Coal brushed her long black hair slowly, trying to saver the soft stroking. It was an early morning attempt to keep herself sane. She fought the erge every day to scream out the hurt feelings she had, she would only kill everyone who heard her. She sighed as she pulled away from the mirror and dropped the brush onto the table. She breathed in the smell of black cherries, and ran to her huge bed that had a black conforter and mosiqto netting over the top and drapped over the side. She was the only child of Eris there.

BANG BANG BANG

"Coal? Are you in there? I have to tell you something-" yelled Clarisse as she threw open the heavy black wood door. It slammed closed, the sound echoing threw the big room.

"Gosh Coal it's dark in here." she muttered, flicking on a table lamp. She flopped over and looked up at Clarisse.

"Leave." she sighed.

"No. Today is chariot racing and your on my team." Clarisse insisted

"No" she replied

"Come on Coal just because you don't like people doesn't mean you become a shut in..." she laughed at her.

Coal got up angrily and stomped over to her. She was much taller than her, and she looked down on Clarisse with a fierce expression.

"Leave my room NOW!" she yellled, almost causing Clarrise to faint with it's intensity.

"Fine. Be a little brat. Won't do you any good in life." she responded, slamming the door shut with her exit. Coal sighed. All was quiet once again. She pouted and sat down on her bed, clearly flustered. Clarisse never stopped trying to recrute Coal as a passenger in the chariot races. Coal would never let Clarisse get close to her- or anybody in the Ares cabin for that matter. She only was friends with Noelle from Hestia's cabin, and even that, was an unsteady friendship that needed rekindling. Coal only was friends with Noelle for probably a week before she noticed they were getting to close.

She grabbed a black sweatshirt and threw it on, because even though the borders protected from snow, it still got friggen freezing! She slunk by the houses, trying not get caught by anyone. She climbed a sturdy vine on the Demeter house and climbed onto the roof, where she easily jumped from cabin to cabin. When she was finally on the warm brown roof of Hestia cabin she ran and jumped off the front of it, landing on the doorstep. She quickly whipped around and quietly creaked open the brown thick wooden door until she could slide in.

Hestia's cabin was pleasent and smelled wonderful- of turkey and mashed potatoes and other warm hearty foods. The walls and floor were cover in dark wood, except the floor had homey carpets on them. There was two Queen beds shoved up against a wall, and a dressed across from them. An younger girl, around 13, with long, dark chocolate brown hair and honey gold melting eyes was sitting at a desk, staring at a computer screen. Coal couldn't help but feel the resemblence she had to Livi stinging her heart. She remembered how Livi's eyes were distinctly blue though, and she let those sad thoughts drift away from her.

"I knew you would come to see me someday."

"I don't want conciling , I just wanna, well, talk to somebody okay?" she peeked at the sight Noelle was on. "Better homes and gardens?"

"I know how to sew, knit, and crochet very well now, I've been practicing." she sad cooly jestering to a crimson knitted blanket around her shoulders. "I like helping others learn. Making your own linens just make home more, homey." she said dreamily.

She exd out of the sight and turned the computer off, turning around so she could get up. She slowly walked over to a fireplace that held a dieing fire. She threw in a log and it exploded, causing the fire to rage. She kept on making her way threw the room until she sat around a little campfire set up in the middle of the room. She sat down cozily criss-cross apple sauce onto the floor with Coal who circled around to the other side. The floor was warmer than Coal guessed it would be but it was hard and her bum hurt. Noelle seemed perfectly fine though and started the conversation.

"How are you Coal Raey?"

"You seem like your doing well." she added when Coal popped some gum into her mouth and started shewing it noisily. Noelle's eyes started glowing with annoyence when she didn't answer. She saw this and spit it out, putting the abc gum back in it's wrapper.

"Great. Except for the fact Clarisse won't leave me alone." Noelle nodded understanding.

"She is a determined one isn't she? You should just keep on ignoring her, or just tell her you like to keep the peace." she answered sadly as she turned on the radio next to her, and a John Lennon song was on.

"Today's the anniversery of his death you know." Coal spit out.

"I KNOW WHEN HE DIED!" Noelle snapped at her, the fire in front of her growing. She calmed down though and started to cry.

"I'm sorry. Your not the only one who has gone mad from being alone for so long." she remarked. Coal felt a knot of guilt tying in her stomache. Her friend had been lonely to.

"He's my stepbrother. My only sibling." she said, trying to get back to the subject.

"Hestia had another child?"

"Yep, there's only been two of us in existence you know. He was such an inspiration to everyone, even mortals. If only I could be the same way!" Her lip quivered, and suddenly she was sobbing,covering her soaking face with her hands. Coal crawled over to where Noelle was and put her arm around her, rocking them slowly back in forth to a stream of peaceful tunes that belonged to her stepbrother.

"How odd that even minor demigods have such a big effect" Coal whispered to herself.

"Maybe we could someday" she heard a small voice croak.


More coming soooooooon... Remember- Review or give me a cupcake! or both if you want to make me REALLY happy... :)

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