Hurricane ~ L. Valdez

2.11 - An Unexpected Bond

       "Hazel?" I knocked on her cabin door softly. "Can I come in?"

      There was a muffled 'ok', and I slowly opened the door. Hazel was sat on her bed, her eyes swollen and red. Hazel and I weren't exactly the best of friends, but I realized that we had more in common than I may have realized.

      She looked up at me, her big brown eyes still teary. I sighed. "Look, don't listen to Jason and Leo. They're idiots."

      "T-they're you're brother and boyfriend."

       I scoffed. "Just because I love the two of them doesn't mean  I'm not pissed off..." I stopped at Hazel's wince. "I mean mad, sorry, at them."

       Hazel paused for a second, before gesturing for me to sit on her bed next to me. I crossed the room and sat, and there was a moment before— "You really care for Nico, don't you?"

       "Yeah," I nodded, looking to meet her eyes. "I've known him for a few years, we're— friends I guess. Nico doesn't have that many friends and isn't always good at receiving that kind of stuff, but... I'd say we're friends."

      Hazel nodded in agreement. "So you know about..."

      "Bianca," I said shortly. "Yeah, I don't want to overstep, I don't know how much he shares... but I was with him when he found out about her..."

       "Oh," Hazel said softly. There was silence again.

      "Can I ask you something?" I said suddenly. "And please don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to be rude I swear." I paused. "What's your deal with my boyfriend?"

     Hazel's eyes widened and her face flushed, causing me to look at her suspiciously. She seemed to look guarded for a moment, before sighing, as if realizing she had to say something. "P-promise not to think I'm crazy?"

      I scoffed. "My mom was jealous of my aunt so she had a baby with Zeus. My aunt became my mother figure. She turned my stepdad into a statue with Medusa's head. My brother's Percy Jackson and Leo's my boyfriend. I think I can handle a little crazy." I deadpanned.

      "Leo..." she paused, "he looks like someone I used to know..."

      "Let me guess," I said sarcastically, "an ex-boyfriend?"

      Hazel's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed red. She nodded and her mouth opened and closed her mouth like a fish. "E-Elara, I wasn't trying to impose, or-"

      "Hazel," I cut off, looking at the petite brunette. "You're absolutely fine." I swallowed, trying to think of a civil way to continue. "I'm sorry if I was a bi- bit standoffish." My cheeks flushed a little as I tried to remember the girl's sensitivity to language. "I was- jealous, I guess. I mean I have a bad track record with keeping boys, and you're drop-dead gorgeous, and so I was jealous."

      "You were jealous of me? You have a problem keeping boys? What are you talking about?" Hazel said, staring at me with wide eyes.

     "Well, turns out that most guys don't exactly like clingy girls with trauma." I shrugged, fiddling with my fingers. "I mean it wasn't terrible, I'm not trying to like victimize myself or anything, I know others have had it worse."

      "W-what happened?" Hazel said softly. My head snapped up to look at the thirteen-year-old, and I sighed. I remembered Nico, and how much Hazel had on her plate. The least I could do was try to distract her, I supposed.

      "Well, where to start?" I questioned sarcastically. "My mom died when I was two, so I've lived with Percy since then."

      "That's what Percy said," Hazel said, nodding. "Well, not the part about your mom, but the part about you living with him. He really loves you, thinks of you as his little sister."