The Demigod Selection

Chapter 31

Thalia's dress in the media. Shoutout to abhacharvi for suggesting this POV. If anyone else has a suggestion for next chapter, tell me in the comments.

Thalia's POV

Luke has been acting much more distant than usual. And I haven't seen much of Annabeth recently. It's like the Selection is tearing us all apart in different directions.

The masquerade ball is tomorrow night. We're all going to be expected to wear giant ball gowns, like usual, and dance around the ballroom like life is a fairytale. Like nothing else in the world matters.

My dress has already been made. It's not a ball gown as much as a prom dress. I'm tired of wearing ball gowns every single day for no reason other than being in the Selection.

Tomorrow night is the masquerade ball. Tomorrow night, another elimination will occur. Tomorrow night, I could be separated from Luke.

Annabeth was so eager when all of our names were Selected. Luke would be a guard and Annabeth and I would live in the palace. What she didn't think about was what happened when we got eliminated. Luke will stay here as a guard and Annabeth and I would be sent home. Being Selected has only postponed our separation.

I sent one of my maids to give a note to Luke, telling him to meet me in the gardens tonight at midnight. My maids know how close we are, so they didn't question it. If anyone else saw the note, I could be kicked out of the Selection for having an affair with a guard. And Luke and I may be killed for it.

But it isn't an affair. We've been friends forever. It isn't fair that we should be expected to give it up just for a fake lovers show.

One of my three maids, Annette, walks in with a curt bow. She hands me a slip of paper and exits the room quickly.

I open the note and see that it's from Luke. I read it quickly.

Thalia

You shouldn't be sending note to me. It's too dangerous. Others could get the wrong ideas. Besides, the Selection is much more dangerous than you know. It would be best to keep your distance from me.

However, I'll meet you in the gardens tonight. Briefly before anyone notices I'm gone. Hopefully it'll be enough for you to stop sending for me. Watch out for Annabeth.

-LC

He wants me to stop wanting to meet with him? As if I'm a petty little girl who wants to have a date? All I want is to see him again before tomorrow night, where I most likely will be eliminated. I wanted to tell him to look after Annabeth, not the other way around. God knows Annabeth loves Luke more than me. And trusts him more.

Dejected, I go to my bed and lay down. Might as well sleep before meeting Luke. When my head hits the pillow, I fall asleep.

My alarm goes off loudly. Cursing, I fumble for the off button. It turns off and the room is quiet once again.

It's eleven fifty five. Five minutes before I'm supposed to meet Luke. I hastily run a brush through my short hair before shoving shoes and running out of the door.

The hallway is empty, except for a few scattered guards. The gardens are located semi close to my room. I make it right at eleven fifty nine.

I open the doors and exhale with relief when they're unlocked. Part of me was anxious that the door would be locked and I wouldn't be able to see Luke.

I walk into the gardens. A few lights illuminate the pathway, casting shadows on the plants. I cautiously walks forward.

I see him. Standing behind a rose bush, I see him. Before I can stop myself, I run at him, hugging him.

"Get away, Thalia," he mutters.

I quickly step back. He looks different. His hair is still blonde and his eyes blue, but there's something different about him.

"Oh, so after a few weeks of no contact or even just seeing you, I'm supposed to 'get away'? I guess that you've been having so much fun with your new job that you forgot all about me and Annabeth. I understand. New job equals a new person," I spit at him, crossing my arms.

"Thalia, things are different here-"

I interrupt him. "Yes I can see that very clearly. I suppose being a guard is much better than being a Four. How silly of me to think that our friendship was stronger than this. How foolish of Annabeth as well."

"It's not like that," he protests. "It's just that I have different responsibilities here than I did back home. I have to be a different person here than who I really am."

"Is a job worth that? Is a job worth changing who you are just to satisfy, who? Who is it that you're pleasing by changing yourself? Because it isn't me, it isn't Annabeth, it isn't the royal family because you're invisible to them. Just another guard among the mists of hundreds. You're not changing anything, Luke. You're not improving anything by being this person. By being this selfish and despicable person. Have you not thought about Annabeth in all of this? She went on her first date already, Luke. And you weren't there. She had her first kiss already and you weren't there. She was so excited to tell me and she wanted to tell you, but apparently you told her that you were too busy to meet with her. Is that the new person that you are? Because if it is, I want to have no part with you, Luke Castellan."

I turn to leave, pressing back hot tears. I feel a hand on my arm and I'm whirled around, pressed against the wall. Luke is pinning me there.

I roll my eyes. "Smooth. Now you're going to rape me, is that it? Now that I have no way to move."

"Shut. Up. Thalia. I'm trying to protect you by keeping my distance. You don't think that it kills me everyday to not be able to talk to you, or even see you? It does. It kills me. I want to be there to see you and Annabeth, but I can't. There's someone here who would literally kill you or Annabeth just for being near me. I'm trying to protect you both. Just stay away from me."

Before he can release me, I lean up and shove my lips against his. He hesitates, holding back, before he leans in too. We stand there, oblivious that the clock strikes, marking twelve thirty. Oblivious to the fact that someone else is there, hidden in the shadows.

A bright flash illuminates the garden. A camera. We pull away hastily, but not before I hear the garden door open and close.

I race towards the door and open it, looking both ways. There's no one there. No one.

I walk back outside, but Luke is gone. He vanished, just like the person with the camera. Both of them are gone.

This could mean something. If that picture leaks out, Luke and I could both be killed.