²Olden Crown, heroes of olympus

024.

OLDEN CROWN
━━ chapter twenty-four

━━ HAVING TO BREAK up a fight between Drew Tanaka and Piper McLean was not on Elisa's morning to-do list on her first day back.

               "Y'all couldn't give it a fucking week?" she snapped, swinging the white door to Cabin Ten open.

               The other inhabitants of Cabin Ten whipped their heads over to look at the daughter of Dionysus. It wasn't odd for her to invite herself over like she was a daughter of Aphrodite instead of Dionysus, but this time, Drew and Piper were going head-to-head, clearly ready to fight.

               "Out, you guys." Elisa pointed to the door, and Piper and Drew's siblings scrambled out. On the way, Lacy, the youngest camper in Cabin Ten, gave Elisa a hopeful look. That dissolved some of her anger, which was the only reason she didn't start yelling once the door was snapped shut.

               Drew gave Elisa an expectant look, and motioned to Piper, as if to say, Well? Get her out, too!

               Elisa only sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Drew—what is going on with you?"

               Drew gave the black-haired girl a smoldering glare. "With me? You're my best friend, and suddenly you go on a stupid quest, and you are best friends with—her!" She waved her hand at Piper, like she was disgusted.

               "Drew, that's not it," said Elisa. "It's just ... you've been so mean to people. All the time. Even me."

               Drew crossed her arms. Elisa could see the anger slowly faltering. "You know what's wrong."

               Elisa looked to Piper, nodding to the door. "I'll talk to you later, okay Piper?"

               Piper didn't look like she wanted to go, but Elisa didn't give her a choice, leading her to the door. Once it was shut, Elisa turned back around to Drew. "It's about Silena, right?"

               Drew flinched at the name. No one said Silena's name anymore, like it was a bad omen. Her betrayal still hurt everyone who knew her.

               "I don't want to be Silena," said Drew, voice suddenly wobbly.

               "So you wanna act like a bitch?" countered Elisa. "Drew—Silena made a mistake, but that doesn't mean you can run Cabin Ten like a dictator. That doesn't mean you can go around calling people names. That doesn't mean you can treat everyone like shit—"

               "I get it!" Drew roared. "Okay? I get it. I'm being a bitch. Are you happy, Elisa? I finally admit it—I'm acting like a bitch!"

               "Is that all you're going to take away from what I'm saying?" Elisa crossed her arms.

               "That's all you've done—criticize me," snapped Drew, her eyes hardened, but Elisa could see tears forming.

               "Okay, I'm sorry," the daughter of Dionysus amended. "I shouldn't have said it like that. I've should've been nicer."

               For a moment, Drew didn't respond. Then she croaked, "And you're right ..." Tears filled her eyes, and soon, a sob tumbled out of her mouth. "That's why I'm acting the way I am. I don't want people to think I'll end up like Silena. But I want to be Silena—all the good things about her. But it's like nobody remembers the good things about her!"