Children of the Big Three-Book Two-Quest of Centaurs

Chapter 31 - Sydney

I knew it was after curfew, but I didn't really care. 

After everyone had gone down for the night, I snuck out to the beach where I was able to sit and be sad by myself, watching the moon and stars give a beautiful reflection off the vast sea in front of me. 

I thought about Zaylor, how, when we met at school almost a year ago, she was the only one that was really nice to me. She always made stupid jokes, trying so hard to make me laugh. And she always stuck by my side; she was more loyal than a puppy, I always thought. 

Then I broke down crying again. But this time, I didn't try to stop. I let it all flow out.

After a while, quietly sobbing on the beach in the dark, I heard someone behind me. Turning my head back, I noticed a dark haired girl, with one streak of hot pink, wearing a purple CHB shirt and holding the hilt of her sword. 

"What do you want?" I asked coldly. I had already been hurt by Skipper once before, and I knew I couldn't take it now. 

What surprised me was how gently she asked, "May I sit?"

After thinking a moment, I nodded smally. She came and quietly sat next to me, extending one leg and drawing the other knee up to rest her elbow on. 

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?" she said after some silence. 

I couldn't bring myself to nod, much less say anything. Finally, she asked, "What happened, anyway?"

"We were attacked," I sobbed, "Trying to get past Cerberus without an escort and with three powerful demigods, instead." I looked over at her. As she looked back at me, I added, "I'm such an idiot." 

"I should have been there," she replied, "I guess we're both idiots."

We stared out into the dark, looking at the sky and the dark ocean. 

"Sydney, I'm sorry," she said after a moment, "How I treated you-" 

"It's okay," I cut her off, feeling a warm spot grow for her inside of me all over again. "I mean, I wouldn't have been so friendly either if what had happened to you-"

"-happened to you?" she asked, cutting me off. She forced a kind laugh. "And I wouldn't blame you." 

After another moment of silently staring, I said, "Would you go back?"

She looked at me with the darkest, saddest eyes I've ever seen. "Every day," she whispered. 

She looked back at the ocean. I thought I saw her blink away some tears, but I didn't stare long enough to be certain. 

After a silence, I asked, "Will you miss her? Zaylor, I mean. I mean, I know you too weren't that close, but..."

"Oh, yeah," Skipper said, shattering my doubts, "Zaylor was a good friend. Your best friend, but my good friend."

After another longer silence, I asked, "So, what do we do now?"

She looked up into the moon, the light shining down on her cold, determined face:

"We find Zaylor's mom."