Reyna hated press conferences. Everywhere she turned was a vulture that wanted to ask her all kinds of invasive questions. Reyna was not skilled when it involved talking to the press. Octavian talked to them like they were old friends, and Hazel just had to smile to get on their good side. All Reyna could do around reporters was get tongue-tied and shut down completely. If the reporter would meet her in the cage, Reyna could answer their questions while she beat them up. It would be much easier to focus then.
A sigh left Reyna as she leaned back in her chair. She was sitting next to Hazel, and it looked like Hazel was in the middle of playing a phone game. Her tongue was sticking out slightly, and she looked extremely focused. Reyna glanced at the phone and stared down at the little figure that was running across the phone screen.
Frank was talking to Nico about the mythomagic game that they liked to play together. Reyna had played a few times, but most of it went over her head. There was one time she had made the mistake of comparing it to that magic card game, and they had promptly kicked her out of the room. Lupa stood behind the two and seemed to be listening in.
Reyna glanced up near the door. Piper, Octavian, and Annabeth were all standing in a circle. The three of them would go out together to announce that Annabeth would be joining the Wolves, not that Reyna cared. Those three could do whatever.
Reyna's return would be announced as well, but the press wouldn't care. All questions would go right to Annabeth. It didn't matter though. Reyna didn't care what people thought about her return. There was just something about Annabeth that rubbed Reyna the wrong way. This new girl joins, and all of a sudden, Lupa's attention was solely on Annabeth Chase.
A vibration in Reyna's pocket knocked her out of her brooding. She grabbed her phone and studied the name of the person calling her. Admittedly, Reyna was already in a bad mood. That little sparring match with Annabeth had angered her. Everything was fine until Annabeth slammed her into the ground. Falling onto her padded elbow hurt a lot more than she expected, and it worried her. Was her elbow still healing? Would it be reinjured in her next fight?
Reyna's elbow would be a nice shiny target to whoever she fought next. And, she couldn't afford another injury. This one had been a fluke, and it still set Reyna back. She was forced to sit on the sideline for months, and it angered her. This white-hot anger burned in her chest ever since she woke up at the hospital, and the only way to cool that anger was to fight Clarisse again and beat her.
But, that was an obstacle for another day. Right now, Reyna needed to focus on her phone call. She studied her sister's name and finally stood. Hylla and Reyna had a complicated relationship, and that was putting it lightly. They called each other once a week, but those talks were the same every time. They asked how each other was, and that was it. Hylla probably just wanted to make sure that Reyna was still alive, and she didn't care after that.
Reyna left the room and made her way down the hall. She answered her phone, "Hylla."
"Hey," Hylla said quietly. She sounded like she was biting her lip, one of her nervous habits. Reyna still remembered Hylla doing that when they were younger. When their father had his incidents, Hylla always had a bloody and punctured lip the next morning, and it normally wasn't from their father.
Hylla tried to protect Reyna the best she could, but there were a few nights when she couldn't. Reyna's hand subconsciously moved to her left eyebrow. There was a faded scar there, and if it wasn't for the fact that Reyna's eyebrow hair never grew back there, no one would have been able to tell.
"Hey," Reyna repeated. She made it to a secluded part of the hallway and leaned on the wall. "What do you need?"
"When are you free? For dinner," Hylla said. Reyna frowned. Hylla seemed nervous about something, but she couldn't tell what it was.
"Anytime after I'm done at the gym," Reyna answered. "What's going on?"
"I've been dating someone," Hylla said. Reyna rolled her eyes. Dating for Hylla usually meant sleeping with her boy toy every day of the week before breaking up with them on Sunday like it was her religion. "I want you to meet them."
"I'm sure you'll get tired of this guy in a week or two. No need to meet him," Reyna muttered. She still remembered the random boys that Hylla had brought home in Puerto Rico, and it seemed to anger her father every time. He kept yelling at her that she was just putting on a show and lying. He knew the truth. Reyna was too busy trying to hide to understand it.
When Reyna was a teenager, she went through the awkward cycle every week or two of meeting Hylla's new toy. Most of them didn't care about her. Some tried to be friends with her. It never mattered. They would be gone before Reyna could care to remember their names.
"It's not a guy," Hylla said. "And, it hasn't been a week. It's been three years."
"Three years," Reyna echoed. She stared at the opposite wall. "You've been dating someone for three years and haven't told me."
"You hang up every time I try," Hylla said Reyna shook her head and moved her phone away from her ear. "You're going to hang up on me now, aren't you?"
"I'm not," Reyna muttered after a few moments. She placed her phone back to her ear. "Who is it?"
"I want you to meet her at dinner. I'll pay. I just need you to show up," Hylla said.
"Why do you want me to meet her?" Reyna muttered.
"Because I'm going to ask her to marry me, and I thought you might want to meet her," Hylla said. "I know you don't care about my life, but I care about you."
"I do care about you," Reyna countered.
"Which is why you never talk to me," Hylla stated. Reyna stared at the ground and remained silent. "We exchange pleasantries. Then, you find some excuse to hang up, and I'm tired of it, Reyna. I have been trying too hard these last few years to repair our relationship, and you continue to be an immature child."
"Don't go there," Reyna snapped. She gripped her phone tightly. "Don't ever say that again."
"Then prove you aren't," Hylla said. "I'll text you the details. If you're not there, I'll know how you feel about me, and I won't bother you anymore."
The phone went silent, and Reyna stared at the opposite wall. She slipped her phone back into her pocket before she could throw it down the hallway. The anger that she knew so well was boiling back up, and all she wanted to do was find a punching bag. Would some of the reporters outside volunteer?
Something suddenly slammed into Reyna from behind, and she hissed as her elbow hit the wall. Reyna quickly turned to snap at the stupid intern that had run into her. Instead, she found herself face to face with Clarisse La Rue.
As if Reyna's day couldn't get any worse. She glared up at the woman that towered over her. All Clarisse did was smirk. Reyna clenched her fist and then turned away. A hand grabbed her shoulder, and she was shoved back into the wall.
"How's that elbow doing?" Clarisse asked. Reyna's eyes drifted down the hallway. There was no one around, so she could just punch the bully in her mouth. Clarisse would retaliate, and they would have themselves a good old fashioned brawl. As tempted as Reyna was, she knew it was a one way street to being kicked out of the Wolves. "All healed up. Or still hurting?"
"I'm not in the mood," Reyna growled. She tried to shove Clarisse away, but the woman was like a brick wall. When they first fought, Reyna had been nervous. Clarisse was larger and stronger than her, and she would make a great challenge. Reyna still thought she could win.
It all changed when Clarisse broke her arm after their match. If it had happened during the middle of the fight, Reyna could have forgiven her. It was all intentional though, and Clarisse had not been punished. Hell, she had almost been praised by some officials of the Olympian League.
"Do you need to go find your mommy?" Clarisse asked. A grin came to her face. Reyna's fist clenched tightly, and she felt her nails dig into her palm. Clarisse could be one of the greatest fighters in the world based on just strength and skill alone. She took it too far though. Her strategy for a fight was to get into the head of her opponent.
That was why Clarisse almost knocked Reyna's head off her shoulders in the first round. She had asked if Reyna's father was watching from heaven or hell, and before Reyna could sort through her feelings of anger and shock, a fist slammed into her face. Clarisse then slammed her into the cage and used her stomach as a punching bag. Reyna spent most of the first round on the defensive, and when she collapsed into her corner in between the rounds, all she could think of was Clarisse's words.
Reyna saw red, and in that second round, she made Clarisse a very bloody mess. The next three rounds after that were brutal, but Reyna knew she had that damn match won. The judges would have ruled in her favor until Clarisse took the coward's way out.
Now, Clarisse was using Reyna's personal history against her once again. She wanted to provoke Reyna enough to throw a punch, but Reyna couldn't fall for it. Clarisse spoke, "Should we get your daddy instead?"
"Clarisse, leave. Now," Reyna said through gritted teeth. Her hands were starting to shake, and she glared at the woman in front of her.
"Oh, I'm just checking on an old friend," Clarisse said. Reyna shoved Clarisse away from her and turned to stalk down the hall. "Are you going to request our rematch?"
"I would destroy you," Reyna snapped. She turned and glared at Clarisse. "You are a damn coward, and I'm not going to let you bully me anymore. We will meet again, and I'll return the favor."
Reyna turned and started to walk again. Clarisse didn't stop her this time, but she did laugh. Clarisse spoke, "Maybe, I should just request a fight against Hazel."
Reyna stopped walking. She slowly looked at Clarisse and spoke, "You won't lay a hand on her."
"You might have the ability to turn down any fight you want, but I know that she doesn't. I just have to talk to my manager. We'll talk with the officials, and the match will be set. After all, Hazel is too new of a fighter to be turning down fights," Clarisse commented.
"You are going to leave Hazel alone," Reyna threatened. She walked back towards Clarisse. "Or else."
"Or else what?" Clarisse questioned. She leaned in closer. "When I do fight Hazel, which of her limbs should I break first?"
Reyna felt her anger explode, but before she could punch Clarisse in the mouth, a hand grabbed her forearm tightly. Another hand moved to her shoulder. Lupa spoke, "Clarisse La Rue, are you bothering my fighter?"
"I was just checking up on her. I knew how much that elbow bothers her," Clarisse said. She smiled and stepped away. "I'll see you around, Reyna."
"And Clarisse," Lupa said. Clarisse looked at her, and that stupid smile seemed to widen. "You will get your match if I deem you worthy. If you run to your father or another official, you will never have a title match for as long as you fight. And don't ever provoke one of my fighters again. Is that understood?"
"You can't do that," Clarisse growled. Her eyes hardened narrowed into a glare, and she huffed. "Don't worry. I'll have my fun when I get back into the cage with Reyna."
Lupa didn't say another word. She just kept a tight grip on Reyna's shoulder and forearm. Clarisse sneered at both of them and then turned. Reyna watched Clarisse walk out of sight, and that anger still burned in her chest. Between her conversation with Hylla and this, Reyna knew she was one minor inconvenience away from completely blowing up.
"You cannot allow her to provoke you like that," Lupa said. Reyna pulled away and glared at Lupa. "Come on."
Reyna remained silent and just followed Lupa down the hall. She stuck her hands into her jacket pocket to hide how bad they were shaking. Lupa put a hand back to her shoulder. Reyna stared at the ground and took shaky breaths. When they made it back to the room that the other Wolves were in, Lupa opened the door.
Reyna stepped to the side as she watched Annabeth, Octavian, and Piper exit the room. Octavian stopped walking and gave her a look that asked if she was okay. Reyna nodded stiffly. Octavian gently patted her shoulder and followed the other two down the hall. Lupa nodded to Reyna and then followed after the three.
As Reyna stepped back into the room, Hazel looked back at her and smiled. Reyna couldn't even smile back. She just sat down and stared at the ground. After a few moments, Nico sat by her and spoke softly. "Want to break something?"
"Badly," Reyna muttered. She heard Hazel turn on the television to watch the press conference. Frank sat by Hazel, and Nico turned up the television. Then, Nico moved closer to Reyna.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Nico asked. Reyna shook her head. She closed her eyes and tried to calm down. Who was Clarisse to threaten Reyna's friend? And who the hell did Hylla think she was to give Reyna an ultimatum like that? She wasn't sure which one made her angrier. "Did Hylla call you?"
Reyna nodded once. Nico placed a hand on her knee but didn't say anything else. Reyna appreciated that about Nico. Others would prod her and bother her about what was wrong. Nico just let her calm down and didn't question her. They didn't talk about it unless she wanted to, and Reyna did her best to return the favor.
Reyna rested her head on her knees and didn't lookup. Tears of anger were in her eyes, and she swallowed painfully. Hylla was threatening to cut Reyna out of her life, again. It was happening all over again. Reyna was going to be abandoned once again, and she should have known better.
Nico rubbed her back. Reyna let out a shaky breath and felt tears leak out of her eyes. She did her damnedest to keep it together. It only took her a few moments to realize that wasn't possible right now. She might have been able to calm down after the phone call if Clarisse didn't interfere.
Reyna stood and left the room. She made it down the hall and threw her hood over her head. As she made it outside, she could see that it was raining. Reyna walked towards her car and unlocked it with a shaking hand. She slowly sat in the backseat and closed the door.
Tears leaked out of her eyes, and she fumbled to grab her phone. Reyna slowly opened her recent calls and stared at her sister's name. How could Hylla turn her back on Reyna once again? Just because Reyna didn't want to meet Hylla's new flavor of the month didn't mean anything, even if this woman had been Hylla's preferred brand for the last three years.
How could Hylla not tell Reyna about that? Three years wasn't a short amount of time. It wasn't a stupid fling. Hylla was in a serious relationship, and she didn't tell Reyna. The phone was thrown to the side a moment later. Reyna sat forward and buried her head on her knees. Then, she cried until the press conference was over.