I stand over Luke's journal, tears pouring down my face, knowing that I will never see him again. He only betrayed the gods because he was so hurt-he didn't mean any harm. I watch my tears stain the pages of his journal. "Luke," I whisper, "I-I miss you." I go to Artemis and resign from being a hunter. She frowns, but I know that she understands.
I find my old stuff buried in the back of Zeus' cabin when I get to Camp Half-blood. I slip on my old gray T-shirt from years back, the one that Luke and Annabeth signed when we were on the run. They wrote them when I was a tree. I have the notes memorized.
Thalia,
I miss you. How are you doing? Oh, right you're a tree. I love you, Thalia. I have since the day we met. I hope we can meet again one day, even if it's in Elysium, if I get there. You're the best friend I've ever had. The time I spent as your friend was the best few years of my life.
Yours truly,
Luke
Thalia,
you're like a sister to me. You're a great friend and you make being a half-blood awesome. I miss you.
Love,
Annabeth
I remember when I saw Luke at the edge of the world, when we were at Atlas' place. As he fell off of the side of the crevice, he screamed, "You never spent a full year at camp, so you don't have a necklace. Have this!" He threw a leather strap with clay beads on it at me. I wore it every day after that, even when I became a hunter. It reminded me of him.
Now, I finger the necklace and cry. I run to the Hermes cabin. "Where's Luke's stuff, Travis?!" I snap. He looks startled. "Thalia? What are you doing here?" "Doesn't matter! What did you do with it? I know Hermes is the god of thieves and trickery, but you didn't sell Luke's pictures and stuff, did you?" He blinks. "Back closet," he mutters.
I grab a blue backpack out of the closet and run back to the Zeus cabin. I dump the contents onto the floor. I see a pack of oreos, an orange camp T-shirt, a pair of winged-sneakers, and four pictures. One is of him and me when we first met. His hair is jaw-length and he wears a blue shirt. My hair is spiked and I wear all-black. We are taking our own picture and laughing.
The second picture is one that he took of me and Annabeth. It's during a rain storm. My spikey hair is matted down with water and it is chin-length, while black makeup pours down my face and I am wrapped in a blue blanket that covers my black clothing. It's one of the only pictures that I've ever been wearing something colorful in. Annabeth wears an oversized, soaking-wet yellow hoodie and pajama pants. Her hair is stuck to her face. We are both hugging for warmth and laughing.
The third picture is of Annabeth eating a piece of pizza with olives on it. She is ducking away from the camera and laughing.
The fourth picture is of his mom smiling and holding him as a baby.
I hear a knock on my cabin door. "Come in," I mumble. I gasp when I see who it is. It's a guy-he's tall with a blond buzz-cut. He wears an orange T-shirt and blue jeans. "I didn't die," he whispers. "The achilles thing went away, and I was unconcious for a while, but I'm alive. I'm really sorry." I give him a huge hug. "Shut up and kiss me already," I whisper teasingly, and he kisses me. I've never been so happy in my life.