Nico Di Angelo, Assistant of Ironman

Part 17- really short part sorry guys :(

On July 4th, 2008, Cameron's body was burned with his shroud before the fireworks. There was one specially made in honor of him, Cameron smiling and waving goodbye. Everyone cheered as the show began, but there was an emptiness in Drew's heart that refused to leave.

His passing left her alone, distant, and afraid. Selina supported her whenever she could, and Quintus looked at her with understanding every time she left in the middle of a lesson.

And thing's got better, she started to enjoy things again, talked to people more, and stayed for complete lessons again. Then it plummeted once again. Life was a mess again.

Quintus disappeared, Selina was a traitor, and now there was a war.

~

Even after everything was won, her behavior became worse. She'd become the cabin counselor because of seniority, and constantly found herself snapping at the newer campers, coming up with strange punishments, and repeatedly disregarding their space and choices, solidifying her reputation as just another brat from the Aphrodite cabin, something she once swore she would never be. In her heart, she knew she was being ridiculous, mean, and vindictive, but she couldn't find a way to stop.

She was trapped, alone. Again.

May 29th

"Are you ready Drew?" Lucy popped her head through the door of the cabin from the outside, "Nico's at the tree already,"

"I'll be ready when I say I'm ready. Leave me alone already, gods." What are you even supposed to bring on a quest? We don't know where we're supposed to be going, what the climate will be like, or even how long it'll be! She grabbed her head and moaned in frustration.

Her brain had turned into mush and swirled into a soup of self-judgment, pity, and confusion with a side of "why" questions to really pull it all into an unhealthy helping of annoyance. Tasty.

Forever complaining in her mind, Drew neatly packed as much as she could into her messenger back— she might not know much about quests anymore, but even she knew that unfortunately, she cant pack two suitcases for one. Finally throwing the heavy leather bag onto her shoulder, she turned to the mirror to freshen up, and once her hair had been tousled into perfection, it was time to leave.

Her hand hovered over the door handle for a split second before grabbing a hold of herself and then the handle, opening the door with what was probably more aggressive than needed to the start of a new journey.

Roughly ten years ago, this was her dream, and for the past five, a nightmare.

Now, it was reality.

~

I love Drew, I really do, but I honestly was just not feeling like dragging on the backstory anymore, and when I finish the edited version (which I'll put out once I'm done with this "first draft") I might make it even short or cut it out and get it in in a whole other way. I haven't been feeling well recently and so I'm sorry I haven't been able to put these out as fast or long as either of us would like ;-;

But regardless, I'll truck on and finish this train wreck lol

see you next time :)