Fire boy and water girl

Gossip girl wannabes

| part one |

    There was nothing worse than going to an all girls school with a bunch of gossip girl wannabes.

   Eventually I think that's what led to me to running away for the 5th time in my life. I hated the foster care system and they thought it be better to put me in a boarding school for the school year.
    They were wrong. I packed up my things one April night, which wasn't much, and slipped through security and ran.
   I've had enough.

      After Chelsea told me no one was capable of loving and adopting me I slapped her... and pulled her hair... and scratched her face...

   I was the one that got blamed for the fight even though I wasn't the one that started it. Mrs. Hernandez, the headmistress never liked me. She was a prejudice, hateful old hag who thought people that were in the foster care system got there on purpose. Which isn't true.

   I never asked or did anything to get me in the foster care system.

    My mother had decided to put me up the moment I was born. All I had of my biological family was a tiny gold ring I keep on my necklace.
   I've been moved from homes to homes and school to schools. Often going into good foster homes and sometimes bad ones where they would locked me in a room and beat me if I made a noise. That was the third time I ran away, I was 6.

   I'm Adelaide Jackson and I'm 13 years old, I've been on the run for 3 months already and I'm stationed somewhere in Ohio. But to say, I'm currently being chased by police. And I mean literally chased.
   All I was doing was chilling on a park bench enjoying the hot, June, summer sun and watching the kids that had happy lives go home with their families, when cops started chasing me around sunset. They started screaming about how they got a call of stolen Chinese food and a homeless kid, they thought it was me.
   It wasn't because I know the only thing I stole that day was Ice cream, and bought cherries with change I found. 
   They chased me through the streets as the night turned dark and I turned into a dead end ally.
   I saw no option and ran down a sewer hole. All to be meet with a pair of brown eyes and a Latino boy who was sloppy eating noddles. It made my stomach rumble.

   I didn't break eye contact as I continued to descend the latter.
   "There are cops out there."

"I know, you can stay." Was all he said.

   We both looked equally horrible and looked like we were on the run for months. We were skinny, covered in dirt and had messy, knotted hair.

   The sewer smelled, but we slept the night in there. I stared at him as I tried to sleep and he stared back.

   Both skeptical of each other,  its not common you run across run away kids when your on your own. Especially those who look like they've been through hell like you.
   Eventually I fell asleep on my pillow pet I had stolen a while ago and hugged my bag. I didn't want him to go through it when I slept.

    I woke up the next morning and he was still there eating a fortune cookie. I noticed one sitting on my bag as well.
    I mumbled thanks and quickly ate it. I looked down at the fortune and it read.

     You will meet a life long friend.

   I laughed and gave it to him.  "Keep it for if we ever meet again, you know you have a friend in me."
   He laughed as he pocketed it.
   "I have cherries in my bag if you want any." I said

   He quickly nodded his head and I pulled them out. We sat side by side as we had a contest to see who could spit the pits farther.
   "So who are you?" I asked spit, clang.

"Leo Valdez, and you?" Spit, clang.
    "Adelaide Jackson, where are you from?" Spit, clang, it went farther than the two.

"Texas."
  "That's cool I'm from New York."
"New York like the city or state?" Clang.
  "From the city."
"you're far away from New York."
  "And you're far away from Texas." Spit, clang.

"touché" spit, clang. "I think mine went farther," he said.

    "why are you far away from Texas if you don't mind me asking?"
" I ran away from my foster home."
     "Oh, those suck."
"You're in the foster care system too?" Spit, clang.
    "Mhm, I ran away from a boarding school up in Michigan." I answered.
  "Those suck more."
"what boarding school?" All he did was nod his head. 
    "Ya I agree."
"why are you in the foster care system?" he asked me.

    "My mother put me up for adoption when I was born, no one adopted me though."
    "Oh my mother died in a fire. I never meet my dad, I can't imagine not knowing anyone in my family."
    "Ya well it is what it is."

    "we're a sad bunch, I don't think I've ever been this serious with anyone."
   "Me neither" I said standing up.

" well I have to go, Im headed to New York."
   "Why?
"for answers."
    "Oh." Was all he said.
"thank you for allowing me to share your sewer Leo Valdez"
   "It was my pleasure Adelaide Jackson."
But seconds later there was a clang and a beam of light.
   "Jimmy, I think we found the run away kids." Came a quick voice as someone descended the latter.

   "Run!" And we both scattered.

   Leo managed to dodge the cop and ran up the latter, the officer managed to grab his ankle but he shoke him off and managed to get out.
   I saw no option and ran the other way, deeper into the sewer, making turns while the cop chased me and getting lost as adrenaline and fear ran through me, what if I don't find a way out later?
   I eventually came across a weird symbol and pressed on it and a door opened. The cop was a few feet behind me so I went in it and it immediately shut behind me, I was instantly cleaned off and didn't look homeless.

   It felt like magic.
    But it would be the beginning of bad events for me. I searched for a way out for days. Tired, hungry and afraid, running through obstacles and weird noises, and different variety of tunnels. They were often made up of dirt, stone, and sometimes vines.

   It was on the third day where a monster catched up to me.
  It was a cyclops, and I only knew this because I'd seen a movie on them a while ago. I didn't think they could possibly exist as I grabbed my kitchen knife I keep in my bag and holded it forward with both hands shaking, it laughed.
   "That won't do anything to me." And it slapped me across the face.  I fell down with a cry and looked up in terror as I tried to crawl away. The next thing I now it knocks me unconscious.
   I was barely conscious for the next few days as I laid limp in its arms, but every time I stirred I heard it mumble about a strong smelling demigod and how his boss would want to meet her.
   I think he was talking about me but I had no idea what he was talking about. 
   Eventually we ran into a dark haired, skinny boy who was walking with a ghost and he killed the cyclop. He was quick, often diving though his legs and slashing.
   I was scared of his sword, it was pure black and he was pointing it towards me.

  " Who are you, and what are you doing in the labyrinth."
   I was shaking as I told him.

    "I'm Adelaide Jackson, I was in the sewer with this other kid when we got chashed by a cop.  I found this weird door and I've been lost every since when the cyclops found me, please help me."
   "Another Jackson no way, I hate your brother I'm not helping you." and he started walking away.

  I chased after him noticing the ghost was gone.
"please I don't have a brother, I was in the foster care system, this is my 5th time running away."
   "So you don't know who Percy is."
"no I don't know who Percy is." I snapped.
   "Fine follow me, there are things I have to do but don't question any of it, understand?"
"But-"

   "Understand!" He said more aggressively.

"yes I understand".