becoming ● reyna ramirez arellano

nine: the suspicious

"Right," Will stood, looking a bit like he wanted to smack his patient. "What the hell was that?"

"He's got a head injury," Maia offered. Though, she wasn't sure if she was really concerned about Jason's well-being or if she just didn't want to hear anything about their relationship ever. Either way, Jason took it as a win, giving her a dopey grin to cover up everything else.

"Thanks, Mais." He pronounced it like the month. If this had happened a few days ago, Maia might've thought that her mother would end up getting what she wanted. Not for a while, but still, eventually. Now, she wasn't so sure.

Of course, she wasn't the only one who noticed. She could see Nico roll his eyes, and normally she wouldn't think anything of it, but she still didn't know what she did.

"Whatever," Will mumbled, obviously still in his mood. Maia didn't know where the stereotype of children of Apollo being 'happy go lucky' came from, but in her experience, they were more 'everything is miserable except for me'. "Did Bacchus say anything?"

"Some warning," Leo said flippantly, still peering at Jason with one eyebrow creased. "All ominous and shit. Don't remember much of it, actually, but I say we just continue to Greece."

"Yeah, that sounds great, genius," Nico drawled sarcastically. "Why don't we stop at McDonalds while we're at it?"

"Gods, do you always have to be so rude?" Will stood, towering over Nico. He stumbled backwards, eyes widening slightly, but not enough to ruin his cool-guy image. Honestly, Maia wanted to just shut herself in a room with Leo and not be here. But of course, she would never say that.

And there was also the fact that the one power she had was calming people down. She placed a hand on his arm, "Will," and shot Nico a look that hopefully said sorry for him.

Nico ignored her.

    Even the nicest people had a hard time dealing with idiots. "Come on, Leo. We're taking watch while the rest of them go below deck."

    "But I just came back from a quest," he protested.

    "But," she said, whisking him away. "I have the power to make you feel like you're floating. Don't you want to feel like you're floating?"

    "Betttt!"

    Maia didn't know what that meant, but she laughed and grabbed his arm anyway, trying to ignore the pit of jealousy in her stomach.

"Will?" Maia knocked on his door. He hadn't shown up to dinner, and though the boy could sulk like there was no tomorrow, she was getting worried. "I brought pasta."

"Are you alone?" He called back, which wasn't really the reply she was expecting, but she took it in stride.

She checked the corridors just in case. "Um, yes?"

The door opened to her blond, disheveled best friend looking mournfully at the plate of food in her hands and grabbed it like he'd never eaten in his life. "Thanks. Bye."

Maia stuck her foot in the space before he could shut it. "Hello? We're best friends, Will. We don't 'thanks, bye'." She crossed her arms. "I mean, what the hell-?"

"Alright, Drama Queen," Will interrupted, rolling his eyes passive-aggressively before letting her in. "But no magicky stuff."

Will's room could only be described as bright. The blinds on the window were open, and even though it was near dusk, sunlight streamed through. There were lamps and lit candles scattered throughout, which was definitely a fire hazard.

"Listen," Maia started uncertainly. "Are you, I, are you okay?"

"I am perfectly fine," Will announced, almost as unconvincingly as Jason had earlier in the day. "But I do need to talk to you." He pulled up his rolling desk chair. "Sit."

Like everybody ever, Maia didn't like the sound of that. But obediently, she sat, twisting her hands together. If another person was mad at her for no apparent reason, she didn't think she'd be able to take it. She waited, trying not to breathe. She tried to stop it, but her eyes kept flickering to the door. An escape strategy.

    Contrarily, Will took in a deep breath before he spoke. "Maia...I'd hate to lead you on."

    Maia's jaw dropped. "That's fine," she said, trying not to burst out laughing at the mixture of hilarious insanity that was coursing through her. "Because you're not."

    Will furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Maia didn't know whether or not to be offended. "Well, actually," he started. "There's something else-"

    The ship boomed, causing Maia to flinch at the sudden noise. "What was that?" She demanded, scrambling to her feet.

    Will looked out the window, tomato sauce all over his blue shirt. When he turned, his face was grim. "Romans."

Somehow, this was angsty and funny at the same time. So much drama so little resolution. Leave your thoughts!

-M