Leaving

TERRA

I wake up in the Hermes cabin. Everyone else had left to go to their cabins, even Leslie's mother had a cabin. My dad was fading and they didn't even have a cabin for him. I sigh. Johnathan comes into the cabin after Mike lets him in. He hugs me.

"I'll Iris Message you everyday." He says. I smile. "And tell Anna about that thing. She might be able to relate now since Leo pretty much did to her that same thing."

I giggle a little.

"I'll tell her and Blair. Maybe they can help me get over it. But... one question. Who's your godly parent?" I ask.

"Don't laugh."

"Promise."

"My mother is Demeter. The goddess of agriculture and cereal."

"Demeter. The goddess of agriculture?"

"And cereal. Can't forget the cereal."

I giggle at him. Not because of his parent, but because of him. His humor. It was the only thing that kept me alive when I was dealing with my mother. I squeeze his back tighter and he releases the hug.

LESLIE

I sit side by side with Leo. I'm already ready for the quest but not everyone else is. He sits silently as do I.

"Leo.."

"Yeah?"

"Were you being honest... when you said that our friendship wasn't a lie?"

"Yeah, our friendship was real."

I smile.

"So, we're still best friends? No matter what?"

"No matter what."

I smile and lean on his shoulder.

"Who's your godly parent? I never asked and I don't know too much about Greek Mythology."

"Hephaestus, god of the forges."

"So that's why you're like a walking bonfire?" I ask.

He chuckles and I feel his body move with his laughter.

BLAIR

It's the first time in what seems like forever that I get to see Sara. I hug her, allowing the smell of her dark, curly brown hair to engulf me. It's hard to believe that we were around each other for so long but I could never guess that she wasn't normal.

Then again, I couldn't realize that I wasn't normal, either.

Sara releases the hug and I start crying. She has tears coming from her eyes as well. For two years, almost, I've never left Sara's side for more than a day. Now, I had to be without my best friend for God knows how long. I wipe my eyes quickly. She sniffles.

"You be careful out there, understand?" Sara asks.

"I promise."

"Swear it. Swear it on the river Styx that you'll be careful."

Sara had always said this before coming here, but I never understood it. Not until now.

"I, Blair Audrey Johnson, swear it upon the river Styx that I'll be careful on my quest." I say.

Sara smiles.

"You know," Sara says, looking at her nails. "I'm not a demigod. I'm a water nymph. It was hard as Hades to be away from water for so long but thank the gods we had a clear stream behind our house."

I giggle a little and hug her.

CAMERON

Roger, my metaphorically speaking little brother, sits beside me. He's crying.

"Promise to come back soon, Cam." He begs.

"I will, little Satyr." I laugh. I'd already found out he was a Satyr when I went to the Athena cabin and met Grover Underwood, anther Satyr.

"I'm serious."

"I know this, Cloves."

"Hey, you say my last name like it's bad."

"It's not bad, Roger. I just like it."

He chuckles.

"How dangerous can quests be?" I ask.

"Let's just hope this one won't be dangerous at all. You need to promise to come back, safe and healthy. And in one piece."

"I pinkie swear."

I latch my pinkie on to his and squeeze it.

KADEN

It's hard to see Mike as the serious heroic guy. Every time I look at him I see that laughing boy running around the school in his underwear and socks. But him killing that giant and saving me in that same outfit... well, it'd proven to me that just because you don't look heroic doesn't mean you aren't.

Mike is one of the bravest people I know.

"So... your dad is Hermes?" I ask. "God of thieves and travelers? What kind of awesome powers do you have?"

"Well, besides my stunning good looks, humor and total charm, I can pick-pocket like a pro and I'm a fast runner."

I giggle.

"Your fastness really saved me."

"Yeah. I'm just glad I heard you."

"Me, too."

Without even realizing it, we'd been moving closer. Our faces were so close, we were sharing breaths. I don't move away, though, and neither does he. We just stare into each other's eyes. His serpent green orbs pull me into him. They're beautiful, light and full of playfulness.

He pulls back quickly, face reddened. I feel the heat rising to my own cheeks.

"So... that Super Bowl..."

"The Super Bowl was almost four months ago."

"Shut up." He laughs, pushing me lightly. I giggle and push him back. He falls off of the wooding railing of the Big House.

"Ow."

I laugh whole-heartily. I laugh so hard that I fall off of the railing as well but instead of landing on the ground, I land on his stomach. We laugh more but his laughs sound like painful croaks.

ANNA

Tanner had just left. Finding out she was a wood nymph was a pretty hard toll on me. I decide to shake it off. I hear Jason moving. I guess mine and Tanner's argument had woken him up. I sniffle a little and wipe my eyes.

"Then I guess we aren't friends anymore, Anna!" Tanner had screamed.

"Good! Why should I be friends with a liar?!" I'd screamed back.

"Don't know. But let's hope those years of dancing can save you in the quest."

"Tanner, get out of my cabin."

She'd slammed the door and woken up my brother. As the door slammed, my tears flowed. A tear falls and hits my bright pink yoga shorts, turning a small spot damp and darker. Jason walks over to me.

"Anna, are you crying?" He asks.

"No." I lie. I don't do like those girls on t.v do. I don't wipe my eyes and sniffle more. I actually try to look convincing. I'm not.

Jason pulls my into his lap like an older brother would do to his five year old sister who'd gotten a scraped knee. I hug him as I cry harder.

"What happened?" He asks.

"Tanner and I had an argument and we're not friends anymore." I sob.

"It's alright, Anna. You two will work it out. I know it." He says. I cry into his shoulder and he rubs my hair which is already messy. "Cheer up! I've only known you two days! I don't want you crying, Anna. You're a strong girl. Everything will be O.K."

I nod and sniffle. I rub my eyes and stand up. I throw put my hair up, making it into a bow using my pony-tail and a bobby pin. I check my smile in the mirror. Jason smiles behind me.

"Do you feel better?" He asks. I nod.

"Yeah. Thanks for... that."

"Comforting you? No problem. All siblings do it."

"I'm an only child. Or, I was."

"Oh. Well, anytime you need anything, I'm here. If you ever want revenge on Leo, I'm here. I'm the older brother and his best friend, I don't have a time limit to watch out for."

I giggle and hug him.

"You're a great brother."

"You're a great sister. I can tell that I'll need you just as much as you need me. If not more."

I smile and break the hug. I grab my bag and I'm out the door.

TERRA

We all meet up at the hill. Blair and I are in our group, Kaden, Leslie and Cameron are in theirs and Noah, Mike, and Nico are in theirs. Anna comes running up the hill. When she reaches us, I see that her eyes are red. It looks at though she'd been rubbing them a lot. No one asks what's wrong with her, no one but Noah.

"Are you O.K?" Noah asks.

"Yeah, Jason helped. Everything's fine, now." She smiles.

She hugs him. We all hug each other.

"Be safe." Kaden says to Mike.

"I will. You be safe. And Iris Message me."

"I will."

"Iris Message me?" Noah asks Anna. She smiles.

"I'll think about it."

"So I just get dissed like that? I'm about to risk my life and I get dissed?"

"I'm going out and risking my life too."

We all laugh. It's a sad, creepy joke but it's funny nonetheless. We all say good-bye one last time and get in separate vans. I watch as I leave my new home.