chapter eight; social skills
"THIS IS GREAT." Hazel's smile brightened the cabin.
Hazel never had the chance to bond with girls around her age. Not with all that happened in her past and her dying... But now an opportunity has been raised.
Everyone's been down in the dumps, so Hazel proposed the idea of the girls coming together to hang out while none had guard duty. Piper jumped at the chance and Jinx was forced to attend by Coach's insufferable taunts.
"Go make friends, cupcake. Be more human than a demigod." He had said, "it's embarrassing watching you try to make small talk." He told Jinx.
She argued that it was still daylight and the fun stuff happened at night, but Coach still shoved her away.
The three girls were in Hazel's cabin. The door was closed and each was uniquely sat on Hazel's bed.
Hazel sat upright, fiddling with the covers and thinking of a good conversation starter. Piper leaned on the cabin's wall, legs on top of Jinx's. She had her arms crossed and wondered how Jason was doing and if he would be okay. Jinx was lying down, underneath the blanket. She seemed like she could be fast asleep at any second, which Hazel and Piper did not doubt.
"It's like a sleepover," Hazel exclaimed. "What do you do at sleepovers?"
With dying and being a few years out of date, Hazel had no idea how to lead this supposed sleepover.
Piper sighed, she never really had friends for that. Having a rich dad never helped her out and neither did getting in trouble all of the time. Friends were something Piper didn't have until Leo and Jason, though she wasn't going to say that to them.
"I didn't have friends. Jinx said with her eyes closed. They both looked at her, shocked that she would so boldly state that when neither wanted to admit it aloud.
"That makes sense on why your social skills suck." Piper snickered.
"Yeah, yours do too. I don't know why you're talking." Jinx didn't have to open her eyes to tell that she was staring. "I didn't care about having friends. I wasn't in any groups 'cause I barely attended school."
"Then how did you pass?" Hazel pulled out a paper and pen to play hangman with Piper as Jinx opened up.
Although it wasn't going exactly according to plan, Hazel was set on learning as much as she could about Jinx. After Nico, Jinx was the hardest to learn about. She was not one to be called an open book like Leo was.
"I don't know. Teachers love me? Good grades."
Piper guessed a letter, twirling a piece of hair when Hazel drew a head. "My dad's assistant sent me to a delinquent's boarding school. I met Leo there."
Jinx opened her eyes, "really?"
"Yeah, he was sent there after he ran away from his foster family and an officer caught him." Piper eyed Jinx, "we became friends quickly."
"You know, Jinx, I've noticed your interest in him." Hazel drew a mouth.
"'Dunno what you're talking about."
Jinx didn't want to have this sort of conversation with them. Not because she didn't trust them, because she was learning to, but because it would be awkward. Coach and Piper have already said that she sucks at socializing, there was just no way she would be roped into this type of topic.
They were two average teen girls who wanted to know the latest gossip. But they were rudely reminded that they weren't average and that nothing about their situation was normal. They didn't have the luxury of having sleepovers and playing hangman while they discuss crushes and boyfriends.
The door swung open and all girls were on their feet. "Jason's falling!" With that said Leo ran updeck.
Piper heard her boyfriend's name and was out the door. Hazel and Jinx shared a look and dashed after them.
Was Hazel disappointed that the night didn't go her way? Yes, but she understood the gravity of their situation.
The good thing was that Jason survived.
Only Piper's quick thinking and charmspeak had saved his life. She'd yelled WAKE UP! with so much force that even Jinx's half-lidded eyes snapped open. With a millisecond to spare, he'd summoned the winds and avoided becoming a floating patch of demigod grease on the surface of the Adriatic.
Back on board, he had pulled Leo aside and suggested a course correction. Fortunately, Leo trusted him enough not to ask why.
"Weird vacation spot." Leo grinned. "But, hey, you're the boss!"
Now they all sat in the mess hall, eating lunch in silence while Jason reported a vision he had when he was out of it.
Jinx munched on a strawberry, eating the leaves too, and actively ignoring Frank's horrified face. "It's good for you." She whispered.
The ship creaked as it sailed through the Adriatic, its remaining oars still out of alignment from the giant turtle attack. Every once in a while, Festus the figurehead creaked and squeaked through the speakers, reporting the autopilot status in that weird machine language that only Leo could understand. Jinx wished she could understand it too, but it seemed like she didn't make the cut.
"A note from Annabeth." Piper shook her head in amazement. "I don't see how that's possible, but if it is—"
"She's alive," Leo said. "Thank the gods and pass the hot sauce."
Jinx felt the weight lift off of her shoulders. If Annabeth was alive then Percy had to be too. They were both alive and that brought a smile to her lips.
Frank frowned. "What does that mean?"
Leo wiped the chip crumbs off his face. "It means pass the hot sauce, Zhang. I'm still hungry."
Frank slid over a jar of salsa. "I can't believe Reyna would try to find us. It's taboo, coming to the ancient lands. She'll be stripped of her praetorship."
"If she lives," Hazel said. "It was hard enough for us to make it this far with eight demigods and a warship."
"And me." Coach Hedge belched. "Don't forget, cupcake, you got the satyr advantage."
"I wish I was forgotten." Jinx breathed out. Coming to terms that she considered them friends was hard enough, but being a part of the team and having expectations pushed upon her was a different level of difficulty.
Leo smiled at her, "I don't think I could forget you."
Jinx's eyes widened and she turned away. It seemed like she was in her crush era. She noticed that she was becoming easily flustered more than usual. It was all because of him.
"Jason?" Leo asked, he gave up on asking Jinx what was wrong. "Argo II to Jason. Come in."
"Yeah, sorry." He touched the groove that Sciron the bandit had cut in his hair. "Crossing the Atlantic is a hard journey, no doubt. But I'd never bet against Reyna. If anyone can make it, she will."
"Well, I'd love to see Reyna again," Piper said. "But how is she supposed to find us?"
Frank raised his hand. "Can't you just send her an Iris-message?"
"They're not working very well," Coach Hedge put in. "Horrible reception. Every night, I swear, I could kick that rainbow goddess...."
He faltered. His face turned bright red.
"Coach?" Leo grinned and Jinx leaned in curiously. "Who have you been calling every night, you old goat?"
"No one!" Hedge snapped.
"Is this the reason you've kicked me out of your cabin?" Jinx pressured, "you kicked me out to flirt with someone?"
Hedge spluttered out a lot of nonsense and gave her a pointed look, "Nothing! I just meant—"
"He means we've already tried," Hazel intervened, and the coach gave her a grateful look. "Some magic is interfering...maybe Gaea. Contacting the Romans is even harder. I think they're shielding themselves."
Jinx glanced between them, deciding that Hazel knew something she didn't. She didn't have the guts to admit it, but she felt jealous. She thought that Hedge's relationship with her went beyond a person that was sent along to look over them. Jinx guessed that he might still be hesitant around her and tried to keep her at arms-length. She didn't blame him,
Frank drummed his fingers on the table. "I don't suppose Reyna has a cell phone...? Nah. Never mind. She'd probably have bad reception on a pegasus flying over the Atlantic."
"She'll find us," Jason said. This time he sounded sure of himself. "She mentioned something in the dream—she's expecting me to go to a certain place on our way to the House of Hades. I—I'd forgotten about it, actually, but she's right. It's a place I need to visit."
Piper leaned toward him, her caramel braid falling over her shoulder. "And where is this place?" she asked.
Jinx was surprised that she was taking this as calmly as she seemed. She didn't look like the type to be chill when an ex-girlfriend was mentioned, but then again who was?
"A...uh, a town called Split."
"Split."
"Um, yeah." Jason stared dreamily at Piper. "In fact, we should be getting close. Leo?"
Leo punched the intercom button. "How's it going up there, buddy?"
Festus the figurehead creaked and steamed.
"He says maybe ten minutes to the harbor," Leo reported. "Though I still don't get why you want to go to Croatia, especially a town called Split. I mean, you name your city Split, you gotta figure it's a warning to, you know, split. Kind of like naming your city Get Out!"
Jinx stared at him in awe until he locked eyes with her.
"What?"
"Just- how? How do you do that? It doesn't make sense." Jinx's brain was a puddle and Leo was dancing all over it.
He grinned and placed a finger over his mouth. "A magician never reveals his secrets."
"Wait," Hazel said, interrupting their conversation. "Why are we going to Croatia?"
Leo pushed his chips and hot sauce aside. "Well, technically we've been in Croatian territory for the past day or so. All that coastline we've been sailing past is it, but I guess back in the Roman times it was called...what'd you say, Jason? Bodacious?"
"Dalmatia," Nico said, making Jason jump.
"Fuck. Man, what the hell. Do you walk on air?" Jinx blurted out while Jason muttered curses tied to the gods.
He stepped forward, his dark eyes fixed on Jason. Since they'd rescued him from the bronze jar in Rome, Nico had slept very little and eaten even less, as if he were still subsisting on those emergency pomegranate seeds from the Underworld. Hazel and Jinx were very worried for him, but the others were on edge around him
Frank drummed his fingers on the table. "I don't suppose Reyna has a cell phone...? Nah. Never mind. She'd probably have bad reception on a pegasus flying over the Atlantic."
"She'll find us," Jason said. This time he sounded surer of himself. "She mentioned something in the dream—she's expecting me to go to a certain place on our way to the House of Hades. I—I'd forgotten about it, actually, but she's right. It's a place I need to visit."
Piper leaned toward him, her caramel braid falling over her shoulder. "And where is this place?" she asked.
Jinx was surprised that she was taking this as calmly as she seemed. She didn't look like the type to be chill when an ex-girlfriend was mentioned, but then again who was?
"A...uh, a town called Split."
"Split."
"Um, yeah." Jason stared dreamily at Piper. "In fact, we should be getting close. Leo?"
Leo punched the intercom button. "How's it going up there, buddy?"
Festus the figurehead creaked and steamed.
"He says maybe ten minutes to the harbor," Leo reported. "Though I still don't get why you want to go to Croatia, especially a town called Split. I mean, you name your city Split, you gotta figure it's a warning to, you know, split. Kind of like naming your city Get Out!"
Jinx stared at him in awe until he locked eyes with her.
"What?"
"Just- how? How do you do that? It doesn't make sense." Jinx's brain was a puddle and Leo was dancing all over it.
He grinned and placed a finger over his mouth. "A magician never reveals his secrets."
"Wait," Hazel said, interrupting their conversation. "Why are we going to Croatia?"
Leo pushed his chips and hot sauce aside. "Well, technically we've been in Croatian territory for the past day or so. All that coastline we've been sailing past is it, but I guess back in the Roman times it was called...what'd you say, Jason? Bodacious?"
"Croatia used to be Dalmatia," Nico said. "A major Roman province. You want to visit Diocletian's Palace, don't you?"
Coach Hedge managed another heroic belch. "Whose palace? And is Dalmatia where those Dalmatian dogs come from? That 101 Dalmatians movie—I still have nightmares."
Frank scratched his head. "Why would you have nightmares about that?"
"The movie with the firefighter dogs?" Jinx frowned, "is it because of Cruella?"
Coach Hedge looked like he was about to launch into a major speech about the evils of cartoon Dalmatians, but Jason cut him off.
"Nico is right," he said. "I need to go to Diocletian's Palace. It's where Reyna will go first because she knows I would go there."
Piper raised an eyebrow. "And why would Reyna think that? Because you've always had a mad fascination with Croatian culture?"
"Reyna and I used to talk about Diocletian," he said. "We both kind of idolized the guy as a leader. We talked about how we'd like to visit Diocletian's Palace. Of course, we knew that was impossible. No one could travel to the ancient lands. But still, we made this pact that if we ever did, that's where we'd go."
"Diocletian..." Leo considered the name, then shook his head. "I got nothing. Why was he so important?"
Frank looked offended. "He was the last great pagan emperor!"
Leo rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised you know that, Zhang?"
"Why wouldn't I? He was the last one who worshipped the Olympian gods before Constantine came along and adopted Christianity."
Hazel nodded. "I remember something about that. The nuns at St. Agnes taught us that Diocletian was a huge villain, right along with Nero and Caligula."
"What? I went to a catholic school and I never learned any of this."
"Maybe because you didn't go to class?"
"I thought you were homeschooled."
Piper and Leo looked at each other, nodded, and moved on without Jinx saying anything.
Hazel looked askance at Jason. "Why would you idolize him?"
"He wasn't a total villain," Jason said. "Yeah, he persecuted Christians, but otherwise he was a good ruler. He worked his way up from nothing by joining the legion. His parents were former slaves...or at least his mom was. Demigods know he was a son of Jupiter—the last demigod to rule Rome. He was also the first emperor ever to retire, like, peacefully, and give up his power. He was from Dalmatia, so he moved back there and built a retirement palace. The town of Split grew up around..."
He faltered when he looked at Leo, who was mimicking taking notes with an air pencil.
"Go on, Professor Grace!" he said, wide-eyed. "I wanna get an A on the test."
"Shut up, Leo."
Jinx snickered, "I hope it's open-book."
Jason glared at her.
Piper sipped another spoonful of soup. "So why is Diocletian's Palace so special?"
Nico leaned over and plucked a grape. Jinx pushed the whole bowl towards him, he needed it. "It's said to be haunted by the ghost of Diocletian."
"Who was a son of Jupiter, like me," Jason said. "His tomb was destroyed centuries ago, but Reyna and I used to wonder if we could find Diocletian's ghost and ask where he was buried...well, according to the legends, his scepter was buried with him."
Nico gave him a thin, creepy smile. "Ah...that legend."
"What legend?" Hazel asked.
Nico turned to his sister. "Supposedly Diocletian's scepter could summon the ghosts of the Roman legions, any of them who worshipped the old gods."
Leo whistled. "Okay, now I'm interested. Be nice to have a booty-kicking army of pagan zombies on our side when we enter the House of Hades."
"Not sure I would've put it that way," Jason muttered, "but yeah."
"So you want to get the scepter?"
Jason nodded. "If I can summon them, I can control them to fight for our side. It'd help even out the odds."
Jinx doubted that.
"But they're ghosts?"
They shot her a weird look and Jinx was reminded that she hadn't mentioned her hatred for ghosts.
"It's nothing." She shook her head. They probably won't get it.
"We don't have much time," Frank warned. "It's already July ninth. We have to get to Epirus, close the Doors of Death—"
"Which are guarded," Hazel murmured, "by a smoky giant and a sorceress who wants..." She hesitated. "Well, I'm not sure. But according to Pluto, she plans to 'rebuild her domain.' Whatever that means, it's bad enough that my dad felt like warning me personally."
Frank grunted. "And if we survive all that, we still have to find out where the giants are waking Gaea and get there before the first of August. Besides, the longer Percy and Annabeth are in Tartarus—"
"I know," Jason said. "We won't take long in Split. But looking for the scepter is worth a try. While we're at the palace, I can leave a message for Reyna, letting her know the route we're taking for Epirus."
Nico nodded. "The scepter of Diocletian could make a huge difference. You'll need my help."
Piper squeezed his hand. "Hey, sounds fun. I'll go, too."
But Nico shook his head. "You can't, Piper. It should only be Jason and me. Diocletian's ghost might appear for a son of Jupiter, but any other demigods would most likely...ah, spook him. And I'm the only one who can talk to his spirit. Even Hazel won't be able to do that."
Nico's eyes held a gleam of challenge. He seemed curious as to whether or not Jason would protest. And Jinx was eating this up. Her eyes went back and forth, she wanted an argument to break out-
Wait what? No, she didn't want that. What am I thinking...
Her thoughts were scrambled but she was sure this one had to be the influence of something else. Maybe a particular someone keen on killing her and her friends.
The ship's bell sounded. Festus creaked and whirred over the loudspeaker.
"We've arrived," Leo announced. "Time to Split."
Frank groaned. "Can we leave Valdez in Croatia?"
Jason stood. "Frank, you're in charge of defending the ship. Leo, you've got repairs to do. The rest of you, help out wherever you can. Nico and I..." He faced the son of Hades. "We have a ghost to find."
"Good luck, you two!" Jinx waved. "Have fun, but not too much." She peeled an orange and waited until the two left. "I'm not really expected to do anything... Right?"
***
coming in clutch with a double update and an extra long chp
- edited this chp had a duplicated paragraph so hopefully that's fixed because i fr confused myself fixing this but it looks fine to me now, lmk if there's anything wrong 💪🏻