I called over one of my mortal friends, a lovely girl named Lacy. She was a year younger than I, so she looked up to me greatly. (I know, it’s hard not to.) She had cute blond pigtails, a mouthful of braces, and was possibly the only person at the dance more nervous than my brother.
Lacy looked at the battle in front of her. Another war. It was amazing how long she had lived. She looked down at the picture of her siblings in her hand before stuffing it back into her pocket. Another war indeed.
But Lacy was going to survive. She had to. She wanted a life. She wanted to live on. She wanted… she wanted to live happily ever after.
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Lacy woke up in the camp infirmary. She was alive. Thank the gods. She was alive. She sat up. And then she realized. She was missing both of her calves. No. No. She tried to climb out of the bed but fell to the ground. Someone helped her back up into the cot. She felt a bit glad when she saw it was her friend, Kayla.
“Those four are injured but alive. Two of your sisters are dead. Charlotte and Lizzie. I’m so sorry.” Kayla frowned.
“How many of yours?”
“Seven. Kinda funny, right? Seven Apollo kids dead.” Kayla said as she teared up.
“Sorry. How many demigods in total?”
“Too many to fully count. Some might just be missing but hey we won the war. And we’re alive.”
“Yeah, we’re alive. It’s about a year and a half until you qualify for the Olympics.” Lacy forced a smile.
“Yeah.”
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Lacy knocked on the door of her home. Her dad opened it. His eyes went straight to her legs. Her fake legs.
“Thank goodness you’re alive.” He hugged her tightly.
“Yeah. I’m alive. I missed you.” She choked out.
“I missed you too, my little dove.”
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Lacy stared at the mirror. Sure she was alive. But she was ruined. Her face now had scars all across it and her legs were gone. Her body was scarred and burnt. How funny for a daughter of Aphrodite to look so ugly. Especially one who could barely change her hair color at will.
She was only thirteen and yet her eyes looked older. War aged people no matter what. Three wars had weathered her down. Made her even feel old.
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Lacy sat down on a bench. It was the first day of the school year.
“Ew. What happened to you?” A nasty voice snarled at her. She looked up to see Drew’s so called friends but no Drew. Even Drew wouldn’t make fun of Lacy’s looks.
“Did the rats in your bed get hungry?”
“It was a car crash.” Lacy muttered.
“Speak up or did you fuck up your throat too. Well good riddance, your voice was annoying, you freaky loser.”
Lacy drugged her nails into her bag.
“What did you say?” A familiar voice said. Drew.
“Oh Drew! Good to see you! Look at what happened to her! She looks like roadkill now.”
Lacy looked down at the ground. Was even her own sister going to make fun of her?
“Say that again and I will break you, Amber.”
“Excuse me?”
“Leave Lacy alone.” Drew hissed at Amber. Lacy looked at her.
“What the fuck, Drew?” Amber jabbed at Drew’s chest.
“Leave her the fuck alone!” Drew pushed Amber.
“Why? Are you fucking the ugly gremlin?”
“SHE’S MY FUCKING SISTER!” Drew yelled. Lacy’s eyes widened. She and Drew never told anyone that they were sister. Like come one? A Japanese girl and a black girl, sisters? It was crazy. And it was hard to explain.
“Please. Drew stop it. Who cares if we pick on her? Don’t lie to save us from getting in trouble.”
Lacy watched in silence as Drew punched Amber in the face. “Lacy and I are sisters. Half-sisters but sisters all the same. And if you ever make fun of her or her friends again, you will have to deal with me. And remember I know so many of your secrets.” Drew said.
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Lacy looked at the ground when she saw Sadie. Her best friend.
“Lacy?” She heard the British girl call out.
Soon she saw combat boots next to her pink flats.
“Lacy, what happened? Are you okay?”
“Car crash.”
Lacy felt Sadie’s fingers on her arm. Right on a scar. “Gods, Lacy. Are you doing okay?”
“No.” Lacy whispered.
“Has Tanaka been bugging you about it? Because I will kick her arse if she is.” Sadie said as she took her hand off of Lacy.
“No. Actually she defended me.” Lacy laughed.
“Really? Damn didn’t know the bleeding ice queen could be kind at all.”
“She’s my sister.” Lacy rolled her eyes.
“What? Really? I would have never guess. Though you guys do have the same nose. And you both have this weird look when someone says the names Silena and Piper. Are they other siblings?” Sadie asked.
“Yes… Silena died two years ago. And Piper is our sister who’s the daughter of a movie star. We all have the same mom.” Lacy said.
“Shit. I’m sorry. Which movie star?”
“Tristan McLean.”
“Damn. Your sister’s dad is hot. And I heard she’s a criminal or something. Also hot. Is she single?”
“Sadie!” Lacy looked up at her friend, “Piper has a girlfriend.”
“Oh well. Anyway if I see anyone picking on you for your legs and scars I will kick their arses.”
“Don’t worry about it. Trust me no words can hurt me, I’ve been through some shit and yet I’m still alive. I can take a few nasty words here and there.” That was a lie but she didn’t need Sadie or Drew defending her all the time.
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A year past. No war. No battles. Drew had stopped covering up her scars to help Lacy feel better. The war with the Roman emperors had no name for no one wanted to think about it. It was the worse war. Campers who came after called all three wars the Triple War. It made sense since after all they were fighting the three emperors all along. It wasn’t like the Giant Were was a real war, Piper had stopped Gaea at the beginning of the war. Before it when became a war.
So Lacy guessed Triple War fitted.
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Another year past. Lacy had learned there was Egyptian gods running around. And that Sadie was a magician which Lacy noticed was a lot like being a demigod except you could leave if you really wanted to and if you weren’t like Sadie and well known.
There still was no wars. Lacy was glad for that fact. No more wars meant way less deaths and with Annabeth Chase planning New Athens already, life seemed to be getting better for demigods.
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Three years. Three years and Lacy was the same age Percy Jackson had been at the Battle of Manhattan.
Gods. Before she didn’t realize how young she was during the wars. So fucking young and yet she had to fight. No wonder Luke rebelled against.
No. Lacy almost slapped herself. Luke made children kill each other. Luke made Silena spy for him. Luke was a monster.
She would never think like Luke Castellan. Even though the gods were bad, they were better than other options.
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Four years. Another year she would be an adult. Most demigods barely made it past eighteen. Yet it was possible now for her to live on much longer than that. It was possible for them all to grow old and have families. Thanks to the Romans. Thanks to Annabeth Chase.
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Five years. New Athens was finish. Little Olympus and Delphi City were almost done. Annabeth Chase had plans for more cities around the world. It was incredible. Lacy was felt safe. Like she could have a future.
Lacy looked at her face. She was damaged but she was still alive. She was still standing. After war and death and loss. She was still standing.
❤❤❤❤
Lacy looked down at her diploma. She was going to NYU after summer was over. She had her whole life to live.
“Lacy!” A pair of arms wrapped around her. Sadie.
“Hey. Can’t believe we made it.” Lacy smiled.
“Yeah. So I heard you’re going to New York Uni.” Sadie said.
“Yup. And you?”
“Berkeley. I plan on majoring in chemical engineering. I’m going to miss you but I’ll visit often with the help of magic.”
“And I can visit you too. There’s a demigod city near San Francisco. New Rome. Piper and her girlfriend live there.”
“Great. And we have the summer to spend with each other.” Sadie smiled.
“Sadie…” Lacy looked Sadie in the eye.
“What?”
“Can I kiss you?”
“Please do.”
And with that Lacy kissed Sadie. Lacy kissed her best friend. And Sadie kissed her back.
“I love you.” Lacy said when the pair pulled apart.
“I love you too.” Sadie said as she cupped Lacy’s face in her hands. Lacy smiled.
❤❤❤❤
Lacy woke up. She was sweating and Sadie was shaking her awake.
“Lacy, are ya okay?” Sadie asked her.
“Nightmare.”
“It’s over now.” Sadie wrapper her arms around Lacy and held her tightly. Lacy was safe. Lacy would be safe. She may have lost her legs and had lots of scars but she was safe and happy.
#project hail mary
#heated rivalry
#photography
