My Side of the Story

Cold Shoulder

Two years later

Annabeth's pov

  "Luke! Can I talk to you!?" I ask, trying to get his attention as he walked into his cabin.

  Slam.

  "Well that was rude..." I mutter and walk off to my cabin.

  Luke had changed so much from the care free fourteen year old I met so long ago. I miss him.

  Now, a secretive, non-social unless forced to be Luke Castillan has replaced him.

  What happened to the Luke I knew? The one who became a fatherly figure to both me and Thalia? The one who I would call my only family now without hestitation? Is it because we grew up? Is it because Thalia's gone? Is it because of that quest so long ago that he now loaths his father for?

  "Urgh..." I flop on my bed, blowing my bangs out of my face.

  So many unanswered questions swirling in my head were they don't belong! Only answers should go there!

  I roll over and look at the bottom of the bed above me that was covered with old photographs of when Luke had knicked a camera when we were still on our own.

  There were other pictures and blue prints of buildings that I would love to create when I'm older.

  I sit up and look out the window that shows Thalia's tree. "What went wrong...?" I murmur.

  Soon the sun is setting and I start packing a bag for tomorrow's trip. Chiron is allowing some of the campers who have been here longest to go to Mount Olympus during the winter solstace meeting. That is going to be incredible!

  I fall asleep dreamlessly which is strange since I'm a demigod...

Next after meeting

  We sat at a pavilion and ate dinner that some nymths provided us. Very clean barbque and veggies.

  Soon we filed into a room that had a bunch of different cots, girls on one side boys on the other. I ended up closest to the door with Luke not so far away.

  I look over at him. His back was tense and his fingers shook in the slightest bit. He looked back at me. His face was an emotionless mask, but I could see through it. How could I not? I knew him like the back of my hand.

  Though I didn't know the new Luke Castilian, I always saw the old one shine through. And he did so at the moment.

  He quickly turns away.

  I finish up my bed then walk over to him. I stay ssilent for a moment as he fixes his blanket.

  "Luke."

  He ignores me.

  "Luke? I know you can hear me."

  Silence.

  I grab his shoulder and spin him to look at me. "Luke Castilian, I don't know who you think you are, but I'm still your sister. There is no reason, no good solid excuse to ignore me." I say sternly.

  He shakes my hand off and turns back around, but I saw it before he turned.

  The guilt.

  The worry.

  The fear.

  And most of all.

  The absolute hatred.

  I step back, suprized by the hatred. "L-Luke?"

  Still silence.

  "Why are you pushing me away? What did I do to you? I forgave you for what happened, so what is it now?" I ask, my voice no longer cracking.

  He sighs. "I'm not pushing you away." He says very quietly. "I'm protecting you." I barely heard the last part.

  "From what?"

  More silence.

  I sigh heavily. "Luke. You're my only family. If you really are pushing me away, I have no one... but I guess I was always alone anyways..."

  I turn to walk away when Luke sets a hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Annie, I really am."

  "Then why have you ignored me for the past year?" I ask quietly.