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Theo was lounging on the porch of Poseidon Cabin, her hair had been cut short since she arrived at camp, resting just above her shoulders. It was a reckless choice she'd made once day with a shard of glass, taking up to her hair and making a terrible attempt of a Pixie cut. She hadn't cared at the moment, she was so zoned out that she hadn't took into account someone else was sat next to her. Until a voice spoke up that was.
"You doing okay?" She was snapped out of it, looking around she noticed a boy her age was sat next to her, she was only thirteen and he looked either three months younger than her..maybe four.
His face was still softer than hers, Which had started to define itself from the softness it once held.
"Gah!! You scared me, and yes I'm doing just fine if you hadn't noticed." She snapped back, her eyes narrowed in anger. She was quick to rage, she had a temper problem.
He was beaming, he could compete against the sun and still win in a competition and which was the brightest. How the hell could someone be so joyful with themselves while having to cope with monsters and death.
"Doesn't look like it, especially the way your frowning as if your face had been super glued in that same expression. Everytime I see you around Camp your either scowling or frowning." He then cracks a joke. "Could pass as a Hades kid if you wanted to!" He giggled at his own jokes, a wide smile on his face and he winked at her.
She just stared at him in disbelief, who was this boy to insult her!? Her nose scrunched as a scowl formed on her face and she rolled her eyes, turning to face any direction that wasn't staring at him.
He then shuffled to face her. "Your deflecting from the conversation, something has to be bothering you or you wouldn't try and face away from me." He was great at reading people's faces. Which caused her to shake her head. "Well you've read wrong, since I have no reason to be bothered by anything."
He then held a hand out. "My names Rowan! I'm from the hermes cabin, I'm guessing your Theo. The broody Poseidon kid, don't even think I've ever seen you use your water manipulation."
Theo went to deny any affiliation with her father, but realised there was no use seeing as she was sat on the porch of her cabin instead of any other one. "So what if there is something on my mind!? Is it any of your business!? Not at all!! Leave me alone!"
Rowan didn't stay, just kept silent waiting for her to speak and boy was she one stubborn girl since she didn't utter a single word instead what once was a tense silence slowly became comforting, they had to have been sat in silence for atleast 20 minutes.
She had kept track on him, he somehow managed to stay Positive and optimistic despite the fact she had been so rude to him and insulting his own being, she whispered under her breath. "Why won't you just leave me be." She grumbles, not as annoyed as she was awhile ago.
Rowan had a smile on his face, staring up at the sunny day and the sounds of campers enjoying themselves.
Theo then started to vent her frustrations "It's just ..its so unfair!! I'm under this constant pressure to be someone I can't be. How am I supposed to live at this camp knowing i'll constantly be compared to Percy, he's everything I'm not as a Poseidon kid. I fear the day he leaves camp and all the weight will be shoved onto my shoulders to live up to his expectations" She sighed in dread.
Rowan spoke "Seems you are just putting fake scenarios in your head to give yourself a worser time, none of that will happen."
Theo quickly retorted in a snarky tone "And how would you know, you'll never understand your not a child of the big three!! You'll never understand the constant pushing you get."
"My brother started a war you seemed to forget. Eyes are on you constantly wondering if you'll be the next Luke due to how ignorant our father is." He mumbled, yet he still had a positive light to him.
She could never see this boy be the next luke, he's sickeningly happy. Maybe to the point she feels slightly envious of how ..happy he is. She swallowed. "Right."
Rowan dipped his head in response and turned back to embrace the soft breeze hitting his face.
Theo then considered her words for a few minutes before slamming her hand down onto the wooden floor, staring at him with maybe an envious look? Confusion? Maybe even fear of how good he is at reading people.
"How..How do you stay so positive and optimistic around all this death!? And..and around everything that's happened, the war. The monsters that could kill us, how ..how do you see past the dangers!? We could die any day and your still smiling and happy!?" She vented angrily, maybe since she longed for that..? She wouldn't know.
Rowan glanced at her for a moment, as if considering his words before shutting his mouth. He dwelled on the question he had been asked before letting out a sigh.
"I remain optimistic, I try not to dwell on the past and think of the future. Your past mistakes don't define you as a person, everything happens for a reason. It shapes you towards being a better person for yourself and others, even a simple smile towards someone could make them see maybe someday their will be happier days despite whatever mental state they might be going through. Like me, I don't let my past scars define me, I see them more as strength that I overcame a tough time and lived through it. I am good enough to be on this earth.." He spoke with such honesty.
She felt herself choke up, before swiping the tears away. "I ..I suppose that makes sense." She cleared her throat "But that didn't answer my question. How do you see past the dangers or how we could die anyday?.."
Rowan didn't even have to think about that question before answering. "The future, I think about the future. Monsters as you grow older I'm sure your scent grows less potent to them since your more experienced. Unless it's one stubborn monster, but..I see past that. One day give or take a few years and we'll be free from this constant pressure of fighting for our lives everyday. We can be normal people, doing normal things. Travelling the world or going on holiday, maybe even find love and build a family..why think on the past when you could think of the happiness you could achieve in the future. I move past the pain from knowing one day I will meet them again in the afterlife if someone dies, it comforts me. Helps me move forward, the pain won't ever go away theo."
"You just learn to control it. And it will come back occasionally, and it will hit you terribly. But you can learn from that experience, and continue to move on as that person would want you to. Like you want to. You will always find something to live for even if it's merely a silly dream. Like feeding ducks for a living or something. Even if your unsure, sometimes you have to take risks to learn."
She listened to him. "How ..do you speak such wise words, we're only 13. Yet you speak as if you've just came from experiences upon experiences."
Rowan murmured "I feel comforted I guess..maybe it's the fact I know what will come one day, and when death does come I know ill be old and wrinkly and gross. But I would've lived life the way I wanted to."
Theo moved closer to him, causing the other boy to blush. Before regaining his composure. "My siblings usually come to me to vent aswell. I uh..I guess I kind of have experience talking with people and comforting them."
Theo hummed in thought, the frown once on her face turned into a small smile for a moment before she shook it away.
Rowan's eyes lit up with happiness, before speaking. "You should smile more, it suits your beautiful face." He realised what he said "I mean- it suits your face. Well not saying your not beautiful! Cause you are your gorgeous- but oh gods." He buried his face in his hands, flustered.
She was red as a tomato, his compliments had clearly hit her deeply and she looked away but a smile wiggled its way into her expression.
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Two years later had passed since she'd first had that tali with him, she was currently pacing outside of the Poseidon camp. She was still a moody and frowning person, and wasn't the most optimistic but she smiled occasionally. He had helped that, though she was nervous today. Rowan was supposed to be going on a quest and well why wouldn't she be worried. He's her boyfriend...
Rowan then scared her and hugged her from behind "Hey blondie, what's on your mind?" He looked at her a smile on his face trying to comfort her. "I'm gonna be okay, only a short quest and I'll be back here in your arms" He squeezed her tightly for a second to prove his point.
She laughed, moving to face him and she kissed him on the lips gently before pulling away. "Promise me you'll come back..?" She looks into those soft Hazel eyes of his, the ones that have been full of trust since the day she met him.
He nods "I promise, Pinky swear my love." He kisses her on the head then goes to join the other two he was going on the quest with, he waved goodbye then left camp.
A few months passed by, turns out it wasn't a short quest. When they did come back she noticed a small commotion, and she noticed one of the campers noticed her. "Theo. Don't. Don't come closer." She was confused.
"What?" She never listened and shoved him away, and she gasped and felt her heart stop for a moment as she collapsed to her knees and slowly moved closer. The figure infront of her, Rowan..? He..he was still breathing but half of his face looked as if it'd been shredded and his body to. "Rowan...." she whispered, moving closer. His breathing was shallow. "Rowan! Go get help!" The two campers looked at eachother, they were to frozen in shock.
Rowan opened his one remaining eye "...Theo..?" He coughs out weakly.
Theo moved a piece of hair blocking his view and nodded, she moved him to lay on her lap. "It's me. You'll be okay alright! G get help!! For God's sake!!" She yelled before she felt a hand on hers and looked at him.
He was so frail, his body trembling and his eyes were slowly clouding over. "Theo..it'll be okay."
She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. "You..you can't leave me, Stop talking as if your dying!! You can't you can't go. Please.. please you can't.. " she let out a sharp intake of breath.
"Theo!" He snapped her out of it "You'll be okay. Not one day since I met you have I stopped loving you, yes our relationship may only have been for a year.." He groaned out in pain. "But..you, you will find happiness again..don't hold yourself back because of me okay." He felt a tear slip down his face. As she started to sob.
She whispered. "Please.." she then felt him stop moving, and she shook him. "Rowan?!" His eyes had fully clouded over, she shook him again. "Rowan!! Rowan!! Please please answer me! Rowan! Please.." she sobs.
"Theo.." One of the others mumbled, it was one of Theo's friends. And she turned and yelled "Shut up!" She had tears pouring down her face.
She turned back and stared into his eyes, sobbing "Please..please, No.." She screamed in agony, feeling as if her heart had been broken over and over again. She sobbed for ages just holding him, until he was taken away from her.
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Present day woah!?!
Theo smiled as she had just finished her conversation up with the other girl, Bianca I think she had her name was? Sure she seemed like abit of a weirdo but she was once one aswell to..so I guess she couldn't really judge. The screaming though? Really freaked her out.
She sat down near the river, staring up at the sky a smile on her face. She was embracing it, her hair had grown out longer and wavier. If hair holds memories she'll keep all of them. As she gazed up at the sky, she remembers the day she first met her beloved.
She had been entirely neglectful of course of him at first, refusing to speak or feed into his delusions of getting her to speak but eventually she had caved, and she was so glad she did or she wouldn't have got the best two years of her life with him..
Theo thinks of him alot, she misses him deeply. But she keeps going, just like he wanted her to. She kept smiling like he would've done, but she doesn't forget the memory of him. She chooses to cherish her life and try to make others smile is her first priority now, just as he once did for her. She often found herself successful in her endeavours.
"I love you Rowan." She whispered as if he could hear her. She gazed lovingly up at the sky, as if he could listen. She no longer felt as sad as she once did, coming to terms with it. Like he had taught her.
"Your the reason I smile."
The end. Yippie!!