The Third Camp

Chapter fifty three: Carrie

"Welcome to Nevada." I spoke to the group.

"Finally!" Alivia smiled.

"It's been forever." Natalie grinned.

"We gonna go to Vegas, mate? I would love to see it." Max asked me.

"Maybe. Wow, last time I was in Nevada—" I caught myself. "Nevermind."

"Alright then, mate." Max shrugged.

"Over here." I motioned for them to follow me.

After only a few minutes we were at the door of a Martin Industries Mansion.

"Wow." Natalie breathed.

"Who is it?" Spoke a voice, it seemed to be coming from the door itself.

"Lima, it's me." I spoke, and the door immediately swung open.

"Over here guys." I rode my horse over to a flock of pegasi.

"Wow." Alivia, Natalie, and Max all breathed together.

I slid off of my horse and patted it. Horses and pegasi were always allowed to come and go as they please.

"Are you guys hungry?" I looked to the group.

They all in turn slid off of their horses but were still too stunned to speak. I heard a pop behind me and they jumped back. Without turning around I knew who it was.

"Hey Virtus." I turned and hugged him.

"Welcome back Carrie." He hugged me back.

"Wha—" Natalie started.

"How—" Alivia was too stunned to speak.

"No way!" Max exclaimed.

"Yeah," I sighed then thought for a moment, "Alivia I actually want you to meet someone."

"Who?" She eyed me.

"I'll go get her." Virtus nodded and disappeared again.

In a few seconds Virtus appeared again with Angita by his side.

"Are you Alivia?" Angita asked.

"Y-yes." She stepped forward.

"I've heard so much about you, the daughter of Athena that became a healer!"

"R-really?"

"Yes! Come over here, I want to give you some tips."

Alivia eagerly went with Angita. Max went off to look at the scenery. Natalie went with one of the other gods to get some food. I sighed.

"Something wrong?" Virtus eyed me.

"It's that girl I like." I muttered.

"Oh, no. What happened?'

"I'm an awful boyfriend, that's what happened."

"Boyfriend? You and her are dating?"

"I think. We may have broken up? I don't know... She kind of.. Ran away."

"From home? From camp? From you?"

"From me. From camp."

"That's not good. What'd you do?"

"I never treated her like my girlfriend, I guess." I crossed my arms over my chest and looked down at my feet.

"Let me guess— You never teased her? You never used a cute nickname? You rarely told her you loved her? You were always mad at her for trying to play the hero?"

I looked up in surprise. "How'd you know?"

"I know you. But don't worry about her, girls should never get in the way."

"I'm worried, though! She ran off and I've got no idea where she went."

"It's messing with you, man. You gotta get over her."

"I can't!" I growled. "I'm in love with her, Virtus! You expect me to let her run away, and then just get over her? No! She was my second ever love! For all I know, she could be bleeding out right now!" I was full of rage.

"Whoa, Carrie, calm down." Virtus was so shocked by my sudden outburst that he was near-silent.

I sat down and rubbed my head, "It's so stupid. Love isn't even real, it's just Venus and Aphrodite messing with people."

"No, love is real. Venus and Aphrodite are just the gods that control it." Virtus sat down next to me.

"I guess," I sighed. "But why'd they have to make me fall in love?"

"Everyone feels love at some point in their lives. They chose to make you feel it now."

"But why did they pair me with someone so frustrating?"

"What makes her so frustrating?"

"She never just stays out of the way. She's always trying to keep me safe. She wants to protect me. I can protect myself!"

"She knows that, but don't you see why she want's to keep you safe?"

"No! Why can't she just stay out of trouble? I don't want her to get hurt. I can take the pain if I get an injury."

"She knows that too, I'm sure. But she doesn't like it when you're in pain, just like you don't like it when she's hurt."

"Then how will we ever get along? I want to take the injury from her, and she wants to take the injury from me."

"Work together. Don't just take the injuries, prevent them all together. Watch each other's backs. You protect her, she protects you, and neither of you get hurt."

"How exactly can I work with her when she's probably still in California?" I whispered.

"Go after her."

"I tried, Virtus!" I groaned. "I went after her, told her to come back. We... We got into an argument and she said she was never coming back. She said she wanted to get as far away from me as she could. She said I didn't love her."

"Well, do you?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "Of course I do! She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, and she's brave, and kind, and clever, and rebellious, and—" I was breathing heavily, just thinking about Neptuna. I realized how much I cared for her.

"Virtus," I asked quietly. "Is it okay to break the rules?"

"Depends on the reasoning."

"For love." I was frozen. "I want to risk my praetorship, I want to risk my life. For love."

"One, you're insane. Two, the council will murder you. Three, go get her, tiger."

"I can't leave to get her, I'm on the quest... But I hope to gods—"

"Don't just hope, pray. Pray to Aphrodite and Venus for them to let you pass the girl's path again."

I nodded and bowed my head to my folded hands. Lady Aphrodite and Lady Venus, please, I ask of you one simple thing; Let me cross paths with Neptuna soon. I want to let her know that I'm so sorry and that I want her here with me more than I want my praetorship and even my own life. If you will not give me that, I pray that you will deliver this message: I love her. I love her with my whole heart and I'm so worried about her. I want her to come back, to come back to the quest and her friends and Camp Ops and I want her to come back to me. Thank you, if you heard me.

I sighed and opened my eyes.

"Cover for me." I jumped on Emma the pegasus.

"Good luck."

"I don't believe in luck." I took off into the morning air.