Okay this is a short chapter with a twist considering it's from Alexa's PoV.

Experimentation. Tell me what you guys think.

So, I've already started playing around with sequel ideas. I have a beginning plotted out, and I think it's pretty cute, but am having difficulties thinking of a good PLOT. Any suggestions sprout in your mind, as my teacher says: 'Don't be an intellectual thief!' Sharing is caring guys. ;)

Sorry, I've been bad with uploading as of late. On friday most of JV slept over at my house and we got minimal sleep. Saturday was Varsity conference and we all dressed up as aliens. :) It was fun, and exhausting (just to be clear, I was not SWIMMING at Varsity conference).

So, yeah. Sorry, it's short. :(

Disclaimer: ...

READ ON!

I had never before seen Lena so pale. She looked positively sickly. Her eyes darted back and forth from the crowd to the ground, as if she so didn't want to look us in the eyes, but her pride was forcing her to. I understood that.

I opened my mouth several times to speak, but was wordless. I was somehow fascinated and horror struck simultaneously. A car crash had just ensued and I was caught between running to help, and taking a picture. That sickened me, but I couldn't help it.

I meant to ask Lena if she was okay. If she was telling the truth. What came out was: "Are you serious? Or is this an elaborate joke?"

If Lena was shocked at my outburst, she didn't let on. "I'm serious." She muttered, sounding cold and numb, but her eyes were filled with pain. "I wish I was joking, but no. Other people tend to make jokes with my life. Mostly gods."

She looked up at me in the eyes. Her jaw set and she locked eyes with everyone.

"Well?" She demanded. "Any comments? Questions?" She snarled.

I had only one question "Why?"

"Why what?" She asked coldly. "Why I killed them? I was drunk and I was grief stricken. It's not a valid excuse but it's the reason I did it."

"No." I said. "Why did you want to..." I swallowed. "Why did you want to kill yourself?" The last part came out as a whisper.

She didn't meet my eyes for long moments. I saw her lean into Zack, as if she couldn't support herself. When she finally looked towards me again, I took a step back. Her green eyes, usually filled with pride and strength and sarcasm, were filled with a pain I couldn't comprehend. A sadness that seemed impossible. How old was she? Sixteen? She could have been centuries old by the look she gave me.

"You wouldn't understand." She muttered, ripping her eyes from my own.

Anger coursed through me. "What wouldn't I understand?"

Her eyes came back, and this time I took a step back from fear. The anger and intimidating glare in those eyes was cold. I don't think she even realized how intense those eyes were.

"What you wouldn't understand is how it feels to have gods mercilessly abhor you for a reason you can't control or understand since the moment you were born. To be hunted like the monsters you've been trained to kill. To see the meaningless hope in your parents eyes. The simultaneous glee and sadness on every goddamn birthday I ever had. Like 'hooray! One more year survived! Now, how many more?'" Frustrated tears fell from Lena's eyes. "My parents were always there for me, until one day they weren't. Until one day they were so goddamn selfless and goddamn heroic that they got themselves freaking killed! They may have died but their shadow remained. And I'm trapped in it, clawing for a way out. You could never comprehend that emotion, because not even I do." She paused, seeming to be consumed by memories and emotions. "There aren't words for what you don't understand."

A silence consumed us all.

Lena was the one who spoke first. "I'm going west. I'm going to fight the Memory Monster, who, yes, has infected me with something that causes me to face my painful past, and could cause you to face yours. Supposedly, I can't do it without all of you. That I'll die, and so will all of the western civilization, if you don't help. You decide, what you do. I don't care. I never wanted to set foot on that cursed camp anyways."

"Lena, I-"

"I'll stand with you." A soft voice vocalized. I turned and saw Mara take a step forward. I frowned. Mara had always been a quiet child. Never believing in her strength. I always thought fondly of her, though I had never had a full-lengthed conversation with her. I never thought I'd see the day when Mara would voice her opinion proudly. Stand against the flow of the crowd with herself at risk.

Zeke glared at her. "What?"

I expected Mara to shrink away, but she didn't. "What Lena did was awful, but she feels remorse and guilt and she can't move on if we don't let her. What she's trying to do now is heroic, despite what she may say. I stand for Lena, and I stand for her causes." She smiled at Lena and I swear Lena almost bursted into tears. "Besides," Mara continued, "Lena's my friend."

Max stepped forward as well, his arms crossed, a playful smile on his face. "I stand with you too. Besides, this battle is gonna be epic. No way in Olympus or Hades am I missing it."

Alex and and Lexi stepped forward and declared their devotion too. After that, everyone just kept glancing at me.

I took a step forward.

"Lena...what you did was awful. It's...cruel and sickening and monstrous."

Zack took a step forward. "Alexa!" He snapped.

"I'm not done. Calm down!" I turned my attention back Lena. "But everyone makes mistakes. And, often, when the good things you do are magnified, so are the bad things. So, you did something really bad. Now you have to do something way better to make up for it. Are you up for it."

Lena tipped her head up proudly. "That's the reason I'm here."

"Oh? And what is this reason?"

"Redemption."