The Old Jackson Twins Book 2

Chapter One

I told you she'd be back.

"So," said the guidance counselor, sitting back in her chair, "what are your plans for the future?"

Aria told the carefully crafted lie easily, her story similar to Percy's. Gap year, blah blah blah, touring other schools, blah blah blah. Both twins had very different plans for their futures, the only similarity being that the counselors couldn't know. Percy would go to college in New Rome, with a letter of rec from Chiron, while Aria would join Reyna on her never ending quest, fighting monsters and saving half-bloods while traveling around the country Supernatural style.

Annabeth and Percy had been the first people she'd told about what she wanted to do. "It's like this: there's two sides to us," she'd explained when the three of them had gone for ice cream after school. "Our godly side, and our mortal side. You guys are going to New Rome, but in the end, you're going down the mortal path. You'll go to college, get jobs, live a normal mortal life- aside from the whole living-in-a-city-of-demigods thing. But that's not what I want. I'll take the godly path. I'll fight monsters, save young half-bloods. Like the Hunters of Artemis, except for the no-love thing and the semi-immortality thing. That's what I'm destined for." She had looked at the table nervously, afraid of what Percy and Annabeth would say.

Annabeth had been the first to speak. "That makes sense. Percy's always wanted peace and quiet, a break, but you've always longed for adventure. College wouldn't have suited you, anyways."

Percy had agreed, which was a relief. She'd been worried he'd want her to come to New Rome with them. They were twins, after all. They'd done pretty much everything together, despite the strain being demigods had put on their relationship. But they'd be eighteen in August. It was time to split up. And this was what Aria desperately wanted. She wanted to spend all of her time with Reyna, to go all over the country, to protect kids the way she'd needed protecting at their age. She didn't want to stay in one place, to only see Reyna once in a while, to be tethered and trapped under the weight of college. And it's not like they'd travel alone their whole lives. Reyna had always had political ambitions, and Aria thought she might want to try singing or acting for a living. But even just a few years of freedom would be blissful.

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When they walked across the stage at graduation, Aria before Percy, she'd spotted her family in the stands, cheering at the top of their lungs: her mother, her stepfather, her baby sister, Paul's parents, Annabeth (who went to a different school), Annabeth's father, her stepmother, and her half-brothers, and...

Reyna.

Aria's breath caught in her throat, and she blindly accepted the diploma and started down the ramp off the stage, her eyes still locked on Reyna. She hadn't seen her since January, and she longed to ignore all the rules Goode had in place and sprint into the stands. A few months of constant outdoors and no praetor paperwork had obviously helped Reyna. She looked stronger, healthier, and happier, and a relaxed smile rested on her lips. Aria's blush deepened, and the kid sitting next to her asked if she was okay. She brushed him off, trying to focus on the ceremony.

She ran outside the second she could, tripping over her robe. Mrs. Jacobsen would kill her later, for dirtying and possibly tearing the robe, but at the moment, she couldn't care less, because she'd caught a glimpse of shiny black hair in a tight braid and warm olive skin.

She didn't even give Reyna a moment's notice before barreling into her arms, catching her off guard. "You came," she managed through her wide smile.

"I couldn't miss it. I got the time and place from your mom," Reyna said, hugging her back after recovering from the brief shock. "Congratulations!" She pulled back a little to look at her. "You dyed your hair!" Which was true: Aria's hair was still wavy and reached her waist, but was also now bright blue. She'd dyed it just a few days before.