I know, that was fast.

Disclaimer: I own Alexandra and Justin.

Everything I am writing is inspired by Rick's stories.

Also, the business card is a copy of Grover's in The Lightning Thief.

Chapter 2: I Walk Home With A Guy I Just Met

On June 21st – my 13th birthday, which also turned out to be the last day of school – I went to school to finish cleaning out my locker and spend another day closed off in my little bubble when Justin – THE Justin Lake – came up to talk to me.

"Hey. Alexandra, right?" he said nervously.

"Right. And you're…" I pretended like I didn't know his name.

"Justin. Justin Lake. We have history class together. And math. And English. AND science."

"Right, sorry." I felt my face turn red. How could I be so dumb? I was SUPPOSED to know his name and pretended like I didn't. The conversation had come to a stop, so I decided to say, "You can call me Alex, you know."

Justin smiled. He looked like he wanted to say something, but I was finishing to pack up and needed to get home, so I suggested, "Walk with me?"

He agreed and as we made our way out the main doors of the school, I couldn't help but notice his curly blond hair bouncing around his face. He looked a little older than me, with blue-gray eyes. He was leaner than most guys in my classes and wasn't really muscular but in a way, that was better. He looked like the kind of guy who enjoyed taking long walks and taking in his surroundings. Unlike most guys, he looked like he actually cared. We were walking in the street now and I could almost see him flinch every time someone threw a candy wrapper or plastic bag on the ground, which was extremely often in New York. He had a limp, but he'd always had and it was kind of a trait to his personality.

"Do you walk home every day?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Does it ever get cold?"

I shrugged. "Not really."

"You know, I've known you for two whole years and this is the first time I'm actually talking to you. You're awfully quiet."

"Yeah, well… Trying to stay out of trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"You'd think I'm crazy if I told you."

He looked me straight in the eye. "Try me."

I sighed. "Weird things keep happening to me. Well, not exactly to me, but to people around me. No one ever blames me because I'm too quiet, but I know it has something to do with me, or at least my presence. Also, I feel like every time I say something, people feel obliged to listen. If I ask for something, they start running to be the first one to grant my wish. If I'd let them, they'd bow at my feet and polish my shoes with their own spit. I'm not even kidding. It's weird, and I hate it. If I stay quiet, people stop treating me like a queen and just go on ignoring me. I like it better that way."

"Not me."

"What?"

"I don't act as if your wishes were my command."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Do you know why? Why they treat you like that, I mean."

"My dad's rich. But almost everyone at this school is rich. Still, it's my best guess."

"Hmm…" Justin muttered pensively.

"What?"

"What what?"

I laughed. "You're looking at me as if I was an impossible Rubix Cube."

He laughed too. "Close enough."

We walked in silence for a few minutes before we got to my house.

"That would be my stop."

"Right. Well, thanks for walking with me, and Alexandra–"

"Alex."

"Alex. If you ever need to talk," He handed me a business card. "This is where I live during the summer. Don't hesitate to find me if something's wrong."

"Thanks. Have a nice summer."

I watched as he walked away, but I didn't go home right away. I sat on a park bench and looked at the card he had given to me. It said in fancy lettering:

Justin Lake

Keeper

Half-Blood Hill

Long Island, New York

(800) 009-0009

Oh! Who/what is Justin?! PM me if you guessed!

Sorry, short chapter. I WILL make my others longer.