And So Our Story Begins (Sam Gross, PG)

Shan had dropped off Chiron's reports and was now looking through the Big House lazily. She didn't really want to go out yet. It wasn't the best of days for her. The sun was hot and she hated that feeling that her hair was burning. She tossed her fringe out of her eyes again and started to think about... anything that popped in there. There was a noise from a near by door and Shan pressed her ear up against it, wondering what it was. Oh. It's the orientation video. I wonder who's new. I haven't seen anyone.

She heard the film end and backed away, hiding behind a near by table to see who would come out. Whoever it was, they'd probably have the same shocked and relieved expression she'd had when she watched the cheesey orientation film. Shan's shoes were unusually heels for the day. She wore them with a white cotton shirt with the words "Eat me!" on it under a navy blue woolen cardigan and black skinny jeans. She wore a necklace which doubled as a watch which swung when she ducked down. She blew her hair from her face again and watched.

Sam was in the film room watching the orientations video for the first time. Sure he had learned about all this stuff at least 2 weeks or ago when he and his parents had been attacked by the hellhound. But..it was a pretty calming experience for him to actually learn about most of this stuff the easy way and not by attempted slaughter at the hands of some rogue monster. He crossed his arms and continued to watch with a smirk before the video ended and the screen flickered to a pitch black color. He shrugged and stood up then walked to the door.

He walked to the door but didn't exit just yet. He could hear someone was here. He looked down at what he was wearing, a grey t-shirt with a black and blue plaid button up, hanging like a coat. Faded blue jeans and some white and blue Nikes. Suddenly he thought to himself, 'Why am I looking down at what I'm wearing? I don't care what people say about how I look...' He groaned a bit in annoyance at himself and then stepped through the door to find a girl standing there behind a table.

Shan crept from behind the table. "You just watched the orientation video. Why aren't you shocked?" she asked and smother her cardigan down. She cocked her head to the side and blinked at him. "Everyone looks shocked and relieved after seeing that piece of junk. I know I did."

Shan stepped towards the guy, curious. She offered a hand. "I'm Shan. Shan Cinna. I guess you're unclaimed like myself."

She had one ear bud in, listening to her usual Queen playlist on her iPod nano. Her hands were soft but a little rough but this guy shouldn't care in her opinion. She was about the same height as the guy, she found. She took in how he looked and raised an eyebrow. Wow, he looked normal. Or at least more so than the usual camper.

Sam raised and eyebrow as he shook her hand. "Sam Gross. Yeah..I'm unclaimed." He told her as he looked her over. He shrugged mentally and took his hand back then remembered her speaking of him not looking shocked at all. He rolled his eyes at the thought and started to walk out the door, not really caring if she followed him. He didn't know her anyway.

"When your step-dad is nearly clawed to death by a hellhound...then that 'piece of crap' is one of the most calming things you can find." He told her after opening the door. He shot her a glance then walked out and leaned against the railing of the porch and looked at the wall of the Big House.

She caught up to him. "I wouldn't know. I just went off to school one day and never went home. Just poofed into Chiron's office. Great, huh? At least you have a family. I had a father and no mother. There are people here with worse background stories than you. I bet my father doesn't know where I am. Or even if I'm not in the same country anymore."

Shan's heels clacked as she walked. She tossed her hair behind her shoulder like a model from the l'Oreal adverts. She looked at his face and smirked. "I bet you will be popular. The Aphrodite girls go ga ga over a nice and fresh face. Especially one with extra niceness such as yours."

She went a little red in the cheeks when she said this. it faded quickly.

Sam shrugged and looked out at the camp for a second before turning back to see Shan. "Been here at least 2 and a half weeks...and I haven't gotten to know anyone. Not even most of the people in the Hermes Cabin know my name that well." He told her, but just shrugged it off. It's not like he really cared. He's been distant from people since age 13 or 14..he can't really remember exactly what age he turned into the invisible guy that no one remembers.

He was just happy that coming here and the attack made him attempt to reconnect with his parents and be more open with at least them. He didn't care if he connected with anyone else. No one else tried to understand his problems anyway. No one except his mom, and Eli.

"Then this is one Hermes resident getting to know you," Shan said as if this was definate. "Daddy always told me to be polite so... I'm sorry about spying."

She gave him a smile and offered a hand. "Come on," she said. "I don't bite. And you look sofisticated. You know how to shake hands, I'm sure."

Shan stood up straight and looked him in the eye. This alone was monumental to her. She never looked people in the eye unless she trusted them. Queen songs raced through her head and she just tipped her head a little to get them out. The songs stayed put though and Invisible Man played endlessly in her head. [i]I'M THE INVISIBLE MAN! I'M THE INVISIBLE MAN! INCREDIBLE HOW YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH ME! I'M THE INVISIBLE MAN! I'M THE INVISIBLE MAN! INCREDIBLE HOW I CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU![i]

Sam shrugged and gently took her hand as he lead her down the steps of the Big House. Part of his mind started thinking of what half the dumba**es at this camp would assume when they saw Shan and him holding hands...but he just ignored those thought and glanced at the girl he was walking beside. "So where are we going to anyway, Shan?" He asked her after a few seconds or so of silence.

He noticed her headphone in one ear and wondered what music she was listening to. Probably something that he just couldn't stand and would immediately express his hatred towards. But he still kept an open mind and thought that it might be something that he actually liked. Queen...maybe Metallica...Breaking Benjamin...Shinedown...anything like that he liked and would enjoy listening to. Hopefully Shan would have similar tastes in music.

"Um..." Shan said, struck blank. Apparently, hot guys did this to her. She wasn't very socialized back home and found herself socially awkward anyway but this was ridiculous. "We're going somewhere?"

She furrowed her brow and as she waited, she automatically took out her iPod, switching to the next Queen song. She reddened a little when the lyrics of Somebody to Love blared from her spare ear bud. Don't notice! Don't notice! Don't notice that you can hear which song I'm listening to. Don't notice or my life will end.

Distracting herself, Shan shrugged. "Um... How about something to eat? We have a mess hall... or we could catch the Grey Sisters cab and go grab a bite in the city... I know a place that does dinner and a show... Joe's Diner got classy recently. It's even renamed Taste of India and started serving Indian food. About time too because it wasn't really selling Indian before and it was calling itself an Indian restaurant. I hear the entertainment is cheap though."

"Sounds good to me. Just need to stop by the cabin and grab some cash." He told her and then took notice of the song blaring. Welp, Shan had offically jumped up a few notches on his bar of acceptance. He smirked a tiny bit when they got to the cabin and he stood near the door. "Nice choice of music by the way. Though...having Somebody to Love blaring in your ear isn't a very good way to avoid embarrassment....if I were the type to embarrass someone." He whispered to her and then entered the cabin and walked over to his bunk. He grabbed about 75 dollars from under his pillow...not wanting to take the risk of not bringing enough money for the meal.

Whilst he was inside the cabin, Shan went red and scrabbled for her iPod. Dropping it and dicing to catch it, Shan ended up on the ground. She got back up and dusted herself down. She switched to the next song. Another One Bites the Dust... No! She switched again. Headlong... Better... I'm Going Slightly Mad? No. Under Pressure? Perfect.

Her song selected, Shan didn't look Sam in the eye when he came back. She ducked in herself and brought out near $100. "I know where the Hermes kids keep their stashes. I've been here long enough. You learn the ropes."

She still didn't look him in the eye as she started off for Half Blood Hill so she could get out of here and just get something nice to eat.

Sam thought it a bit weird that she wouldn't look him in the eyes, but he didn't bother worrying about it. Some people just did things how they did them and shouldn't be questioned. He smirked as she grabbed a lot more money and then told him that he would learn where it all was stashed before too long.

He followed her up the hill, walking since he wasn't in a rush. He checked to make sure he at least had a dagger or two on his person, and when he felt the handles of them he sighed a bit. "Good..." He muttered as he got to the top of the hill and smirked at her. Her iPod was still blaring, but she had changed the song to Under Pressure. Revealing a bit much, eh??

The song changed and instead of Queen, another of Shan's favourite bands started to play. AC/DC's Problem Child started to play and Shan grinned. She looked at Sam. "So... Music? What're you into?" she asked and tied her hair back into a ponytail. She flipped her Punk Fairy jacket hood up and snipped it up. She slipped her thumbs through the holes on the cuffs and cracked her knuckles.

Shan grabbed his hand and started to run up the hill. "Come on. We'll catch te Grey Sisters at the bottom of the hill," she said, grinning. There was something about the music that just oozed confidence into her.

"Oh..Just the stuff that most people call stupid music these days. Metallica..AC/DC..Queen..Def Leppard..Breaking Benjamin..Woe is Me...Blacklisted Me...Egypt Central..Dead By April...My Chemical Romance...Panic! At the Disco....etc.." Sam responded to her question as she messed with her jacket. He chose not to where a jacket and thus...was standing there in a short sleeve black t-shirt, he changed while in the cabin as well as got some money.

Sam was yanked along with her as she ran up the hill after grabbing his hand. 'This one apparently doesn't waste time when she wants to go somewhere.' He thought as she talked about catching the Grey Sisters at the bottom of the hill.

"YOur musical tastes are impeccable, my good sir," Shan complimented, taking on a Kensington accent. The posh Londoner accent had gotten the bad English accent that so many Americans to love the British. She kept going, bringing him with her. "Come on, Sam. I thought guys were meant to be faster? I thought you'd at least be a little more fun. Live a little louder, mate. You'll love it."

If this guy turns out to be a killjoy, I may throttle him, Shan thought to herself.

Shan looked back to look at him, Problem Child reaching her ears easily. She enjoyed the song and the cool air that she rushed past. Shan looked back ahead to wear she was going. They reached the top of the hill and she stopped for a moment to smile when she saw the road. "Let's go then."

Sam shrugged and he picked up the pace a bit. "What's the point in being fast if you aren't in a hurry?' He asked her but didn't really push the question to much. It's not like an answer to it was really important right now. He smirked at her when she looked back at him and walked up beside then looked out at their ride to the Indian restaurant. He listened to Problem Child along with her, though he didn't mention it to her. He glanced at her smile as she saw the road and then she said, "Let's go then."

He stayed back a bit..drifting off in thought as he followed her down the hill. 'Why do I keep getting a weird vibe around her?' He asked himself and got lost in his thoughts as the two got to the car that would take them where they were trying to go. He was still caught up in his own little world as he got in the vehicle and waited for Shan.

Shan had stopped to watch the Grey Sisters fight over their eyeball and then got in quickly. She cleared her throat, drawing their attention. "Um... Ladies? New York? Taste of India? Driving would be nice," she told them and quickly buckled up.

When the Grey Sisters finally got around to driving (more like throwing their teenage customers around in the back of the car as they still fought over the eyeball), Shan's grip on the seat around her meant that she gained whitened knuckles. Her smile never left her face though. She sent Sam a sideways glance and grinned. She looked ahead just in time for the taxi to dodge an old lady.

Sam was quite literally flying around as the Grey Sisters drove to the Taste of India. If you could even call whatever the hell they were doing as driving. Sam was quite convinced that if he didn't have a concussion after how many times he hit his head on the roof...then he had a sky-high tolerance of pain. He met Shan's glance as they drove and then the Grey sisters cut a sharp turn that sent Sam back to the door...his little tail seated in the floor right in front of Shan. He looked up at her and sighed from embarrassment.

"Get up and hold on?" Shan suggested as she nudged him with her foot. She was seated perfectly fine. At least he isn't on my lap Oh, don't jinx it, Shan! Shan thought as she gripped the seat harder. The Grey Sisters were crazy! Crazy as can be. Shan knew crazy. She thought she was once. Or twice. Often. OK, all the time.

Shan's nails were started to hurt from digging in and keeping her sat down. Her arms were aching from long use and her shoulders were a little creaky now. The car stopped and even Shan was thrown into the back of the seat ahead of her.

He shrugged and got up then sat down just in time to be slammed into his seat. "This is kinda growing old.." He muttered as his hand unknowingly wrapped around Shan's and gripped it tightly. 'Not much farther, Sam...not much farther..' He thought hoping it were true. At the car had stopped...that much was good at least. But then Sam couldn't help but think someone was watching him...