(#2) Girl By Day, Villain By Night,

Chapter 13

"I don't know. But I just know that I'll be fighting next to you."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?"~ Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

Dedicated to the ever wonderful and beautiful wish_on_the_starz, for the wonderful comments on my last chapter! Thank you so much, you're the best!

Siena

Life can really take you by surprise sometimes. Things are difficult to manage, difficult to comprehend and live with all at the same time. Hardships are ever present, forever testing our way of life and forever making us doubt ourselves. We change more in a day than we do in a year sometimes. There are moments that make us who we are, moments of such clarifying character that we finally become the people who we know we can be. We have a set of values from the moment we are born. A set of values that make us who we are. And it depends on whether or not we discard or hold wrong or right values that really show our character.

I stared at the letter Juno had sent me, questions running through my brain at lightning speed. Amongst the gems? What the hell was I thinking? For the life of me, I couldn't figure it out. Pursing my lips, I tossed the letter into my bag and grabbed a few things out of my suitcase. I snuck a glance over at Calli, who was sound asleep on the floor of the warehouse, and slipped out the door. Calli was recovering from the flu, so it was only midday when I stepped out, greeted by the bright lights and smells of the city. Things were getting stifling and cluttered in my head. I needed to breathe, to clear my brain without anyone else there to tell me what to do. I knew just where to go.

I jogged down the road, letting the crisp ocean air into my lungs as the sun beat down. A man passed me on a bicycle and I leapt out of the way to avoid my foot being crushed before continuing on. In about five minutes, I had reached my destination, a large, white building with a sig in front of it. Palm Dance Studios. Although this was a modern dance studio, they had a barre, and that was all I needed. Just a place to let out my emotions and dance. I scrolled through my phone, looking for a piece that would appropriately let out my emotions. Finding it, I headed inside. The place was fairly crowded, with two dance classes going on in the rooms. A receptionist glanced up and nodded at me, indicating that I was allowed to come in. I asked her for directions to the Dance Room 3, which I knew they never used since the barre would get in the way.

I crept down the hallway, reaching the room and shutting the door behind me. Light flooded the open, empty space, and the wood, dark, polished, beautiful, gleamed on the floor, the large mirror opposite me letting me see myself. I looked at myself and cringed. I looked like a mess, hair pulled back in a messed up ponytail, eyes sunken and weird. Grabbing my bag, I headed into the bathroom, washing my face with soap and brushing my hair until it was soft, pulling it back into a ponytail.

I spread a little bit of concealer on my face, clearing up my complexion, and nodded at myself in the mirror. Oddly, looking better made me feel much better. I changed into a dance outfit, a leotard and tights, and stalked out, shutting the door. I didn't want anyone walking in on me and seeing what I was up to, then plugged my phone into one of the speakers that were lying in the closet, and plugged that into the wall. Hitting play on my phone, I quickly got into position as the music slowly began. The piece started off very slow, a simple chord holding it in place for a bit. Then, as the higher note came in, I began. My body moved with the music, first curving down to the floor, spreading my arms out before lifting up once more. The music continued, soberly, and I felt the emotion in me threaten to burst at the seams. Instead, I pinched my lips tightly and lifted up.

I moved right, lifting my leg up before setting it down, the notes washing over me. I was pretty good at staying on the beat, like this showed, and it was a difficult song to do. As the organ dropped down, my body dropped to the floor, dramatically moving. Then, the music lifted up once more, causing me to lift my head from the ground and bring my entire body up slowly. I moved three steps to the left, turning my head as if to look back to where I came from, waiting for the music to lift up once more.