"Girls!" Hebe clapped her hands. It was two nerve-wracking days after my conversation with Piper, and we had been called to the Women's Room for important news. "We have delayed putting you on The Report until now, for" -- she raised her eyes to the heavens momentarily -- "certain reasons, but tonight is Friday, and it will be your first night on live television!"
Many of the girls cheered. Hebe smiled patronizingly and held up her hands. "Most of you will not be required to do any talking, but a few of you may be called, so be prepared, and look your best!"
Hazel sat down beside me quietly as the hubbub rose. "Are you nervous?" she asked sweetly.
I shrugged. "Not really."
Hazel sighed. "You're lucky, then. I'm terrified. I don't like being in front of dozens, let alone millions of people."
"At least we won't actually be able to see them," I consoled her.
Lavinia and a girl I didn't yet know joined us. "You'll do wonderful, Hazel," Lavinia said kindly. "Didn't you see the poll? You're the favorite of the people right now. They'll love you!"
Hazel smiled, her cheeks dimpling, and Lavinia slung an arm around the girl beside her. "By the way," she mentioned. "This is Echo Drannen."
I smiled at her, remembering her name from the poll. She had pale skin, and long, curly brown hair. A small circlet of leaves and white flowers rested atop her curls. She gave a timid wave and looked down shyly.
Just then, the door to the Women's Room opened, and group of unfamiliar girls entered. The first was Queen Esperanza, causing us to rise nervously and curtsy, though she didn't seem to notice.
The rest of the girls took seats near the queen, laughing and chatting. One had bright red curly hair and pale green eyes, her casual blue dress spattered with green and yellow paint stains. Another had jeans and a t-shirt on -- remarkably casual for a palace resident -- and had stringy brown hair, yanked out of her face. The third girl had blonde curls cascading down her back and stormy gray eyes.
Quickly rising to my feet, I hurried out of the room nervously, not thinking to make an excuse to the other girls. Dashing down the hallways, I turned a corner and nearly collided with a boy.
"Whoa, what's the rush?" he laughed, steadying me. I took one look at his face and gasped. Then I took off running again, not stopping until I reached my room and slammed the door shut, breathing hard.
Because I'd seen a face with black hair, a mischievous smile, and a straight nose. And unforgettable green eyes.
The boy who'd broken my heart years ago. Percy Jackson.
. . .
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, the lovely girls of the Selection!"
I straightened in my chair in the third row as the cameras turned towards us. Staff and court members around the room applauded. Some of the girls beamed, some waved. I simply sat in my chair and forced a smile.
Julius Beckham smiled welcomingly at us. "Have you ladies been enjoying your stay at the palace so far?"
Around me, girls bobbed their heads and giggled. I did nothing, still feeling queasy from my unexpected encounter. Two rows ahead of me, I saw Piper turn and stare at me in a concerned manner.
"So, Lady Hazel, is it? What are you enjoying most about your stay so far?" Julius encouraged.
Hazel smiled shyly. "I think it's been really nice to get to know lots of other girls around my age, from different provinces and even different castes. I've made lots of new friends."
"I'm sure you have." Julius smiled and moved on, but I didn't catch his next spiel to the camera. I fiddled with my gray leather belt, I draped the green folds of my dress around me, I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. Anything to keep from having to look at the off-set crowd of palace residents nearby, where I could see Percy Jackson out of the corner of my eye. His face was utterly stoic. Annabeth Chase, the blonde girl, whom I knew much about, stood at his side, oblivious.
Had he forgotten me? I doubted it. I was sure I had meant something to him when we'd met two years ago. I had so hoped he would not be here, but of course everyone knew the Nightshades had no luck.
"And you, my dear, how do you like the prince?" Julius looked in my direction, and my head shot up. I panicked momentarily, trying to think of something to say, when the girl next to me, Alice, sat forward and smiled.
"He's very sweet, and he's been so thoughtful to us," she said, beaming. I couldn't help but admire the way her black hair fell over her shoulder without looking messy, just natural, and the way her red gown draped around her gracefully. Her brown eyes caught the light, looking two shades lighter, and I wondered how any of us less charismatic stood a chance against the girls like her.
Julius turned away to finish the Report, and eventually the cameras shut off. I stood, along with the rest of the girls, and hurried out the door away from the off-set crowd. I ran down the empty hall, dragging up my dark green dress.
"Wait!" A voice called out behind me, and I heard the sound of someone running after me. I slowed my pace and turned.
Percy stopped ten feet away from me. "Calypso?" He sounded stunned. "What the heck are you doing here?"
"What do you mean? I was Selected. I have a right to be here just like anybody else," I snapped, though my voice trembled with pent-up emotion, ruining the effect.
Percy stepped closer. "It is you. You look so different."
I flushed and looked away. He touched my arm.
"Calypso." His voice was gentle. "Calypso, I'm sorry."
"For what? Abandoning me with hope of rescue, only with no intention of following through?" I pulled my arm away.
"I tried! I...." He stopped. "I spoke of it at the Olympian Council."
I laughed dryly. "Let's see. You probably brought it up casually, one time, and then expected them to remember and actually do something about it. Then you forgot me."
Percy looked away, and I knew I was correct. He stared at the ground. "But maybe they didn't forget. Maybe this is your chance at a good life again."
"How? Where do I go after here? Back to my servitude."
"You're a Selected now, remember? They can't treat you like a servant any more."
I laughed bitterly. "You really believe they won't?"
Percy opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again, subdued for a moment. Then, "You could stay. After the Selection is over, you could.....you could open a shop in town or something. You could even marry one of the courtiers."
"Is that even legal?" I stared at the floor. "Look, just leave me alone. You have Annabeth now."
Percy winced. "Yes, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends."
I held back the sudden urge to cry. "Percy, I think you gave up that chance a long time ago." Then I walked away, forcing my head up and my shoulders back. I didn't look back until I had reached the corner, and saw Percy still standing there, staring at the wall. The I ran, out of sight and broken, tears finally coming to my eyes. I flew up the stairs to my chambers.
My room was quiet, my maids absent for some reason. I didn't care why. I threw open the balcony doors and grasped the railing, my silent tears leaving wet droplets. Then I laid down my head and allowed myself to cry.
When I could cry no more, I sank into a heap on the marble floor, breathing in the cool spring air. I calmed myself, bit by bit, my mind fighting me with memories. Finally I gave up and let the memories come.
. . .
I walked through the quiet forest near the seashore, searching for the very best blackberries. Then I heard an groan just beyond the edge of the woods. Peeking out from between the trees, I saw a crumpled heap lying on the beach. Then I realized it was a person.
I dropped my basket and ran to the figure. As I knelt, I saw it was a boy -- one with black, messy hair and rumpled clothing. I held my fingers in front of his lips, releasing a sigh of relief as I felt a feather of breath. He was alive.
The boy groaned, and I touched his shoulder. "Stay still. You're too weak to rise."
The boy's eyes fluttered open, revealing strikingly green irises. "Who?" he croaked out.
"Shh, brave one," I said soothingly. "Rest and heal. No harm will come to you here. I am Calypso."
The boy's eyes closed again, and I shifted my arms underneath him, lifting him slowly. I staggered toward the woods. How could one lean boy be so heavy?
I managed to haul him to the house, where I laid him on a cot against the wall. I didn't know who he was, but I could take care of him until he was strong enough to tell me his story.
. . .
A few days later, the boy could sit up and walk around a bit. He told me his name was Percy, and he told me his story, how he'd been on a ship, travelling with his uncle and his three friends when the ship had caught fire. He'd been on a section that had blown up, and he'd been hurled to the shore of my island. It was a miracle he was alive.
Several days passed, and the boy seemed torn about leaving. I hoped he would stay. He helped me garden, and he gathered fruits and berries for me. He made me laugh and think and smile. I could not help liking his messy black hair, his sarcastic smile, his green eyes.
Eventually I told him about my past, about my traitorous father and my punishment. He seemed shocked that I had been punished for supporting my father so young. "It's not fair to punish you for what your father's done," he protested. I smiled at him, and felt my heart do a flip in my chest.
But he didn't intend to stay. He had begun building a raft the moment he was strong enough to walk. I tried my best to distance myself, until he gave me the news that it was ready.
"You could stay," I offered anxiously. "Free from palace life. You and I....we could build a life together here. You could help me -- free me."
Percy considered it. I watched him, biting my lip, wondering what he would say. Then he slowly shook his head, and my heart sank. "I can't. There are more dangerous things happening than you know. My friends need me, and I know how to help them. I have to get back."
My shoulders slumped. "Then go, my hero. We will send you on your way."
"Come with me," he begged.
I smiled sadly. "Do you think I have not tried? Every time I have tried, I am caught and quickly sent back. It will never happen. You will be questioned if you are seen with me."
I gave him a basket of supplies to ride him over until he found transportation back to the palace. He took them reluctantly. "Maybe I can visit you."
"No, Percy. You will not be able to find me again. Go back."
"But--" His voice broke.
"Go, please. Just remember me." I smiled a little, fighting to keep my composure. "Plant a garden for me at the palace, will you?" I pulled a spring of moonlace, a beautiful silvery blue flower native only to Ogygia, from my basket and held it out.
He took it and tucked it into his shirt pocket, his eyes sad. "I promise."
Then he turned and wove through the trees, headed along the shore, towards the marketplace, where he would find people who would take him home. He looked back once, at the edge of the woods, and I raised a hand in farewell. Then he disappeared through the trees.
. . .
I crouched there, crumpled and broken, as the breeze whistled through the garden below me. And I wished, with my whole heart, that someone could find me and help me out of the crushing, terrible void of my past.