Love the Impossible

Chapter 22 - Octavian's P.O.V.

I did it.

The things she wanted. I did them.

The date was harder.

I scrambled for ideas. I found myself standing in front of the only cabin who could help. Aphrodite. At this point, the whole camp knew I was alive and around. Most, well, all of the campers avoided me. That's perfectly fine. Maybe, someday, I'll feel more comfortable around the other campers and maybe, someday, they'll forgive me, but for now I'm okay with being avoided. However, I needed help. I knocked.

I don't know if it was good or bad that Piper opened the door. I knew her but we hadn't exactly been friends. Rachel was the only person at camp I actually wanted to talk to and be around but I'd need to prove myself to everyone else.

"Octavian. She said, looking uncomfortable. I understood.

"I need help with a date" I told her. She relaxed a little and nodded.

"With Rachel?"

"Yeah. I've... I've never done this before" She looked at me like, 'Yeah I figured'. She helped me plan a date and on Thursday night, Rachel had a romantic date by candlelight. We had a picnic on the beach. It was dark enough for candles but not too dark for it to be past curfew. We ate our dinner and played in the sand and just as I was about to pack up, she stopped me.

"You don't talk"

"Huh?"

"You don't talk much anymore. Before you came back, you talked. Now, you only listen"

"I like listening to you"

"I liked the Octavian that spoke his mind instead of just saying you love me"

"But I do"

"And I love you, that's why I'm worried... why won't you talk?" I scrambled for a reply but my brain offered no suggestions. I couldn't explain to her that it was hard to think of things to say because sometimes my brain felt like soggy toast. I didn't want to worry her, but I clearly already was.

"When I'm around you, I just want to think about you and look at you and nothing else is important."

"I can't just be the one to talk. You can talk about yourself, too" she said, taking my hands.

"I can't!" I blurted "I don't know why but since I woke up, when I try to talk my brain gets scrambled and I have to force out words and sometimes, my head really hurts and I didn't want to worry you" It takes five minutes or so for me to be able to say that, and a headache comes with the words.

I'm panicking.