A Frozen Heart - Leo Valdez

8- Girls Night

I come to the conclusion that Leo Valdez must be incredibly stupid.

First of all, there is this prophecy about me, the prophecy talking about the daughter of snow. Then Leo has a dream of snow and thinks of me. He makes a necklace, with a snowflake on it, then gives it to me. I mean, how clueless can a person be?

I guess I have to be thankful for that because if he were smart, he would have already figured everything out and I would be done for.

My feet scrap against the gravel path leading to the beach as my mind wanders. The rays of the sun reflect off the water, making a sparkle within the waves.

My fingers touch the necklace that lays around my neck. I'll have to go meet Piper soon.  But I can't go around wearing this. People will for sure get suspicious.

 I grab on to the snowflake and yang on it, making the necklace clip unfasten with ease. It slips off my neck and into my hand. My grip tightens around it as I take my stance in front of the water. I'll just tell Leo I lost it. He wouldn't care, right? I mean, it's just a stupid necklace.

 In one swift motion, I throw the necklace out as far as I can into the ocean. It makes a plop sound as it hits the water and disappears into the waves.

❄
Making my up the main hill, I see Thalia's tree insight. Piper, Annabeth, and Hazel lean against it. I notice another girl I haven't meet before standing with them. I can't make out her facial features from this far away, but I can tell she has blonde hair that falls loosely around her shoulders .

All at once they notice me and begin to wave. I wave back and begin to jog up the hill, but I don't get that far because an angry looking girl steps straight in front of me.

Her curly but short dark brown hair flies in all different directions due to the wind. She wears a frown on her face and her arms are crossed.

Alex White.

The girl who can read minds.

I gulp and take a step back. "Hello..." I say, trying my best not to sound nervous.

"Hello?" She spits. "Listen, I don't know who you are or who you say to be, but I just want you to know, I don't trust you. You may have other campers wrapped right around your little pinky, but not me. I know there is something up with you, and I swear on the river Styx I will find out."

She knows something... She know something... Mother was wrong... She's on to me.

"Are you feeling okay?" I ask. "Because I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on!" She takes a step forward to me and gets nose to nose. She holds up her pointer finger and jabs it into my shoulder. "I can't read your mind..." She says sternly. "I can read everyone's mind."

My eyes widen. She can't read my thoughts?

"What do you mean, you can't read my mind?"

"I don't know! You're like a freaking white piece of paper! Nothing is written on it! It's just blank and soundless! No emotions, no back story, NOTHING!"  Her arms fly up in frustration.

"Maybe it's because, I don't know, maybe your powers aren't as strong as you think?"

Alex snorts. "That's what Leo tried to argue as well when I told him. But that-"

I stop her. My heart starts to beat rapidly. "Wait, you told Leo?

"I had to. He needed to know not to get close to you. But did he listen? Nope, because now you two are going out tomorrow."

My face burns red. "How'd you know about that?"

"Everyone is talking about it. Especially your 'siblings.'" She says siblings as if she isn't sure what to call them. "Anyway, as I was saying, The only minds I can't read are gods. And I know you aren't a god, you don't give off that type of powerful aura. My theory is that you were sent here by a god. That a god set you up for something and put a lock on your mind."

I bit my lower lip. Maybe Khione did put a lock on my mind? Maybe that's why I have been able to control my powers better as well.. "Listen, no god sent me," I lie. "I was living out in the streets before I came here. My dad was horrible to me, he's the reason why I left. Then Percy fou-,"

"I thought you said your dad died?" Her eyes are narrowed, I can tell her brain is ticking with thoughts.

Oh shit.

I nervously clamp my hands together in front of my waist. "Did I say dad? I meant step-mother..." I look down at the ground and back at her, praying that she'll stop talking to me.

Alex gives me the death stare. "I'm on to you," She warns before walking past me, bumping into my shoulder as she passes.

I let out a sigh of relief as I watch her make her way down the hill until she gets smaller and smaller.

Please let her get hit by  train. Please let her get hit by a train. I repeat. Of course nothing happens, so I turn my attention back to Thalia's tree. The girls are waiting impatiently and I run to the very top.

"It's about time!" Annabeth jokes a nudges me.

"What'd you do to Alex? She looked pretty mad." Piper asks.

I shift awkwardly to one side. "I honestly don't know why she is so mad at me. She was just rambling on and on and wouldn't stop."

Annabeth nods, like she understands. "Alex can be a know it all. Well, all my siblings can, but Alex the most. Just don't upset her, alright? Her boyfriend just went on a quest and she lost her twin brother last year."