"You're kidding me, right?" She asked, dumbfounded. Chiron sat in his wheel chair in front of her, his face trying to hide a mask of pain.
"I'm so sorry, Lexi." He said, reaching for her hand. She pulled it back abruptly, and Chiron could plainly see the ring on her right hand, the golden amber Luke had given her before he turned.
Chiron watched her carefully, watching as the walls the Daughter of Apollo usually threw up were sharply crumbling. "Alexa, you know he loved you."
"It wasn't enough." She softly whispered, the crisp tears falling out of her sharp blue eyes. Her mascara ran as if it was a river down her cheek. "After the quest… he wasn't exactly the same. He'd make snide remarks about the gods, and would look up at the sky as if he expected Zeus himself to strike him down."
"You couldn't have prevented it." Chiron said soothingly, secretly pleased that her first reaction wasn't to run after him.
She shook her head, her golden hair falling into her face. She looked down at her Camp Half Blood shirt, and the necklace with the four years of beads on her necklace. She fingered them gently, a small smile on her face, thinking of all the fond memories that went with them. She laughed through her tears.
"What?" Chiron asked, confused by the Daughter of Apollo's apparent mood shift.
"Luke," She said, sighing. "Luke said he never had a family here. That's bull shit. We were his family." She paused, sighing as she gently removed the golden band with the amber stone. "Chiron, please understand why I'm leaving."
Chiron cocked his head. "Why?"
"I don't think I can bare living every day of my life here at camp, without Luke. We're both sixteen, old enough to be making our own choices."
"And yours is?" Chiron asked, fearing for the worst. She laughed at his pained expression.
"I'm not joining his cause!" Lexi exclaimed, standing up. "No, I'm going away. This is a war I don't want to be a part of until it's absolutely necessary. When it's time, you can send whoever with my ring, proving that it really is you."
She stood up, and sighed, looking at Chiron. "Chiron, I want to thank you, you've always been a father towards me."
Chiron nodded, biting back tears. "May the gods be with you, Alexis."
She turned, walking out the door. "And with you, Chiron."
Annabeth walked on Broadway, down 51st street, and made her way into the Starbucks where Lexi had instructed her to meet her. Under Chiron's instructions she had e-mailed the senior in college telling her it was time for her to come back to camp.
Shockingly, Lexi had agreed compared to every other time Annabeth had pleaded with the girl to come back. She instructed the younger girl to meet her in the corner of the Starbucks. She also said to bring no one else along, unless it was Thalia, and to bring her weapon because it'd be stupid not to.
She walked into the café, instantly spotting the daughter of Apollo in the corner on her Mac. Her golden hair was in a poofed ponytail with two golden hoops and her makeup was soft, different from her striking black she used to wear. She wore a pair of leather jeggings and a blue and black zebra striped shirt.
"Hello, Annabeth." She said, not looking up from her mac as Annabeth slid into the seat across from her. She tossed Lexi her golden ring.
"Lexi?" Annabeth asked, staring at the older girl. Something had definitely changed within the four years since she's been gone. The carefree light that used to be in her eyes was gone, replaced by a more cold and calculated stare.
"Yes?" She asked as she picked up the golden ring. Lexi ran a finger over the gem, realizing how truly long it's been since she's seen it. She put it on her right ring finger, marveling how it still fit. "If your question is whether I'm coming back with you to camp, then yes, yes I am."
"Why wait so long then, if you planned this whole time to come back and fight against him?"
Lexi raised her eyebrows. "Annie, try putting yourself in my shoes. Luke left me the day before our fourth year anniversary because he believed the gods were worse than the Titans. I decided that I didn't want to face him straight after him leaving me. I wanted to give myself enough time as possible. So, I had to leave. But now, I'm back and ready to win."
Annabeth nodded. "Are you ready then?"
She nodded. "Yeah, but I'm sure those dracaenas don't want us to leave without either a.) them killing us, or b.) us killing them." Lexi said, pointing her fingers toward two dracaenas who waltzed in through the door.
"How bout c? You two sit down and talk with me, and we can resolve this." A boy said in the shadows, stepping out. He wore black camouflage jeans, a black tee-shirt, and a black Fox hat covering his eyes. "I think that's the option we're going for." He said as Lexi put her body between Annabeth and the three who were advancing on the two girls. Annabeth had drawn her knife, and Lexi held a hunting knife that she pulled from her black boot.
"Annabeth, the door is behind you. Just slowly back through it, and if any of them try to follow, I'll get them. Tell Chiron that I'll be down as soon as I can make it."
"Lexi-"
"Go." Lexi said, staring at Luke with a mixture of hurt and fear. She hoped that neither of them could hear the cracks her voice made. "I'll meet up with you later."