Changing the Future

Chapter 41

Nectar, ambrosia, and water could only do so much against the venom, and according to Apollo, the pain wouldn't disappear for another four or five days.

However, the two boys were completely oblivious of my injury, forcing to sit at one of the many picnic tables in the commons area. Luke sat opposite me while Will sat to my immediate right, very content with resting his head on my shoulder.

"Welcome back," Luke deadpanned, his lips pressed in a firm line as his eyes scanned me up and down. "How long were you gone this time? Five, six days? A week?"

"Four days," I replied, subconsciously rubbing at the bandages under my jeans as I felt Will already starting to medically examine me.

"Where'd you go?"

"Brazil."

"Why?"

I smiled wryly. "You know I can't answer that, Luke."

"Come on, Andy," Will drawled, poking my arm repeatedly. "We won't say anything!"

"Already swore on the River Styx not to say."

"Dammit," Luke muttered before dropping his seriousness, a genuine smile coming to his face. "Well, it was worth a shot. Glad to see that you're still in one piece."

"Ditto that," I replied, forcing myself to move my hands onto the table before Will could notice the injury on my leg.

"So now that that's over and done with," Will began, "do you have a date for the Fourth of July?"

I groaned and put my head in my hands. I swear, these two were just as, if not more, annoying than Pete and Joe in terms of getting involved in my love life. Why was everyone so desperate to see me dating someone? I don't need or want a boyfriend at the moment, and it's not like I'd have time to pay him any attention with my tightly packed schedule. Hades, I barely had time to pay attention to myself, accidentally forgoing food and sleep multiple times because I was so focused on my mission.

And to make matters worse, the firework show on the Fourth of July was basically the equivalence of a school's prom or homecoming in terms of how important having a date was. Plus, campers would go out of their way to ask their significant other or crush to the fireworks.

Last year Travis Stoll asked Katie Gardener by setting the Demeter cabin on fire, emblazing a large four with a question mark onto the grass roof. This year, Beckendorf asked Silena after nearly dying from the Myrmekes, and Clarisse had asked Chris by sticking a post-it note onto his armor after having him pinned underneath her during a spar. Annabeth had also asked Percy to the fireworks the same day that Beckendorf asked Silena, which had left Percy firetruck red, according to the son of Hephaestus.

"No, Will," I answered, lowering my hands. "I do not have, nor do I want, a date for the fireworks show in three days."

Oh, if it was July first, then it was Jason Grace's birthday. Happy fourteenth, I guess. I'd have to stop by when I have the chance.

"I'm calling BS on that," Luke said. "You've been here for..." – he began counting the clay beads around my neck – "eight years and never had a date to the fireworks? Don't you want to know what the big deal's all about?"

"Nah, I'm good."

"Seriously, you should just join the Hunters at this rate," Will joked.

However, it didn't take long before that good-nature joking was quickly replaced with guilt as Luke visibly winced, his eyes fixated on a point on the ground. Right, Thalia had used to be his date to the Fourth of July show, but that ended last year when she joined the Hunters of Artemis.