created →jason grace

four

{Jason}

AS SOON AS DREW started talking Jason wanted her to stop. He really didn't want to hear about how great she was and how to match handbags to certain clothes. His head was instead preoccupied with Lina. He had tried to ignore the way her hands on his arm made him nervous. He had also squashed the need to blush when she was peering curiously at him.

He was so distracted that he hadn't even seen them come up to the house. However as soon as he did, he knew he shouldn't be there at all. Every molecule in his body told him he was on enemy ground, he just didn't know why.

"Here we are!" Drew said cheerfully. "The Big House, camp headquarters."

"I am not supposed to be here," he said eyeing the house.

Drew looped her arm through his. "Oh please. You're perfect here, sweetie. Believe me, I've seen a lot of heroes."

Jason slipped his arm from hers. "Look you seem nice and all but—"

"Is it that girl?" Drew pouted. "Oh please don't tell me you're dating the Dumpster Queen. Or is it Little Miss Sunshine?"

Jason had to try hard not to turn red at the mention of the daughter of Apollo. He didn't know how to answer. He had never seen Piper or Lina before today and he felt guilty especially towards Piper. She believed she was his girlfriend however he couldn't seem to get Lina out of his head.

Before he could answer he heard footsteps on the front porch. No—not footsteps, hooves.

Drew gave him a look, as if saying that this conversation wasn't over. She then called out, "Chiron. This is Jason. He's totally awesome!"

Jason backed up so fast he almost tripped. Chiron started to smile at Jason. Then the color drained from his face.

"You..." The centaur's eyes flared like a cornered animal's. "You should be dead."

Chiron ordered Jason—well invited, but it sounded like an order—to come inside the house. He told Drew to go back to her cabin, which Drew didn't look too happy about. Jason was having a party inside.

Jason tried to concentrate on everything he saw inside the house. It was a lot but what caught his attention the most the stuffed leopard's head above the fireplace. Then it snarled, and Jason nearly leaped out of his skin.

"Now, Seymour," Chiron chided. "Jason is a friend. Behave yourself.

"That thing is alive." Jason said.

"You must excuse the décor." Chiron said. "All of this was a parting gift from our old director before he was recalled back to Mount Olympus. He thought it would help us to remember him. Mr. D has a strange sense of humor."

"Mr. D," Jason said. "Dionysus?"

"Mmm hmm." Chiron poured lemonade, though his hands were trembling a little.

"So Jason," he said, "would you mind telling me—ah—where you are from?"

"I wish I knew." Jason told him the whole story. From waking up on the bus to crash landing at Camp Half-Blood. He didn't see the point in lying.

When Jason was done, the old man sipped his lemonade.

"I see," Chiron said. "And you must have questions for me."

"Only one," Jason admitted. "What did you mean when you said I should be dead?"

Chiron studied him with concern, as if he expected Jason to burst into flames. "My boy, do you know what those marks on your arm mean? The color of your shirt? Do you remember anything?"