Sign of the Times

Blame, arguments, and certain death

I walk out of the tent and find Percy sitting with his head in his hands. I stomp over to him and he turns just before I get over there.

"You're okay?" He asks, standing up. His shoulder that was cut up and gross had healed as well, making me not feel bad for punching his arm.

"You fucking idiot!" I yell, ignoring Bianca telling Nico to cover his ears nearby. 

"Oh, don't blame me!" he replies.

"You ran out here on your own! You-"

"Well maybe if you weren't dancing with that dude than you could've been out here. If I had the help then Annabeth wouldn't necessarily been gone! You and Thalia blaming me isn't right," he interrupt. I fall silent, feeling a tear fall down my face. He blames me?

"I wasn't blaming you," I say, wiping the tear from my cheek. "I was mad at you because you went 1 V 1 with a manticore, but now I know you blame me for Annabeth . . . " I laugh spitefully. "I won't worry." 

I turn away from him, beginning to walk away. It takes him a second to grab my arm, telling me to "wait a sec." I rip my arm from his grasp, making eye contact with him. "Don't touch me."

I walk away, looking for a quiet place away from everyone. Maybe I could go find Annabeth right now. All I need is to figure out where she is . . . gods! If I hadn't danced with that dude and saw them leave I could've helped them get out of the situation earlier. 

It really was my fault. I should've been paying more attention. They invited me on this quest to help, but I didn't help. 

I sat down on the ground, in the cold, wet snow against a tree. I tilt my head back, letting the snow that began falling again melt against my skin. 

It didn't take long for me to hear the sound of snow crunching towards me. I look up and see Thalia, eyes red and looking utterly tired. She sat down next to me.

"I heard what Percy said, and it wasn't your fault," I heard her say. I drop my head onto her shoulder. 

"Yeah, well it sure feels like it." She puts her head on mine. 

"It wasn't though. You were doing what you were supposed to, he wasn't. He shouldn't have gone in alone, then we would've been in a better position to deal with the situation."

I sigh, "it wasn't completely his fault either. We went against a fucking manticore. I mean, what are our chances?" She laughed lightly. "I hate being a half-blood. Always being hunted."

"Yeah being on the receiving end is pretty shitty."

"Don't you ever kind of wish that you could be on the giving end?" 

Thalia lifts her head off of mine and turns to me. "What do you mean? You want to be a monster?"

We both laugh for a second before I respond. "No, I mean like, hunt down the monsters. Make the monsters be the ones that have to look out. Stop the monsters from even getting near any other half-bloods."

"Well, I guess that's what being a hunter is. But you don't want that, right?" Thalia waits for me to respond, but I don't. "You can't join them, Emelia!"

"And why not? What is so wrong with them? They saved my ass a month or two ago and they are doing good for the rest of the half-bloods. They are actually doing something while I am just sitting around waiting for something to happen to me! Plus, a dude is the reason I was distracted today, if I'm a hunter . . ."

Thalia stands up abruptly. "I already told you it wasn't your fault. And if you join them then you are stuck in that life!"

"But I will be stuck somewhere!"