Hecate's Experiment

Hope walked hesitantly into the kitchen. She always came here after school, so her two best friends, always met her here. She wondered if they knew about her. Probably, but would they still be her best friend when she looked like this?
She almost turned to leave, but her stomach growled with hunger and she entered the kitchen. Only to be tackled by a flying brunette.
Hope yelled out as she flew backwards, knocked off balance, but the other girl. "Geez, Lacy, what was that for?"
Lacy's bright blue eyes were watering, as she stared at Hope. "Don't ever come home unconscious again!" She practically shouted. "I was so worried!"
Hope couldn't help but to grin. "I'm sorry Lacy," she said quietly, patting the girl's blonde head. "But it couldn't helped, my seal broke."
"We noticed," said a male voice from the corner of the room. Hope stared around May's head, to see Pollux sitting at the table with a bowl of grapes in front of them. He was picking at them, only occasionally actually eating them. "When you came in you had wings and a tail."
Hope pushed Lacy off her gently and got to her feet, patting the dust off her school uniform. Her tail waving behind her, like a blatant stop sign. "Tail's still here," she said quietly.
Lacy moved around to sit down next to Pollux and Hope pulled up her own chair and grabbed a ham sandwich from the fridge.
"So," she started awkwardly. "You guys are demigods then?"
They nodded. Lacy smiled. "Daughter of Aphrodite."
"Dionysus," grinned Pollux, tossing Hope a grape. She caught it between her teeth. She always liked his grapes. Guess now she knew why.
She looked at Lacy. "So your mom is a goddess of love?" she asked.
Lacy nodded. "Pretty much, sometimes her children can charm speak, but I've never had the skill." She shrugged. "My older siblings Drew and Piper can though."
Hope had no clue who either of those people were. They obviously weren't here.
She turned to Pollux. "And your dad is what an alcoholic?"
Pollux fought back a laugh. "I wouldn't say that if I were you, gods can be very vain, sometimes."
Hope sighed. "Can things get any more complicated?"
Pollux shrugged. "You get used to it after awhile?"
"Do I still have to do my homework?" Hope asked.
Pollux laughed, shaking his head, unable to laugh, as he almost fell off his stool. Hope watched him confused. "It wasn't that funny," she muttered, slightly confused.
Lacy sighed. For being someone as small and young looking as she was, she was exceptionally quick to understand things. "Give me the key Pollux," she said quietly, trying not to let Hope hear.
Unfortunately, Hope's senses could hear the whispered conversation between her Father and Chiron about leaving for a camp, so there was no chance of her not hearing Lacy.
"What key?"
He growled slightly, and threw a key chain on the table before walking away. Hope stared at it. Those were the keys to her father's liquor cabinet. He never let them out of his sight. Why did Pollux have them?
She turned to Lacy. "Spill."
Lacy turned red. "Pollux get's like this sometimes, while you're at school," she said. "He doesn't want you to know, and worry about him?"
"But he's underage, he shouldn't be drinking, even if his father is the god of wine!"
Lacy nodded. "I know," she said. "But none of us, have the heart to stop him. He only started after his twin brother, Castor, died in the titan war."
Hope looked at the floor. She never knew. She didn't know anything. her best friends, had whole other lives. But at least, she knew why Pollux was always laughing when she was around--he was drunk.
She kicked the table slightly, kicking to her feet and storming out of the room. Ignoring the fact that she just broke the table.
She saw Pollux walk quietly to his room, a sad, depressed look on his face. In truth, she wanted to go comfort him, but she didn't know how, and she was angry. So she stormed to her own room, which was just across the hall from his, unfortunately.
She slammed the door behind her, making sure that everyone heard it and everyone knew she was angry. She wasn't really sure why she was angry entirely, there were just too many secrets everyone kept from her, and it pissed her off. She didn't like being kept in the dark.
She sighed and sat down on her bed, dejectedly. What was the point of coming here again? The only thing in any of the bedrooms was a bed and a wardrobe. (Plus a private bathroom). They bedrooms were meant to be just that bedrooms. She sighed, there was no way she'd spend two hours in here, with nothing to do. No sirey! Not happening!
She opened the door to come face to face with Malcolm, who had his hand poised to knock. "Oh, sorry about that," she muttered. "Did you know need something?"
Malcolm shifted slightly. "Well, you seemed angry, so I came to check on you?"
Hope smiled slightly. "I was angry," she muttered. "I just don't like knowing things, and there are too many secrets."
Malcolm smiled. "In that case, why don't you accompany me to the library and I'll fill you in," He told her. "No one better than a child of Athena."
Hope laughed slightly. "Okay I'll take you up on that!"
Together the two walked down to the library, all the while Malcolm spoke answering any and all of the questions he could.
Apparently, Hope had seven protectors here, they stay with her in a Mansion. Lacy, daughter of Aphrodite, Pollux, son of Dionysus, Clarisse, daughter of Ares, Katie, daughter of Demeter, Conner and Travis, sons of Hermes, and himself Malcolm, son of Athena.
They were chosen by her father, Holland, to protect Hope and see that she got a normal life, until the seal broke. After that, they'd take her to camp and train her like any other demigod.
Hope sighed. "I get all that, really, I do, but Lacy mentioned a titan war? What was that about?"
Malcolm's face darkened a bit. But he launched into an explanation of the war and the heroes and the dead.
Hope stared at the floor. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry too much."
Malcolm shrugged. He was currently digging a bronze dagger into the floor. He'd always done that when he felt even slightly bad about something.
"You mentioned a Percy Jackson?" she started. "Was he the big Hero."
Hope, wished she hadn't asked. Malcolm launched into what felt like a prepared speech about Percy and his girlfriend, Annabeth (who happened to be his sister) and the number of times they'd saved the world, and when he got to the war again Gaia, he included the 'seven' and the Romans, until eventually Hope was just completely lost.
She started to inch away from the boy, who was so busy talking, he didn't notice her slip away.
Hunh, she thought. So that was the sort of life demigods lead? She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it.
The dinner bell rang and Hope grinned. Just in time, she was already starving again.

Notes

Just a note--All the demigods protecting Hope are actual Canon characters, including Lacy (mentioned very briefly in the Lost Hero) the only invented Characters here (so far) and Hope and her father, Holland. It might have gotten a little dark, but it's alright. Trust me! (even if trusting me may be bad for your health)

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--Kim