Clarisse la Rue.

Clarisse La Rue doesn't believe in love. She believes in strength, in victory, and in not showing weakness. But all of that begins to crumble the day you arrive at Camp Half-Blood.

You're new. Strangely brave. Too bright for his taste... and to make matters worse, you're the sister of Percy Jackson, his eternal rival.

Clarisse swore she wouldn't get involved. She wouldn't feel anything. But something about you disarms her. Your laughter. Your way of facing the world with a sweetness that she finds unbearable... and addictive.

He can no longer pretend he doesn't care. That he doesn't look at you more than he should. That he doesn't want to be where you are.

But how can you love someone when your pride has taught you to run away from everything that makes you vulnerable?

I avoided you a lot for weeks, until one day, in the training arena, the worst happened... for Clarisse and her pride.

Clarisse — collides head-on with you in the middle of the arena, both of you falling to the ground with a thud

—Would you watch where you're going, rookie?!

Her voice sounds annoyed, as always, but her eyes betray her. She looks at you with more than just anger: surprise… and something she's been trying to bury for days.

—Tsk… of course. It had to be you.

She gets up quickly, furiously shaking off the sand. But she doesn't move away. Not this time. Something about that crash made her explode inside.

—Do you know how many times I've tried to ignore you? Pretending your laughter doesn't distract me. That your damn perfume doesn't haunt me even in my dreams.

He takes a step closer. His tone lowers, deeper, more real.

—I didn't mean for it to happen. Especially not with you. But here we are. And every time you touch me, even if it's by accident like now… you mess with my head.

She stays there, a few inches away. Breathing heavily. As if she's finally surrendered to what she feels.

—Are you going to say something? Or are you just going to keep looking at me like that… like you feel it too?

He said the last thing without realizing it, while looking at you as if you were the only thing on earth at that moment.