Friendly Campfire

It's sort of like a ritual for Rangers to gather around and have a campfire on the beach every month or so. They sing, dance, and enjoy themselves taking a break from their everyday schedule of maintaining and running the museum. Fortunately, that day was today, the day before our school reopening. I was excited about school but nervous and anxious at the same time so this was a best way for me to calm my tensed nerves and hyperactive mind.

So, here I am rubbing my hands from the slightly chilly sea breeze. Rangers sat under the lucid crescent moon, swaying and humming to the guitar strings of Chase. Tyler and Shelby are stepping their foot to the melody, completely lost in each other's eyes, Riley sat there playing with his dog he recently brought from his parents' house, Ms. Morgan's rocking her head to the tune her orbs afar, Ivan probably tracing something on the orc sand and Koda munching on the third chicken sandwich he sneaked from the picnic basket placed on the sand. Kyle was huddled beside Chase watching him play the guitar he'd so boasted about.

Meanwhile, I sat nibbling on the sandwich Koda passed me, staring blankly at the serene sea at my side. The night wind picked up the rebel strands of my braided hair and pressed them to a side of my face, I brushed them off squinting my eyes up at the starry night, a sigh heaving inside my chest.

I turned my head to the fire sensing someone's gaze on me. My eyes caught Kyle's causing me to raise an eyebrow in question. He seemed unfazed and continued staring but I turned my head away rolling my eyes at his weird attitude. He's becoming weirder and weirder.

Feeling an abrupt presence beside me, my head swirled around to lock eyes with Kyle's who has settled himself beside me comfortably. I blinked at him surprised as to why he was sitting beside me on the wooden log.

"Hey Alisa," he smiled extending his legs and crossing his ankles.

"Why are you sitting here?" I asked squinting.

"What?" he innocently fluttered his eyes, "Can't I sit here?"

I sighed tired and annoyed. "Whatever" I looked away.

Silence hung between us while I saw him fidgeting his hands on his thighs.

"You know…" he cleared his throat. "You said you'd think about us being friends. What do you say? Do you agree?"

I'd actually thought about it. And eventually understood that there's no point in avoiding and neglecting him anymore knowing that both of us are half-bloods thus monsters and troubles follow us everywhere. He's right – we would have to protect each other. Now, with him having powers I've to rely on him. And I was being bratty not accepting his friendship already. Besides, he's the only person from my own country knowing what our life was, so taking all these things into account I decided to accept him in my life. If he does anything again and breaks the little trust I put in him, well I won't care. I've enough on my plate already.

But I decided to be tough before him.

"Yeah…" I sighed before turning my head to face him. "Let's be friends"

His cherry lips tugged upwards, "Okay!" he extended his hand towards me.

I looked down at it raising an eyebrow.

"A friendship handshake?" he wiggled his fingers.

My hand rose and embraced his warm one, shaking it firmly.

Kyle smiled down at me.

"I thought you didn't like me." I heard him mumble with an obvious smirk.

"I don't"

His laughter filled the air.

"Why are you acting like this?" I couldn't help but ask. "This…is not you"

Kyle's smile faded for a second but it was immediately replaced with a sweet one almost melting my tough act.

"This's the real me," he said. "More outgoing, optimistic and cheerful"

"No, you're not"

"I am, Alisa," he pressed. "I was forced to act cold and aggressive. I'm guessing you might have heard about my father, the notorious CEO of Anesco Builders who's known to be stone-cold, brutal and evil. I was raised to be the next CEO of his precious company in other words brutal and ice cold"

"Oh, I never knew" I mumbled taken aback.

"No one knows how many evil and illegal things go behind that company, he never shows nor would anyone dare to go against him. He wanted me to be just like him and did everything for that. I was asked to only hang out with the rich kids, I was told to study like a robot but shouldn't be classified as a nerd in school because I must maintain my status and there were many things he forced me into to. My house was jail for me" he drew lines on the sand beneath him absentmindedly.

"He is your biological father, right?" I got a nod. "How did your father and goddess Demeter even meet? It seems like they have completely different characters".

"I know…" he sighed. "When I was claimed by mom she'd appeared before me and talked a lot to ease my confusion. She said that dad was going to build a huge resort in Greece destroying a large vegetation. She had to do something so she took her human form and visited dad to warn him several times but he was stubborn even when there were lots of risks and complications. When everything went in vain mom finally decided to seduce him into giving up but it backfired. Both of them fell in love. Dad eventually gave up after being madly in love with her, he even built a mansion just for the two of them. They lived happily for a couple of years but when mom couldn't betray him anymore, she told him the truth - that she was an ancient Greek Goddess. Dad became angry because he hates when someone lies to him, so he left her but mom became pregnant right after. I was sent to him from Olympus only days before he was gonna get married to my stepmom. My stepmom was a gold digger she didn't care if he'd a baby in his last relationship, she wanted money so she gladly took me in. Dad was furious, however; he was even warned by mom that I'd have special abilities but he ignore her and raised me how he wants."

"Wow," I gaped at the story. "That's…messed up"

"It is" he tilted his head upwards to gaze at the sky. "I'd no one to talk to all those days when I was beaten up to follow his rules, when I cried my heart out or when I was depressed. That's before I met…" he trailed off.

"Arathi." I completed.

"She was everything for me. My only hope and light" he heaved a dismal sigh. "Guess not anymore"

"Don't think like that," I said staring at the side of his face. "You'll never know. It's not like you've to lose all the hope, keep a little one somewhere."

"How do you suggest she will be alive after that tsunami?" he turned to me but turned away to look at the sea. "It's impossible" he exhaled a misty breath.

"You know…" I looked up at the sky gaining the attention of Kyle, "Someone has said that the only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible." I traced a constellation with a glint in my eyes, "It's my motto, maybe you should make it yours too".

I tilted my head to give him a genuine smile.

I saw his wheels turning in his head for a while through his green orbs, then he broke into small chuckles, shaking his head. I blinked my eyes as to why he was laughing. We were talking serious things right before he began chortling.

Did I say something funny?

"Why're you laughing?" I asked.

He silenced his chuckles to look at me biting his lips preventing any more.

"No wonder you were called the 'Quote Schmuck'" he quoted.

"The what?!"

He burst into laughter again, "You didn't know?"

"Woah! That's so rude of them to call me that" I gaped at the thought. "Hey, stop laughing! I'm gonna take back the friendship handshake if you laugh anymore" I threatened.

He sat straight immediately clearing his throat. "Sorry, it's not my fault you quote too much".

"But schmuck?" I placed a finger under my chin squinting. "That's so rude. Who even came up with that?"

Kyle started laughing again.

"Stop laughing!!!" I repeatedly slapped his shoulder. "There's nothing funny in that, you muscle vermin".

"Did you say muscle?" his ears perked up. "Ooh, so you like my muscles?" he flexed his bicep with a smirk.

I twisted my face in disgust, "Ew! Stop that!" and leaned away from him. "That wasn't a compliment Mr. Prickles"

"Mr. Prickles? Why that nickname?"

"Because you have so many cactuses in our room. Why do you even keep them?"

"I love cactuses." He crossed his bulky arms over his chest in defense.

"I figured"

"Are you done fighting, children?" Our heads turned to rangers, all of them watching us with a grin.

"It's so good seeing kids fight!" Chase sighed, dreamily. "Good all days…"

"We're not kids!" Kyle and I countered in unison.

"We are glad you're getting along," Shelby said. "The tension between you guys're no joke. We even doubted whether you were exes or something"

I scoffed, "As if I'd date him"

"What'd you say?" Kyle raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing." I fake smiled. "I was just saying to myself that you're too good for me, Kyle Miller aka Mr. Prickles" I fluttered my eyes innocently.

"Don't call me that!"

"Oh, I will, mister" I smiled evilly.

"Then I'll call you Quote Schmuck too" he grinned back.

"See if I care," I flipped off my hair.

"Aren't they just cute together?" Shelby whispered to Tyler from afar while the others curiously listened to our hilarious yet stupid exchange. At least they're entertained.

Maybe befriending Kyle is not a bad idea.