Book Two: The Real Alex

I looked at Alex and groaned. He was trying not to laugh. I glared at him through puffy eyes, and to tell you the truth, that really doesn't have that wanted effect people want. It makes people laugh even more. Why? I do not, for all the love in the world, know. That twit even had the gall to look bemused. Gods, how I wanted to punch him!

The funny thing about Alex is, even with the seven years separation, he didn't change all that much. He still put a tough exterior; he still had a soft side. I mean…his face practically glowed when he saw me with Lucy—alive and all in one piece. I know he was a kid inside….which really made me wonder…was what the heck made him this way? What happened in his life that made him so unable to let his guard down that easily?

Mom, Dad, and Auntie Aleta made me promise not to tell his friends what happened to him. I didn't know anyway, so it wasn't much of a problem. Even still, I hated lying to them. He was my older brother, of sorts, so I knew most of his friends. They treated me like their little sister too. So they believed me, what ever I told them about Alex. I felt so bad afterwards. And I didn't even know what I was lying about!

I glared at him, even more this time. His laughter rang across the vast expanse of the island. Angrily, I went inside the lush forest, exploring deeper into the island, until I found a comfortable place to rest and close my eyes. Not surprisingly, Alex followed. But my anger soon vanished.

As I pushed the gently pushed greenery out of my sight, I tried to take in every little detail of this forest. We might be here for a while, and I for one did not want to get lost—or worse. It was a breathtaking sight. It wasn't like a rainforest, thick vines and canopy all over the place, but it was rather close. It was pretty humid, but not enough so that I couldn't breathe. Averaged sized rocks were randomly strewn about, as if the Gods themselves cast them as die. (Actually, for all I knew, they could've.) Every nook and cranny seemed to be a worthwhile place to explore. The trees seemed to be a veil of mystery, every time you pushed past one; you seemed to find an even more intriguing sight behind it.

In the end, I found a beautiful clearing, right in the middle of the island. (At least I assumed it was in the middle…) I found a humongous rock to climb and sit on, and marveled at the total beauty before me. A waterfall to the side of the glade made a serene sloshing sound, making a layer of mist surround the finish of its falling liquid. The rocks made a semi-circle right across the waterfall, around the small lake that the clear droplets fell into. A rainbow fit snugly into the scene, starting from halfway into the waterfall and into the middle of the lake.

Smooth green grass grew all around the lake, and the only sign of it stopping was the cliff the waterfall was perched upon, a giant apple tree a little ways from the waterfall, and a couple of berry bushes nearby. The twittering of birds and other signs of live surrounded me from all sides. I couldn't even speak for a couple of seconds.

Alex climbed up beside me. Like when we were kids, I couldn't stay mad at him, no matter the reason—however trivial they were. I looked at him and he beamed at me. "So you like this pace?" he asked. He sounded excited and joyful, sensing my emotions.

I smiled at no one in particular. "Yeah…" I said dreamily. "How did this get here? It's so beautiful…"

His laughter rang across the vast expanse of the island. "Places like this used to exist on Mother Gaea along time ago, but mortals have done such damage that she could only sustain a couple of places like this in one dimension of space. This is what this place is," Alex explained. "When the Titan Lord exiled the Monsters Mother Gaea first birthed, the Sea of Monsters was thus created. So when Lord Zeus freed his ancient brethren, they had a place to live. Beautiful places like this were also in the Sea; you just have to know how to get there. Although, I do admit, it is a tad risky."

I stared at him in silent interest, until a question came to mind. "Isn't the Sea supposed to hold dangerous obstacles? This beauty seems too good to be true. Beneath this is a more dangerous place, isn't there?"

His smile grew wider. "You're right on the nose, Kallie. This place in general isn't dangerous, but what it holds within, depending on how it is used, is. For demi-gods like you and I, we can come here and bask in all its glory. But like I said, it is rather dangerous path to get here."

"That still doesn't answer my question, Alex."

"Yes, it does," he argued.

I looked at him blankly.

"You see, this place is a sort of quest for you to begin your life as a demi-god. You have to complete certain tasks, or quests, to become fully capable and in control of your powers and abilities. Think of this as a videogame—"

"I don't play videogames," I interrupted. He continued anyway.

"—to become a certain level, you need to have a certain skill level, items, etc. to reach the next level of demi until you complete all the stages."

I nodded. "Then what happens? Push 'restart'?"

He laughed. "No, you go to Camp Half-Blood."

"I think I heard my parents say something about a camp, but I'm not sure it was that one."

"It's probably the same camp," he said, nodding.

"What do you do there?"

"You go there during the summer and train your warrior skills. You have a necklace and you add a bead ever year you are there. During the summer you can stay as well."

"Did you…" I paused. "Do you go to Camp Half-Blood?"

His expression changed dramatically. It went from kind teacher to ferocious beast in and instant. "Yes, I did," Alex spat.

I chose to ignore his reaction. "How long were you there?"

He sighed and reached under his shirt, pulling out a gold cord. I went up close to him and studied the beads carefully. I reached up to his neck and counted the beads, marveling at their smooth texture. Then my eyes widened. Hanging from it were seven beads, shimmering in the sunlight. Exactly the years he was away from home…away from me. Using the underlying anger at his absence I didn't even know existed until that very moment, I decided now was as good a time as any to ask him what had happened.

"Alex?"

"Yeah?" he asked, still looking down at the top of my head.

"There are seven beads on here."

He visibly stiffened. "Yeah, there are."

"It's the same number of years you were away from home."

"That's not my home."

I backed away from him, angry. "How could you say that, Alex?! It is your home! You know it is!"

"No it's not!" he shot back. "Do you know how much pain I went through when I was there? Mom's a mortal! She didn't know how to deal with the power! I almost killed her Kallie! My mom! Do you know what that did to me?"

I was silent, trying to keep my head.

"No, you don't!" he screeched. I could see a faint glow around him, his power threatening to burst. "The police soon found out, and if it weren't for your dad, I would have been in jail and killed more people! My so called father didn't help me, mom didn't know what to do; she didn't even know there was a bloody camp to begin with! I had to find out all on my own, and all in one day. The only people that helped me were your mom and your dad!"

By this time I was sick of his bellyaching. "Okay, so you didn't have help!" I screamed back at him. "It was hard for you? Do you know how much pain Auntie Aleta was in after you went missing? Mom and Dad weren't couldn't even console her! Every night she would come to our house for days on end, crying herself to sleep, saying it was all her fault that you got taken away!" I was beside myself. I didn't have much right to be angry at him, but I got angry anyway. "You couldn't even have left a message for us? Seven years, Alex! Not one stupid message!" I was on the verge of tears. "You couldn't even leave one message? I missed you! You were my best friend!"

Alex looked startled. "Were?"

"How could I know you didn't change?" Tears were streaming freely down my cheeks. "How could I know that you were still you? Seven years is a hell of a long time to have no contact Alex!"

"Because I wasn't sure, Kallie…I wasn't sure if…if everyone would understand. What if they all hated me because of what I was? What I could do? What could I do, Kallie? I was afraid. Kallie….what if you hated me?"

"Alex! You were my best friend! I could never hate you! Despise you to no end, maybe."

"Kallie, you have no idea."

I still had the feeling that he was still holding something back. I sighed and resolved to ask him another day—this took a lot out of me already. Feelings got brought back to the surface after a couple of years, and my tear ducts were officially empty as of today. I wiped the tears off my face again, for the second time that day. Alex saw my expression and his face fell.

"Kallie, I-I…" he stuttered, failing to form his words.

I looked at the ground and said in a low voice, "Yeah….whatever." I waved my hand up and down too show indifference.

But Alex was smarter than that. "Kallie, I certainly will not forget it! Now you listen here—"

Still looking down, I said, "Alex…just……Just...forget it." I strode off, exploring deeper into the dense forest.

"Kallie," he screamed after me. He followed me once again.

At that moment, I seriously didn't care for him. The fact that he was following me didn't help it either. He just can't apologize when he stirred up all those feelings! Sure, I did point out his necklace in the first place, but he didn't have to answer like that! Granted, I shouldn't have either. On some level, I am right; but on another level, Alex is the one who is right. But I was the one who was angry and hurt right now, so deal.

"Kallie, wait!" he shouted. "I'm sorry!"

At least he got the words out this time.

"Kallie!!" he screamed vehemently.

I couldn't take it any more. His voice was nails on a chalkboard, beginning to grow hoarse from all the screaming. I didn't want him to strain himself. No matter how mad at him I was, he was still my best friend, despite what I had screamed earlier. I could be mad at him anytime anyway. I won't scream; he'll scream too and then it'll be bad for his throat. I'll quietly show my anger. I spun around, eyes flaring—but my expression was of a kind one.

I walked up to him. Alex, taken off guard, stopped. He even stepped back a little. I reached up to his throat and ran my fingers over it. Every breath of air I could feel in between my fingers; every swallow jumped to my fingertips. I looked up at him and he stared right back at me, eyes aflame. His right hand reached up and grasped me, holding my wrist firmly, taking it off his throat. Good thing too; my hand was beginning to prickle as if it had been slapped a multitude of times.

"Kallie," he said, stating my name.

"Alex…" I began.

"I'm sorry," we both said at the same time. Then we smiled.

"I'm sorry I was such an ass," he whispered.

"I'm sorry I called you a prick," I whispered back. We continued the rest of the conversation in hushed tones, for whatever the reason.

"You didn't call me a prick."

"You don't know that." I looked at him with determination, realizing that the only thing separating us was Lucy. Poor thing was close to being a pancake.

He smiled again, for the millionth time, and then nodded. I wonder if he was thinking that I was backing off. "Kallie?" he asked.

"What?" I asked. I lowered my head to adjust the position of Lucy, making her more comfortable. By proxy, my head hit the bottom of Alex's chin. Rather painfully, I might add. My sudden movement and sort-of head butt totaled his balance on the intermingled tree roots of the forest floor and he fell over. His hand was still holding my wrist, and him being a whole lot heavier than I was, pulled me down with him. It was a flurry of movement, sound and senses. I let out a tiny scream escape from my lips, and before it was completely let out, I had landed on the forest floor.

You see, I had never landed on a forest floor until now and I wasn't sure how it should feel. Since I did see the roots I thought it would be a whole lot bumpier. I also wasn't sure if the forest floor was supposed to talk. I mean…we are in the realm of the supernatural. And talk it did.

"Kallie?" asked a voice sounding below me, muffled and groaning in slight pain. I froze.

"Yes? W-Who are you?" I asked shakily.

"I'm Alex, dummy."

"You what?!"

"You know! The prick."

"What?!" I looked down. My face was a centimeter apart from his, once more. The difference was that I was on top of him now. "Oh my gods!! I'm so sorry! I must have….Oh, Alex!! Are you alright?!" I was talking really fast. "You must have been crushed by my horri—Alex? Are you dying? Oh my gosh, am I really that heav—"

"Kallie!" Alex said, not screaming. Instead, he was almost laughing. "No you aren't heavy, but can you get off of me now?"

I hadn't realized I hadn't got off of him yet. "Alex! Of course, right away!!"

As I tried to get away, I tripped over my own feet and tried to brace myself for the fall. But then I remembered something my teacher once told me: in car accidents, the passengers who aren't drunk are usually the ones to die or get injured because they brace themselves for impact, putting pressure on themselves, so the force of the impact is much heavier, doing more damage. The ones who are drunk don't brace themselves, walking out of entire accidents unscathed because they don't know what the hell was going on. I tried to switch positions and then tried to switch back, for what ever reason it was. My arms ended up flailing.

Luckily, Alex caught me in time, arm around my waist. He was midway between a person who was trying to get up from off the floor and a sitting position, leaned over towards me, trying to catch me. His face bore an amused smile.

"Are you okay?" he asked, laugher evident in his eyes.

I looked defeated. "Yeah…I am…I guess." I sighed as I heaved myself off his arm and into a sitting position, Lucy held fast in my arms. "You said something about levels, Alex?"

He nodded. "Your turtle was the first step. Now you quite literally have your own life in your own hands."

"So what is the next step?"

"To find your staff," he answered ominously.

x-:Luu:-x

A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers!!! And 73 hits!! I'm very grateful!

This chapter is shorter than the first one because:

1) I want to be like a real novelist and write chapters that vary in page lengths and such.

2) This chapter was a kind of filler-ish…thingie.

3) I didn't want to type that much this time. :/

This chapter was a writer's block for me, so I ended it before it got…bad.

I'm sorry for writing such a bad chapter. ;-;

DuchessofPhilly and Anonymous: Thank you!! -

Pecbeth101: Anything I can do to make it better?

dreamgirl555: Thank you for reviewing! Actually, this story is set into the future and the main character is Kallie. She is Percy's and Annabeth's daughter, with a turtle. The turtle will be explained more later on! I hope you'll keep reading!

I hope all of you will keep reading and supporting me!

Thank you all again for the wonderful reviews and hits!

Keep critiquing me so I can make my writing more enjoyable!!

--..::Yuki::..--