Hailey sat, emotionally overwhelmed, while Harmony talked the story out of her.
Every last detail, the whole story, and more comes pouring out of Hailey, the words tripping over themselves to escape.
How lonely she was as a child. How much she hates magic.
How all she ever wanted was to be normal.
Harmony was patient, sitting quietly, nodding, and making sympathetic nosies at all the right times.
When Hailey's rant was finished, her friend spoke in a gentle voice.
"Have you told Luke about any of this?"
Hailet blinked, looking at her friend in slight confusion.
"He knows magic isn't my favorite thing ever, but nothing else. I don't really want to trouble him with my problems."
"Trouble him with your problems! Hailey, you two are a team. If you want anything to improve, you have to tell him. He's going to be there for you no matter what. Luke cares about you so much. Please let him help with this."
It took near hour's worth of begging for Hailey to consent to Harmony's pleas.
They were in the bathroom, with a concerned Myrtle floating behind the pair, as Hailey turned on the tap.
Before she made the call, she turned to her two friends.
"Can I be alone for this?"
Harmony nodded, picking up the invisibility cloak, and leaving the bathroom Myrtle drifting after her.
Hailey turned the tap. Calling in the Goddess of the rainbow, she spoke softly.
"You know what I want."
Luke was asleep.
He quickly blinks his weariness and troubling nightmares aside at the sound of Hailey's voice.
He doesn't think he's ever heard her so fragile, so sad.
All he wants is to actually be able to touch her, to give her a hug.
But thousands of miles oocean separate them, and Luke knows she wouldn't like help, or any implication that she was weak.
"Luke, I need help."
Well, that was unexpected.
"I found this mirror. Harmony thinks that it shows your deepest desires, and mine, mine is going to destroy me."
He just listens as she explains. He thinks she's told someone else before, Harmony most likely, and he wonders if that wasn't a great thing. He appreciates the blonde and purple haired girl immensely, she is a wonderful friend, and companion to Hailey, but this time, he thinks Harmony was the trial run. Perfecting the story so it hurts Luke as little as possible.
She is doing damage control.
And it makes him angry.
"What makes you think that lying to me about what's really going on will help?"
She locks eyes with him, startled.
"How could you tell?"
She doesn't deny it. Luke is hurt by that, but at the same time, she's being honest now. That's progress.
"Because, it was too pretty. It wasn't the kind of story that would turn you into the emotional wreck that you are now. If Icould, I'd hug you, but I can't. I will remind you, Hails, you aren't invincible. And normal people do need help. And I will always help you."
Luke has melted her. Quickly, the uncensored, ugly version of the last two days cones out. She watches his face carefully. He is upset. He doesn't speak for a while, and when he does, it's not what Hailey expects.
"That's sick. They show the life you want, but can't have. They wave it in your face, taunting you. Gods, if it did this to you after only two days, what would happen if it had gone on for two months?!"
She stares. He isn't angry with her. He is angry with the mirror.
"I don't understand. Luke, you should be angry with me, for keeping things fro you, for lying."
His eyebrows raise.
"I'm not mad at you, Hails, because I care too much to be mad. You don't deserve my anger. You don't deserve anyone's anger. I'm only worried about how bad that school is for you. It could really hurt you one of these days."
Hailey gives him a small, hesitant smile, which grows larger as their conversation turns to lighter things.
Hailey decides its time for all the lies to be called off.
Winter break is over, and she has The Birds and Daphne gathered in the second floor bathroom.
Myrtle floats at her left shoulder, cracking jokes with Harmony. This alone was enogh to cause the poor Ravenclaws' minds to nearly short circuit.
"Alright. I'm done with secrets, because they actually could have killed , you guys need to meet someone, and learn a few things about me."
Day looks intrigued. Sam, Katy, and Mac wore nearly identical expressions, all showing various degrees of disinterest. Franklin and Daphne look hurt and confused.
"Oooo. Are these the cool kids who took you under their 'wings'?"
Luke's voice soundfrom behind them and the chaos is imminent. There are crys of "What the hell?" And "Holy canolis!" (This was Day. The girl was slightly Italian, and constantly referenced her heritage.)
"Luke, that was the stupidest pun ever. And it was rude to scare them."
Hailey scolded the boy-in-the-rainbow with a teasing tone. All the same, he responded as though he were a cadet give life saving advice from the president.
"Yes, of course. Won't do it again Mam'."
This elictsa round of playful reading and joking from the pair, and after about five minutes, Day breaks it up.
"Will you two stop flirting! Hailey, mind telling us who your boyfriend is?"
A/N: I'm so, so sorry. Life has been absurd, and then I'm lazy.
But guys.
Blood of Olympus.
Comment if you got it! Ugh, such feelings. Rick you are awesome.
But, , 80 reviews. I'm so proud of us! This story would be nowhere without you, and I thank you for it.
Also, I may do some serious time skipping soon. Like say to right after third year. Because nothing exciting happens in that period of time, and I am, as I said earlier, lazy. What do you all think?
Disclaimer: I own zilch of the HP, and PJO wonderfulness. Bye!