The Unpredictable Five (wattys 2014)

Chapter 37~When The Sun Don't Shine We Lose Our Minds

• Dedicated to Peter, Happy Fifteen Month Anniversary •

I guess when the weight of the world is on your shoulders, or rather, your wings, the best thing you can do is fly and let the world leave you alone for a moment.

Rachel's mom said no.

Our problems are part of us, and that something I've learned. I'm Lacey. I'm a daughter of Aphrodite. I've got long black hair and brown eyes, I can sing, read, and my grades are good. But I have demons inside me, and if I didn't I wouldn't be me. They can't leave me. The demons inside me don't deter me, they define me.

We were making history
Breaking rules and breaking free
Questioning the writing on the wall
Coming from the underground
Laughing as we're falling down

Soaking in the glory of it all

Athena forced us down on to the Greek grass. The soft edges tickled my bare feet and my hair returned into its heavy weight on my back. The bird inside me had calmed. Rachel's hair fell on her shoulders and her smile was excited and happy.

She truly is beautiful.

Athena rode on a golden chariot.

"Call it luck, but your friends earned the help of the gods. I will take you to New York, where you will meet your friends, and where you"

Her eyes drifted to Rachel.

"Will return to school."

Rachel gave a sassy eyeroll.

Nic handed me my IPod that he had brought, knowing I would miss it. I thanked him and turned it on as we walked on to the chariot.

But in dark times when we close our eyes

It's a nightmare, it's a nightmare

When the sun don't shine we lose our minds

But I swear, we can get there.

Athena pulled back the reins to the fiercy pegasus.

We've got young blood

Can't destroy us

We make our own luck in this world

We've got young blood

No one chose us

We make our own love in this world.

In seconds we plunged into the skies. As the wind rushed through my face, a thousand memories spelled into my head. Luke and I making cupcakes when we were little and spilling flour all over my jeans. Kelsey and I throwing buckets of Cambodian water at each other and getting it for the sick. Bridget making stupid pledges about pants and screaming over Hook and Emma. Rachel's first picture she ever made for me. Nic reminding me of a murderous serial killer. My first date with Peter.

Someday we could run away

See it all before the pictures fade

And bottle up the feeling in a jar

Pass around to all our friends

We can breathe it in and out again

Huddled in the backseat of the car

The images of an angry Tartarus fell upon me, getting under my skin and haunting my eyes. That moment above the brink of Chaos, knowing that if even one string was lose, we would fall into oblivion, would scare my dreams and turn them into nightmares. The bruises on my face, arms, and legs stood out prominently. Little cuts still leaked dry blood that would take months or years to fade away.