#so.. yeah..

Drew tossed a smooth pebble across the lake, and watched as it bounced once along the smooth surface. He never liked skipping rocks. He enjoyed tossing them in to see how far he could throw them. His rocks never got that far.  He was never much of an athletically, strong person. He still managed to keep himself decent weight with his swordfighting and his never-ending feet. He shuffled the small pebbles in his hands and turned toward the figure that was coming toward him. He glared despite realizing who it was.  He had come to the lake to be by himself, and toss random rocks into the lake. He was just mindlessly thinking about things. In the past week, it had doubled from a few times a week to almost everyday. He had tried to think about Malia as little as possible. It hurt him to realize that he was the reason she was the infirmary. She was the reason he was hurting her. That weak and frail image will be forever burned in Drew's memory. It will be a constant reminder of all the terrible things he's put Malia threw. 

He clenched the pebbles in his hands in anger. He was the one who was hurting her. He felt more like a enemy then her friend. Friends were suppose to help, not hurt. Maybe it would be best if they kept their separate ways. He grabbed a slim, black pebble and tossed it into the lake.  He sighed. He knew if he left, he could never leave forever. if he tried, he would always come back because there was something about Malia that always drew him back to her, despite the consequences. Now that he thinks about it, this is the longest time he's been without her since he met her. He wrinkled his noses and shook his head. He pushed the thoughts away and tried to lock them in his personal memory palace. He tossed anoter rock into the lake. "I thought you were out training or something," Drew commented, turning up toward his twin. 

"Uh, well, I'm not. I came here because I'm worried about you bro," Christopher said, taking a seat next to him. "How are ya, Andrew? Doing okay?" 

Drew's mouth didn't so much as twitch. "Define okay." 

He thought for a moment, then responded, "You haven't broken down yet." 

Drew smirked. "Then, yeah. I'm fine." 

Christopher rolled his eyes and wrinkled his nose. "Have you visited Malia?" 

He looked away and fiddled with the rocks.  "...No. It's painful.." He murmured softly. 

"Why? Because she broke up with you? Y'know it wasn't her. It was our mom.. oh gods that sounds weird, but yeah, it was our mom. It wasn't her. She's still the same kind, beautiful girl you tell me about.  Don't beat yourself about that."  

"No not that, but on that topic, doesn't everyone still have some consciousness over themselves? What if this was what Malia really wanted in her heart, and Hecate was just acting upon it. What if it's better if we do break up? I mean, she is in the infirmary and is always getting hurt because of me. It's all my fault. Hecate just confirmed it was! It's all my fault. I brought Malia into this when she fell down that crack in the ground with me. I should have pulled her off. You know, I shouldn't have let penetrate my little wall. I shouldn't have been charmed by her beautiful looks, and sassy, yet kind attitude. Dammit! I would be fine lonely! " Drew took a deep breath, trying to let out all his anger. He felt so trapped between his own good conscious, and his desires. 

Christopher sighed and pat his brother's back. What could he tell him.. anything to make him feel better.. There was a moment of silence between the brothers when Chris finally spoke,  "Andrew, do you love her?" 

He kept his eyes trained on the water, and stared at his reflection.  "More than any girl I've ever met."

"Do you wanna protect her?" 

"Well yeah of cou-" 

Christopher cut him off and held up a hand. "You need to go protect the girl you love. The only way you can save her, and protect her is being close to her. How can you do that if you're so far away? So you were beaten, that just means you need to train more and you need some magic lessons from the coolest magic kid around, which is me." He winked and grabbed the rocks sitting in the palm of Drew's hand. He sifted through them. "You're an idiot. You know that?" He hit his brother on the head lightly with the handful of rocks with a gentle smile.  "Sometimes I wonder how you ever survived with out me." 

"I didn't," Drew said flatly.

"Well, you're living now so that's what counts." He helped Drew onto his feet and pat his back. "C'mon, now off to the infirmary." He pushed him in the direction at the opposite way of camp. 

"No.. Chris! You don't understand. What if this is what she wants.." 

"Shut up. I do understand. You never know till you get there, so  you're going to go visit the infirmary now, or I'm going to go flirt with that Aphrodite girl, if you don't, because, y'know, she is hot." He laughed off his brother's glare. "So go. I'll be following behind." 

"But-" Drew started protest.