Missing

Past

Thalia's POV
(S/H trigger warning)
I had heard Reyna talking to Becca and Zuri. Being the selfish person I was I had completely forgotten about Hylla also having dissapeared. This whole time I was so concerned with finding my friends that I'd forgotten Reyna's motive for coming with me. I watched as she passed by me and walked towards the door an absent look to her eyes. Sighing, I let her go and sat down at the small wooden table. Max slipped into the chair next to me and Chloe sat across from her. It felt good to see my friends again. In fact,  they hadn't changed much since the last time we'd met.

"So how do you know Reyna?" Max asked politely.

"As it turns out she sort of dated my brother for a while," I shrugged. Chloe snickered at my statement.

"Is that why she acts so wierd around you?" Max frowned at her girlfriend's behavior.

"Actually... you're probably right. I never really noticed but she's sort of distant. Not easy to talk to, but her love life is kind of...funky." I glanced back at the closed door where Reyna was sitting alone out side. "Her sister is missing too. I know the feeling, and it's been tough for her. It doesn't help that I haven't exactly been a good friend . I've just been focusing on my own problems."

"What happened to her and Jason?" Chloe inquired.

"I don't really know. Just that it didn't work out." I paused unsure of whether or not tell them Reyna's secret. "The love goddess basically told her she'd be alone forever and then vanished like she'd somehow blessed Reyna."

"Wow... that's, awful," Max whispered.

"Yeah. I guess if I was told that I would die alone by the actual love goddess I'd be pretty angry and sad too," Chloe agreed. Her words, were simple but they struck me. Reyna didn't seem like an angry type of person but she had walls. Then again, maybe she was as angry at the gods and the world as I had been. As I still was. I realized that despite our occasional talk there was still so much more to her I didn't know.

"Thalia if you're worried about her just go out there," Max smiled kindly.

"What?" I asked slightly confused.

"You keep looking at the door," Chloe explained a smug expression on her face. I shrugged getting up from my seat and excusing myself as I stepped outside. Reyna sat staring blankly at the darkening horizon. She didn't move. She just sat there completely still.

You okay?" I asked not sure what to do. There was no response. She didn't even blink. I moved to sit next to her in the empty spot on the steps.

"Have you ever felt so sad and so hopeless that it hurts?" Reyna asked staring dead ahead. I could hear the strain in her voice.

"Yeah." I whispered looking down at the steps and folding my hands together. Resting my arms on my knees a series of memories flashed through my head.

"I've tried to seem hopeful but I can't. We have nothing to go on. No information to help us find the others." Reyna's face twisted in anger and I could see her struggling not to cry. "My whole life I've trained for stuff like this but I feel so useless!"

"I know. Believe me," I laughed bitterly. I felt useless a lot.

"I just- how could I not know Hylla was gone? I only knew because of your friends." Reyna glanced at me a new kind of anger in her eyes. I had seen it in the mirror many times before. Self hatred.

"You didn't know. Hylla doesn't keep in touch that well anyway. You know that Reyna." I tried to reassure her.

"How did you cope? With Jason I mean?" Reyna asked her fists clenching. I sighed.