𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 || 𝐥𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧

12: settling debts

evelynn felt the weight of her mood sinking like an anchor as she watched luke exit the ares cabin, a heavy sigh escaping her lips. with a reluctant rise, she straightened herself, the weariness evident in her movements as she prepared to fulfill her promise.

"i told my brother i'd show him around camp today. i should probably get to that," she remarked with clipped brevity, her gaze drifting towards the door.

"are you good?" clarisse's unexpected tone halted evelynn in her tracks, a surprising shift from the usual brashness that characterized the ares cabin. evelynn couldn't help but find a hint of irony in the situation; just a week before, clarisse might have flattened her out without a second thought.

"i can come with you, if you want," jax offered with a playful grin, his easygoing demeanor a welcome contrast to the tension in the air.

evelynn managed a grateful smile before shaking her head. "i'm fine, really." with that, she briskly departed from the ares cabin, her senses attuned enough to catch the lingering presence of luke by the entrance. his hopeful gaze briefly met hers, but she swiftly looked away, hastening her steps towards the nyx cabin. 

as she drew nearer to her destination, the weight on her shoulders began to lift, replaced by a glimmer of anticipation. inside, her little brother was on his bunk, engrossed in his ancient greek studies.

"get up. i'm showing you around camp," evelynn announced with a mischievous grin, snatching the hefty book from oliver's grasp and tossing it aside.

"yay!" oliver bounced off his bed, seizing evelynn's hand eagerly. "i wanna see the stables first."

~

as evelynn explained each corner of camp half-blood to oliver, the weight of her troubles with luke seemed to melt away, replaced by the excitement of sharing her home with her little brother. but just as she began to lose herself in the joy of the moment, reality came crashing back down upon her as they neared the arena, where clarisse and a few of her ares siblings were in the midst of rigorous training.

"what's up, star girl?" clarisse gruff voice cut through the air, catching evelynn off guard as she was demonstrating the array of weapons available to the camp's demigods.

evelynn playfully rolled her eyes before turning to face the imposing figure of the ares girl. "do you ever leave the arena?"

"no," clarisse replied with a smirk, wiping sweat from her brow. "spar?" she gestured provocatively towards a stack of spears nearby.

"i'm busy," evelynn sighed, motioning towards oliver, who stood beside her, wide-eyed and curious. clarisse couldn't help but smile at the sight; she wasn't sure if it was admiration or fear, but she welcomed both.

"that's too damn bad," clarisse chuckled, ignoring the impatient calls of her siblings behind her. "what's the deal with you and castellan? usually, he's following you around like a lost puppy."

at the mention of luke, a shadow crossed evelynn's face, and clarisse felt a pang of regret for bringing it up. "i don't know. i don't really wanna think about it right now," evelynn muttered, her hand resting gently on oliver's shoulder. she knew discussing it in front of him would only upset her protective brother, a trait that hadn't changed since childhood, even though oliver was now the younger one.

sensing evelynn's discomfort, clarisse nodded slowly, her usually rough demeanor softened by genuine concern. "you know, you can talk about it to me, if you want. come over to the cabin after dinner?" she offered tentatively, a rare hint of kindness in her expression.

"thanks," evelynn softly, a small smile playing at her lips before she teasingly raised an eyebrow. "who are you and what have you done with the real clarisse la rue?" she quipped, lightening the mood.