Finding it

We stand together as a gathered team going over the plan and the strategy. The whole team. Hundreds of us. All crammed up into the second cohort. surprisingly, we all fit. It is just really hot and really stuffy.

There is a lot of talking, both on topic and off, but I think that there will be enough said and done to come up with a good plan to win.

Miranda, Railyn and I both couldn't stand how crowded it was in there so we stay out on the porch of the cohort. "Athena! Demeter!" we hear someone yell and turn in the direction of which our mother's name was shouted.

We see the Ceres boys making their way out of the cohort waving to us.

"Hey," I say. They answer with their hellos.

"We have 10 minutes before we have to already be at the field of Mars, we should get going." Miranda says.

"Relax we'll be alright." Angelo says.

"Relax we'll be alright." Miranda mimics him.

"Relax we'll be alright." Angelo mimics Miranda mimicking him.

I roll my eyes and brush my hair that is currently just down, into a ponytail with my fingers. As I am finishing up, Alex turns to me.

"Aye, can you put my hair in a ponytail too?" He asks. "Really, tight, please. Best if it's not in my face during the battle."

I glance at his hair. Cut close on the sides, more layered on top. "Sure. You got a hair tie?"

"Yeah."

I pull on my hair to make sure the tie stays tight and then turn to Alex. He sits down on one of the steps of the porch because he is taller than me and I need to reach his head. I comb through his hair with my fingers and take the tie from him. I put it on my wrist and continue. When I am just about finished putting his hair in a ponytail I hear Angelo shouting again.

"Ayye! Go away!" He shouts "No spying on us!"

I don't look up as I finish the last twist in the tie but I do ask who he is yelling at. "Connor, Travis and Jake!" Railyn laughs. I finish, satisfied with my work, and Alex stands up. I look up to see Travis already looking at me.

I heart flutters at seeing my boyfriend, and I smile at him but he just breaks eye contact an motions his head for them to turn and walk in the other direction. What happened? We were alright earlier. Did I do something wrong? No, I couldn't have.

And like that, the feeling of fluttering, pops like a balloon an just engulfs me like a deflated balloon.

The smile on my face melts off. My heart sinks.

•••

A large number of us are geared up, armored up, weapon ready with quite the high level of toxic chemicals and poisons.

But not only that, but there is also another large number of us on the opposite side--just as lethal--ready for it all to start.

Then the horn went off. Deathball. The game have begun.

"Remember the plan?" I hear Alex shout over the sound of others yelling and shouting.

Draw out the other team by sneak attack or fighting. Or track the other team to then draw them out. Shoot them with a poison or knock them out to call them as out of the game.

"Yep!" I then hear Miranda shout from next to me back in answer. We hide behind a large rock.

"Remember the strategy?" Angelo shouts. He's next to his brother. They too, behind a rock, near us.

Fill half the field with grass. Half with water. The half of the team that will work with me and Miranda will use the grass as a tracker--wherever we sense the grass in flattened, due to people's footsteps, will create a flower as a signal that will let us know where they are.

The other half of our team that will work with Percy, will do the same thing but wherever there is a ripple due to movement they will be splashed into the air.

"Yeah!" Miranda answers this time. And with that, grass starts growing, and water starts flooding--rapidly.

Immedently, I feel the damaged and flattened grass and send up tracker flowers all over the field. Teammates go to attack the opposers and I have a good feeling about this game.

Quickly, our team out numbers the other team and we win. The only people still in when we won were Miranda, myself, Railyn, Kia, Alex, Percy, Annabeth, Mae and some others that I don't talk to yet.

Victorious shouts erupt again from my team, and I laugh as Miranda lets out a loud whoop as Alex does with her. Kia and I high five and Railyn playfully hits Angelo upside the head. I don't even know what he did to deserve it, but he probably did.

Through the crowd of people who have all ran into the field I once again spot Travis and I remember how his mood had changed once yet again, last time I saw him. I still get a twinge of pain when I recall upon it.

I shake my head.

What is happening to my Travis? He's becoming so distant. So...not like the Travis I know. Did I even really know Travis in the first place? I think I do..I thought I did.

Then why don't I understand him, now?

this chappie also is trash.
oopsie.
july 31st 2017.