Forget me, Forget me not

Drew roamed around the city. She felt the need to escape camp for a while. She didn't know how much longer she could take this. The whispers about her. The eyes waiting for her to crack. Ignorance can only go so far. But Drew would do anything to make her mother proud. In her mind, her actions are reasonable. Very, actually. She was Aphrodite's Chiid. This was what an Aphrodite child does. Drew rounded the corner, bumping into someone.

"Watch where you're going!" She snapped.

The person she bumped into was frozen with shock. When Drew saw who she had encountered, she paled as well.

"Drew?" The muscular boy asked, astonished

"Nate…" Drew trailed

XxX

Jasmine opened Starlight's Diary. She twirled her pen, then wrote "We don't meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our paths for a reason."

Jasmine smiled sadly, remembering her best friend. If only R.I.P. meant Return if possible. She held the book close to her. It was the only thing she had that was a connection to Star. Jazz tucked the diary under her pillow and tried to fall asleep. Tired being the key word. She tried finding a way to get her friends back to the way it was before all the drama. Jasmine sighed. She checked the time on her iPod.

3:34

Way too early to be just lying in bed awake. She put on her track and field gear and made her way to the beach. She started sprinting along the shore, being careful not to get her Puma speed Cat sneakers wet. She plugged in her earphones to her iPod and put the volume all the way up, her ears hearing a familiar band that had blocked out the world. She started to feel the familiar sting in her legs and sides. Before she knew it, it was nearly breakfast. She sprinted back to her cabin. She realized it was still early. She went into the bathroom and iced her legs for a good 30 minutes. She took a hot shower for the next 20 minutes and got changed. She left the cabin with a mission and a new found determination.

XxX

Katie leaned into her boyfriend's arms. She savored his smell. An odd mixture of Axe and… strawberries?

"Travis, Why do you smell like strawberries?"

"Because you like strawberries"

Katie rolled her eyes, but smiled none the less. The couple heard a gag. They turned around and saw Connor leaning on one of the trees.

"What's your problem bro?" Travis asked

"My problem is that we could have been pranking, but no. You choose to hang out with your girlfriend"

Katie rolled her eyes once again. "Bitter much?"

"Shut it, Gardner. No one was talking to you" Connor snapped.

"Connor!" Travis scolded. "We already established that Nate is just a friend to Albany. Why are you still so jealous"

"I'M NOT JEAOUS" Connor screamed. "I'm confused"

"I think back to the meeting and i screamed words i didn't mean. But it wasn't 'Bitch' or the screaming that got to her, it was 'liar'. why?"

"Albany," Katie took in a deep breath. "She hasn't always been this way. She wasn't always nice or understanding. But she wasn't a liar. She hated them with a burning passion. Even the word itself can hurt her."

"What else don't i know about her? She hides so many damn secrets. I don't even feel like her boyfriend. Well, ex-boyfriend."

"She has trust issues. there aren't that many people that know the real her. And as brave as she seems. She's scared."

"Scared? of what?"

Katie looked at a scar under her watch. "herself" she whispered.

XxX

`Albany punched the dummy again. She was good with weapons, but Albany absolutely loved hand to hand combat. Albany tried to clear her head. All this drama. All this stress. In about 4 months, She will be crowned the Princess of Olympus. And in 4 months, she'll end up Prince-less. She couldn't tell Connor. Not after everything had gone down. She delivered a round house kick and just slumped.

"Nice Kick" she had heard. She lifted her head and just stared in front of her was none other than Connor Stoll.

"You okay?" he asked. Albany nodded, not trusting her voice. She got up and made her way back to the dummy. She just stood there.

"Can we talk?" Connor asked once again.

"You're talking" Albany responded.

"I'm sorry" Albany turned to face him. "I shouldn't have assumed. I just though… I don't know what I was thinking. All i know was that he made you happy. And i wanted to do that. I wanted to be the only guy who did that. And I'm sorry"

Albany stared at the figure in front of her. Finally, she came to a conclusion.

"Did Jasmine put you up to this?"

"Well…"

"Did she, or did she not"

"She did, but-"

"then keep your apology. I don't want it. Not if it's a lie"

"It's not a lie, Albany"

"Then why do you need her to force you to talk?"

"Because, i don't apologize easily. I'm not usually the person who says sorry."

"Do you know what you're sorry for?"

"For assuming that Nate-"

"No. I'm not mad about that anymore."

"Because I called you a lair…" he trailed.

"I'm a lot of things, Connor. But I am not and never will be a lair"

"What happened? Why is that such a trigger word for you?"

"I can't tell you."

"Again with the secrets?!"

"They are secrets for a reason."

"Can't you just tell me? Even just a small part of it?"

"drop it, Connor"

"Not until you tell me"

"Connor-"

"Please Albany"

"Connor, just drop it!"

"Just tell me!"

"SILENCE" There was a certain ring in that tone that made Connor stop talking, against his will. When Albany realized what she had done, her face paled. "Vetoed decision" She said once again in the same tone, yet quieter.

"What just-"

"Nothing happened. You remember nothing" Albany spoke in that tone again. "Now leave" Connor did exactly as told, yet all against his will. It was like… She hypnotized him.

XxX

Jasmine led Casey to the beach. Away from Malcom. Away from the alcohol. And away from her cabin.

"What are we doing here?" Casey asked

"I'm not gonna let one of my best friends mope around in self pity. Since when did our biggest complication surround around boys?"

"Easy for you to say, you already have a boyfriend. And you're twelve"

"Well, you didn't see me moping around when i didn't have one."

"Actually if i remember correctly, you were quite bitter when Nico-"

"Okay, that's besides the point. Today is just me and you. Just like the good ol'days"

"You mean the days when i had the on-again off-again thing with Jessie?"

"Stop thinking about him! Come on, Case. He's not worth it."

"Can you stop saying that! It's easier said than done. I don't know why but after all he's done to me…"

"You're still hung up on him. He's your first love. I understand that. But thinking about it twenty-four seven is not healthy. It's not health to be so hung up on the past just because you bumped into your ex-boyfriend."

That was the thing with Jasmine. She doesn't sugar coat things. She says it as it is.

"How exactly are you going to bring me out of this?"

"The way only I know how. The fun way"

For the remaining day, Casey and Jasmine had their fun. Jasmine and Casey enjoyed their time together. They went to the beach. They hung out in the forrest for a while . They even did a little pranking for a while. And for that day, not once did Casey think of Jessie. And for that night, for the first time in weeks, Casey got through a night without getting completely wasted. Who knew that all it took was a little girl time with her little girl.

XxX

Nico and Malcom watched their gils enjoy their fun. Nico smiled at Jasmine's happiness. As long as his girl was happy, then so was he.

Malcom was a different story. He watched Casey with longing. With admiration. With want. Anyone could see how much this guy wanted Casey. Hearing Casey constantly babble and complain about another guy was upsetting for Malcolm. But hearing her sobs at night when she thought no one was around was just heartbreaking. No one deserved what Casey is going through. Her self-esteem plummeted. Her faith in herself was also tainted. Casey simply was not the same anymore. But seeing her with Jasmine. He reminded himself that, there was hope. She was still there.

XxX

"Nate?"

"Drew"

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know. Just walking around. Hanging around. What about you?"

"Oh just shopping." Drew flushed. She wanted to cover up. She didn't want Nate to see her like this. Anyone but Nate.

"So, how have you been? It's been, what 3 years?"

"Four actually" Drew admitted. She blushed. "So, what are you doing in Manhattan?"

"My friend, Jessie, wanted to leave the island for a while. After Starlight, his sister, died, he just wanted to get away for a while. And his parents won't let him go without me. So hows the demigod life treating you?"

"It's… nice" She grimaced at the end, hoping that Nate didn't notice.

"That's nice. Hows your mom?"

"She's good. She talks all the time about her work"

"it's nice that she has time for you."

"Oh yeah. All the time."

"Great. now the truth" He gave her his 'spill-it' look.

"I wish i was never this …er… 'special'. I wish i was a mortal, with a normal life. One where my mom actually talked daily. Where my siblings actually like me. Where i don't have to fight for my life. One where i don't disappoint everyone. One where i don't put every single person's life i care about at risk of death. One where i don't come in second place." She admitted to the only person who could ever understand her more that herself.

"Drew, i understand you've had a hard life. But you need to understand. You were given this life for a reason. Being a mortal, having a normal life… it's boring. I've had my most fun with my friends who are 'special'. And you didn't disappoint everyone. You didn't disappoint me. You didn't disappoint Albany. You didn't disappoint lady Aphrodite."

"Yes, i did. Nate, i saw that look she gave me. That look of utter disappointment. And for 4 years, she has never contacted me. For 4 years, she has never spoken me. Still think she's not disappointed?"

"She'll come around."

"How do you not hate me? I almost killed you."

"But you didn't"

"But-"

"But nothing. Thanks to you, I'm a full fledged member of the warriors of Olympus"

"Almost killing you in the process?"

"I have to go through that all the time"

"And that's supported to make me feel better?!"

"It's supposed to stop making you be so hard on yourself. It was a simple mistake. It could have happen to anyone"

"But it didn't just happen to anyone. It happened to me. To you. To us"

"And it just makes you stronger than you already were. Stop thinking in the past and just relax"

"Easier said than done"

"I don't know. It can be pretty easy"

"Oh yeah? How?"

"Meet me here tomorrow at 4 and you'll see."

"Deal"

"Great it's a date" He left giving her a wink . Drew smiled and made her way back to camp.

Both teenagers had the same thought 'finally'

XxX

A/N: Here it is! i tried to put it up as soon as i could. I hope you like it. Oh and i put up a poll on who Casey should be with. And I also uploaded a story earlier, that was originally going to be one-shots on things before/during/ after the stories are being written, but i decided to just keep the one-shots separate. And i'm officially on Summer Break! So my next chappie should come up a bit faster. Do me a big favor and comment what you like, don't like, or any suggestions for this story. And i would love it if you voted in my poll or read my one-shot as well.

-DeanDean