I slam the door behind me. I lock it and slam myself on the bed. I bury my face in my pillow and scream. I already knew it. I had began to get over it but there was always the hope in the back of my head that it may not be true. However, now it has been confirmed. By my dad and my uncle. It feels as if I am Pandora's box and someone finally let Elpis, the spirit of Hope out. I stop crying for a moment and put some of Nico's favourite classical music on. I go into the bathroom and splash my face with cold water. I then walk over to the door, now looking like I never cried, and open it. It is Jeremy, Mikey, Hayley, Temperance, Lance, Rachel, Bliss and Seeley. I am so lucky to have friends like them. Right now, they are the only family I have and for that I will be internally grateful. I tell them I am fine and they believe me, probably because I am always "okay". We all have a giant group hug like we used to. We go on pretending nothing happened because they know by now that I am a very closed off person and I do not like to talk about my feelings. I will tell you this though, one day I am going to snap Percy Jackson in half like a twig just not yet, Nico wouldn't want that.
We are out all day like old times, only this time, the conversations seem to be pretty deep. At one point there was a mention of fire. As soon as I heard that word, I went pale. They asked what was wrong, they were expecting a no because that is the usual response but I decided to tell them this once because I felt like they deserved to know, "After my mother was killed by Zeus, there was only Bianca, Nico and I left of the Di'Angelos. We didn't want to be separated or asked any questions about our mother so we ran away. We continued going to the same school but just claimed we were living with our Aunt who was elderly so could hardly leave the house. We were actually just living wherever we could without be obviously seen and he couldn't find us, my step-dad. So, it was about six months after my mother was killed and we went into school. It was just like any other day me and Nico were always together because we were twins. Bianca we well-liked among the others, unlike us. On this particular day, Bianca had been taken out of school to learn how to cook, Nico was learning how to mine because that is what they taught the boys and I was inside learning how to sew. It was one of the few times I was separated from Nico. It was a good job as well because before I knew it the whole room I was in was on fire, I was surrounded by the same dome that had protected me from Zeus but I could hear the constant ringing in my ears. The ringing from when someone I know dies. It was just ringing and ringing and everywhere I looked I could see people dying and their life auras fading. I was the only one who survived. I wasn't completely unscathed though but Nico and Bianca luckily were. It was then that we were taken to the Lotus Casino." I couldn't believe I just said all that, the others were around me saying the classic stuff like "You poor thing" or "I'm so sorry, I never knew". Until one person asked what everybody else wanted to know and I am thankful for it.
"So you know how you said you weren't completely unscathed... how were you actually injured then because you have no scars or anything." Hayley said. That was classic Hayley, she avoided all the sympathy stuff and just asked the stuff she wanted to know.
"You're telling me none have you have wondered why I have always walked with a strange limp!" I say as I roll up my trouser leg showing my prosthetic leg. I laugh at that because the last thing I want is more Gods dam sympathy!
It begins to get dark and we all head back to our cabins. I don't tend to sleep that much because I quite like the dark. I get a knock on my door. I open it and see Jeremy, he has a blank expression on his face and just comes towards me. He punches me in my jaw. I see immediately someone has done something because my Jeremy wouldn't hurt a fly.
"J, J it's me, I love you, it's okay, don't worry. " I try to calm him down but he just kicks me in the head.
"J, remember when we first met. On that beautiful beach and you came up to me and asked me why I was fully dressed and you spent the whole time trying to get me to go for a swim." He hits me again.
"And it started to rain so we ran for cover and ended up in that crazy shop and we bought a ice cream for the fun of it and we forgot about the rain and stepped out and our ice-creams were ruined but we ate them anyway." He turns around and grabs a knife. I try not to show that I am panicked. Or show any emotion for that matter, well, apart from smiling. I grit my teeth and smile as I talk.
"Jeremy, don't do this, I love you. I forgive you, for everything, because... because well, this isn't you. This isn't J, this is just some drone being controlled my someone else." I start to sob, no longer being able to hold it all in anymore. He stabs the blade into my gut and I pull it out and throw it under the bed so he can't get to it. I place my hands on the crimson red river now pouring from my gut. I then grab Jeremy's hands. It must have been the blood on my hands that shocked him back to reality. He looks down at me.
"Trill! Trill what the Hades happened!" He exclaims. I avoid his gaze for a moment as he looks down at his fist. Its bruised like my jaw and his shoes are scuffed from kicking me. He starts to hyperventilate his eyes welling up, looking guilty.
"J, J! You're back! It's okay, I forgive you! Someone wiped your mind and started to take over but the blood... it brought you back. It's okay just don't tell anyone. They won't understand and nobody is going to take me to that infirmary!"
"Wha... wha... what have I done! Oh no. Oh no. Who made me do that? Gods bless whoever it was because I will go Kronos on them." Jeremy said with his eyes welling up, gently placing his hand on my gut wound. Almost as if to check it was real.
"Jeremy. Jeremy! Calm down! Look at me. Actually, go tell Chiron what happened, he may be able to help you figure out who is was and what exactly happened, but just say you only hit me. Do. Not. Mention. The. Stab. Please Jeremy, I can't handle any more hassle or infirmaries or anything. Especially not today." I beg him. He agrees. He stays with me for another hour until the bleeding seems to have stopped and I can successfully change. We then both go, hand in hand, to talk to Chiron about what happened.
We spend about an hour telling Chiron what happened. Its mainly Jeremy who talks because my jaw hurts too much. After that, Chiron says he is going to start questioning children of Hecate because only they are actually capable. We step out of the big house and I can immediately see Rachel sat curled up in a ball on a nearby patch of grass. Tears soak her skin. We go up and speak to her for about an hour again. Mikey cheated on her. With some girl from Aphrodite. Eventually Rachel calms down and tells us that she doesn't care. She also admits that she has had a bit of a thing for Henry, son of Nemesis for a while now. Then, Rachel runs off to go and find Henry.
I then offer to take Jeremy to the Underworld, to have a peaceful walk like we used to. He agrees and I take his hand. When I next open my eyes, we are in the Underworld again. I tug at J's sleeve and tell him I have someone for him to meet. We walk hand in hand to the River Cocytus. Agatha is sat on the bank alone. I slowly creep up to her and grab her shoulders, making her jump. She shoots up and immediately asks what happened. I explain the situation fully, I can trust Agatha not to make a fuss because she knows what I am like.
"Oh! Agatha, this is Jeremy. Jeremy, this is Agatha." I say suddenly remembering they didn't know each other and making sure she doesn't go on about the injuries at all.
"Wait a minute! Is this the famous lover boy J?" Agatha says and I playfully punch her arm. I am desperate not to be noticed by my dad. Too late.
A familiar booming voice says, "Child, come to the throne room." I sigh. I then grab Jeremy and Agatha's arms and drag them with me. I am not going alone. Especially not after what happened today.
"Hm... you are... nope, it is gone. Your name was never as catchy as Nico Ghetto Ignacio Nari Di'Angelo was it." Hades booms.
"Trillare Stansie Brunetta Vita Di'Angelo." I say in as much as a dull monotone voice a strong Italian accent can get to.
"Oh yeah. Hm... Trillare Stansie Brunetta Vita Di'Angelo, what a strange, strange name. Anyway, what are you doing here, have you came to steal from me."
"No father, I havn't came to steal, I came for a nice walk so if you don't mind, I will be excused." And with that, I walk out of the throne room without looking back. Jeremy comes up to me shocked about my dad not even knowing my first name yet knowing Nico's full one. He then also comments on how he always forgets quite how long my name is.
We sit down on a piece of land. I lie down in the middle of the others and I recite an old saying my mother used to tell me as a child, I have to translate it to English for him though, it does sound nicer in Italian.
"Anche i migliori vini, girare a aceto. E il pane migliore, si trasforma in muffa. Ma il più piccolo, gemma più brutto, può essere trasformato in bellissimi gioielli con il tocco di qualcuno che si preoccupa veramente." I say, I love speaking in Italian, it is my main language, the language I grew up with, I then repeat in English for Jeremy and Agatha, "Even the best wines, turn to vinegar. And the best bread, turns to mould. But the smallest, ugliest gem, can be turned into beautiful jewellery with the touch of someone who really cares.".
