Only eight months later, I watched as Luke had Agrius and Oreius herd two demigods, a satyr, and a Cyclops on board.

Annabeth was among them as well as the boy Percy.

"And so, the fleece," Luke mused. "Where is it?" He prodded his sword at them.

"Hey!" The satyr yelled. "That's real goat fur under there!"

"Sorry, old friend." Luke smiled. "Just give me the Fleece and I'll leave you to return to your, ah, little nature quest."

"Blaa-ha-ha!" The satyr protested. "Some old friend!"

"Maybe you didn't hear me." Luke's voice was dangerously calm. "Where is the Fleece?"

"Not here," Percy said. "We sent it on ahead of us. You messed up."

Luke's eyes narrowed. "You're lying. You couldn't have ..." His face reddened. "Clarisse?"

Percy nodded.

"You trusted ... you gave ..."

"Yeah."

"Agrius!"

The bear giant flinched. "Y-yes?"

"Get below and prepare my steed. Bring it to the deck. I need to fly to the Miami Airport,"

"But, boss—"

"Do it!" Luke screamed. "Or I'll feed you to the drakon!"

I left after that. I didn't feel like watching Luke make any more of a fool of himself. It's funny. I should've enjoyed watching him angry. I was angry at him. We hadn't held a real conversation in eight months. Since the day he forgot my birthday.

I was starting to regret everything I had ever done in life. I almost wished that I hadn't helped Luke become a counselor so many years ago. I could've easily done it for myself. I wouldn't be here now.

Six months later, I barely even saw Luke anymore. Another demigod gave me the news that we had to march up Mount Tam. He didn't even bother to tell me himself.

As we started up the mountain, a body fell. Luke.

He wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. He was stupid and boring and forgetful, but I didn't want him dead.

"Kill them," A giant growled.

Everyone else moved towards the battle, but I ran to Luke's broken form on the rocks.

"Luke!" I yelled. "Luke!"

"He…he…hey, Mallory." He choked out.

"I'm getting you on the ship," I said.

"No…no," he said. "You should go fight. Leave me."

"Stop being so selfish."

"How is that selfish?"

"Just shut up and let me save your life or I'll kill you." I said.

"Ver…very funny." Luke said. Then suddenly, "WHAT THE?"

I looked up to see an airplane shooting bullets through our ranks. Celestial bronze bullets.

I pulled Luke up and dragged him all the way onto the ship's deck.

"Go fight," He said.

"No way, idiot," I said. "I just saved your life. I'm not going to waste that."

"Why did you bother?"

"Because we're friends, Luke." I said. "Aren't we?"

"Friends," Luke smiled. "It's been a long time since I used that word."

"Only because you didn't know the definition,"

My relationship with Luke got better after that. The one thing he wouldn't tell me is how he was healed, but I didn't push.

We talked all the time and he confided in me again. It felt good to have him back.

For ten whole months, I had my best friend back. Then, something went wrong with his planning, or Kronos was angry because Luke avoided me at all costs.

One day, I went looking for him.

"He went out," An empousai told me. "Shame he wouldn't tell us where."

Luke has been telling me everything recently, so why would he just run off like that?

One month later, Luke was just as distant or more than he had been a year ago.

One day, I heard a vicious banging on my door. I opened it up and there was Luke.

I was about to yell at him when I saw his face. It was strewn with tears.

"What happened, Luke?" I asked.

"I'm an idiot," Luke cried. "All of this was just one terrible idea atop another."

"Yeah, it kinda was," I said. "And you are idiot." I wasn't sure how or why I felt angry, but I was. "I told you on day one, Luke. I wouldn't call you special."