Chapter 4

I walked past everyone, ignoring them, choosing to focus on my music. I walked without thinking, and ended up in front of the woods. I smiled. I actually enjoyed going into the woods by myself.

I walked in, and jogged to my favorite spot. It was a small little meadow, shaded by numerous trees, and hidden from anyone who was just walking by. Only someone who was actually looking for me would find me.

I walked to the middle of the middle, where a large rock was sitting. I laid across it, and smiled. It was so quiet…it was peaceful, really. No stares, no bullies, no exes. Just me and music.

A new song began to play. It was one of my new favorites. I closed my eyes, and listened.

"Here we go!

Holding on to lies, holding on to ties that vanished

Cut the rope, and fall into the sky

The Devil filled our minds with sadness

The world's a gun, and I've been aiming all my life

Got something to live for, I know that I won't surrender,

A warrior of youth!

I'm taking over, a shot to the new world order

I am bulletproof!

(I am bulletproof)

(I am bulletproof)

(I am bulletproof)

Here I go!

Another prison flight

Another perfect sky I damage

Now I know, just who created life

And why I set my sights to save it.

The world's a gun, and I've been aiming all my life

Got something to live for, I know that I won't surrender,

A warrior of youth!

I'm taking over, a shot to the new world order

I am bulletproof!

And as they take their final breath,

I have built the truth

I'm taking over, a shot to the new world order

I am bulletproof!"

(Bulletproof! )

(I am bulletproof! )

About in the middle of the song, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Mentally sighing, I pressed pause on my ipod, and opened my eyes.

It was Percy.

"Never mind," I grumbled, pressing play.

I saw Percy frown, and then he ripped my freaking earphones out.

I irritably sat up. "Give me back my earphones Perseus!" I demanded.

"You shouldn't listen to your music that loud. It'll hurt your ears. I could hear it myself." Percy advised.

"Well, aren't you the smart one now?" I said sarcastically. "Too bad you couldn't have acted smart a year ago." My words had the desired effect. First he looked shocked, then hurt, then angry.

"Look Alice," he began.

I interrupted, "I actually don't care anymore. You were a sucky boyfriend, anyway. But I am going to say how supremely stupid it was of you. Listen to my words: I don't care about you. You ruined my freaking life, and turned half the campers against me. Annabeth hates me because of you. So was it really worth it? Now, I've said my piece, gimme my earphones." I held out my hand.

"Is that all you care about, Alice? Your music and earphones?" he asked, annoyed.

"Hmm, let me think…" I tapped my fingers on my chin. "Apart from Nico and Thalia, yes, that's all I care about. Sorry if you were expecting me to say no, and that I cared about you, but get over yourself. I don't like you anymore." I said bluntly.

"Alice, listen to me. STOP!" he yelled when he saw me open my mouth to speak. "I'm talking right now. I haven't interrupted you, so you can politely listen to me." He said.

I frowned, and listened to him.

"As I was saying, I came to talk to you. I saw the way you looked at me…" he said.

"That was the point…" I muttered quietly.

He narrowed his eyes, but continued speaking. "I saw the way you looked at me. You had a flashback, didn't you." He didn't say it as a question. He had merely stating it, and was waiting for me to confirm it.

I nodded.

"Which memory?" he pressed.

"Why does it matter?" I asked.

"I may be your ex, and you may hate me, but I do want to be your friend." He said pleadingly.

"The one where we broke up." I said, leaving out as many details as possible. No one except for Thalia and Nico knew about me trying to end my life.

"You're leaving something out." Percy said as though he read my mind.

"Why does it matter to you?" I snapped. "It's my life. Stay out of it. You decided a long time ago that I wasn't worth your time, anyways." With that I got up, snatched my earphones, and ran head on into a tree, disappearing into blackness.

A minute later, I walked out of the wall in my cabin. I had just shadow traveled. I honestly wasn't quite sure why I hated Percy so much. I just had so many mixed emotions towards him. Hatred, hurt, jealousy, and yes, I still liked him a bit. And I hated him for all of these reasons. Over the last year, I had formed a wall. I tried my best not to feel emotion for people that I cared about. The only people that have been able to get past my wall have been Thalia and Nico. And yet still, I get worried that one day Thalia will start believing the rumors surrounding me, and stop hanging out with me. I hated myself for it. I wished I could be more social, be normal but of course, that's not how life works.

I sighed sadly, wishing I could go back to the days when I was happy, and everyone adored me. And yet, I also liked the way things are now. This way, I actually know who my real friends are.

Ugh. I'm so confused. I thought as I sighed unhappily. I pulled out my won earphones.

Are a little over half the songs on my Ipod Black Veil Brides? Yes. But I do have other stuff on here, too. Like Coldplay, Greenday, Ramones, and one song by All American Rejects. I had all kinds of stuff. The total amount of songs on my trusty ipod was 500, last time I checked.

I flipped through, until a song, by the Ramones. I made it to the chorus, and started singing along.

"Well I just wanna walk right out

Of this world.

'Cause everybody's got

A poison heart.

A poison Heart.

Yeah!"

(A/N sorry if the lyrics are not completely correct. They're from memory, and it's been awhile…and I can't check, because as I write this chapter on Word, my internet's out. So, sorry if the lyrics are incorrect.)

After a minute, I got kinda bored with the song, and started flipping through songs again.

Gives you Hell came on. I freaking loved that song. It was so fun to sing along to, and dance to, and listen to. So, of course, I hit play.

"When you walk my way, hope it gives you hell, hope it give you hell. When you see my face, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell!" I chanted.

(Again, sorry if lyrics are incorrect. Writing songs from memory here.)

I continued to listen to music, and then there was a knock at my door. I paused the song.

"I swear to god, if it's freaking percy again…" I muttered. Just in case, I stuffed my ipod and earphones under my pillow.

When I opened the door, it wasn't Percy. Or Thalia. Or Nico.

It was a boy.

"Um, do I know you?" I asked in confusion. He had light brown hair, black eyes, and tan skin.

"Um, well no, but, see, your pretty, and no one wants to go to the fireworks with me, and um, well, I was wondering, if, well, you know, you'd like to go with, well, you know, me?" he stuttered.

I stared at him in shock for a moment. "Um.." I said.

The boy nodded. "I figured as much." He muttered, and started to walk away.

"N-no, wait! You just surprised me!" I called.

He turned around, and walked back to me, slightly hopeful.

"Oh. Sorry, Alice, isn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah." I nodded.

"Yeah, everyone talks about you…you don't have to go to the fireworks with me, I just wanna get to know you, so I can have my own opinion. Aphrodite girls aren't always…er…accurate." He said.

"Yeah, that's true." I repeated. I frowned. "Whats your name, by the way?"

"Tanner. I'm kinda new. Got here a month ago. Apollo kid." He summed himself up in about 3 sentences.

"Ok, well, we should hang out sometime." I agreed.

"Nice meeting you, Alice." He waved, and walked away again.

I grinned, and walked back inside. Tanner seemed really nice. But you never knew. And actually, although I was ashamed of this, if I did go to the fireworks, it would be with someone that both Percy and Annabeth would hate to see me with.

As I picked up my Ipod, and was about to hit play, there was another knock at my door.

I stood up again once more, and opened the door. "Oh, hey Connor. Come in, come in." I invited him in.

He jogged in at once, and sat down on my bed.

"So watcha need? Pranking advice? Supplies?" I assumed.

"No, for once, actually not." He grinned.

I raised my eyebrow and smiled. "Then watcha need?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the fireworks with me?" he asked casually.

I laughed. "Who knew I was this popular? Um, well, I actually wasn't planning on going, but I'll let you know if I change my mind, kay Stoll?" I said.

He grinned. "Sure. Thanks Alice." He bopped my head as he jogged past me out my cabin. Had it been anybody else, I would have turned into a Pinja. (Pirate Ninja combined. All credit goes to Andy Biersack for coming up with it.) But Connor and I had been doing that since we were kids, so it was kinda a tradition by now.

Over the next 10 minutes, 5 boys came to ask me. All of which I wasn't even going to consider going with. There were 2 from Ares, who flirted with me constantly, and touched my face, and waist too much, a boy from Iris that was nice, but I wasn't interested in, another from Apollo, who also was nice, but slightly annoying, a boy from Dionysus, but all he talked about was food and wine, and finally, much to my surprise, a boy from Aphrodite. He was very cute, but I also caught him staring lovingly at his reflection on my black tile floor. He also flipped his hair a lot, which was annoying, and commented on how I could fix my makeup, and clothes, and how if I didn't look so emo that I might actually have a shot at being pretty. Obviously, I turned him down.

I finally got to continue listening to my music, without any more boys asking me to the fireworks. I actually hadn't realized so many boys would consider me, the freak, the outcast, the loner as a date to the fireworks.

I wondered how, and who to pick.

A/N: Sooo watcha thinkkk? Who should Alice go with? Will it be Tanner? Or Connor, maybe? I was actually considering Luke, because Percy doesn't really like him that much, and it might make Annabeth jealous…dramaaaa. But, yeah, lemme know if you had a camper in mind. Or if you think I should make an OC. Apologies: Possible Incorrect Lyrics, sucky chapter, and slightly OOC Percy.