★ 𝟐 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒅 ★ p. jackson

017

Esmeralda had a very short list of people she wanted to slap.

3. Percy
2. Percy Jackson
1. Tantalus.

The way the old baboon saw it was that the birds were peacefully minding their business in the forest, and wouldn't not have attacked the camp if it weren't for the trio + Tyson. He claimed they caused a disturbance for their bad chariot driving and all the noise they had made.

A few people tried to defend them, but it wasn't worth the fight. The four were put on kitchen duty, a very annoying task since the harpies cleaned with lava instead of water. They claimed in cleaned better and got rid of ninety nine point nine nine percent of germs. Because of this they were forced to wear gloves and other equipment to keep from burning alive. Tyson on the other hand got right to it and dove his bare hands in the lava, scrubbing dishes like it was his life's purpose. It was especially annoying tonight because Tantalus saw a five course meal see fit for Clarisse's victory. The main dish featured barbecued stymphalian bird. Gross.

The only perk of this punishment was that it gave them a chance to talk. Not that Esmeralda wanted to talk to Percy but that they needed to talk about the dream he claims to have had where Grover was in danger.

"So you mean to tell me, the one thing that could possibly save the camp, Grover found?" Annabeth said as she scrubbed her plate.

"And Grover's in danger?" Em added, not forgetting about their friend. She dumped a pile of bird bones into the sink and started scrubbing away the remains.

"Yes Grover may be in trouble but back to what Annabeth said real quick." Percy looked confused, "what's this thing you guys keep saying can save the camp?"

"I'll give you a hint." Annabeth said. "What do you get when you skin a ram?"

Percy thought for a second, "a mess?"

Em rolled her eyes, "idiot," she grumbled under her breath.

Percy wanted to argue but decided to keep his cool, "what?"

"A fleece," the blonde corrected, "and if the ram has golden fur then it would be-"

"The Golden Fleece." Percy concluded, "You're joking right?"

Em put her dish down in the sink. "Yes Percy, we're joking, this whole conversation is a joke. In fact, everything is a joke. The camps not even in danger, we were joking."

"What's your problem?" Percy questioned, "ever since I got back you've been acting like nothing but a two faced bitch." He walked over to her, as if he wanted to challenge her.

"I don't have a problem Percy, nothings wrong." She turned to look him in the eyes and offered a fake grin. "Maybe I am just a two faced bitch."

"Enough!" Annabeth pushed Percy away from Esmeralda and stood between the two. "This needs to stop. I don't care what's going on between the two of you, well actually I know whats going on between you two. And frankly I'm not on either side. So I don't care if you want to argue, but do it after we save the camp!"

Both Percy and Esmeralda looked down to avoid Annabeth's disappointed gaze.

"Now, where were we?"

"The fleece," Percy reminded her.

"Right, well the real story of the fleece goes like this: there were these two children of Zeus, Cadmus and Europa, okay? They were about to get offered up as human sacrifices, when they prayed to Zeus to save them. So Zeus sent this magical flying ram with golden wool, which picked them up in Greece and carried them all the way to Asia Minor. Well, actually it carried Cadmus. Europa fell off and died along the way, but that's not important."