And after, like, a bajillion years:
Here you go. ~AR
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The whole thing with Josh had left me completely and utterly confused beyond belief. I had stayed on that beach, frozen, for what felt like hours. Eventually I realized how ridiculous this was.
He's playing me. Like I'm a freaking game; he's playing me. He's trying to confuse me and make things worse for me just so he can get back at me for tricking him during Capture the Flag. I felt so stupid. I looked around suddenly, expecting to see him hiding behind a tree laughing with the rest of the Athena cabin. Instead I saw Josh walking away towards the cabins. He glanced back at me, but he didn't look amused or giddy. He looked maybe just as confused as I was. He turned away and sort of nervously scratched the back of his head.
I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if I should've gone after him and confront him about it, or ask someone for help, or what. After the world began to spin a bit, I decided to sit down and think.
I groaned a little as a headache came on. I rubbed my temples and felt my eyes begin to sting. I couldn't take this. The stress from the prophecy and my many 'enemies' and now Josh-
It's overwhelming.
I took deep breaths and tried to calm myself down.
"Everything alright?" I heard someone say.
I looked up and saw one of the last people I wanted to see standing with their hands in their jean pockets.
"I'm fine." I said. Damien sat down next to me on the sand and stared at me while I tried to avoid his gaze.
"I never asked if your were fine." he said. "I asked if everything was alright."
I sighed and tried not to explode. "Everything is alright, OK? Everything is just great."
He said nothing for the longest time, then, "Sarah told me you wanted me to go with you on your quest."
I looked over at him, laughing lightly. "No, not really."
"But Sarah told me-"
"I know what Sarah told you." I interrupted. "She's not wrong." I wanted to tell him how I didn't request him to go with me. Some voice wanted him to go with me. Josh too, apparently.
Ugh, Josh...
"You can tell me anything." Damien said quietly. "I won't hurt you."
My mind drifted back to the prophecy. "To wander home with a broken heart."
I got close to his face. He tensed up and I slightly noticed his eyes taking in my facial features. "I don't believe you." I whispered. Then I got up and walked away.
And for once, I didn't look back.
I needed to talk to someone. I didn't know who, but I felt like I should talk to someone. I thought about asking Sarah for help, but I decided against it. There was some things she just couldn't help with. Josh and Damien weren't up for consideration. There was Chiron, but I doubted there was anything he could do.
Overall, I was hopelessly confused, and that's how it was going to stay for a while.
I sighed on my bed and hopped off. I grabbed my bow and slung my quiver on my back. As I left my cabin, I headed away from the archery course. It was just too easy for me. I needed more of a challenge. I walked into the forest, instead. I kept walking. I wasn't sure where I was headed, but I just kept walking.
Eventually, I realized.... I was lost.
"Oh, shit." I muttered. I turned around in a full circle, trying to find where I came from. Then I realized I just made it worse. Now I had no idea which way was back. I sighed and put my bow on my back. I just hoped no monsters would come by...
I climbed the tallest tree I could find, hoping it would be tall enough for me to find where I am. I didn't go very far. I could see part of the camp. I went back down the tree and drew an big arrow pointing towards camp for when I was ready to go back. I took off my quiver and bow and put them on the ground. Then I sat down against the tree trunk and put my head in my hands.
I hate to admit it, but I was afraid. I was afraid of my enemies. I was afraid of falling in love.
I didn't know if I felt that way about Josh. I always hated him, until he kissed me. And he always hated me until that too! At least, I thought he hated me.
He always called me a bitch and whore and other hurtful names. I would simply respond with an insult. He'd pull my hair in the hall and steal my pencils and all I would do is insult him and kick him in the shin. It never seemed as if he liked me. I'd always heard of guys never outgrowing that thing they did in sixth grade where if they teased you they liked you. I never thought he could like me.
Maybe he really was tricking me. Maybe he was just trying to get back at me for beating him during Capture the Flag.
What if he really did like me?
... What if I liked him back?
"One problem at a time, Alex." I told myself.
"Sorry?"
I spun around so fast I accidentally kicked my quiver and sent my arrows everywhere. I put my hand to my heart, realizing it wasn't a monster. Might as well been, though.
Josh walked over and kneeled by my quiver. He started to put them back in, but got burnt. I took my quiver from him and started putting my arrows back.
"I was only trying to help." Josh said. He leaned against a tree and sat across from me.
"Well, you're not." I looked at the ground. After a long awkward silence, I looked up at him. He was staring at me, but I couldn't read his expression. "Why'd you do that? Why'd you have to kiss me?"
"Because I like you." he said simply.
"No you don't!" I exclaimed. "You hate me! You call me names and insult me and hurt me and that's how it's always been! Why did you have to choose now to make everything worse?"
"I didn't know I was making things worse!" he said, not liking how I was yelling at him. "I'm not exactly the type of guy who's great with girls!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, 'cause you would get girls all the time back home."
"They never meant anything!" he yelled. I didn't say anything. I leaned against the tree again. He sighed and ran a hand through his blonde hair. "I never felt anything towards them." he said quieter.
"W-What about Lori? You dated her for almost a year."
He shook his head. "I was only trying to get your attention." He scooted over so he was right next to me. "Look, Alex," He took my hand in both of his. "I'm sorry about every name I called you. I'm sorry for all the times I hurt you. But you have a new life, now. I'm asking to start over. No more name calling, no more arguing, nothing." He locked eyes with me. "Alexandria... I'm sorry."
He didn't call me Alexis...
"Josh, I..." my voice drifted a little. "I need to think about this. But, um, in the meantime, did Sarah talk to you?"
He nodded. "She said I'm going on your quest with you. She also mentioned how that Hades kid is going to." He didn't seem to happy about that.
"Yeah," I said, feeling strangly defensive. "Yeah, he is."
"But so am I." he reminded.
I nodded and swallowed. I didn't want an awkward silence, so I put my quiver on my back and grabbed my bow. "I should, um, go."
Before I could understand what I was doing, I leaned over and kissed his cheek. I froze. He was so warm...
I jerked away abruptly, as if his skin had burned me. Then I jumped up and walked away. I pinched the bridge of my nose.
What the hell did I just do...
I climbed into my bunk bed that night. It had been a long and awkward day. At the fire, I had only stayed a few minutes because Josh and Damien kept looking at me. Why Damien was, I don't know.
Anyway, I found it took only a few seconds for me to fall asleep.
And have another nightmare.
You think we'd make it this easy, child of Apollo?
A bone chilling, evil laugh followed. I was in a completely dark room. I felt myself in a chair, my arms and legs tied to it.
"Hello?" I called into the darkness. I could feel a presence there. "Who's there?"
The same sickening laugh echoed in the dark room. "Not who, child, but what." The voice came from in the room, not my mind.
"The Gods have really lost their touch, if you're the daughter of Apollo from the prophecy." another voice rasped in front of me. I strained against the ropes on my hands and ankles.
"Oh, little one," a third voice said to the right of me. "You're too funny. You think you can escape us just by getting out of those ropes?
Yeah.
"No!" I yelled at the voices. "You don't scare me! No matter how many there are of you! I'm not afraid!"
A blade came out of the darkness and slashed itself across my neck and down my chest. The slice must have been a foot long, or more. Deep, too. I cried out in pain as the blade slowly retraced it's cut, pressing hard into my skin. I could feel hot blood running down my cold skin.
"Ahh!" I screamed. "Stop! Stop it!" The blade reached the end of the cut just above my heart. It paused for a moment, fooling me into thinking it was done torturing me, then made a quick but deep X mark over my heart. I drew in a shaky breath and closed my eyes.
Just a dream... The pain isn't real... This isn't real...
"Isn't real?" the voices all said in unison.
There was silence for a moment, then a voice right next to my ear said, "We haven't even began to bring you pain."
A warm gust of air or something knocked my chair over. I slammed my head into the ground and everything went black.