Equilibrium

Chapter 40: Luka's POV

Well that went inescapably, incredibly, horribly, world shatteringly wrong.
If only she would let me actually speak for once.! Why is she acting like all the problems in the world are my fault? I was going to say that INITIALLY that was my plan. I mean, at the time we both hated each other, so how was this my fault?! She acted the exact same way towards me until I started being nice, and then what? She copied me?
Anyways, it wasn't for equilibrium anymore. I hadn't even thought about it for the past few days. I don't hate her anymore, I respect her. In fact, I had been about to admit that I might have caught feelings for her, or that I wasn't opposed to being something more than friends. I had just needed to come clean and clear up everything first, but she hadn't even given me the chance to get to the whole I-maybe-sorta-kinda-like-you-confession-part!
If only she would see what she's been doing to me, but for that she'd have to leave her self absorbed shell. But that won't happen because Jackie hates me and everything I stand for. She doesn't care about my past, any of the bad things that had happened to me, and now she's acting like she's the only one who opened up. The only one who has problems? Why would I tell her those things about me? Why?
I was hurt just as badly as her, maybe worse, I'm trying not to compare, but why does it ALL have to be about her?
I'm hurt too.
To think that after all we've been through together she would blame everything on me, the prophecy, her past, everything. I just don't understand.
But it will always be like this. People will always blame me. I'll never find anyone to care for me.
But even if I don't have anyone and don't care at this point whether I live or die, I still have to help finish this quest.
I have a feeling I know where Jackie went, too. Actually, scratch that, there are three possible places she could have gone. Either to get the Ares, Hermes, or Aphrodite relic.
I can't follow her because she took Harper so I don't actually know how I'm supposed to get anywhere without that bird. Come on Luka, think. Well, knowing Jackie, after our little incident she'd probably avoid the Aphrodite relic, which leaves the last two.
I looked down at the bag in my hands. Jackie's bag.
With all the relics.
Little turd didn't really think this through, did she?
Maybe if I go to find the Aphrodite relic and head back to camp I could meet her there? At this point that's the best bet I've got.
We broke equilibrium.
It finally hit me. We broke it. Well fRack.
No, don't think about that now Luka, just get the next relic and go back to camp. But how do I get to freaking Iowa, where the relic is. That's the most pressing question as of now. I was still in the parking lot of the music shop so I surveyed my surroundings.
Well it looks like the only options I have are hitchhiking across two states, or taking the bus. I rummaged my hand in Jackie's backpack, pulling out a wad of cash. Alright it looks like I'm taking the bus.
After securing Jackie's backpack, my backpack, and my weapon, I trudged over to the ticket window and bought a ticket for the town the relic was located in. I would figure out the specifics of the relic later.
Fun times.
Fortunately, the next bus for Iowa was only an hour's wait so I didn't have to dilly dally around for too long. It was a relatively nice day and the sun was shining through the clouds. There was a nice cool breeze blowing through the trees and the cherry blossoms, and all I wanted to do was sit in a pretty field and write a song. But there were no pretty fields here and I had to catch a bus soon to head over to death street, so I decided to just sit on a bench at the bus stop and wait, wallowing in my own thoughts.
Half an hour later I was completely done with life. I had sat there bored out of my mind and overthinking every single thing I had ever done in my life. From the time I dropped yogurt on my shirt in front of my whole first grade class, up until very recently when Jackie had punched me in the face. My whole body was so numb after our fight that I had totally forgotten that I had blood on my face until I sat down. No wonder the ticket guy was looking at me so weirdly.
When I finally checked the time I was almost certain that I'd missed my bus because it felt like I had been sitting here for too long, but I still had ten minutes.
Better stop using my brain before I actually do miss my bus.
Bored as hell, I started to count the number of birds I could see. There weren't many so it wasn't very entertaining, but there were a couple birds that caught my eye. They reminded me of something that I'd read about inside a myth book when I was little. In the Greek mythology section there was a bit on Stymphalian birds, which were supposedly man eating birds that Hercules had to defeat for his sixth labour.
The birds started to fly closer and closer to me, and the more I observed them the more it became clear to be that these were not normal birds. They looked oddly familiar, sparkling bronze feathers not unlike the ones on the beast Jackie had shot out of the sky a few days ago. Hell, what if they WERE Stymphalian birds? To be fair, I was sitting here as prey, waiting with open arms for any monster to come and eat me. I pulled out my bow and nocked an arrow, pointing it at one of them and shooting. It hit the bird's wing but barely affected it as it kept flying closer and closer to me.
Oh crap, oh duck, oh freak, oh shet, what do I do what do I DO, Jackie isn't here to help me, what. Do. I. Do.
Think Luka, THINK.
Artemis' relic.
As fast as I could, I rummaged through Jackie's backpack and pulled out the glowing silver arrow and knocked it quickly. There were about fifteen birds or monsters or Stymphalian birds or whATEVER the heck they were coming my way. I aimed at one that was near the center of the flock and let the arrow fly. It zoomed towards the swarm of man eating birds and one by one destroyed them, taking their guts and bringing them to the outside. It all happened within less than a minute and I was even more stunned than when it killed all those wolves.
"Next bus to Iowa leaves in five minutes." I heard the voice of the ticket guy call out. As fast as I could, I grabbed the arrow which had flown back around and landed on the ground in front of me and stuffed it back into Jackie's backpack. Picking up both our bags and my bow, I made my way into the bus which was parked not far off and found a seat at the very back. Hopefully no monsters followed me onboard, that would really be the death of me. I needed to sleep and get my mind fresh again before I went to find Aphrodite's relic. The fact was, Jackie left, and I had to complete as much of this quest as I could without her.
As the bus pulled out of the parking lot, I let out a sigh. Girls can be so confusing sometimes. I just wish I understood them.