~Chapter 18~
Amelia
She buried her head on her hands, sighing as she heard her bedroom door close behind her. Washington had been a pain for her yesterday. Everything was hellish and boring except for that Knight in shining armor she saw yesterday at the park. Who the hell was that guy and was he a demigod?
Ami smacked her forehead, not caring if her mom heard her. She was daydreaming of that cute guy. His soft brown hair, those hot green eyes and that little dimple on his left cheek…Screw it, Ami thought, I’m obsessed!
She groaned and went to the bathroom and towards the sink then brought out one golden drachma. After saying the right words to the goddess Iris and throwing in the coin, Clarence’s face appeared on the rainbow. She was on her bed, munching on some chocolate.
Ami smiled, “Hey how are you?”
Clarence groaned, “Not feeling well,”
“What monster did you fight this time?” She asked.
Ami’s friend shook her head, “No, Aims, it’s not that.”
Ami frowned, “Then what’s the problem?”
Clarence’s bright blue eyes gazed into Ami’s electric blue eyes. Ami sensed something must be really bad going on. And Clarence couldn’t bring herself to tell Ami. Clarence had always been the one with problems while Ami was always on cloud nine every day.
“They know,” Clarence croaked.
Ami’s eyes widened, “They know?! Ashton and Jed…they knew already?”
Clarence bit her lip, “No Ami…they still don’t know whose daughter I am. But they know I’m Clover…”
“How did they react?”
Clarence sighed, “Jed tried to apologize…and Ashton was emotionless. I don’t know what they’re going to do now. It all happened so quickly last night.”
“Maybe you should go talk to them.” Ami advised.
“I already did yesterday! Well…before they knew. I think Ash’s still mad at me, though.”
“But-“ Ami started though, Clarence cut her off, “Enough about me, Ami. I’m going to be fine. What about you?”
Ami cocked an eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
“Any interesting happened lately?”
Ami blushed, thinking about her mystery guy. She hesitated telling Clarence everything.
“I went to Washington yesterday!” she blurted out, then covered her mouth immediately.
Clarence chuckled, “You should’ve told me! I could’ve visited you. It was Saturday and I didn’t have classes.”
Ami shrugged casually, “Sorry. I asked permission from my mom to go to the city but she said to stay near the meeting building. I went to the park and sat there then I spaced out for a while and then something was pecking my head. I turned to see it but there’s nothing and soon they started pecking my hand and then I was running across the park, with a bunch of crazy harpies chasing me! I suddenly bumped into this cute guy and when I fell down; I realized he drove the harpies away. I was so nervous because he was soo cute and I wanted to kiss him so bad! We talked for a while and he knew I was a demigod then he left and I didn’t even ask for his name! He was so hot, Clarence! I can’t stop thinking about him! I think I might be having a crush!” she rambled and panicked.
Clarence tilted her head to the side, “Do I look like a child of Aphrodite to you?”
Ami groaned, “Help me, Clarence, please! I think I haven’t seen him in camp and I don’t recall seeing him anywhere except that time!”
Clarence sighed, “I can’t do anything about it, Ami. Now can we head to another topic?”
Her best friend rolled her eyes, muttering in Latin, “Morbi filia Dianae. O Clarentiae, non es, cum venit ad fun amet Disputatio.”
“Ami!”
“Alright, well, have you heard of that little girl-oracle, Halliope?”
Clarence froze. Ami can tell she knew something about the girl and she was debating with herself if she should tell Ami. A few seconds later she told Ami, “I had a dream of her last night and the night before that.”
Ami’s brows knitted together, “Why would you dream about her? You don’t even know her.”
Clarence shrugged, “I don’t know…Mrs. Mackie said she’ll be talking to me or whatever.”
She ran a hand through her hair, “Whatever. I have to go, okay?”
Clarence nodded, “Alright. Don’t think too much of your crush!”
Ami giggled and waved her hand in front of the rainbow and it instantly disappeared. She went back to her bed and flopped down on it, lying on her stomach. She closed her eyes and soon, she was drifting to sleep.
The guy, Ami recognized as her crush, sat on the table with a boy with black hair and a scowl on his face. “I know her,” he said, “She’s Amelia Kether, daughter of Jupiter. You’ve seen her before in camp, right Ash?” he turned to black haired boy, who was Ash.
Ami’s heart fluttered when her own crush recognized her. She wasn’t sure if this dream was real or if her mind just made up the whole thing. It just looked so real, as if she was spying on them in…Washington. She felt guilty that she was spying on him. It sounded like she was a stalker or something.
“’Sup guys,” A girl sat in front of them. Ami gasped in her dream when she saw it was none other than Clarence. So Clarence knew her mystery guy!
The two boys looked at her with emotionless faces. Clarence sighed, “I’m sorry for snapping at you guys yesterday. I couldn’t possibly expect you to recognize me because I changed so much, right? Anyway, what are you talking about?”
Ash glared at her, “It still doesn’t explain if you’re a demigod or not.”
“That’s where the mystery ends, Ashton,” Clarence said sternly, “Now that you know I’m Clover, there’s nothing more to hide.”
“Yes there is!”
Clarence looked up from her food and locked eyes with Ami’s guy. She felt a pang of jealousy through her.
“So what were you talking about, Jed?” Clarence asked him. Jed, Ami thought, that’s his name…It’s a hot name.
“That girl I saw at the park,” Jed said, “She was beautiful,” Ami’s stomach did a little flip at that.
Ami heard Clarence say something like, “*cough* lover boy *cough*” Jed playfully glared at her whilst she laughed.
“I doubt she likes you,” Clarence told him.
“She does, too, Clarence! I saw how she looked at me back there! You were there, you saw that too!” Jed protested. Now Ami was confused. Clarence was there at the park?
Clarence mumbled, “I know her more than you do,”
Jed narrowed his eyes, “What did you say? You said you knew her!”
Clarence rolled her eyes and admitted, “Okay, okay! You got me! I know her, Jed. She lives in New York, in the same condo Lindy and I live in. She’s my…best friend.”
Jed’s eyes widened, “She’s your best friend?! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Clarence merely gave him a sheepish smile.
“Tell me about her,” Jed pressed.
Clarence shook her head, “All I’m going to say is that she’s friendly and nice but totally naïve when it comes to love. She’s never had a boyfriend before and I will personally kill you if you hurt her.”
Jed pouted, “You’re the worst cousin ever,” Cousin?! Ami thought, He’s her cousin?!
Clarence grinned from ear to ear, “Aw, I love you too, Jed.”
The sweet dream of Ami was stopped by her mother waking her up. Her mom was sitting by her bed, shaking her.
“What is it, mom?” Ami sat up groggily.
“It’s…it’s. Her..” her mom faltered.
~ΔΟΛ~ ΔΟΛ~ ΔΟΛ~
Ashton
Seeing the two bicker back and forth about Amelia somehow amused Ash. When the bell rang, signaling the end of breakfast (they already skipped the first period) and time to go to their classes, the three stood up and picked up their bags, heading to the hallway to get to their lockers.
Ash was still didn’t trust Clarence even though she admitted she was Clover. Obviously, she was still hiding something from them and it was something really important. He was getting it out of Clarence soon. He picked up a couple of books from his locker and headed to their second period: art.
Walking beside Clarence and Jed, Ash wondered what will happen in camp. It was almost summer and Demicamp. He wondered if Clarence is going to be there. If she is, then that’ll be so much trouble for himself.
They entered the art room and were greeted by a new teacher, who was replacing Xandra. She had blonde hair that was pulled up into a ponytail and grey eyes. She wore a teacher’s uniform and introduced herself to them, “Hi, I’m Ms. Theana and I’ll be your new art teacher.”
Ash’s eyes darted towards Clarence. She had an expression that was somewhere between panic and anger. Ash was confused by this.
Ms. Theana ushered them outside the classroom. She had this weird glow in her eye that was giving Ashton chills in her spine. Clarence was the first to speak up, “Oh, now she’s sending you here?! What does she want?”
Ms. Theana narrowed her eyes and turned towards Ash and Jed, “You two, go inside the classroom. I need to have a word with Clarence.”
How did she know her name? Ash wondered. While Jed went inside the art room, he stayed and his himself to eavesdrop.
“Is that the first thing you say to me, Clarence?! It’s for the best that I’m here!” He heard Ms. Theana say.
“Just say what you want, my Lady. And then leave.” Clarence said to her. Every word they say, Ash became more and more curious and confused.
“No, Clarence, this is important! Your grandmother, Lindy,….she’s dead.”
After a few moments of silence, Clarence spoke, “No, you’re lying! T-that’s not true!” her voice was cracking.
“Fine...if you don’t believe me, then look at the news. The owner of the Meadow company died this morning. If that still doesn’t convince you, talk to your friend, Amelia. She knows it, Clarence.”
Ash can hear the soft sobs of Clarence and then, footsteps sounded in the hallway, which was probably Clarence’s.
Ash heard a sigh, “You can come out now, Ashton.”
Ash was surprised she knew him. He came out of his hiding and faced Ms. Theana. “Who are you, really?” he asked cautiously.
“Think, Ashton. Ask yourself who I am,” Was Ms. Theana’s reply.
Ash thought for a moment and gazed into her gray orbs, “Theana….Athena, right?”
The goddess nodded, “Yes, it’s me.”
“Why are you here?” Ash questioned, “Do you know what’s up with Clarence?”
“She’s a special child, Ashton,” she answered, “And her story is not mine to tell. I came here to tell her about her grandmother. It is true. Lindy Meadow is gone and she’s taking that badly. She loves her grandmother. And I suggest to you: don’t force her secret out of other people. She will tell you everything when the time comes. You need patience, Ashton.”
Ash nodded in understanding then he followed the goddess in the music room to have their class.
~ΔΟΛ~ ΔΟΛ~ ΔΟΛ~
During lunch, Ash told his best friend everything that happened. Clarence hasn’t showed up in any of her classes since the second period and Ash couldn’t help but get a little worried. Probably she’s been crying in her room for hours now, he thought. Jed said he’ll try to get her out of her room and talk but when he came back that afternoon, he said the room sounded real quiet and he doubted Clarence could be there.
“Arggh! Where the hell are those damn monsters? We’ve been waiting for half an hour already!” Jed complained. It was already ten thirty and no monster had shown up yet.
Jed stood up from the grass, “I’m going back to the school. You coming?”
Ash shook his head, “Nah, I’m going to take a walk.” He stood up and Jed and he headed the opposite ways. Ash towards the deep forest, and Jed towards the school. He put his bronze sword in his hand, the metal illuminating in the woods. He also stayed alert for any monster that might come in his way.
Ash had already explored the deeper into the forest and he remembered another bald spot that was much bigger than the one where they fought monsters. Sometimes he would go there if he needed to think and clear his mind. Soon, he arrived at the spot but it wasn’t empty at all. Clarence was sitting there, her arms wrapped around her knees and she was crying quietly.
He lowered his sword and headed towards her. Clarence looked up and then averted her gaze, “What are you doing here?” she asked in a hoarse voice.
Ash sat beside her, dropping his sword next to him, “I was taking a walk and then I found you here.”
“Can you please leave me alone?” she pleaded.
“Clarence, I’m not leaving you here and I’m not going to pester you with questions.” Ash assured her.
Clarence turned her head towards him, wiping a few tears from her eyes, “What do you want?”
Ash shrugged, “Where were you the whole day?”
“Fighting monsters,” she replied.
His mouth made an ‘o’ shape, “So that’s why Jed and I couldn’t find monsters thirty minutes ago.”
“You should be grateful I took them out. You should stop giving yourself wounds, injuries and scars, Ash. Killing monsters isn’t a past time. It doesn’t make you better emotionally but instead, it hurts you physically.”
Ash chuckled, “Said the girl who killed them because she was sad.”
Clarence rolled her eyes, “Whatever…I admit it was a mistake now.”
After a few moments of complete silence, Clarence suddenly told him, “It was true.”
He arched an eyebrow, “What’s true?”
Tears began sliding down her face again, “What Athena said was true. My grandmother’s gone…”
Ash didn’t know what to say. He never experienced losing someone he loved. His family was distant from him, but they never died. All he could say was, “I’m sorry.”
“Lindy’s the only family I had. I have no idea where my dad is and my mother didn’t really care about me. Natalie and Jed did count as family…but Lindy was close to me…” she said, “And I’ve only known her for a month. I can’t believe I left her for…for this school. I-I should’ve stayed.”
Ash suddenly found himself wrapping his arms around her and pulling her towards him. “It’s going to be alright, Clarence.” He murmured against her hair.
“No it’s not! S-she’s gone, Ash! It’s all my fault…” Clarence sobbed, burying her face on his shoulder.
“Clarence, your grandmother would want you to be happy, right? You need to move on and live your life normally. She wouldn’t want you to lose yourself because of her death.” Ash told her.
Clarence pulled away and wiped her tear-stained face. She stood up and so did Ash.
“I guess we should head back to school now,” Ash said. She nodded.
He began to walk but Clarence called out, “Ash wait.” She caught up with him, “Sas ef̱charistoúme gia óla...I really feel better now.”
He nodded and they started towards the school in complete silence.
~ΔΟΛ~ ΔΟΛ~ ΔΟΛ~
Lindy’s gone! And Ash hugged Clarence! Awwww….<3 sweet! Haha. Oh, and I guess this is the first chapter without Clarence's POV in it, right?
Okay, for now, I'm going to delete Bittersweet Moments in my other account becasue I'm too busy here. Sorry, I really can't handle two books at a time.
Chocolatz: Aww what?! You're deleting BM?
Vireen: Yes, Chocolatz. now shut up.
-Vireen, Daughter of Riches