Leo

I sat in my usual spot at the table, staring down at the steaming cup of coffee that had been placed in front of me. 

It's been a day since Andrew and I had a run in with the three members of Perseus' army. I tightened my grip on the handle of the cup as I thought about how stupid and reckless I had been. 

If it wasn't for Andrew's quick thinking, then we would have been apprehended on the spot and delivered to Perseus. 

I sighed and lifted the cup of coffee to my lips. Gods, I'm so useless. 

Speaking of useless, I had three more days left to master the powers I had gained from the Primordial's blessings. So far, I can confidently say that I'm able to use the abilities from Hemera and Aether, along with the abilities from Thalassa, pretty well. 

As for the powers given to me by Eros and Ananke...... 

Let's just say I haven't been able to discover exactly what powers I had gained from their blessings. 

I remembered the conversation I had with Malcolm about this exact issue, and he told me that I had most likely received some sort of ability to charmspeak from Eros, considering that he was the Primordial version of Aphrodite. 

Now don't get me wrong, I had tried multiple times to charmspeak. There was one time where I tried to command Connor Stoll to steal something from Katie, but he had given me a weird look in return. 

Shit, if only I had longer! What were the Primordial's thinking? How could they possibly expect me to be able to use my new powers in a week? 

And to top it all off, they expect me to be able to hold my own against Perseus! The guy who had five years to master his abilities that were given to him by the other half of the Primordial Council. 

The guy who was able to defeat thirteen Gods and Goddesses in a fight. 

How the Hades do they expect me to fight a monster like that!? I'm going to die! 

For a second fucking time! 

I sighed as I leaned back in my seat. At this point, I might as well sign my own death warrant. 

"What's with that face, Valdez?" A familiar voice asked suddenly. I yelped in surprise and nearly spilled coffee all over my shirt. 

I glanced up to meet a pair of blue eyes that belonged to a certain obnoxious son of Khione. 

His lips curved up into a smirk as he walked around the table to enter the small kitchen. I glared daggers at his back as I put the cup of coffee down. "You ass." 

Andrew hummed in response as he opened a cupboard. My eye twitched and I resisted the urge to throw coffee at him. 

"What are you doing here?" I asked instead, and Andrew closed the cupboard before turning to face me. He was holding a packet of chips in his hand, and I honestly had no idea how Malcolm and the other remaining demigods got their hands on these snacks and drinks without getting caught. 

Not that I was complaining. 

Andrew ripped open the packet of chips and said "What, is there a problem? I was just hungry. I would like it if we were able to go and grab a bite to eat in the city, but that wouldn't be wise." 

I scoffed as I pushed my chair back and got to my feet, snatching the coffee cup from the table. "If you want to get captured and executed, then go ahead. I'm not going to save you." 

"I just said that wouldn't be wise. Were you not listening to me?" 

How am I friends with this guy!? 

Hold up. When did I even start thinking of him as a friend? 

"I was listening." I said through clenched teeth. I stormed past Andrew to reach the sink, and I placed the coffee cup in it. "You're just infuriating." 

Without waiting for a response, I turned to face the exit. But before I could even take a step forward, a hand closed around my arm. 

"Valdez." 

"Andrew, if you don't let me go, I'll burn you." 

"Do it then. I'd like to see you try." 

Forget signing my own death warrant. I'm going to fucking sign his instead. 

I exhaled loudly before glancing over my shoulder to make eye contact with the son of Khione. I was expecting him to look angry, but to my surprise, he looked worried. 

The anger that was rising inside of me suddenly vanished, and I felt tired and drained. Andrew released his grip on my arm and took a step back, a frown appearing on his face. "Valdez. What's the matter with you? You're more..... Fiery than usual." 

I sighed and moved back to lean against the table. "Nothing. I'm alright. Sorry for being rude."

Andrew raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Right. I totally believe that. Tell me what your issue is, and I'll try to help you with it. It's not healthy to keep everything bottled up." 

"Eh? Since when were you a therapist?" 

The hand that was gripping the packet of chips tightened, and I could tell that Andrew wanted to either insult me or scream at me. 

"Since now." He said after a few seconds of tense silence. "I just want to provide my assistance. Even though I insult you and make fun of you, I genuinely care about you and the rest of the demigods here." 

My eyes widened slightly at hearing the sincerity in Andrew's voice. He was being serious. 

"Alright." I muttered. "I'm just..... Stressed. I've been given the power to fight Perseus, but I can't even use some of the new abilities properly. And I have three more days left to learn how to use them." 

Andrew frowned and said "So you're freaking out over that? Is there anything else bothering you?" 

I stared at him in disbelief. "What? No! Do you realize how big of a deal this is? Malcolm told me that I was everyone's last hope, the last line of defence against Perseus! Of course I'm freaking out!" 

The son of Khione reached a hand up to brush some hair out of his eyes. "I know it's a big deal, Valdez. But I don't understand why you're doubting yourself." 

Is this guy for real?

"What's there to not understand?" I demanded. "I'm doubting myself because I have the right to! We're going to face Perseus in battle in three days! How am I supposed to be able to fight him if I only know how to use half of my new abilities?!" 

Andrew had the audacity to scoff at me.

I'm going to kill him. 

Before I could attempt murder, Andrew held a hand up. "Let me say one more thing before you  kill me."

I scowled at him but stayed silent, and the son of Khione took the opportunity to speak. "I haven't known you for very long, Valdez, and we didn't exactly have the greatest first impressions of each other. But I can tell you this. You're stubborn and determined. You aren't one to give up. You think you can't fight Perseus, but you're just doubting yourself. I know you can do it if you put your mind to it. Learn how to use the gifts the Primordial's gave you. They chose you for a reason, didn't they? Are you really going to let them down? Are you really going to let Malcolm down? Most importantly, are you going to let the world down?" 

My mouth dropped open in shock as Andrew finished his small rant with a weary sigh. He dropped the packet of chips onto the kitchen counter and closed his eyes. "You can choose to listen to me, or don't. It's up to you, Valdez." 

I tilted my head back to stare up at the stone ceiling, thinking about what Andrew had said. He was right, the Primordial's had chosen me for a reason. They gave me the power to fight against Perseus, and I'm definitely not going to disappoint them. 

I'm not going to let Perseus continue to rule Olympus and the world for any longer. 

"I've been a coward." I said, and Andrew opened his eyes to give me a deadpan look. "No shit." 

I rolled my eyes but a smile appeared on my face. "Thank you. I needed that boost of confidence." 

The son of Khione rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he muttered "Yeah, no problem. Just don't be so grouchy." 

I laughed before extending my hand out. Andrew glanced at it before his expression softened and he reached out, grasping my hand with his own. 

I can do this. 

Word count: 1473

okayyyyy third day back from Christmas break and i have three assignments due friday.