The State Of Dreaming
The first time that I thanked the Gods was when Bianca jumped off the bridge. It had been on a dare; she had just fallen backwards into the Hudson River. The drop should've killed her, but I saw through the Mist, saw the river god grab her and then put her back up on land, safe and sound.
I didn't know if the God had done so because she was the granddaughter of Poseidon and afraid of the rage he would release on him because of her death, or because she was the daughter of Percy and Annabeth Jackson, saviors of Olympus. But she didn't question it. I just yelled at their other friends, they knew better than to dare Bianca to do anything.
Bianca would do anything, she was fearless and crazy.
That night though, once I had gotten home, I prayed to Poseidon and the Hudson. Thanking them for my best friend's life.
The next time was the fight. Her little brother, Nico, and Malcolm Jackson, his best friend and Bianca's little brother had gotten into a fight with their class bully. It was weird, seeing as Nico had grown up fighting against monsters and his sisters, but Malcolm was fighting alongside him, just as well, if not better.
The substitute geography teacher stepped in and told all the boys to go the office. Hermes didn't stop her, or her little sisters, or Bianca from following after their brothers. He only nodded to them as they walked pass, Bianca upset and afraid, the younger Valdez sisters angry at their brother for wasting energy on mortals, and she was just grateful that no one got too hurt.
That didn't stop her parents for being angry at them for skipping their classes.
But once again, when she got home, Zoe Valdez prayed to Hermes for saving someone she cared deeply about.
The third time was when Esperanza told her about her feelings. And by feelings, she meant love life. Her sister had been confused about love since she was young and had come to a consensus when she was thirteen, stating that she was a lesbian in front of the whole family.
The whole family consisted of all the Valdez's and the Jackson's, as they were their other brother and sister.
Esperanza was only eight months younger than her, born two months early and even healthier than she had been at birth. But unlike her older sister, she had a love for girls instead of boys, not that anyone in the family cared.
Zoe had been working on a blueprint, a new war ship for camp, but her little sister had come into their shared room and leaned against her desk. Without thinking about it, she had opened her arms and allowed the younger girl to sit with her. Together they finished the blueprint, her sister finding and remembering new and old pieces from past inventions.
She kept her head on her sister's shoulder, even though they had such a small age gap; she was an inch and a half taller.
She didn't know they would always stay that way. Not even when she revealed to her that she was in love with one of their other sisters, Bianca Jackson.
Zoe almost started crying with her sister, but she couldn't let the tears fall.
She prayed to Aphrodite, begging for her sister to get a happy ending.
Not even a day later she realized that she prayed to the wrong Goddess. She had walked down the stairs to see her little sister kissing her best friend.
Then she watched as her best friend blotted out the door, not even bothering to grab her shoes.
She hadn't expected her sister to take the step she had, in her confused and depressed state, she pledged herself to a virgin Goddess.
She dropped to her knees and prayed to Artemis after her sister disappeared.
The next time was when her father left camp in her car, she knew something was wrong. She didn't expect for him to come back three hours later with Piper, the Jackson's, and two other boys that called themselves Chase.
The worst part though, the oldest Chase boy was cute. Floppy curly blonde hair, gray eyes with little flecks of green, and tan yet freckle California skin. He was strong, and smart, and funny, and an easy talker.
He got claimed by Athena, told his real name was Jackson, and told to go on a quest to save his parents in a matter of five minutes.
She prayed to the Gods that they come back successful from their quest, as she really didn't want the sweet grandson of Athena and Poseidon to die.
Then Bianca asked her to go on the quest, she prayed again to make sure they heard her plead.
She prayed every day for Bianca and her son of Hermes boyfriend, Nick, to get back safely. They went to the underworld to find a fallen soldier; they thought that the late Frank Zhang would be their answer.
Two weird and yet amazing Greek demigods going to the underworld to speak to a fallen Roman demigod and soldier.
She prayed for Hades to have mercy on them, she didn't want for her best friend and her boyfriend to be killed for trespassing in the underworld.
Zoe Valdez grew up praying to the Gods, she grew up with them in her life, and she never felt as if she was asking too much. The owed her, her parents, anyone that she ever met. She was a demigod yes, but that didn't mean that the Gods should ignore her.
She wasn't allowed to say no to the Gods, and she thought that she deserved the same respect. Though she never straight up demanded it like Bianca, or tricked them like Olivia.
Zoe only asked, and so the Gods gave her the respect that she deserved. As she only ever asked for help.