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Marissa P.O.V:
Once I arrived at the castle, the Selected were all called to the lobby.
I had been nervous to see who would be there, mainly because of my fear of the past and my curiosity about the competition. I fiddled nervously with my black trench coat, which I had refused to take off. It was much warmer where I came from, and the sudden temperature change was so cold, I would be wearing the coat for the rest of the day. Underneath it, I wore a strapped black dress that went to my knees and velvety black ankle boots with a silver buckle. My hair was all down, due to the chill I was feeling.
While I was waiting, ahead of a blonde caught my eyes. She was talking to a girl with a black pixie cut and piercing blue eyes, with a comfortable smile on her face. However, when she looked at me, I could feel a jolt of lightning down my back. Literally.
When they started walking towards me, I felt liking taking a step backward and then running out of the room. I wasn't ready to face my fears yet. Deep down inside of me, I could hear all the sobbing coming back to me, the smell of the woods, and the bright color of the blue sea.
My knees buckled and I sat on a waiting chair, next to a girl with a hair color similar to mine. She looked at me, all I could do was stare at her eyes. Rainbow and kaleidoscope, with flecks of gold.
"Princess...I-I'm so sorry." I wasn't really focusing on my apology, but rather her eyes.
"It's alright. You can sit." Princess Piper McLean answered. My voice caught in my throat as I took my seat. I stared at my little mirror bracelet, with mirror-like gems that my mother had given me for my birthday.
I stared at my eyes.
They too, were a bright rainbow and kaleidoscope color, with tiny flecks of silver instead of gold.
My mother had told me that very few were gifted with such eyes. I never thought that the two of us would be standing in the same room. Ever. But here we were.
So distracted by my thoughts, I didn't hear the first time someone cleared her throat.
I looked up to see a storm. A storm I never thought I would see again. A storm that I hoped I never would.
"Marissa Dite, how nice to see you here."
"You too, Annabeth."
---
The princess looked back and forth between me and Annabeth and cleared her throat, "Should I leave?" Annabeth nodded lightly and the Princess stood up, brushed off the invisible dust from her dress, and walked away respectfully.
"Please just let me explain-"
"I don't need any explanations," I said, my voice coming out a little harsher than I wanted it to.
"There has never been a day that I haven't wondered what would've happened if Percy and I told you, you know? I really wanted to be your friend Marissa. Percy did too. You just never gave us a chance."
"You lied to me. I trusted you enough. And I don't like liars." I snapped.
Annabeth's expression steeled, "I am not a liar." She said through gritted teeth.
"Maybe not now. But you were then. And how can I be sure that you've changed."
She pressed her lips into a thin line, "I don't like to scratch at my wounds, and I respect if you don't want me to do that for you." she started walking away. The air I had been keeping in my chest released. I tightened my grip on my wrist. Should I have listened to Annabeth?
"Yeah, you should've." A new voice said.
"Thalia. Did I say that out loud?"
"Yup."
Her eyes struck me with lightning as I looked up to them. She was the same old person, yet I guess she had finally cut her hair. She had a jagged pixie cut, which went well with her jet-black hair. She didn't wear a dress, like most of us, and rather tight black leggings and a long sleeve shirt with a collar, all with purple stitches. She had chains for a belt and she wore a silver bracelet with it all and black combat boots. Way more convenient for attacks if you asked me.
"You're participating?" I asked. Thalia made a gagging motion.
"Oh wait I forgot-"
"He's my best friend. Not my lover. Disgusting. I'm a couple of years older than him too. I would rather have someone older than me."
"So then why are you here?"
Thalia crossed her arm over her chest, "He wanted a little support, so I'm here to keep him grounded. I could see the fear in his eyes through the television screen. I'm on break too, so it would be nice to hang out in the most dramatic spot ever for a while."
Thalia was a 2, therefore she was in the military. She was a trainer for military camps and was mostly busy teaching or telling off men who tried to propose. She used to fight in camps, specifically in bombs, but she resorted to teaching after an injury in her head. She was in a coma for weeks, and then mental support for a couple of years after. Eventually, she got better and became the Thalia we know now.
The Selected started flocking around the director, Mrs. Dodds, and I stood.
"I'll see you around Marissa." Thalia gave a small two-finger salute and walked off as I joined the Selected.
