Not Quite Mortal • HoO

Epilogue: Five Years Later

Hello! I hope you feel satisfied with the last section of this story. I re-outlined it several times, and the original draft was completely different from what you'll be reading now. This (final, I think) version of the epilogue has two different first person perspectives in it, which I normally wouldn't do, but I wanted to include both Molly and Leta's stories, and when I write in third person, the style of writing wast just so different from the rest of the book. 

Anyway, I hope you like it, and thanks for reading. I love reading comments, so keep voting and commenting :) 

Molly Bell

When one of your closest friends goes missing for weeks, most people would see it as a cause for concern. They would be right to show concern, too. And, please don't get me wrong, I do care about Vivi, but when when she went missing, I honestly wasn't too worried about it. Vivi and I had been friends for more than four years, ever since the two of us started spending our summers at camp. I knew that Vivi had gotten a quest during the summer - it probably had just gone on for longer than expected. Sure, I had my doubts every once in a while, but I knew she'd be back.

On the fourth day of school someone ran straight at me and wrapped their arms around my neck as I exited the building, and I knew the waiting was over.

Vivienne Clarke, 5 foot midget, daughter of Aries, and my closest friend, was back.

"Sorry I missed the first week of high school," she said.

"It's okay." I looked her over. She walked with a slight limp, and wore a knee brace, but otherwise seemed to be okay. "As long as you're safe."

She grinned. "Nothing I couldn't handle. And I had Raine and Fiona as backup."

"They're both okay then?"

"Yep."

Vivi waited with me until Christian got out and then walked home with us. It had taken Christian and I a lot of internal debate to decide where we would go for high school. We could have stayed in New Rome, or decided to go to Camp Half Blood or Camp Jupiter year round, but in the end, we had decided Goode was the good way to go.

Savannah had long ago graduated with her friends, and it was almost as if we had switched places. Savannah was now the one that lived in New Rome with our parents as she went to college to study psychology, and Christian and I lived with Lara and Claire.

"Vivi!" Claire hugged my friend when she walked into the apartment. "Clarice said you were back. Congrats on a successful quest!"

"Thanks, Claire," Vivi responded. "Do you mind if I stay here for tonight?"

"Of course not, as long as you don't mind a crowd. We're hosting a bit of a reunion later this evening."

I looked at her in surprise. "A reunion of what?"

Lara entered the room to answer my question. "Savannah's coming for a visit, and she's bringing friends." She walked over to pick up a book from off of the dining table and kissed Claire on the cheek on her way out. "Make sure to clean up your stuff, you two," she said, talking to me and Christian.

I looked at the pile of jackets and shoes by the door as well as books littered across the table.

"I guess I have work to do," I told Vivi. "You can relax though."

Christian and I cleaned up the mess, most of which was indeed ours, before we heard the door being unlocked.

In walked Savannah, Annabeth, Percy, Mira, and Andrew. My role models of what a high school friendship should look like.