& here I thought this might've been love (Lexrin)

Torin was pale and broken. He had moved from his bed over to a small red bean bag chair that he'd managed to bring with him from home. He laid carelessly limp in it, his head thrown back and his arms and legs spread out. Torin stared at the ceiling and tried to think of what he'd done wrong. Had he done anything? No, for once, he hadn't. He was awkward, but she hadn't seemed to care. And that was the suspicious part.

A daughter of Aphrodite who could get anyone, going after an anti-social nerd like him. It was...impossible, it seemed. His hopes had shattered when she'd disappeared the next morning. It had been like a pg version of a one night stand, only one half was committed while the other half committed a hit-and-run.

He sighed and let the tears roll freely. He didn't whimper or dry-heave, though. He just, sat silently and thought. The anxiety was getting to him. His eyes looked even worse than when he had been exhausted the night before. They were bloodshot and puffy like his nose. He looked sickly pale, with no emotion in his eyes or face. He was just...existing. Barely. He wanted to curl up somewhere and never show his face anywhere again.

Was this what breaking up felt like? No, this was what getting your heart stomped on and ripped up felt like.

Someone was smacking the door from the outside. He groaned. If it was that kid from the Hypnos cabin sleepwalking again....

He slowly lifted himself off the chair, rubbing his eyes and dragging himself to the door. He opened it a crack without saying anything, and moved back to his bed, collapsing on it again. Everything hurt right now. His scratches, his head, his heart. Oh gods, how his heart ached. How come he could take the pain of others away, but not his own? Or was this the dulled pain? If it was, he didn't want to know how it felt full force.

This is how Torin destroyed himself. From the inside out. It was almost ridiculous how easy it was to frighten him. Monsters? They make him nervous. People? They make him fearful. People had away of getting into his mind and ripping it to shreds. He couldn't even protect his thoughts from them. He was so...worthless.

Torin heard a familiar voice. He groaned and buried his head in his pillow. He didn't want to see her face, it would only hurt him further.

Sweetie? Sweetie? He nearly choked. At her touch he retracted, closer to the wall. Torin was filled with emotion. The idea if her using that 'sweetie' crap she had used the night before on him made him feel dejected, and even a little angry. His face flushed red--not that she could see, it was still shoved in a pillow. His torso rose as he took a shaky breath. Why him? Why was it always him? He needed to know, desperately. He raised his head slightly, and turned it to look at her. His eyebrows and the corners of his lips twitched with anger, fear, sadness, and most importantly, regret. He managed to cough out the word, it was a whisper, barely loud enough to hear, but he has to ask. "Why?"

Torin looked up at the bag. His eyes only showed rejection. He was like a lost puppy in the rain right now that someone decided to kick in the face. What kind of jerk would do that?

She was innocent, and he wanted to believe that. He did. He just...Couldn't. Years of conditioning, every person is your enemy. Every person will stab you in the back. He was having trouble believing that someone honestly wanted to be with him. Nobody ever had before. He's always been a social pariah. When people did talk to him, it had always been some sort of prank. Give this note to the teacher, Torin. This girl likes you, Torin, go talk to her. Torin this, Torin that. He'd built a barricade to keep himself safe. And now just.... just to walk out from behind his wall of protection? Willingly? To be with this perfect, beautiful girl? No, it was impossible. He wanted to, but...

Torin shook his head. "I woke up, and you were gone... You... never cared, did you?" What are you getting for this? Who is paying you? What did I do? He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but didn't have the strength to do it. He was just... nothing. Right now he was nothing.

"Please," Torin started, his voice hoarse, "please stop. I don't... please don't hurt me anymore... okay? You've had your fun..." It was truly agonizing. She had seemed so innocent. Maybe she was... No, Torin. Don't let your guard down.

He rolled over, pinching his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. "You could've left a note...Told somebody, but... but you didn't. You just...left." He coughed up some mucus and wiped his running nose. He stared bleakly at the ceiling, until the corners of his lips pulled up into a forced smile. It was a smile of bitterness. "Everyone is the same."

SOMETIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE



Torin hadn't left his cabin for several days after he'd watched his ex-girlfriend run out. He was far too depressed. He didn't want to eat, couldn't sleep, he had a pounding headache that seemed to be Asclepius' way of punishing him from losing the beautiful girl. Or getting tricked by her, he wasn't entirely sure at this point. He wondered if his dad had this many problems in his love life. Probably, considering he was the only son of Asclepius that he knew of. His grandfather Apollo, on the other hand, well he was another story entirely.

He'd lost a few pounds from not eating, and short blonde stubble was beginning to grow from his lack of shaving. The only time he had moved from his bed was to go to the bathroom a few times a day, so his sheets probably smelled gross like him. His hair was a tangled, greasy mess, and there were horrendously dark shadows under his eyes. He sighed. Probably couldn't stay like this forever...Unfortunately.

He forced himself to get up, and decided that first he'd wash his sheets and pillow case. Then, while they were in the wash, he'd take a shower and maybe try to eat something if his stomach could handle it. Torin grabbed the sheets off the bed and they bunched together in his arms, then he opened the cabin door and squinted as the sun beamed down on him. He wanted to retreat into the darkness of Hera's cabin.

When his eyes refocused he started trudging forward to look for either a laundromat or a harpie, or someone who knew where he could get everything washed.

Torin had searched around, but no harpies were the be found. And when he asked campers, they all seemed to avoid him. Wonderful. That's just wonderful. He sighed and kicked at the dirt, stubbing his toes into the ground, and cussed under his breath. Then, he saw a rock fly overhead. He looked over and saw some girl a little ways off had just thrown it. The girl had curly hair and a style that made her look like she was going to hurt someone. And with the way she hurled that rock, she just might.

Torin approached her cautiously, calling out to her. "E-Excuse me! Miss? Do you know where I could get my clothes washed?" He kept walking forward until he could see her face clearly. And then he recognized her. Crap. It was the last person he wanted to see. Unfortunately, it was too late to back out. He sucked in a shaky breath and stepped closer. He looked like crap. She looked scary. Apparently it had been rough for the both of them. Torin was almost fearful. But he wouldn't let her play with his mind...not again. "...Hi." It's all he could manage, and even that was a slight mumble. His voice was weak. All of him was, actually. That was evident enough. He didn't smile when he looked at her. He just, really wanted to get out before the painful memories washed over him and he started bawling his eyes out again.

He tried to clear his throat, having some difficulty. His adam's apple bobbed. "Uhm..." Well, you look different. He wanted to say, but couldn't bring himself to. "The washing machines...?" Seriously, it was like a scavenger hunt finding these stupid things for him. A horrible, horrible scavenger hunt where he had to face his ex-girlfriend. If they were even together long enough for her to be called that.

"I...wait..." He whispered the words quietly, but it was too late. She was already storming off. He stared at the ground for a minute, thinking. He didn't want this to continue the way it was. He didn't want them to be mad...to hate each other. He didn't hate her. He didn't understand, but he didn't hate her. Torin didn't hate anyone.

He bit down on his lip until it bled, trying to keep himself rational. No, you know what? Screw rationality. He had to go with his heart for once. He'd done it before, when they were kissing, and it was wonderful. He was so proud of himself after that, and so happy and warm, and their relationship went somewhere. Using his head, the only place this relationship was going was downhill.

It was an impulsive decision that would either save him or get him killed. He really hoped it was the former, but if it was the latter and she didn't want him anymore, well, being dead didn't sound so bad either. He threw his sheets to the ground and the they gathered dirt. It didn't matter. He was smelly and gross, but that didn't matter either. Torin made a run for her, and from the back he hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist and whispering into her neck, "I don't want to do this anymore."

I felt a warm hug from behind me, and I turned to look. It was Torin. I smiled at the warm embrace. "A-are we good then?" I asked.

OOC: sorry, my posts are gonna be a little short. I'm not really having the same train of thought as yesterdday :P. Lol, she is gonna tell him to get a shower XD

"Yeah..." He spoke into her neck, remorseful about the entire situation. He didn't want to be apart from her. He liked holding her too much. He exhaled, "your hair is curly now?" Torin had thought she was beautiful before, but he liked her new look too. Was there a time when she wasn't beautiful? "I'm sorry I'm such a screwed-up mess..."

Torin nodded. A girl was doing his laundry, and in return he just had to wash up. That trade was more than fair. When she touched his hand he smiled softly at her touxh. Her fingers were so smooth and warm. "I'll be in mi--er, Hera's cabin cleaning up, mmk? Promise not to be long?" Talking to her was getting easier.

Ooc// I just realized Torin is 2 years older than Lexi lol.

Bic// Torin had taken a quick, cool shower and rubbed a towel through his curly hair, which fell carelessly across his forehead. He climbed into a pair of white cargo shorts but before he got to pick out a shirt, there was a knock at the door. He flit happily across the room to the door, opening it up with a grin. "Hey, Lex."

Torin blushed, cheeks growing red. He realized how awkward it must've been for her to walk in on him without a shirt on. He also felt self-conscious about the weight and muscle he'd lost. His stomach growled violently and he moved away, hoping she hadn't heard. He made his way back to the barren wardrobe and searched for a shirt, retrieving a red v-neck and throwing it on over his head. He snuck a nervous glance at Lexi. "Thanks for the sheets..." And putting up with my crap, when you could have someone so much greater.