Ghost King's Torch

Green Will and Some Apologies

Ever since our 'trip' to Hollywood, I've been receiving reports from the Apollo cabin that Will's been throwing darts on my picture when I won Solo Catch the Flag, a new game invented by Clarisse. Believe me, it was impossible to be won unless you are fireproof. Clarisse regretted inventing those games, since the children of Ate are the ones who create the obstacles. And most of the obstacles includes fire. Clarisse herself never won her own game, while me and the rest of Hephaestus' children already got their turns at least twice to win.

"Again?" I groaned, pouring oil upon the tiny statue of Mr. D I made a few days ago. "Yeah," that boy nodded "This time, three darts at once,". I cursed in baby language (since I haven't learn how to curse in Greek) and set the statue on flame. "Kid, wait for me. I gonna beat his ass up," I mumbled, throwing Burning Dionysius into the fireplace set up with greek fire. The boy patiently waited, then led me like a professional tour leader across the field into the Apollo cabin. There, I saw a picture of me taped unto a wall with darts all over my head. Across the room, I saw Will Solace aiming another set of darts. "WILL FCKIN SOLACE PUT YOUR HANDS UP!" I shouted "My face's too pretty for you to harm!". I heard a few boys giggle and saw some girls rolling their eyes with a smile plastered on their face. Will eyed me with hate and asked "What do you want?". I leaned on a bedpost, and chuckled "I should've asked you first. What do you want?". He cursed in Ancient Greek (okay, if Chiron refuses to teach me, I would forgive Solace and command him to teach me instead as a punishment) and throw the last set of darts to my face. "I've had enough," I said shortly, throwing a ball of flame to Will. A few girls screamed,  while Will himself froze in terror. But I knew better. Like a prince, Nico appeared from the shadows and covered Will with his stygian iron sword. "Jose," he mumbled "I've told you,". "I knew it!" I laughed "You both are gay! Nico speaks about Will all the time while Will is jealous of me!". The whole cabin gasped in surprise. Then I hear whispers with words such as 'gay', 'cute', 'aww', and 'shame'. Nico turned into a shade of apple red and threatens "VALDEZ IMMA BEAT YOUR ASS OFF,". Then he chased me out. I know my leg's longer so I ran under the sunshine and teased him "You can't run as fast as me, and you can't shadow travel here~". Nico groaned and pouted, puffing his cheeks. A crowd of Aphrodite girls over there's fangirling over him, fanning their face, and calling him 'honey', 'bunny', 'sweety', 'darling', and 'kissy' in such a way I'm afraid their some pedophiles.

That evening, Leo amazingly sat next to me. I was so surprised I said this "Wow, Calypso must be terribly sick you can't be near her,". I know it sounds rude but I couldn't help it. Instead of getting angry, he smiled "Nah. She's over there,", pointing to the Aphrodite table. "Oh," I commented, seeing them braiding each other's hair, making garlands, trading bracelets blah blah blah "You must feel so left out you decided to play with your dorky and unpopular little sister,". He chuckled "Who says you are unpopular? I got anonymous letters everyday, you know. All of them asking for my permission to date you,". I blushed into a lovely shade of pinkish blueish greenish orangeish I could feel flames on my ears. "But that's not my reason to go sit with you," he said "I... received the IM,". I frowned "What IM?". "The IM you sent me months ago," he continued. GODS. I forgot all about it.

THE STORY OF THE IM

One day Leo really got on my nerves. He ignored me fifteen times in a day and blew up all my covers by one single sentence during Catch the Flag. It was "Stop being an annoying bratty little sister. No one wants your help, okay?". I ran back to cabin, although Chiron was already calling me back. Some cabinmates (most of them are boys) cursed in fluent Greek at Leo (I am clearly impressed by their knowledge) and chased me. At the cabin, I cried my heart out, while some boys desperately tried to cheer me up (eg: patting my back, bringing me water /ambrosia, story-telling , poetry (I still don't believe they hired Apollo's children to make them poems), and many else. I finally calmed down. Leo doesn't come back to camp that night. While everybody's fast asleep, I went to the campfire alone and in blurry thoughts I made an IM for Leo pouring my hearts out, then sent it away to Olympus, Chicago, LA, New Delhi, Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo, Zimbabwe, Italy, Spain, Greece, and to Rome before it arrives to Leo. I never thought it would really arrive to Leo. I thought maybe it would get lost in the wind or got  broken because of the naughty ventis. But it arrived.

"Uh... Don't mind it. I was completely stupid when I made that," I blushed, then cursing myself (yes, in baby language) for being crazy, blushing for my own brother who isn't more handsome than Mr.D. "No," he denied "I cried reading it,". I gasped "Really?". He nodded and ruffled his own hair "I felt really bad. I don't know about your feelings, I'm sorry. I thought you're just an attention whore, wanting the public's eyes,". I laughed "I'm not that kind of person,". "I know," Leo said "I'm sorry,". I blinked a few times. LEO VALDEZ just said SORRY to me? Here is another story

THE STORY OF LEO'S LAST APOLOGY TO ME

When we both are six, my mother bought both of us matching pajamas. With the picture of Dora big and proud on the front of it. She said it was not her who bought it, but Hephaestus. That time she said it's from a 'secret admirer' (who is actually the God of Fire). I am happy, Leo is upset. He wants a watch for his birthday. He had been pleading for it about ten months, and our mom always said "Wait for your birthday, chico,". The Dora pajama was my wish. I saw it on the mall two days before our birthday and said "That's pretty,". Hephaestus bought that for both of us instead of the watch Leo wanted (I had to admit I wanted to watch to, but Leo would call me 'copycat' for the rest of the week). At night, I was taking a bath when Leo poured black paint of HIS pajama in dissapoinment. I got out of bath and freaked out when I saw HIS pajama ruined. I thought it was mine so I started screaming and crying. Mother came and saw us. She got furious at Leo and beat him with her belt (my mother acts as a father too, if you wanted to know). The beatings left scars which won't go away for a few years. Then Mother made him say sorry to me. He said sorry and went to bed crying. Mother told him to wear the ruined pajama as an extra punishment. Then I saw mine still neatly folded with my undies and all on the top of MY bed. Leo never said sorry to me since then.

Yeah, I know it's pretty strange. I was that kind of person back when I was a child. Blaming everyone. And now Leo said sorry to me. Wow. "It's been years since you said sorry to me," I remarked. Leo laughed "Yeah. After that pajama incident... everything kindda changed,". I blushed even harder. He still remembered the incident. "Leo, about that... I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have-". My words are cutted by Leo's cheerful smile "It's okay. We're just kids back then. That wasn't a big deal,". I nodded, relieved.

Some part of me are restored back at that night. Me and Leo are fine. We're okay. We're not going to have a cold war again. Exactly at midnight, I send another IM for him from the campfire. This time, straight to him. Leo answered. He's flying above Osaka, Japan, with Festus, enjoying the night air (a little bit too much). We talked about things. Yeah, things. Normal things like what other fraternal twins talk about. Leo has a huge crush on Calypso. He's okay with everything about her, except for the fact she's sometimes a little bit too fussy about fashion, neatness, and girly things. "She's different from you," Leo laughed, his eyes rolling back like the way it used to be so many years ago (but I am not going to make a newspaper with the headline: Leo Valdez' Eyes Finally Rolled Back Into Place! ). Just then, there was an explosion from the Leo's side and the IM went off, trailing his voice away in stutters "Jose... Fall... Help... Attack...". And then I found myself screaming in terror.