face as she connected their lips.
Fred seemed surprised, but he didn't move away. Madeline thought she heard a tiny voice inside her head, Good choice. Madeline fought a smile as she thought back, Thanks, Dad.
When she separated from him, she looked at the taller demigod. When Fred saw the fear of rejection in her eyes, something inside of his heart snapped. He leaned down and kissed her again.
"Maddie...oh, um, hi Fred," said a voice from the doorway. Madeline and Fred broke apart again, and Madeline felt her cheeks grow warm again. Rio was standing in the doorway, looking embarrassed at intruding on this particular moment.
"I'd better go." Fred said getting up off of her bed. Before he left, he placed a note on her bed. She picked it up and turned to her siblings.
Nora, who had just turned up with a slice of cake on a plate, stared curiously at her older half sister as Madeline read the note. 'Meet me at Zeus' Fist tomorrow morning' it said. Madeline smiled and folded up the note, sticking it into her pocket. Then she accepted the cake from Nora with a goofy little smile.
Ara looked confused as she entered the cabin. "What's going on here? Oh my gods. The tension is so thick that even pipsqueak over here could cut it." Rio and Elliot snickered and raced out of the cabin, leaving only the female children of Janus.
Ara gave Madeline a weird look, and the seventeen-year-old realized she was still grinning. She blushed and started playing with a strand of pink hair, and Ara rolled her eyes.
"I hate you all," she declared before she walked over to her bed and flopped down, grabbing a book off the small bookshelf.