"sad beautiful tragic" - [l.valdez]

"stranger"

"All you care about it your stupid machines!" I spat at my best friend, slamming my hand on a workbench in frustration. My voice was trembling, and my hands shook. I instantly regretted the words leaving my mouth, but it was too late to take them back now.

"All you care about is wasting my time!" Leo shot back, tears in his eyes. He blinked repeatedly, forcing them away.

"Wasting your time?" I scoffed, heart breaking into two. "That's what you call wanting to be around you? You're my best friend, and- and-" I swallowed back a sob.

Leo didn't take any notice, his attention already back on his newest invention, whatever it was. We were in Bunker Nine, the only place Leo ever spent any time in anymore. I barely saw him outside of his favourite workplace, and if I did, it wasn't for very long.

I had to come to the bunker to talk to my best friend, and ever then, our conversations were mostly one-sided, Leo being preoccupied with whatever gadget he was working on.

I felt like I was losing him, and it hurt, bad.

"Look," Leo said finally, "I don't have time to waste arguing with you, so either shut up and stay here, or leave me alone. I don't care which."

"Leo, I really need to talk to you. It's important." I stared at him, ashamed at how pathetic I sounded. I did want to talk to him, and it was kind of important. Today was the day I planned to finally tell Leo about my feelings for him. They'd been there for months now, ever since I'd first met him, really.

But recently those feelings had been growing burning hot. I could barely stand how much I liked the short Latino boy I called my best friend. In fact, if I was serious with myself, I was deeply in love with him.

"I don't have time for you right now."

Leo's words stung like nothing else ever had. I was so stunned I actually stumbled back a few steps, hot tears blurring my vision.

"Leo..." I began to cry, bawling like a child into my hands. I felt absolutely, ridiculously pathetic, but I truly couldn't help it.

"Look, just leave me alone, please," Leo said dismissively. "I'm really busy, and you're kind of bugging me."

I couldn't take this. It hurt too much. I'd promised myself I'd never use my power (or curse as I preferred to call it), but this was the final straw.

I was a daughter of Apollo, and when I was born, I'd been cursed with a special power. I had the power to remove all my memories of a person if I said 'stranger' to them.

I didn't want to live with this pain any longer.

"Stranger," I whispered, and crumpled to the ground.

***

"Y/N!"

My eyes slowly fluttered open, and the first thing I saw were a pair of concerned looking brown eyes, which were filled with tears.

I pushed myself up onto my elbows, and found myself lying on a battered old couch in a large workshop.

I blinked a few times, then looked at the person who'd been crouching beside me.

"Y/N...?" the Latino boy asked me, worry and guilt in his eyes, though I wasn't sure why. I didn't even know this kid.

"Who are you?" I asked softly, frowning a little in confusion.

"No..." the boy mumbled, tears spilling over his cheeks. "No, no, no. I'm so freaking stupid!" He kept muttering angrily at himself, and I couldn't help but feel a little bad for him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked him, gingerly placing my hand on his arm. "Don't beat yourself up over it, whatever it is. I'm sure it wasn't your fault. And anyways, if it was, I'm sure you can fix it."

My words, while I intended them to help, only seemed to worsen the boy's despaired crying.

I looked on nervously, while this boy I didn't even know cried his heart out next to me.

"Um..." I said after a few minutes. "Where are we? And who are you, anyways? I need to get back to Camp Half-Blood -- its my home..." I paused. "Why am I in this workshop? How did I get here? And who even are you?"

The boy slowly met my eyes. "My name is Leo Valdez," he said, his voice gravelly. "And we're in the secret bunker in the middle of the woods at Camp Half-Blood. Don't worry, I'll take you back in a minute."

I smiled. "Okay, thanks."

I settled myself into a more comfortable sitting position on the old brownish vouch, and watched curiously as the boy hurried to clean up a mess he'd aapparently made while building something.

"I am so sorry."

Leo's words startled me. "What for?" I asked in surprise. "You didn't do anything. I've never even met you before just now."

"You have the power to forget someone when you say 'stranger'," the boy replied miserably.

My eyes widened slightly, and I swore my heart skipped a beat. How did he know-? There was only one way... and it made me depressed just thinking about it.

"Did I..." My voice failed me. "Did I make myself forget you?"

"I was lying," Leo continued, "to you, and myself. I- I'd fallen in love with you, Y/N, and it scared me. I said I didn't have time for you because I was terrified that you'd be weirded out. That you'd not want to be friends anymore, or something. I-I know this is really weird, and I know you don't even remember me-"

His voice trembled, and I sensed that if he said anything more, he'd cry. I decided not to make him say anything.

I got up off the couch, and slowly stepped over to him. "Hey..." I started. "Don't worry..." I stopped myself. Why wouldn't he worry? Clearly, this was my fault, but he was blaming himself. Maybe he'd played a part in making me want to forget him. I wasn't sure, but I didn't want Leo to beat himself up over this. I wasn't worth that.

"I-" Leo shook his head. "I'm so freaking sorry, Sunshine."

"S-Sunshine?" I asked, my breath hitching. Maybe I didn't remember him, but something deep inside of me recognised that nickname.

Leo's face went red. "I'm sorry," he stammered. "That's what I used to call you, you know, before-" He blushed, looking down sadly. "Because, you know, you're a daughter of Apollo and he's the sun god, and--"

I stopped his rambling with a sudden hug, surprising us both. "Like I said, don't worry about it," I told him. "I- I think I made a mistake in making myself forget you. I really want to be friends again, if that's okay with you."

I watched his eyes light up. "Yes, yes please," Leo almost begged, squeezing me tightly. "I am never ever gonna forgive myself for making you so sad you wanted to forget me, but I don't want to lose you for anything."

I managed a smile, and sent a quick prayer to my dad, hoping he'd listen to me.

Hey dad? Please undo my curse. I mean, super awesome blessing from you. Just this once, please. I think- I think I was in love with this boy, and I don't want to lose that. Please let me remember him.

A few seconds later, I gasped, blinking a few times. "Oh my gods, Leo!" I said. "It- it worked! I-I remember you!"

Leo stared at me. "Really? But-"

"My, uh, power- it's from my dad, and I asked him for a huge favour and begged him to undo it just this once. Because..." I went red. "I had a feeling, and well, it turns out I was right."

"A feeling about what?" Leo asked curiously, fiddling with his tool belt.

"I had a feeling I had been in love with you before I, uh, chose to forget." I grinned sheepishly, kicking the ground with the edge of my sneaker. "And I was right."

Leo's smile was brighter than my dad's sun chariot, and his kiss filled me with much more warmth, too.