Child of Hades {Interactive Story} (PJO/HOO/TOA)

FIVE: Broad-Shouldered Beasts

The three demon triplet harpies handed handed out breakfast. Matt understood when I pushed him in front of me and asked him to get me my food. He explained the magical goblets to me, and to try them out. I asked for orange juice. The chalice complied. I was informed that at breakfast and lunch the rule wasn't so strict but was mostly followed, but at dinner it was absolute that you had to sit at your parent's table, even if you were alone. At breakfast I sat with Matt and his half-brother, Ron, who looked like he was about to fall asleep into his bowl of cereal.

"Hypnos kids, we really like sleeping." Matt shrugged.

"Why does he look like he's about to pass out, but you seem perfectly fine?"

"I like sleeping," he said, "but not all Hypnos kids sleep all the time. Ron... well Ron does."

At our first free block, Matt and I sat in the combat arena, watching the Ares, Iris, and Athena cabins fight. He didn't mind that I kept my earphones in and turned the volume up all the way. He respected my choice to tune out the world, like Simon. I couldn't help but keep thinking of him. He was my friend. My best friend. Nobody else saw that it was his fault, nobody agreed. I didn't want to believe them, but as I sat there with someone who wasn't him, someone who seemed to know me as much as he did without even trying...

Distracted by an assortment of hallucinations, I'd almost forgotten that he was in the Athena cabin. But at six o'clock when I made my way to the strawberry fields, I noticed him walk with three other Athena campers. The Demeter cabin, five campers, marched towards the strawberry fields behind me. I saw Tiana, and smiled at her. I decided now was as good a time as any to finally talk to Simon, even if the thought made me feel sick to my stomach.

I grabbed a basket from beside the strawberry fields sign. I walked over to Simon, picking strawberries a few rows away from the rest of his cabin, and nonchalantly reached over to pick one from the plant he was working on. Startled, he turned to look at me.

The scars on his face and arm were healing nicely. He had his blonde hair up in a man bun, and his light eyes searched mine to see if he should speak. I felt like punching him in the chest. I didn't.

"Hi, Simon."

"Hi, Y/N," he smiled softly, but I saw him flinch when I raised my arm. I pulled a strawberry from the plant, and dropped it into my basket. "How are you?" A question asked at every encounter between anyone, but Simon said it so genuinely I wanted to break.

"Everyone is telling me that I shouldn't blame you." I started. I felt angry. I felt sad.

"...And?"

"I don't know." I said honestly, pressing my thumb into my forefinger. After a pause, I continued. "It's just - you knew monsters were after me. You knew they'd be around my house." I could hear my voice getting louder. "You didn't tell my mom that I was at school, Simon."

I glanced at the other campers within earshot. I shouldn't be yelling in such a public place. But no one was trying to listen in, trying to hear my shouting. They didn't care. Simon looked away, I saw him clench and unclench his jaw. I yelled louder, I couldn't stop myself.

"You could have protected my mom!" I didn't stop myself from punching him that time. I hit him square in the chest, so he could feel the same weight I felt, making it harder for me to breath. He stepped back, to gain his composure. My body was shaking, my eyes swelled with tears. Every time I said it, every time I thought of it, it never got easier. It would never get easier.

I saw one of Simon's half-brothers stepping over. Simon waved him away. He took a step closer to me. "It's alright. Take it out on me."

I didn't hesitate. "If you'd said anything." Punch. "If you'd said anything," Hit. "My mom would be alive!"