Sparks Fly

Chapter 18

Leo

Relief. I felt so relieved when she died. This only made me feel more horrible and twisted but I couldn't deny it. I was relieved that I was no longer trapped in a loveless marriage. I was relieved that I could stop hiding. I was relieved that I could stop pretending to be someone I wasn't. As horrible and aweful as her death was, it meant freedom to me. 

This of course didn't mean that I didn't greive her passing. I drank a lot, I quit my job, I rarely built things anymore. I spent more time with my family. Percy and Annabeth had me over almost every night for dinner. I hung out with all of my neices and nephews more. I became their number one babysitter. 

But when I wasn't spending time with the kids, I was drinking, laying around. I had found my way into the city more. I'd bring home girls, I'd go through them like candy. This only made me feel more guilty calling Thalia. 

Of course, every time I called, she'd answer. She would come over, we would talk for a while, sit in silence then she'd go home. No funny business. We held true to our word from that day on the Argo. 

Over the course of the year since Calypso's passing, I moved out of our old place. As childish as it sounds, I built a bunker in the woods with, I shit you not, a tree house. Yes, I, Leo Valdez a fully grown man-child was living in a tree house. 

I bemolished the old house. I just went in one day after I had built the treehouse and sledge-hammered the thing to rubble before sending it up in a blaze. The fire department was not amused. 

Tonight, I was feeling more alone than ever. It was the anniversary of Calypso's death. As history demands, I called Thalia. 

The doorbell rang and I unlocked the hatch, letting down a ladder for her to climb up. "I brought pizza" she said as she crawled out of the hole in the floor. "Sweet" I said with a laugh as I walked over, taking the pizza so she could sit. 

"What are we watching this time?" she asked, sitting down in a bean bag chair. I grabbed cups and plates from the cabinet, talking while I worked. "What about Goonies?" I asked, walking over with our cups of hot coca and plate of pizza. 

"We saw that last time doofus" she said, taking the cup and plate from me. She looked into her cup and frowned. "Fuck a duck, I always forget" I exclaimed, jumping up and running back into the kitchen. I grabbed 6 mashmellows from the cabinet and ran back, plopping 3 in each drink. 

"Like I said, doofus" she said with a smirk. "Oh, so clever" I muttered, sitting down in the bean bag next to her. There was something to innocent about two friends sitting in bean bags watching movies and eating pizza and hot chocolate. 

"How about Star Wars, we could make it a marathon" she said, singing the "marathon". I thought for a moment. "Wait a minute, we only do marathons when something bad is about to happen, whats going on?" I asked, putting down my drink. 

Thalia turned her head. "I just thought since today is..." she trailed off. "No, no, no, it's something more than that isn't it? What are you doing?" I asked, giving her my best "stink eye". 

Thalia sighed in defeat. "Fine, Jason and I have to go on a quest. It's nothing big, I'll just be gone for a few days is all. A week tops" she explained. "What? You can't just go on a quest all willy-nilly. It just isn't sane" I exclaimed. 

"Oh yeah, you're one to talk about sane mister. You're the one living in a tree house" she retorted. "I was having a mid-life crisis!" I said, raising my arms about. "You're 24!" she said. I huffed, crossing my arms. "Look, its only for a week. It's not like I'm saving the world or anything. I'm just going on some crazy search for inner peace or whatever" she said putting bunny ears around the "inner peace". 

"Who the hell needs inner peace. Just build a tree house and live in the middle of the woods eating pizza and watching movies all day" I said sarcastically. Thalia chuckled. "I wish, I'm only doing it because Jason and Chiron want me to. Besides, my father took the time to come down and tell us in the first place. The fates seem to think its pretty important" she said. 

"Wait, Zues came here? Like, the Almightly Zues, King of the Gods, Ruler of the Heavens, Lightning McQueen?" I asked, amazed the whole camp wasn't abuzz with this information. Thalia scoffed. "More like absent father that drove my mother insane Zues but yeah. He was only down here for a bit. I didn't stick around" she said. 

I had forgotten how touchy the whole "daddy" subject was for her. Talk about daddy issues. Thalia was the queen of daddy issues, not that I would ever tell that to her face. 

"So, when do you leave for this quest anways?" I asked, taking a bite from my pizza. "Jason wants to leave tomorrow. I'm packed and ready" she said with her mouth full of food. "Its a quest right? You can have up to 3 people go. I'm going with you" I said. 

Thalia laughed but when she realized I was serious, she stopped. "Leo, I'm going on a quest to find inner peace. No offense, but I don't think you'll be needed for this one" she explained. "I'm helpful. If you run into monsters, I'll fight them off" I said. Thalia smiled. "I think Jason and I can handle ourselves" she said. "Fine, I can be your shoulder to cry on. You're finding inner peace, things might be reveiled, emotional things" I saod, raising an eyebrow. 

Thalia sighed. "It couldn't hurt. Let me talk things over with Jason. For now, can we just watch the movie?" she asked. I grinned. "Of course. Sequel or Prequel first?" I asked, getting up to get the VCR (yes kids, a VCR, if you don't know what that is, ask an adult or anyone that lived in the 90's). 

"Sequel, duh" she said. I nodded, slidding it in. I went back, sitting next to Thalia. She curled up beside me as I wrapped my arms around her shoulders. We ate pizza and drank hot coco to our hearts content. 

When the movie finished, it was too late for Thalia to go home so she slept over, though, there wasn't much sleeping (wink, wink). 

***Are you liking Thalia yet? I know I am. I'm trying to capture her badass essence with the motorcycle and daddy issues. Idk, I am totally on a roll so there might be another chapter out tonight, we'll see. Hope you're enjoying it even though Calypso is gone. I'm going to change the cover of the book to something else but not the title because I don't want to confuse anyone. I love you little demigods! -Izzy