Another Hero

Chapter 4

I look out at the sea, the sun is slowly disappearing behind the skyline.
Calypso walks over from somewhere else
'I want to make shell soup for dinner, might helping me to collect some shells?' she asks.
Then she looks at me closer
'Is everything okay?' she asks softly.
'Yes. I just wish I could go home.' I still look at the bright red, orange and pink skyline, I don't want to look at her, it may not be very nice to tell her how badly I want to leave her. But even if I could, I would miss Calypso. Very much. She's probably the best friend and the most amazing person I met in years, probably in my whole life.
'I know you want.'
Suddenly, we both gasp.
A raft appears on the sea and moves in our direction, until it stops right in front of me.
I'm looking at it in surprise, then I look at Calypso, who is looking at the raft with widen eyes.
After a while she's catching her face expression up.
'Looks like you could go home now. This raft should take you wherever you want.'
She smiles at me, but I can see the tears in her eyes.
I realize what it means. The raft.
It just appears if she loves the hero that ended up on Ogygia.
So she apparently...loves me?
I look at her again, she doesn't look like she would start to cry every second anymore.
She pulled a neutral, strong face on.
I know this expression. I saw it every day in the mirror for such a long time.
It's happening again to her.
She's left alone again.
And she didn't thought that it would happen this time, because of course she wouldn't love me.
And maybe she thought I would be different.
I told her about Jason, how he disappeared, and then came back with another girl, not even looking at me, how he just seemed to forgot me.
I also told her about Percy, not all the details, I didn't want to hurt her, just that he got back to Annabeth.
Of course I can't even imagine what she was going through, but at least I can understand it a little bit.
Always getting rejected.
And now there's the raft and I'm going to leave her too and Calypso will be alone again.
I look back at Ogygia, to see the beauty of this place and how peaceful the island looks.
And at Calypso, who's facial expression nearly breaks my heart, Calypso, who I had more fun with than I had with anyone in years.
Calypso, who understands me, who is amazing, who loves me.
And I realize that I don't want to leave her.
Or anything of this all.
But I have to.
My friends, Nico, New Rome, they all need me.
I have to go back and do what I have to do, that's what's right.
But what if you have done enough?
Nico has Will now, and he has Hazel and Jason...he isn't alone.
Frank can care about New Rome, I absolutely believe in him and he won't be alone.
No one really needs me.
And what is waiting for me at home?
A sister wich is always miles away?
Jason and Piper, being happy together and ignoring me?
What's waiting for me, except work and hiding my feels to be strong?
Not much.
I turn around and look at Calypso, still with the way to familiar expression on her face.
I could make her smile again.
We could be careless and happy.
I look a last time at the raft, then I completely turn around to Calypso and lay an arm around her
'Shell soup sounds amazing.'