Hiya, guys... So, I know I said I'd update but... THAT WAS A LIE! I AM A BIG FAT LIAR! I APOLOGIZE FOR MY LACK OF CHAPTERS! So... Uh, happy new year! *nervous smile* I am working on this one AND a couple others, one of which I posted and doesn't suck! :) okay, anyway, the moment you've all not been waiting for at all, CHAPTER FOUR!
"You're kidding," Nikki said.
I just shook my head. "I-that is weird."
"You don't say!" she shouted angrily. "She left me for your dad and you!"
"If it makes you feel better, my dad's dead and she hates me."
"How the Hades is that supposed to make me feel better?" Nikki screamed. "She left me for someone who's dead and didn't come back when she only had someone she hates."
"I would've been alone and maybe-"
"I was alone! When I left for Camp I was with some foster parents who were ready to send me back, and I just left without any second glances. That's what all of us were: rejects. Fosters. Hated. Nobody cared about us!"
I gulped. By "us" did she mean her dead friends...?
"I can't believe I ever trusted her! I should've known she was going to leave me just like everybody else! Everyone, even-"
Just like that, she froze. Her mouth hung open, as if she was considering taking a deep breath but didn't. Then, she snapped her mouth closed and she stared at her feet.
"What? What is it?" I asked quietly, afraid of another burst of anger.
"Nothing, kid. That one was on me."
"Why do you keep doing that? You're completely alone, and it'll drive you mad! Haven't you read Of Mice and Men? Crooks-"
"Kid, I'm not some freaky nerd who's read everything! Gods, Annabeth is going to have a ball with you."
"Who is Annabeth? Who are your friends that you keep saying you left? Why don't you just trust me?!"
"I already told you, the last person I trusted died!"
"I don't care!" I retorted. I was sick and tired of this girl thinking she was the only person in the world with problems. I had zero friends in school, zero friends outside of school, and zero family members that cared about me.
"Well... Why not?" She asked quietly. "There's always something to live for."
"Not for me!" I yelled, still upset and worked up.
"I wish I had nothing to live for," she whispered more quietly still. "I just can't let go of the past. I can't let go of him. I wish I could... maybe then things would end for once."
The way she talked, wishing she could give up on life, made me feel horrible.
"No you don't. The whole 'lonely' routine sucks," I comforted, moving to stand next to her.
She looked at me.
"This conversation sucks. Tell me a story."
"What?"
"A story. Like, about yourself. A good memory."
I paused. I didn't have many good memories, especially since I didn't really remember my dad. I mulled over what few things I had liked about my life, and picked the simplest one.
"Well, life with Cilicia sucked. She asked me the same question every day just so it wasn't awkwardly silent in the mornings. We listened to static on the way to school, since the radio in our car didn't work. We could never agree on music, anyway. I got bullied in school, she'd pick me up at the end of the day, and we'd ride back home in silence. She didn't question the bruises and blood.
"There was just one thing that made me know she didn't hate me. The one thing that helped me remember she wasn't completely ignoring me." I smiled at how silly it seemed. "I like a specific cereal, and that cereal only. And I hate it with milk." I looked over at Nikki to see a surprised expression on her face.
"Same here."
I laughed a little. "Looks like we can say we're brother and sister." I paused. "I always wondered what it'd be like to have a sister."
Nikki spoke. "Okay, my turn for a story. It's kind of long, though.
"It starts out with four friends-a daughter of Athena, a son of Hermes, a satyr, and a daughter of Zeus..."
She went on to tell me all about the stories of Camp Half-Blood. She described the Second Titan War and Percy Jackson's bravery, skill, and pure luck. She told me about his friends, a satyr named Grover and his girlfriend, Annabeth. She told about her own friends and their betrayal and sacrifice, and finally ended with Nico and her curse.
"So, that's basically it. That's my story."
I stayed quiet, the little gears in my head turning like crazy.
"I think... I think I know how to break your curse."
Again, took me forever, but I'm trying to update! It's just not working out as it should... I blame the endless games and ifunny. I should be blaming school but that would be a lie... Also, this thing is short. I'm posting the next one very, very, very times 100 soon! I just need to write it first...
-Ninja