Travis and Katie

"STOLL BROTHERS!" Katie Gardner's voice echoed throughout camp. Travis and Connor ignored it, running as fast as their feet could carry them, as far away from the Demeter cabin as possible. The entire time, the two boys were laughing nonstop. The two boys ran to a little spot beside the river that was hidden by a large stone boulder. The two jumped over the bolder, but even there, they couldn't stop their own laughter.

"Dude that was pure genius!" Connor said laughing.

"I know right?" Travis grinned stupidly. "You should let me pick the pranks more often!" the two laughed. The two brothers had woken up early this morning to play their most recent prank. Some of the really young kids from Demeter had been singing, 'painting the roses red,' for the past week, driving the entire camp crazy. Travis and Connor had decided to get their own revenge. After two hours of work, the Demeter kids had woken up, to find that every single one of the flowers that they had in the garden had been painted a deep shade of red. Then running down to the strawberry patches, they found that all of their strawberries had been painted white. The entire Demeter camp had been furious, especially Katie Granger, the counselor for the Demeter cabin.

Travis and his younger brother both struggled to calm down their laughter. Travis had the harder time, and his brother watched him as he struggled to return to reality. "Say, brother." Connor said, sounding slightly serious.

His brother caught onto the ton in his voice, and looked up at him. "Yeah?"

Connor watched him for a moment. "You know, why don't we pull another prank?"

Travis' face grinned. "Sure? What do you want to do this time, we could, um paint their entire cabin like a graveyard, or turn all their trees into chocolate, with the help of Hecate cabin of course, or..."

"I meant on a cabin, other than Demeter." Connor interrupted.

Travis frowned. "oh." There was silence for a few moments. "You know what brother, I'm tired, I think one prank is enough for today, alright?"

Connor's eyes narrowed. "That what you say every time I suggest we prank someone other than Demeter. Seriously, bro, it's like your obsessed or something, it can't be healthy."

Travis looked away, his brown curly hair shifting in the wind. "Well, the Demeter cabin is always the funniest to prank, they all of such hot tempers." Travis shut his mouth, knowing he had spoken to far.

Connor raised an eyebrow. "Hot tempers? Demeter? Not really, if you're going for a reaction, Ares or Aphrodite have much better reactions then Demeter. Although, it is different with Katie, she is known for having a hot temper." Connor studied his brother for a few moments, Travis not daring to breath. "Do you like...Katie?"

Travis gave a forced laugh. "What? No of course not!" he said, unconvincingly.

Connor grinned. "You do don't you? I've always wondered why you've been so intent on pranking the Demeter cabin all these years. It's because of her isn't it?" Travis didn't say anything. Connor laughed at his brother. "It is! Ha-ha, Travis and Katie, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S..."

"Dude stop that!" Travis said, in a hushed whisper, "Someone might here you!"

Connor laughed again. "I can't believe I never saw it, how long?"

Travis' face turned a bit red. "A couple years?" he said, it sounding almost like a question.

Connor laughed again. "Man you got it bad!" Connor thought for a moment. "And all the recent nonstop Demeter pranks, that, that's because of that rumour isn't it!" Travis' face turned a darker shade of red. About two months ago, a new rumour had started up, that Will Solace from the Apollo cabin, had a crush on Katie. No one had really put much thought into it, assuming it was just another attempt from the Aphrodite cabin to bring some drama into the camp. Connor should have realized his brother's obsession back then, a week after the rumour first came out, one of the younger campers told Travis about it. Connor had found his older brother an hour later, hacking apart a straw dummy at the arena.

Connor smiled again. "Oh, I can't believe this. How could I have never seen this, this is just too good."

Travis scowled at his brother. "Ok ok, har har, everyone is in on the secret alright, you can stop laughing at me ok?"

Connor smiled at his brother. "So you've been pranking the Demeter cabin, because you\re scarred that she might actually like him huh?"

Travis blushed harder, which Connor was surprised was possible at this point. "I, um, well, does she?" Travis blurted.

Connor grinned. "Relax man! We've known Katie since we were almost ten years old, that was seven years ago! I know her well enough to know that she doesn't have a crush on the archer boy."

Travis frowned, unconvinced, the he started to get up. "I'm going to head back now. It is getting hot over here."

"Aww, going back to see your girlfriend lover boy?" Connor asked with a smirk. Travis glared at his brother, and kicked some dirt in his face, before walking back to camp.

Katie growled in annoyance, as she watched the white paint fall to the ground and sink underneath. She was sure that it would not be good for the soil, but wasn't too sure what else to do to get the paint off the strawberries. She had left her cabin mates to finish cleaning the flowers, since it would take more delicate work then just washing the strawberries. So now here she was, standing there with her watering hose washing off all the rows of strawberries.

Travis and Connor Stoll. Katie cursed them in her mind, her teeth gritting at the thought of them. She had known them for almost seven years now Travis was the first person she had met from camp. He always had a goofy grin on his face, his auburn hair always curly and unkempt. Connor looked like his duplicate, to most despite being two years his junior. Katie saw the differences in the two that others didn't see, how Travis always had the habit of flicking his hair to the left when it got in his eyes, and would always bite his lip when he was waiting for someone to discover his latest prank. Katie sighed. Even though she always got mad at the two, she could never keep up her grudge, as she always felt herself getting sucked into Travis' chocolate eyes. Katie shook her head. She didn't just think that, that thought did not just come to mind, nope, not at all.

What was worse to Katie then all the pranks was the way all the girls reacted to it. Annabeth was convinced that Travis liked her, saying that he was like a toddler. Doesn't know what to do when he likes her, so he hurts her in hopes that it will get her attention. Katie scoffed at the thought. That was just ridiculous, there was no way The Travis Stoll, the camps top prankster, probably the best looking one too; and unknown to most, one of the biggest heartthrobs in all of camp, had a crush on her, plain Katie. Katie frowned at her messy mane of hair, like brown, thickly curled, but extremely frizzy, held back in a hair burette. She had a terrible tan from all her work in the sun, and ignoring the threat of no suntan lotion. He green eyes matched her plain green T-shirt she wore, with her blue torn up jeans.

Just then Katie heard a voice from behind her. "Hey Kitty-Kat." Katie gritted her teeth, and turned back to see Travis walking over to her, grinning like he hadn't done a thing.

Katie smirked. "I guess it's true then, the Criminal always does return to the scene of the crime. And I just thought that was a phrase."

Travis frowned. "Aww is Kitty-Kat mad at me?" he made a fake pouty face that turned Katie's insides. Curse her teenage weakness!

"Would you stop calling me that?" Katie said, infuriated.

Connor raised an eyebrow at her. "What's wrong with Kitty-Kat? Kit-Kats are your favourite chocolate bar."

"It's annoying ok?" Katie was surprised he remembered that factor."

"Kitty-Kat, Kitty-Kat, Kitty-Kat." Travis repeated.

"OK enough!" she interrupted, infuriated. She took her watering hose and shoved it into Travis' arms, her eyes not leaving his. "Now you are going to finish cleaning up your mess, and I'm going to watch."

Travis made a face. "Um sweetie, I usually do the pranks, not the clean up. That's our victims' jobs."

"Well if you don't clean this up, this little 'victim' is going to tell Chiron about the coke you stole from the convenient store a mile away."

Travis faked surprise. "You mean you didn't rat us out?" Travis faked a tear. "Aww Kitty-Kat's turning to the dark side. No I'm sorry, I'm not giving you cookies."

Katie glared at him. "The only reason I'm not telling on you is because we've been friends for so long and I'm used to your shenanigans."

"Kitty-Kat I'm touched!" he said, dramatically putting a hand over his heart.

Katie rolled her eyes. "Clean, now!"

Travis raised his hands in surrender. Katie stood next to him, watching to make sure that he wasn't sloppy and all the strawberries got watered. "Soo." Travis said, trying to start a conversation. "How's life."

Katie frowned at him. "You mean other then getting all my flowers painted red and my strawberry's white? Just peachy thanks for asking."

Travis grinned, unperturbed by her anger. "Aww, Kitty-Kat knows she loves my jokes."

Katie elbowed him. "I don't. Seriously it's annoying."

"Aww but Kitty-Kat has the cutest face whenever she discovers my pranks!"

Katie starred at him. "Did you just call me cute?" Travis turned his head, not meeting her gaze. There was silence for a moment. Katie sighed. "Ok, whatever just please no pranks on the night of the fireworks, ok?"

Travis frowned. "What's so special about the fireworks?" he asked, honestly curious.

Katie studied him for a moment, not sure is she should tell him her entire plan. She decided against it. "I'm going on a date with Michael Yew. We're watching the fireworks together." Instantaneously, Travis dropped the hose. Katie jumped up. "Watch it Stoll! My shoes are going to be soaked!"

Travis just starred at her, as she reached down to pick up the hose, and gave it back to him. "You're going on a date, with Michael Yew?"

Katie looked at him nervously. She had never seen him like this. "Yeah, he asked me a week ago, and I said yes." She said slowly, worried for her friend's health. "Travis, are you ok?" she asked, gingerly.

Just then, Travis' shock turned to complete rage. "I'm fine Katie." He said, forcefully shoving the hose into her hands. "Just peachy." Then he stormed off in the direction of the camp.

"Hey wait!" Katie called after him. "You didn't finish the strawberries!" Travis didn't answer. Katie starred at the hose in her hand. He had called her Katie, he NEVER called her Katie. Katie spoke quietly to herself. "What just happened?"

Connor was walking by the arena, to see his brother demolishing some straw dummies. He walked over to him. "Whoa man, chill out! Keep this up and the dummies will start a rebellion against you!" Travis lowered his sword looking at his brother. "Man you look like you just went to the underworld and it spit you right back out. What happened?"

Travis took a few breaths to calm himself down. "I went to talk with Katie; she was cleaning up the strawberries."

"And?" Connor pressed.

Travis was silent for a moment. "Apparently, she's going with Michel Yew to the fireworks." Travis swung his sword, chopping the head off another dummy.

Connor was stunned for a moment. "Ok, that I didn't see coming."

Travis gripped his hair in vexation, moving to sit at the edge of the arena, Connor coming to sit next to him. "Geez what do I do man? Even Hades had better luck getting Persephone!"

"Didn't he kidnap her and force her into the marriage?" Connor asked.

"Yes but she wasn't with another guy!" Travis groaned, falling on his back.

Connor just smiled at his brother. "So you want her back then?"

Travis huffed. "She technically wasn't mine to begin with."

Connor waved his hand. "Technicalities, technicalities. Do you want her or not?"

Travis was silent for a moment, sitting up. "Yeah, but how am I going to do that now?"

Connor grinned, and put an arm around his brother. "Brother dear, we are the world renowned Stoll brothers. Whatever we want, we will get it, one way or another."

Travis was silent, then his regular mischievous grin appeared on his face. "I like the way you think little brother. I have taught you well."

Connor smirked. "Don't hog all the glory for yourself brother!" he stood up, and offered a hand to his brother. "Let's get to work; we have a girl to get back!"

It was three days later; Katie was sitting with Michael Yew on a picnic blanket, while the Hephaestus cabin was getting the fireworks ready. Katie had dressed up a bit, instead of her ratty jeans; she wore a black skirt, going a bit past her knees, with a green tank top. Her hair fell down her shoulders, cascading like a river down her back. Katie turned to Michael. "Ok, so we're both clear on the plan?" Michael nodded. Michael had come to her a week ago. Both of them had heard the rumours that were circling camp, that he had a crush on Katie. Both of them knew it wasn't true, and were sick of it. So they had come up with the plan.

"So basically, we both act like we're on a date, then tomorrow when everyone asks what happened, we'll just say that there wasn't anything between us." Michael said

Katie nodded. "That way the Aphrodite kids get their fun, and are allowed to say that we did like each other even though we didn't."

"And everyone else thinks that we just broke up and won't think anything else of it."

"Right." Katie agreed. Sure it wasn't the best plan, but honestly, scheming wasn't what either of them were good at. "Maybe I should have asked Travis for help." Katie thought with a sigh.

Michael gave her a look. "What was that sigh for?" he asked, while putting an arm over her shoulder. Katie noticed some Aphrodite kids sneaking glances at them; she turned and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm just thinking. If we were going for an actually creative plan, we should have gotten the Stoll brothers in on this."

Michael laughed. "Sorry Katie, but having those two in on this might not have been the best idea. Getting paint on everyone was not part of the deal."

Katie nodded, her eyes slowly closing. "Right."

Travis clenched his fist, watching Katie with Michael, wondering how long it would take him to deface his cabin. "Dude you look like a stalker." Connor commented. Travis looked back at his brother. The two of them were hiding behind a cabin.

Travis glared at his brother. "I'll have no comments from you." Connor grinned. "Are they in place?" Travis asked.

Connor nodded, showing the empty bag. "Oh this is going to be good!" Travis grinned, and turned to watch the fireworks. The first ones were shot, and everyone starred at them in awe. But something happened once the fires went out. Each little spark came flying towards the ground, and splattered on the ground. Each little spark had been replaced with paintballs, which were now splattering all over the campers, who were screaming, running for cover. Connor and Travis could barely control their laughter.

"TRAVIS AND CONNOR STOLL GET YOUR BUTTS OUT HERE!" the boys stopped laughing, and looked at each other. The two slowly peaked out from behind the wall. Katie stood a few feet away, Michael Yew standing behind her, which ticked off Travis. Most of the campers had already left running back to their cabins for shelter. Katie hadn't been spared by the onslaught; her black skirt had been splattered with red paint, which matched her now rage filled face.

"Uh Oh." Travis said.

Katie glared at him, so cold it could have frozen over Tarterus. "Uh Oh? Is that all you have to say for yourself?" Travis was silent; he scratched the back of his neck, trying to think of the right answer. Katie didn't wait to hear it. "I told you; don't prank me on the night of the fireworks. That was all I asked of you AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN DO THAT!"

Katie was burning by now, but all Travis could think of was how cute her face looks when she was mad. "Katie," he started.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT STOLL! I've been nice to you all month, not saying anything about your pranks, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?"

"Katie." Travis tried again.

"And seriously Travis, paint balls? Seriously? Could there be a more childish prank in the world?"

"Katie!"

"Travis I'm sick of this!" Katie was coming close to losing it now; Michael was backing away from her slowly. "You can't go one night without some scheme, even not as a merciful victim, as your friend you couldn't do this for me? I thought I could trust you, I thought..." Katie wasn't able to finish. In frustration, Travis had grabbed her by the shoulders, pulled her towards him, and kissed her right there and then. Katie froze in shock, so did Travis. After a second he let go.

"I, uh, I didn't know how to get you to listen." Travis said, unconvincingly.

Katie's face was red, but for a different reason now. She folder her arms, trying to look confident, but her insides were bubbling with excitement. "Ok, I'm listening. Talk, what reason could you possibly have for doing this?"

Travis opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't know what to say. What excuse could he make up for this? I was trying to be a good friend; he doesn't deserve you, speech? "Dude just tell her!" Connor said from behind. "There isn't going to be a better ending to this story."

"Tell me what?" Katie asked.

Travis looked at her, before steadying his nerves, and taking a deep breath. "I like you ok?" he blurted out. There was silence.

"I'm sorry what?" Katie asked.

Travis took another breath. "I've actually liked you for a while now. I'm not too sure on how long, but a long time. I like the way you smile, and the way your face brightens up whenever you see your flowers. I like the cute expression you always have whenever you're mad, and how you always forgive me despite it. I prank you all the time, because I feel like it's the only way I can get you to notice me, or to pay any attention to me." He was speaking fast, and it was a wonder anyone could understand him at all. "When I heard, that Michael likes you, I was really mad. So I pranked you more and more, trying to make sure you wouldn't have time to see him. Then you told me you were going on this date, and, I just couldn't bear to watch it." Travis breathed deeply, once he had said everything. No one spoke; Travis's eyes wouldn't leave his shoes.

"Is all of that true?" Katie asked. Travis nodded, still not looking at her. Then to his surprise, Katie reached up, grabbed his face, and brought his lips to hers. Travis once again froze in surprise, but this time, he welcomed the kiss, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Finally they broke the kiss. "I like you to."

Travis just stared down at her. "But then, what,"

"We weren't going on a date slime ball." Michael interrupted a smirk on his face.

Travis looked at him. "Huh?"

"It was a plan, to satisfy the Aphrodite cabin's need for drama!" Katie said with a laugh. "We are SO not going out!"

Travis starred at her, fitting all the pieces into place. "So you're not going out." Katie shook her head. Travis smiled. "So that means you're free to go out with me then, huh Kitty-Kat."

"Ok, rule one, no more calling me Kitty-Kat." Katie protested.

"But why not? It suits you!" Travis whined.

Katie smiled, thinking how kidlike he looked right now. "It does not suit me!"

"Kitty-Kat, Kitty-Kat, Kitty-Kat, Kitty-Kat." Travis repeated in a taunting voice.

Katie made a face. "Stop it! That's not my name!"

"No." Travis said, putting both hands on each side of her face. "You're MY Kitty-Kat now." He said, as he kissed her gently on the forehead.

Katie smiled. "Alright. I guess that's not so bad." Travis smiled again.

Then, just to make everything awkward, Connor yelled. "And the Stoll brothers win again up top!" he raise a hand for a high five, no one gave it. Connor frowned. "Way to end the story guys."