150 Degrees (Leo Valdez X Reader)

Why Do People Keep Staring At Me?

"The plan is working, master," he whispers. "They both are going to be gone. All we need now are the three."

"How do you plan on getting them?" a dark voice asks.

"There is a girl," he responds. "I know one of them will come for her."

"Do whatever you need to bring me back," the dark voice demands.

*Y/N's POV*

I'm jolted awake with a pounding headache. That nightmare was really tough. That voice too. It seems familiar.

"Mornin', sleepy head," someone to my left says. I turn and realize that it's just Percy. He is focused on the road. It was nice to see that there was a friendly smile on his face. "I bought you some coffee from Starbucks. I didn't know what you like though so I just got you like some vanilla thing. Sweetener is right here."

I grab the hot cup and take a sip, happy with the comforting warmth that it provides. I finally decide to take a look at where we are. We're on what looked like to be a main street of a small town. I didn't recognize this place.

"Where are we headed?" I asked, taking another sip of my coffee.

"Well, Rachel's school is in New Hamsphire. The drive is like maybe four hours? But, Mister Grover, who I contacted while you were asleep, is in New Haven," Percy says while taking a sip of what looks to be a blue Frappuccino. I know this dude likes blue a lot, but did he really ask the Starbucks employees to add blue dye to his vanilla frap?? "Which going to take like another two hours. So plan is, we'll drive to New Haven, we'll get Grover, then we'll get Rachel, and we come back. Boom."

"Not a bad plan. However, isn't there a reason why Grover is in New Haven?" I asked. "Doesn't he go and like save demi-gods or something?"

"Ehm, I told him to put that mission on hold," Percy replied. "Right now he's just watching the kids. One nine year old little girl and her little brother, who's like, I don't know, four? Five? They're not old enough for anything really bad to happen. He's just there to chat with the mother, cause the girl is getting to about the same age I was at when monsters started attacking me. Trying to tell her about what to do, what not to do."

"Oh, sweet. Where's Nico, Leo, and Jordan?" I questioned. My lips tingled just saying Leo's name, remembering our sweet exchange before separating.

"There is a gateway to the Underworld at Central Park, so they're headed there," Percy responded.

*Nico's POV*

"Oh my god, I think I just threw up in my mouth," Leo says out loud.

"Jesus, Leo, that's gross," Jordan answered. "Swallow it back or something."

"That's even grosser," I replied.

After shadow-traveling a dog, two campers, and three suitcases, I'm exhausted. We were about an hour away from Central Park. Ms. O'Leary was hiding in a closed-off alleyway beside a bar and some Italian restaurant. I could've gone farther and perhaps close to Central Park, but I'm so sure I would pass out before I could even help them get through the gate.

Even now, I'm dozing off. I was having slight difficulty keeping my head up. I leaned it back, and Jordan held me up. I was nearly slipping off of Ms. O'Leary's back.

"Woah, okay. Let's get you down," Jordan says, slightly concerned.

He helps me get down while Leo runs to a nearby trash can and vomits. Not what I needed to hear or look at at the moment.

"I'm fine, I just need to relax for a bit," I told Jordan.

He looks around, trying to find a place for me to sit. "It's filthy here. Why don't we go find a spot in that restaurant next to us?"

I nod my head. He pulls me over to Leo and tells him the idea. As he's talking, I realize that this whole time, I've been leaning on him. His arm is wrapped with mine. He's warm and he smells like... smores.

"Okay, let's start going," he announces.

He helps me walk over to the restaurant with Leo trailing behind us. Once we walk inside, there is a little sitting area where you wait to get your seats. I plant myself there while Jordan asks a waiter for a table. Leo sits next to me, reeking of vomit.

"Bro, you stink," I mutter.

Leo looks at me with an offended expression. "Well, you look like shit."

I mock his expression. "How hurtful."

*Jordan's POV*

We were finally seated at a table. Leo was in the bathroom, trying to get himself cleaned up. Nico was sitting next to me with his head on the table. He wasn't facing me, so I just a perfect few of his messy, raven hair. It looked so nice.

Ever since I was little, it was a bad habit of mine to just touch people's hair. If it looked nice, I would just touch it. I've gotten better at finally asking people before I do, but impulsivity took over me this time.

I reached forward and played with Nico's hair. Good idea? Yeah, maybe for like ten seconds. But next thing you know, he's staring at me intensely while holding my wrist.

"Hey, what the hell," I spoke, pulling my wrist away. "You didn't have to grab me that hard."

"Why are you touching my hair?" Nico asked, obviously annoyed.

"I just like touching hair. Yours looked nice, okay?" I replied. "Sorry."

Nico looks at me for a second with an emotion that I can't point out. He's looking at me so intently, I feel like my heart beating faster with every second he stares.

"What?" I finally ask.

Nico opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by Leo.

"HAHA NICO, NOW I DON'T STINK," Leo exclaims. "I DON'T STINK, BUT YOU STILL LOOK LIKE SHIT."

Nico throws up the finger while Leo sticks his tongue out to him. A waitress comes, and while the boys order, I think about what Nico was about to say.

I also notice a weird-looking snake outside through the window. It was almost like the snake was watching me.