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Drew Tanaka sat on her bed in the Aphrodite Cabin, her tongue tracing the heart shaped lollipop she sucked on, a stupid rom-com flick on the box television in the corner of the room. The movie was, for lack of better words, absolutely shit, but Drew watched it with rapt attention, nose scrunched in thought as the characters moved through their relationship far too fast to be normal.
“Drew?”
Drew groaned, smacking her hand around her bed until she found the remote and paused the movie. “What is it?”
The door flung open to reveal Drew’s newest sister—and self-proclaimed rival—Piper McLean. Even after two months, Piper had managed to weave her way into the hearts of all their other siblings in a way that Drew was never capable of, and it pissed Drew off. It didn’t help that Piper also got picked for a quest almost immediately and then proceeded to take Drew’s title as Head Counselor. She was infuriating.
Piper stopped in the hallway, hands shoved in the pocket of her oversized Care Bear hoodie. “You’re supposed to be at Arts and Crafts.”
“You are too,” Drew pointed out. “Now, go play with your boy toy or something, I’m watching a movie.” Drew clicked the play button and slouched farther into her pillows, hoping Piper would take the hint and leave her alone.
Piper did no such thing. Instead, her Doc Martens echoed against the tile as she marched over to Drew’s bed and plucked the remote from her hand, pausing it. Drew began to complain, but Piper interrupted with a growl.
“What’s your fucking problem, Tanaka?”
“What’s yours?” Drew screeched, reaching for the remote. “Give me back the fucking remote, you bitch.”
Piper slipped the remote into her pocket of her hoodie, keeping on hand on it. “No, I asked you a question first. What’s your problem?”
“I don’t have a problem!” shouted Drew, “I just want the fucking remote.”
“Is this about Jason?”
Drew stood up with such ferocity, she knocked a few pillows off her bed. “I don’t give a shit about your boy toy.”
“He’s my boyfriend,” Piper corrected. “Not my boy toy, or whatever other condescending terms you thought up.”
“Just give me the remote.”
Drew was done with this conversation, she just wanted to watch shitty flicks in peace.
“Not until you tell me why you’re being a bitch,” Piper said.
“I don’t need to tell you shit.”
Drew imagined Piper would give up, realizing her lips were bolted shut, and there’s very little Piper could say that would make Drew speak to her. They knew each other for three weeks, they were practically strangers even if they shared a mother and a cabin. Instead, Piper sat down on the edge of Drew’s bed, rolling up the sleeves of her hoodie so they rested on her forearm. “Look, I don’t know what you’ve been through—”
“No,” Drew interrupted. “You sure as hell don’t.”
“But that doesn’t give you a right to take away another's happiness.” Piper paused for a moment. “Breaking someone’s heart is no joke, Drew.”
“So I’ve been told,” Drew mumbled.
“Be honest,” Piper began, though Drew had the feeling her half-sister thought she might lie. “Have you dated someone you actually like?”
Drew felt her breathing quicken, but forced herself to remain calm and steady her breathing. “What’s it to you?” Drew snapped, trying to make it seem like the question didn’t bother her as much as it did.
“I thought so.” Piper cracked her knuckles, not in an intimidating way, as Drew would, but rather a thoughtful way. “Our mother—”
“Don’t talk to me about our mother!” Drew screeched. “You’ve known you were a demigod for less than a month, you know nothing!”
“I know she wouldn’t want us breaking hearts purposefully!” Piper shouted, standing up as her volume increased. “Why can’t you just date someone you actually like?”
“Because I can’t like anyone,” Drew screamed back.
The silence after the confession was palpable; Drew could hear the beating of her own heart coming out her chest.
“What?”
“I’ve never liked anyone,” Drew admitted quietly. Her voice cracked from the soreness of the recent screams. “That’s it, that’s the big secret.”
Piper deflated like a balloon, falling onto Drew’s bed. “Why didn’t you say you’re asexual?”
Drew blinked in surprise. “You know what asexual is?”
Piper nodded. “No one’s going to judge you for being—”
“I’m not asexual,” Drew cut off.
“Oh, but you said—”
“I’m aromantic.” Drew teared up at the word. She’d had a sinking feeling she identified with the term months earlier, but this was the first time she’d ever admitted it out loud.
Piper brought the string of her hoodie to her mouth, chewing on the aglet almost haphazardly, like she didn’t even realize she was doing it. “Oh,” Piper said after a while.
Drew slumped onto her bed beside Piper. “I wanted Mother’s attention.” She glanced at Piper, but the other girl just continued chewing on the string, not saying a word. “I was afraid that since I can’t love someone the way she expects she’d toss me aside, so I broke peoples’ hearts for the drama of it. Maybe then she’d pay attention to little Drew instead of her OTPs.”
“Love comes in all shapes and sizes.” Piper mumbled.
“Then why’s romance the top of everyone’s list?” Drew questioned. “Why am I called a whore because I just want to sleep with people?”
“That’s society.”
“And society’s a reflection of the gods,” Drew counteracted. “Look, Piper, I’m done with this conversation. Can I please have my remote back?”
The remote was pulled out of Piper’s pocket and tossed on the bed. “That doesn’t change the fact you started dating people with the soul purpose of hurting them.”
Drew grabbed the remote. “I know.”
Piper stood up, the string falling out of her mouth as she did so. “We’ll talk more later, okay?”
“Okay.”
Drew waited until Piper was out of the cabin before pressing play again.