FRANK
I was furious and borderline mad. I had been partnered with my old friend Hazel.
I met her during the start of the previous year when she moved from San Francisco. It was my first year out of New Rome and I had just learnt I was a demigod. She was really kind and radiated calmness. When I left and came back after defeating Gaea, she had become a completely different person. When I tried to speak to her about why I was not there, she ignored me and only talked with jocks and cheerleaders. Then, she insulted me in front of the entire school.
I knew right then and there that Hazel was gone. There was only a stuck up and cruel bully who happened to share a face. It hurt for some time. It was becoming better since I made sure I remembered that day every time I looked at her face.
Hazel walked up to me bored and I just went to the point. I wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible.
"Can we meet in fifteen minutes outside Central Park? The fresh air helps me work better." I asked.
"Okay. Since when do you love the outside?" She asked.
Wanted to scream to her that I have ever since I lost my best friend and found out I can turn into any animal I want.
"It reminds me of my family and friends." I said remembering the day we defeated Gaea. It was a sad day.
She 'glared'. I turned to see Clarisse about to Judo Flip me.
"Clarisse? How are things? Is something wrong?" I asked.
"Just visiting you brother." She replied bored.
"Thanks Clarisse. You are sometimes a softy and always a toughie." I said giving her a bear hug. She just hugged me back and punched my arm. I smacked her back but she just moved forward.
"Where is everyone else?"
"They left for their projects. We have to submit it tomorrow."
"Sad" She said though a grin was evident on her face.
"Hedge is here. You can check on your god daughter and come to the safe house at six. I am sure you will want to spar and discuss the games."
"Of course. By the way, who is the wimp behind you?"
"My partner in the project" I said sourly turning to Hazel. She was afraid of Clarisse and she was also shocked.
"Isn't she your best friend?"
"Yes. She was."
"Was?"
"Yep. She is now a bully."
"Why don't you cream the punk? Or do you need me to do it for you oh Praetor."
"No. She is not worth anybody's time. It's a lost cause. See you at six?"
"Yeah. I'll go meet Hedge, Chuck and Mellie."
"Say hi for me!"
"You are so cute; I cannot believe you are my brother."
"That's why people underestimate me and get their buts whipped."
"Bye Pachy"
"By sis" I said waving as she entered the building.
I saw Hazel shaking in fear. I was confused. I was happy she felt fear and was in her place for once but I did not want to stoop to her level.
"Sister? You have a sister?" She asked incredulously.
"Yes" I replied curtly.
"Why didn't you tell me that time?" She whispered.
"I did not know I had one. I found out during the days I was…I missed." I said turning. I left, got my supplies and met her in front of the park right on time. I was after all a leader. I could not be late. When she came, I nodded at her, went to a clearing and sat down to work.
HAZEL
Frank was always 'Chinese Canadian Baby Man'. But when he talked to Clarisse, there was a clear change in his voice, stature and confidence. He seemed like a leader.
What he said to Clarisse about me hurt. But he was right. I am a bully. I stopped thinking as it made me want to cry. I saw that Frank was using a break to sprawl on the grass. He was relaxed in a way I had never seen him. He was cute – What am I thinking?
A howl came from the woods. Frank shot up with a serious expression on his face that made me want to run the other direction. Those were not normal eyes. The warm brown now had a maturity that reminded me of battlefields. Those eyes had seen war.
"Excuse me" He said softly yet angrily. He ran out to the woods in the direction of the sound. After five minutes, he came back with twigs and leaves in his hair with a grin on his face every time he plucked one of them out. He saw me and frowned.
"What happened? Where did you go?" I asked. I was worried and curious.
"I scared away the stray dog. "He said. I had the feeling it was not true.
"How?" I asked. If he could answer that, he had details.
"By throwing twigs at him." He said smiling in that direction. He walked back and silently, we finished the project about 'Ares captured'. He seemed to know a lot about Ares and the giant twins. We were packing when a snake slithered into the clearing. I ran to a nearby tree and was about to call out to Frank.
He was still oblivious. The snake hissed at him. Frank turned with concern more than shock. There was no fear. He grabbed the snake but it did not sting him or fight him. He nodded as if listening to the snake. The snake opened its mouth and Frank put his hand inside and pulled out what looked like a thorn.
He smiled at the snake and placed it on the ground. It seemed to bow down and then slither away. He turned to me and gave me a glare.
"And I am the wimp." He said chuckling.
"How?"
"What?"
"Did the snake not bite you? Or did you know it had a thorn in its mouth? Or did you seem to talk to it?"
"I am good with animals. Submit it tomorrow if I am late." He said shrugging and shouldering his backpack and running out. I stood there thinking about him. The maturity in his eyes, the confidence and awareness of his surroundings all was like ones of a war veteran. He was still compassionate. He was completely new and yet the same. He was a good and strong man. Oh no! I was falling for Frank Zhang!
NICO
I had to play nanny to a kid who hates me. I was horrifying. I was thinking of a topic when Will came and coughed. I turned and gave him a bored expression.
"You just love to be gloomy don't you?" he started
"You just love to be a bully don't you?"
That shut him up. I turned around to start walking to the public library. He followed. We were there. In front of the stairs there was a screech owl. It was probably just an attraction. I went up and petted it. It was talking to me on how my father was proud of me and wanted to send me a gift. With that, he flew in the library.
I raced after it to see that my father had given me a key. I read the tag to the key. It turns out, now I have a villa in Elysium. I held it in my palm and it sunk into my flesh. Only the tag was now in my hand. I just grinned and turned shaking my head. The key was not what made me happy, it was the fact that my father thought of me when I was away.
I petted the owl and turned to the entrance to see Will looking at me with a horrified expression.
WILL
"You can speak to owls?" I asked.
"No. That is ridiculous. It was my father's owl. It went in so I ran after it and petted it."
"Then why are you laughing at your palm?"
"I read a note left here for me."
"Can I see it?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because it is not yours."
He left no room for argument. He sat down, got his books out and flipped through them. We agreed readily on the topic – Apollo's cattle. He seemed to stifle a laugh every single time Apollo's name was heard and at one point groaned when I wrote about him as the god of music.
In the end, we finished it at 6 o' clock. He stood up after packing his things and nearly left when he stopped in his tracks. He was in front of me. I could see a girl of around his age, smirking at him. She had regal features and wore purple top and black jeans. She had black eyes like Nico but not as dark.
"Reyna?" She was his crush?
"Death Boy?" She grinned.
They ran towards each other. I thought they would kiss like the movies but Reyna just flipped him while they laughed. Nico can laugh? He got up from the floor and hugged her tight. They pressed their foreheads against each other's. It was romantic in a unique way.
"What are you doing here love?" Nico asked. They were in love?
"Can't one take time off camp to spend time with one's boyfriend?" She started.
"Thank you. I was missing you. I have been having…" He stammered.
"Shh. I am here now. We will have a nice time and I think I can make you forget your hallucinations."
"I don't know about that." He said grinning.
"Before that, who is the weird boy behind you who seems to be staring at us as if we are gods and goddesses?"
Nico groaned and turned to face me. He was irritated.
"My name is – "I started.
"I asked Nico" She glared.
"Will Solace – Resident bully of my school. Not worth the time trying to fix him." Nico said shrugging.
That hurt. But she just nodded and said," Reyna. Just Reyna. I'm Nico's girlfriend."
"I figured. But how does a Goth boy like Nico get a girl like you?" I thought out loud.
Reyna just growled. She was about to pounce on me but Nico restrained her by whispering," Save your wild side for me Praetor." in her ear. She blushed red and punched him. He just took it and grinned, pulling her into a hug and glaring at me.
"Do not insult my boyfriend again or you will find yourself at his mercy." Reyna said dragging Nico out. He just shook his head and talked animatedly to her showing his palm. I was shocked. At his mercy? How?