𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 •| ⊱ Jason Grace¹

•| ⊱ TWO

Piper charged her, but before a fight could start, Coach Hedge barked, "Enough back there! Set a good example or I'll break out my baseball bat!"

The group shuffled on to the next exhibit, but the girls kept calling out little comments to Piper. Hermia looked like she wanted to say something to Piper, but Jared just pulled her along as they followed everyone else.

"Good to be back on the rez?" one asked in a sweet voice.

"Dad's probably too drunk to work," another said with fake sympathy. "That's why she turned klepto." Piper ignored them, but Jason was ready to punch them himself. He might not remember Piper, or even who he was, but he knew he hated mean kids.

Leo caught his arm. "Be cool. Piper doesn't like us fighting her battles. Besides, if those girls found out the truth about her dad, they'd be all bowing down to her and screaming, 'We're not worthy!'"

"Why? What about her dad?"

Leo laughed in disbelief. "You're not kidding? You really don't remember that your best friend's dad-"

"Look, I wish I did, but I don't even remember her, much less her dad."

Leo whistled. "Whatever, but you seem to remember Mia just fine."

Jason paused as his gaze moved toward Hermia. She happened to be talking to Jared and at that moment he noticed she was laughing. Why was she laughing? That guy can't be that funny, right?

Leo turned his head to follow his friend's gaze. A small smirk made it's way on to his face when he noticed what his best friend was staring at. "Watch it, Jason your jealously is showing."

"I'm not jealous!" The blonde said as he snapped his head to look at Leo.

Leo chuckled to himself as he placed his arm around Jason shoulders. "Keep telling yourself that, buddy. Also we have to talk when we get back to the dorm."

When they reached the group at the far end of the exhibit hall, they came across some big glass doors which led out to a terrace. Hermia happened to be looking around when her gaze found his. He smiled slightly at her and she retuned the smile before turning her head again.

"All right, cupcakes," Coach Hedge announced. "You are about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it. The skywalk can hold the weight of seventy jumbo jets, so you featherweights should be safe out there. If possible, try to avoid pushing each other over the edge, as that would cause me extra paperwork."

The coach opened the doors, and they all stepped outside. The Grand Canyon spread before them, live and in person. Extending over the edge was a horseshoe-shaped walkway made of glass, so you could see right through it.

"Man," Leo said. "That's pretty wicked."

Jason had to agree. Despite his amnesia and his feeling that he didn't belong there, he couldn't help being impressed. Again his gaze moved to Hermia. She was standing on he's right side very close to the edge. She was even dangling her fingers over the railing. The movement she was making made Jason think she was playing with the wind, but that wasn't possible. Right?

The canyon was bigger and wider than you could appreciate from a picture. They were up so high that birds circled below their feet. Five hundred feet down, a river snaked along the canyon floor. Banks of storm clouds had moved overhead while they'd been inside, casting shadows like angry faces across the cliffs. As far as Jason could see in any direction, red and gray ravines cut through the desert like some crazy god had taken a knife to it.

Jason got a piercing pain behind his eyes. Crazy gods ... Where had he come up with that idea? He felt like he'd gotten close to something important-something he should know about. He also got the unmistakable feeling he was in danger.