Silena pushed her brother farther back into the house and paused, turning to her date.
"Can you hold on a minute, I have to speak with my brother." she said, closing the door on her date's face.
"Alright, what the hell is your problem?" she asked placing her hands on her hips and glaring at her brother. She resembled their mom greatly right now, but Silas wasn't backing down.
"My problem? You don't know him? That's Sawyer Greene! That guy's a class A asshole, why are you going on a date with him?" Silas demanded. Silena shook her head.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Sawyer is a great guy! Who told you that he was a `class A asshole'?" she demanded, putting air quotes around the phrase.
"No one had to tell me, I've seen it for myself! He yelled at his girlfriend in the school parking lot, because she wore an off- shoulder shirt. The dude is possessive and not good for you." Silas said. He was sure that his voice was carrying through the door, but he didn't care, whatsoever.
He wanted the guy to leave, and he wanted him to do it now.
"Silas, how do you know who's good for me? You aren't me. We're twins, not the same people." she cried, putting her hands in her hair and pulling them out angrily, making her hair messy.
"Silena Faye Jackson, I know that you being my sister means you automatically son't listen to what I have to say, but listen to me for once! Sawyer is not a nice guy. I've seen him yelling at his girlfriend until she started crying. Why would you want to go out with him? Why are you so desperate for attention?" he shouted, putting his hands on her shoulders and forcing her to look at him.
"Because he likes me! He listens to me when I complain, and he lets me know that I'm smart and that I don't have to be like my parents. He's not like everyone else that I know!" she exploded, ripping her shoulders from SIlas' grip and storming to her room, slamming her door closed.
Silas ran an angry hand through his hair. At least she hadn't gone out the door.
He went to the door and opened it, facing Silena's date.
"Go away. Don't call my sister, don't text her, don't contact her in any way, you understand?"
The guy rolled his eyes.
"Don't want that basket case anymore anyways." he said nonchalantly. Silas punched him in the gut, and closed the door ignoring the pained grunts on the other side. He took a deep breath.
"Silena." he said when he was in front of her door.
"What do you want?" she asked from the other side.
That was one of the things about Silena. She didn't just lock herself in her room and not talk. She always answered.
"Let me in. I'm done yelling, I promise." he said. It was silent on her end, but she opened the door, nevertheless.
"What?" she asked. She was already in her pajamas and her hair was in a ponytail and her face showed that she was still clearly furious.
"What was that?" he asked quietly. She shot him an angry look.
"What are you angry about now?"
"That bit about him not telling you to be like mom and dad." he said. Silena's face fell and she grabbed the hem of her own shirt.
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh. Are you going to tell me?" he asked walking into her room and sitting at her desk. SH walked to her own bed and sat down, avoiding her brother's eyes.
"You know how we always go to cmap every summer?" she asked. Silas nodded. They'd practicaly been raised in that camp. Not really, but they were over there every summer and sometimes during the school year when enemies wanted to try to kill their parents.
"Yeah, of course." he said. SIlena nodded and sighed, letting her shoulders sag.
"Well, whenever I was being taught how to fight with a dagger, Katie kept saying `Annabeth was always so good at this' or `Annabeth had technique even when she was younger than you are now' and of course my favorite, `You probably just aren't as good as your mom.'" Silena said making the facial expression and the voice of Katie Gardner.
Silas shook his head.
"Just ignore it. You aren't mom. Mom is mom. You are Silena, and I am Silas. We can be similar to our parents, but they aren't this standard try to match or surpass. Mom and Dad just want us to do our best." Silas said. Silena shook her head.
"But mom is always so ambitious. I'm sure when she had us she wanted us to be better. Every parent wants their child to be better than them. How can I beat `One of the Great Heros of the Modern World?' Mom and Dad are not standards, Silas. They're legends. And I can't handle it. That's why I like being around mortals. Sure they know Mom is smart and Dad is totally cool. But they don't know about how they've saved the world so many times. I can just be Silena. I can be lazy or loud. I can be a little dumb every now and then. It...it feels nice." she said. Suddenly Silena started to cry, er face slowly turning red, her eyes reflecting the change.
SIlas was out of the chair and hugging his sister in about two seconds. He did't usually talk to his sister, but that was because he was always trying to make sure she wasn't getting into trouble.
"Silas, I just wish I didn't have to be like them! I wanna be me."
"Then be you, Silean. The only one stopping you is you." he said. She suddenly laughed derisively her head shaking.
"Why are you so goo with words of comfort? Mom and Dad aren't that great at it, and neither am I?"
"That's because it's something that's unique to me. Like your motherly way of hugging is to you. Or the way you always want to try new things. Or your creativity." he said.
"Silas. Where would I be without you?" she sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Eh, you probably would've just absorbed me in the womb." he commented.
"You're so weird. Do you want any pcopcorn? I'm kinda up for a movie." she said.
"Sure. As long as it isn't a Disney movie. We've had enough sappy in here." he laughed. She got up and threw her pillow at Silas.