Finding Pandora (a Percy Jackson Fan-Fic)

Chapter 11

“This is a pointless, can’t we just do something else!” Ryan yelled pulling at the ends of his hair.

I chuckled taking all of the poker chips from the middle of the table and began stacking them in front of me. “You’re only upset because you finally found something you’re not good at. And I, for one, am loving it.”

James smiled over the book he was reading on the far side of the plane (Kit sitting next to him, but too lost in her story – which she has read only to distract herself from the fact that she was in a plane -- to know what was going on with the rest of us). “Oh believe me, you’re not the only one enjoying it.”

Ryan let out a noise close to a growl and swiveled his head around so he could look at James. “No one even asked you, douche bag!”

Willow laughed from Ryan’s right side. “I see you’re going with the stereotypical insults today.”

Ryan gave her a death glare. “You’re hardly doing any better than me! And my insults are inventive and… and… uh… and insulting!”

Willow put a hand over her heart dramatically. “That cuts deep, man.” This caused James, Eryx, and I to burst into fits of laughter, while Ryan did anything but pout. “Besides I’m good at poker, the only reason I’m not winning is because I think Ari has way to much experience at this! I mean, she practically took half chips! Are you a gambler?”

“What else would I be?” I got out between chuckles.

“Can we get back to the game? I bet Ryan will be out within the next hand.” Eryx muttered looking Ryan in the eyes with a slight smirk on his face.

Willow faked shock. “Not you too!”

Right after the words left Willows mouth the plane shook violently for the eighth time within the hour. The plane wasn’t exactly up to standards, and with the storm we were flying through, it seemed a little nerve racking to be in.

James shuttered once it stopped swiveling and we (Willow, Eryx, Ryan, and I) began restacking our poker chips. “That one was a lot bigger than the others.”

Willow nodded looking out at the window with a frown on her face. She bounced back from the incident in Mexico City, but she still seemed shaken up in moments when it got too quiet and allowed her to swim through her thoughts.  “Should we really be flying through this storm?”

Eryx sighed and leaned back. “Arianna is here, what’s the worst that could happen when you’re flying with a child of Zeus?”

“You’re forgetting it was a week ago that I fell out of a twenty foot tree and broke myself.”

He rolled his eyes. “No, you jumped from a tree, Zeus probably didn’t save you because it was your own stupid fault. Well, Ryan’s too, but you should know better than to listen to him.”

I crossed my arms with narrowed eye brows. “Whatever! I’m just saying that I’m not a guarantee safety net. Maybe we should just land for a few hours…”

Kit finally looked away from the book she was reading to roll her eyes at me. “Yes Ari, why don’t we just land in the middle of the rain forest at ten at night. Great idea.”

James shrugged. “I mean we’re gonna have to go through the rain forest to get to Machu Picchu anyways, why not now?”

Ryan jumped at the chance to make James look dumb. “We need to get some supplies first, or do you wanna rely on the land for food and shelter?”

Willow shrugged. “I don’t see why not. People survived for thousands of years off this land, we –  the children of the gods -- can’t make it a few days?”