{1} 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 | 𝙻𝚞𝚔𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚗

11.

Ψ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠? Ψ

𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐰 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, the sun was close to setting, and everyone had seemed to come back inside the cabins. I just looked out the window and thought of my mom as I shut the letter, I made to give to Damien tomorrow to give to her.

I got up and went to the cabin door seeing the rain still going as I stood out there underneath the roof looking around the camp. I frowned and suddenly heard "hey..."

My head turned slightly to my left seeing Luke as he shut the door and stood next to me "you, okay?"

He asked me and I smiled looking at the rain.

"I've always hated the rain...something about it always made my skin crawl. With an underlying feeling." I admitted playing with my bracelet and picking at it repeatedly.

He got closer and I looked to my left again seeing him smile at me "then you should come back inside."

My thoughts roamed as I explained "that's the thing though. I may hate the rain, but why? What underlying feeling could I ever have? And before when I saw my mom...that feeling would go away and all I could do was smile. Now I'm not home and the rain is just gonna keep going."

He stared at me and rubbed my arm "just don't focus on it then. Think about your favorite memory with your mom. Could that help?"

I shut my eyes, leaned my head back and smiled "my mom and I... we went through a lot for us to get where we were. My favorite memory? Maybe my 15th...cause unlike other girls...I never had a family. My grandparents were abusive. My dad is nowhere to be seen. But my mom threw a huge snow themed birthday. Made a cake that tasted so sweet...gave me great gifts like new supplies to paint and a new pair of pointe shoes...and all I could think was...I couldn't have asked for a better mom."

I laughed softly and smiled as I opened my eyes and turned my head seeing his smile disappear when I faced him.

"Well? Feel better?" He asked me and I nodded, smiling at him and he just stared at me, and I asked him "is something wrong?"

He continued to look me in my eyes saying "no, no nothing at all."

He looked out and told me "You know...I know it's raining but we usually make offerings with food to the gods, in hopes they will answer to what we want. You can try and do that for your dad?"

I let out a long sigh as I shook my head "I'm not gonna beg him to claim me or be a father anymore. I'm almost 18. I don't need his love anymore."

My smile grew again as he looked at me and leaned himself on the wall "you...intrigue me, Hayley."

I crossed my arms squinting my eyes looking at him "why is that?"

He shrugged and claimed "I'm not even sure. But... something about you...it piques an interest let's say."

I smiled and he smiled back "no smirking. Finally."

He rolled his eyes as I opened the door and he let me in first and shut it behind him.

Once everyone went to sleep, I got up and found a piece of candy from my stuff.

I walked out and saw it was still raining, everyone was asleep, so I went to the forest and sat on a rock and placed the candy inside a cup. I lit a match and threw it in and sighed holding my hands together as if praying to the Lord himself.

"Dad...I'm not asking for you to claim me, to me a dad, I don't want anything from you. Cause really, I could care less if you dropped dead. But...my mom. You broke her and she deserves an apology, she deserves the truth that we cannot give her but you. How dare you? Why make her life a living hell just so I could have a somewhat normal one?"

I opened my eyes looking around and nothing happened but what did is that it stopped raining once I stopped speaking.

My hands pulled apart and I shook my head "why did you do this to us? My mom was homeless, having to take care of me., work, all at once. And you did nothing. You clearly lied about who you were. And for what! Why did you lie? She deserves the truth. And while I may hate you for the rest of my life my mom is a little more forgiving."

I rubbed my face with my hands as I looked around and stood up "I know you're hearing me. You're a terrible father. You wanna know why? Almost all the kids here have had their parents claim them, even Poseidon. How dare you not do that for me, your own daughter. How dare you."

I glared at the cup and kicked it away as it rolled in the mud of the dirt and stopped as I began crying.

"I hate you...I hate you!" I shouted and cried holding my head.

My breath was shaky as I leaned my hands on a tree and shook "I hate you so much..."

I cried out and my head faced down to the ground as I heard "Hayley?"

I stopped and turned around quickly seeing Damien as he frowned "I hate my dad...I hate him so much."

Damien walked over and hugged me, I held his back and cried saying "why didn't he claim me? Why lie to my mom? Why did he make our lives the worst it ever could be" I croaked out as he rubbed my back.

"I don't get the gods at all, I'm so sorry." He apologized, holding me tightly.

What I didn't realize is that there were eyes on us, specifically a son of Hermes looking from afar behind a tree watching me feeling pain, disgust, remorse, and hatred all at once, and why?

Deep down he didn't understand his natural attraction to this girl, but maybe it was because they were similar in different ways.

Maybe it was because he had a crush?

Why did he feel this way? Is all he could think about anytime he saw her.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Damien is becoming her friend.

Which son of Hermes is watching over her?