A New Battle

Chapter 15: Stronger

I walked forward confidently, my face hardened into a mask that showed no emotion. "Are you okay?" Sage asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Actually, yes. This whole experience has helped me grow stronger. Sure, I'm still sad, but it just makes me more determined to make sure we win. Percy didn't die in vain," I said, glancing over at Sage. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm just kind of in shock. I mean, Xavier was like a brother to me. I can't believe he would do something like that," she said, sighing.

We continued walking in silence through the woods until I heard a car. "A car! We must be getting close!" I said excitedly, walking faster.

"Slow down, Aaliyah!" Sage called from a distance, laughing slightly.

"Maybe you should speed up!" I retorted.

"Fine!" She replied, speeding up and catching up to me.

We finally reached a road after another five minutes of walking. I scanned the road for cars and dangerous looking people. I didn't see anything. "You see anything?" I asked Sage, turning around to look at her.

"Nothing. It's kind of empty for a highway," Sage replied, looking at the road skeptically. "Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Yes, Sage. I know we're going the right way," I said reassuringly. Suddenly, I spotted a car heading our way. I waved the car down. The driver slowed down and came to a stop next to us.

"What are you doing? We are not going to hitchhike, Aaliyah," Sage hissed angrily through clenched teeth.

"Who said anything about hitch hiking?" I asked, grinning. I knocked on the window on the driver side and smiled sweetly at him. He rolled down the window and smiled at me.

"What are you doing out here?" He asked, winking at me.

"Our car broke down and we didn't know how to fix it. We've been walking for hours," I said, acting stupid and smiling at him.

"Why don't I give you a ride to where you're going, sweetheart?" He said, smirking and winking at me.

"I have a better idea," I said, still smiling as realization dawned on his face. I grabbed my sword and hit him with the butt of it on the head. He fell forward, hitting his head on the steering wheel. Quickly, I reached my hand through the window, unlocking the door. Then, I opened it, pulling the unconscious man out of the car.

"What are you doing?" Sage asked, staring at me in shock.

"Hijacking the car, what do you think?" I asked, jumping into the driver's seat. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

"I can't say I approve of your method, but it's effective," she said, opening the passenger door and getting in. As soon as she got in, I took off. We sped down the highway at a constant speed of 80 mph. It was early in the morning, so not many people were driving.

"There's a sign for Portland! Only five more miles!" I yelled excitedly. We drove the last few miles to Portland and I stopped the car in front of a coffee shop.

"Are you sure this is a good place to meet?" Sage asked skeptically, looking at the rundown coffee shop.

"It's not very full, so we can be more private. Besides, I like rundown places, they make me feel safer," I said, getting out of the car and walking toward the shop. I pushed the door open to see only one other person in there. The cashier.

"Wow, you're right. It's more private," she said, looking around.

"Can I help you?" The girl behind the counter asked rudely.

"No, we're waiting for a friend, thanks," I replied nicely, even though that girl was a total jerk. As soon as she looked away, I sent her a mean glare.

"My gods, that's scary," Sage said, staring at me.

"That's the point," I replied, sitting down at one of the tables. We talked for about an hour before we heard the door open.

"I've been looking everywhere for you. It's good to see you, ladies," Mikey said, as he stepped into the coffee shop.