I like you the most

"" said Thalia in a serious tone. ""

My eyes opened and I felt something trailing down my cheeks. "I was cr-?" I began to ask, however Thalia appeared right next to me and shushed me.

"" she replied. ""

My eyebrows furrowed slightly in concentration. 'But I don't remember crying,' I thought to myself. 'I never cry.'

"" said Thalia. ""

I was about to reply when I heard something move at my side. My hands moved quickly to my cheeks and dried the spots were water was resting.

"Oh hey Chris," said...

"" said Thalia with a sigh. "" continued Thalia, her tone turning thoughtful while her expression grew suspicious and her eyes narrowed.

'That... makes sense?' I wondered. Thalia usually knows better, so if she says so then-

"I was coming to wake you up. We are going to have breakfast, are you coming?" she asked me, though I knew she was simply telling me to get dressed.

I nodded at her words and got out of the bunker I was resting at. Thalia always says that I should eat a lot to get stronger as fast as possible.

"Great!" she exclaimed with a warm and excited smile.

I don't like it.

"Now leave your bed prim and proper and follow me. Most of us are ready, so you might not have to wait too long to use the bathroom..." she said, stopping mid-sentence. "Though Katherine is probably in there, and you know how she gets about putting make-up on you... sigh, I want to see what she will add today, but we also don't have much time..." she muttered, weighing her options as if they were a matter of life or death.

Apparently people like dressing me up and painting my face.

It's dumb.

It reminds me of someone, but trying hard to picture however it was makes my head hurt, so Thalia always tells me to stop.

It's not like it was someone important, I think.

"" whispered Thalia. ""

'Hmm, that's right... but I like Annabeth,' I thought, thinking about Thalia's statement. 'And Luke.'

A frown appeared on Thalia's face. "" she asked, her voice rising.

I shook my head.

They hadn't left me yet. Everyone else has, all except Thalia, Annabeth and Luke, so I like them.

I saw the muscles on Thalia's jaw tighten as she clenched her teeth. "" she said loudly, almost screaming. ""

But she visits me.

She always comes back.

"" continued Thalia. ""

But he always come back to me.

"" screamed Thalia, positively livid as rage consumed her. "

He brings movies and sweets, even though I don't like either of them, because he thinks I will enjoy them. And Annabeth... I think she is... trying to fit in? Or something like that? I don't get it, but they both always come back, even if they are confusing...

"" said Thalia, softening her tone and getting closer to me. ""

Thalia was cut off by the sound of the door of the cabin opening and an angry discussion beginning.

"It is always the same!" said a familiar voice loudly. "She isn't one of yours, if anything she would be a daughter of my Mother, she clearly has too much brains for this cabin!"

"Huh?!" came the indígnate sound of another girl. "It is you who should stop dragging her out of our cabin, because she is clearly OUR Mother's daughter. She is too pretty to be one of your siblings, so why don't you go do something about that unruly hair of yours and stop bothering us, huh Annabeth?"

I walked outside after cleaning by bunker and found myself staring at Annabeth and...

"" commented Thalia, trying not to show her displeasure at having our conversation interrupted or having to tell me who everyone's name is.

"There you are, Chris!" said Annabeth, a smile growing on her face as soon as she saw me, though it was quickly replaced by a pout and a frown. "How many times do you need to be told that you can't go sleeping around in other cabins? It is very important, the Gods might be offended and, while you have been lucky so far, there is no need to break the rules! Besides, Luke gets worried when he doesn't see you at his cabin. I know that the Hermes cabin can be a bit overcrowded and you don't really like being around so many people, but if you get too tired or too annoyed by them you can come to mine! I would have to offer more to mother as an apology, but I am sure she would understand!"

"" said Thalia with an ugly expression. ""

I felt my eyebrows form a frown.

"Don't say that," I muttered. "She is nice, and I like her."

The expression on Annabeth's face fell for a moment. "Who, this girl?" she asked, pointing her finger at the girl whose name I forgot, who was currently sporting a small blush. "It's not like I was insulting her Chris, I'm just saying that you would be better with Luke or me, right?"

"" muttered Thalia while complaining. ""commented Thalia with an annoyed expression. She clearly didn't want me to say that. I didn't like seeing Thalia annoyed like that, and she was trying to help me even though she didn't enjoy it...

"Sorry you had to say that," I replied to Thalia. "You know I like you the best."

As soon as I said that I found myself wrapped around Annabeth's hug. "Hmph, wouldn't hurt to say it once in a while..." she muttered with a very happy expression. "But I like y-you the most too, okay?"

It feels warm.

I don't like it.

"" whispered Thalia, wrapping her arms around my waist form behind me and placing her chin on my shoulder, our cheeks resting against each other. ""

*

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Author note:

Last week of work. I'll spend a couple of days traveling afterwards, but by next week I should have at least a decent update schedule, and begin releasing chapters to all my stories.