Lost in a Fictional World

My name's Hannah. I'm 16 years old and I'm from Melbourne. My mum dragged me to Alabama and has now decided a boarding school is best for me. Joy.

[hannahtully]

♫I could show you how many moves to checkmate right now♫

[little-nora]

..that’s beautiful Hannah. 

[hannahtully]

Thank you, Nora.

[hannahtully]

♫I could show you how many moves to checkmate right now♫

[rollercoaster-gus]

[hannahtully]

You, Augustus Waters, kicked a kid in the ribs? I call bullshit.

[hannahtully]

[the-culver-creek-colonel-deacti]

Of course. Come on Hannah, you’re gorgeous. 

[hannahtully]

Thanks, Chip.

[hannahtully]

[rollercoaster-gus]

"Oh..." He said, hitting a wall there. He has no idea how that's like, his parents are happily together. But he felt like his friend needed him. He needed to help her figure out her emotions, because she looked like a mess Augustus walked over to the bed and sat down. "Why does it make you feel selfish? C'mon, you can talk to me." He patted the space next to him in reassurance.

[hannahtully]

Hannah turned. "'Oh' is exactly right. You have no clue, do you?" she snapped. Gus didn't deserve this, she knew, but anger was stronger than logic. "You have no idea what it's like to watch a marriage fall apart as you try and save it. To watch your efforts be used as weapons by your parents against each other." Hannah's voice rose in volume and pitch with every sentence. Tears had begun to fall and she wiped them away in anger. "Why does that make me selfish? Because I'm angry that my dad is happy with someone else. Does that not sound childish to you?" Hannah didn't sit down. She yelled at Augustus, finally letting the words pour. "Because I still hold onto a stupid hope that maybe, just maybe, my parents will get back together. Despite the fact that I'm only in this stupid country because my mum wanted to be as far away as possible!" Hannah's breaths had become short and shallow as she tried not to cry. 

[thesammydavis]

Samuel nodded, unsure how to respond entirely, or if he should have for that fact. Uncertainty hit Samuel harder than a pile of bricks, as it had for almost everyone it seemed. And he simply looked at the girl in front of him with a small smile on his lips as he thought of something to say. The conversation shouldn’t have been left so open-ended anyways he thought to himself, it didn’t feel right to do it as so. 

"Well, sometimes things don’t really end up how we want them to be." Samuel laughed, taking the bottle to take a long swig at it. "I mean, I doubt when you were four you imagined sixteen years old you drinking and having all this happening… unless you did then I’m just rambling."

He hung onto the bottle a bit more, head faced downwards. “I mean, I guess you saw it coming but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt like hell when it happens. I guess it’s going to just take some time for things to ease through,” he paused, taking another long sip. “And maybe a lot more alcohol. Plus hey, sometimes things work out for the better. They may have not ended happily, but there are pictures out there, I mean you still aren’t married yet.”

[hannahtully]

Hannah looked over at Sammy trying to figure out what to say to her and she rolled her eyes. She didn't want pity. She certainly didn't want his pity. "Isn't that the truth?" she agreed. "Even little thirteen year old me couldn't have called this." She put her head between her hands and groaned. Tears came and sobs threatened, but she didn't move. She pressed her hands on her eyes to stop the tears and controlled her breaths quietly to stop them hitching.

"Time," she echoed. "Time heals all wounds, or something like that. They never include the alcohol in those quotes." She shook her head, still not looking up at Sammy. "I don't want to get married," she told him. With that, she took back her bottle and stood up. "I'm going back in. I don't really want to end up smashed out here." The girl just walked away, not waiting for an answer after that.

[little-nora]

Looking towards the trees that covered one edge of the Creek, the blue haired girl hesitated before nodding with a small yes. “..yes, b-but i d-don’t know what t-tree would be the um..right one to climb. I w-was hoping for a t-tall one so I-I could see e-everything.” 

[hannahtully]

"Well," Hannah said, "it'd have to have strong branches, and probably some low branches so we can pull ourselves up. So an older tree would be strong and tall, most likely." Hannah linked arms with Nora and began walking. "Come on, let's go find the right tree."

[hannahtully]

I can't sleep.

[hannahtully]

  Why can’t you sleep?

[the-culver-creek-colonel-deacti]

Too much on my mind I guess.

[hannahtully]

What's on your mind, Colonel?

[rollercoaster-gus]

[hannahtully]

I get you point. Oh, Bob and Small Bob and Damasen. And the fact that Bob helped Percy because Nico told him about Percy and told him that he was good? Oh, Leo and Calypso. It feels a little obvious, but he swore on the River Styx. Does that not feel like it fits the prophecy...

[hannahtully]

So many broken promises. He said he'd ask the gods to release Calypso, but he never checked. It was a nice touch. The curses were kind of scary. Can you imagine every decision coming back to haunt you? It really was a lot of development this time. Oh, I don't think he'd do that. He didn't with The Last Olympian.

[hannahtully]

[hannahtully]

Hannah didn’t answer. The mention that Gus considered her his friend was enough to make Hannah pause, even for a moment, until the phone beeped. She glared at it. When she looked up at Gus when he asked her why she was so angry, however, just for a moment she accidentally...

[hannahtully]

Hannah shook her head. "It's stupid. Selfish." She refused to look at Augustus, trying to keep herself under control. When she thought he couldn't see, she quickly wiped her eyes. "My dad got a girlfriend," she told him. Her voice trembled as she fought her own emotions. "Happy now? Now you know." She kept her back to the boy, waiting for him to go. His curiosity had to be satisfied now. Could he go?

[hannahtully]

I can't sleep.

[the-culver-creek-colonel-deacti]

Me either.

[hannahtully]

Why can't you sleep?

[hannahtully]

I can't sleep.

[little-nora]

”..W-well you shouldn’t feel bad about it then..” Nora said quietly with a slightly scrunched nose. “Nobody g-gets e-everything they wish for. I g-got more time than they thought, i’m t-thankful for that.” The petite girl whispered and though she liked the friendship and kindess her friend was showing, pulled back from the hug after a few minutes. Not wanting to make Hannah feel uncomfortable. “Do you t-think it would be difficult to climb one of the trees in the woods?” Nora asked thinking it might be best to move away from the topic of ‘her secret’ for now. 

[hannahtully]

Hannah felt a pang of shame. How could she be so ungrateful of her lot when Nora was so grateful for hers? It was pretty obvious to Hannah which of them had drawn the short straw. She masked her shame with a smile as Nora pulled away, but it still swirled in her stomach. "It depends," she answered. "You'd have to pick the right tree. Do you want to find out?"

[rollercoaster-gus]

No No No No

[rollercoaster-gus]

Yes. And my lord, yes. I can;t sleep, Hannah! I keep thinking of Bob and Small Bob and Damasen! Well, I can sleep but you get my point! Nico, you poor soul… I’d give you Leo, but Leo and Calypso and ugghhhh feels. Hazel is one of the best characters, I swear. And her story has always made me tear a bit. She freed the doors of death all by herself. I call that a hero. But that author’s note at the beginning, he literally made fun of us for the last cliffhanger! 

[hannahtully]

I get you point. Oh, Bob and Small Bob and Damasen. And the fact that Bob helped Percy because Nico told him about Percy and told him that he was good? Oh, Leo and Calypso. It feels a little obvious, but he swore on the River Styx. Does that not feel like it fits the prophecy line about a vow to keep with final breath? Hazel really came into her own this book, with the Mist and everything. Yeah, it was all "sorry not sorry, hahahaha." Damn him.

[rollercoaster-gus]

No No No No

[rollercoaster-gus]

You had have it written on your notebooks? But as I said, not important. Holy Oreos, ‘Blood of Olympus’? That sounds terrifying. I love it! Oh my gosh, Nico. Oh my gosh Hazel. I literally balled with Bob and Damasen. Three words: ‘Bob says hello’ *Cries*.

[hannahtully]

Do I? Damn... I know right? I can't wait until it comes out! I can't wait to see what happens. Oh, Nico... The poor thing. Of all the people to fall in love with though. Hazel was amazing! My little baby! She's thirteen remember! Oh god... Bob and Damasen... It was so sad. I was so hopeful and then... I have to say I'm glad it wasn't the same type of cliff hanger though. Can you imagine?

[rollercoaster-gus]

No No No No

[hannahtully]

First of all, how on earth do you know my middle name?

Second, which series?

[rollercoaster-gus]

That’s not important, Hannah. What’s important is House of Olympus. lease tell me! It’s killing me.

[hannahtully]

Yes it is! Who told you? Oh, that book series. Yes, Augustus. Blood of Olympus is the next and I think final book in that series. So, I take it you finished House of Hades? What did you think?