(Jason POV)
Even before he was electrocuted Jason was having a rotten day. He woke up in the backseat of a school bus, not sure where he was, holding hands with a girl he didn't know. That wasn't necessarily the rotten part. The girl was cute, but he couldn't figure out what he was doing there. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to think.
A few dozen kids were sprawled in the seats in front of him, listening to ipods, talking, or sleeping. They all looked around his age ... fifteen? Sixteen? Okay, that was scary, he didn't even know his own age. The girl squeezed his hand, "Jason you okay?" She wore faded jeans, hiking boots, and a fleece snowboarding jacket. Her chocolate brown hair was cut choppy and uneven, with thin strands braided down the side. She wore no makeup like she was trying not to draw attention to herself, but it didn't work. She was seriously pretty. Her eyes seemed to change color like a kaleidoscope–brown, blue and green. He let go of the pretty girl's hand, "Uhm I don't–"
"Alright listen up Cupcakes!" a teacher shouted from the front of the bus. When he stood in the aisle he landed at about five foot zero. Not very intimidating if you ask him.
"Stand up Coach Hedge!" one student shouted.
"I heard that!" His beady eyes scanned for the offender but they landed on Jason and his scowl deepened. Jason knew he was in the wrong place, and that Coach was going to call him out, and Jason would be at a loss for words. But Hedge averted his eyes from Jason.
"We'll arrive in five minutes! Stay with your partner and if any little cupcakes cause trouble on this trip I will personally send you back to campus the hard way!" He picked up his bat and mocked hitting a homer. Jason looked at the girl next to him,
"Can he talk to us like that?"
"Always does," the girl from the seat in front of him turned around. She had long black hair, peach skin, and sea green eyes. She was wearing a green shirt with dark blue jeans, a light gray hoodie, and a charm bracelet. She had blue and purple braces, and a smirk that immediately warned you that she was a prankster.
"This is the wilderness school, 'where kids are the animals'" The girl next to Jason added like it was a joke they shared before. Braces turned back around and started giggling.
"This is a mistake." Jason said. "I'm not supposed to be here." a boy in front of him turned around, with Braces this time. There was a slight redness in his cheeks while they held hands (AS FRIENDS).
"Yeah right Jason!" The boy said, "We've all been framed! I didn't run away six times, Piper didn't steal a BMW, and Madi here definitely didn't get into 10 fights in the last school she went to!" Jason stared at the Madi girl. She didn't seem like the kind to fight. Considering that she was a foot shorter than he was.
"I didn't steal that car Leo!" Piper slapped his hand. "And I never started those fights! I was framed for those." Madi protested. Leo looked at me like, can you believe these girls? Leo looked like a latino santa's elf, with curly brown hair, pointy ears, and a mischievous smile that told you to not trust him with power tools. His long nimble fingers wouldn't stop moving, drumming the seat, pushing his hair back, or playing with Madi's bracelet.
"Anyway," Leo said, "I hope you have your worksheet because me and Madi used mine for spit wads days ago!" Madi nodded enthusiastically.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Did someone draw on my face again?" Madi asked.
"I don't know you," Jason said. Leo gave him a crocodile grin.
"Sure. I'm not your best friend; I'm his evil clone!"
"Valdez! Is there a problem back there?" Coach shouted. Leo winked and whispered to Madi,
"Watch this!"
"What are you-" She started.
"Sorry Coach! I was having trouble hearing you! Can you use your megaphone please?" Leo replied. Hedge grunted as though happy to have an excuse to use it. He was about to continue giving the class directions when his voice came out sounding like Darth Vader's. The kids burst out laughing. Their coach tried again but this time the megaphone blared, "The cow says moo!" The class howled in laughter.
"Valdez!!"
Piper stifled a laugh and Madi burst out laughing so hard she leaned on Leo for support.
"God Leo, how'd you do that?" Piper asked him. Leo slipped a tiny Phillips screwdriver from his sleeve.
"What can I say? I'm a special boy," he grinned. Madi was catching her breath after laughing so hard.
"You certainly are," then she glanced at me and gave me a crooked grin, "Handy Mandy!" Leo was shocked at the nickname. But came back quickly.
"Why thank you princesa!" Leo grabbed her hand and tried to kiss it but Madi flicked him before he could do it.
"Don't even think about it!" she giggled. Was that blush?
"Guys seriously!" Jason said. Interrupting Leo and Madi's goof off session, "What am I doing here and where are we going?" Piper knit her eyebrows and Madi stared at Jason.
"Are you serious?" Piper asked.
"Yes I don't–"
"Nah. He's joking! This is payback for the shaving cream on the jello prank me and Madi did right?" Leo said. But Madi shook her head.
"He's not lying Leo. He's dead serious," Madi said. Jason saw how she looked at him; like she was trying to read a book. Piper reached for his hand but he pulled it away. Madi's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry. I don't–" he was cut off again by Coach Hedge.
"That's it! The back row has just volunteered to clean up after lunch!" He announced. The bus cheered except for them.
"There's a shocker," Leo said.
"Dang it! I was so looking forward to doing more work after lunch!" Madi replied sarcastically. Piper kept her eyes on Jason, like she didn't know whether to be hurt or worried.
"Do you really not know who we are?" She asked, "Did you hit your head or something?"
"It's worse than that," he looked at all of them, "I don't even know who I am." As they got off the bus, Leo grinned.
"So, a crash course for the amnesiac," Leo said in a helpful tone; that sounded like it wasn't helpful at all, "We go to the 'wilderness school'" Leo used air quotes with his fingers, "Which means we're 'bad kids'. Your family, or the court, or whoever decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison–sorry, boarding school– in Armpit, Nevada. Where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day. Or weaving daisies into hats!"
"And for a special treat," Madi continued Leo's thought, "we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat."
"Is it all coming back to you now?" Leo asked. Jason shook his head. These two were in sync! They finished each other's sentences like it was nobody's business! He looked around, there were twenty guys, half that many girls. None of them appeared to be hardened criminals, but he wondered what they all had done to get put here.
Leo rolled his eyes, "You're really gonna play this out huh? Okay the four of us started here together this semester. We're totally tight. You do everything I say, my chores, you give me your desserts–" Madi pinched him.
"Fine, ignore that last part." Leo corrected, "But we are friends, well Piper's been more than yours for a while and," another pinch from Madi.
"Leo!" Piper said. Her cheeks turned bright red. Jason felt his face heat up too. He thought he would've remembered going out with a girl like Piper.
"He's got amnesia or something," she said, "We need to tell someone."
"Who Coach Hedge? He'd try and fix Jason with a whack from his baseball bat!" Madi scoffed. Hedge sent another scowl towards Jason.
"Madi, Leo, he's got a concussion or something,"
"Yo Piper!" a dude came over and shoved Leo to the ground and shot finger guns at Madi, "Don't talk to these Bottom-Feeders. Your my partner, remember?" The new guy had a superman hairstyle, a deep tan, he was wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey and had a blinding white smile that should've come with a warning, Do not stare directly at teeth. Permanent blindness may occur.
"Go away Dylan!" Madi growled while helping Leo up.
"Awe, don't be like that shortie"
"Don't call her shortie!" Leo stood up for Madi. She stared at Leo, like he had never done that for her before. But Dylan ignored them.
"It's your lucky day Piper!" he linked his arms through hers and dragged her off, she shot us a look like, 911!
"I hate that guy," Leo grumbled. He then offered his arm to Madi like they should go skipping inside together, "I'm Dylan. I'm so cool, I want to date myself, but I can't figure out how! Do you want to date me instead? You're so lucky!" Madi then took the arm he offered her and continued the joke,
"OMG! Leo I'd love to!" her voice made it sound like a joke, but Leo blushed.
"You two are very weird." Jason stated.
"Yeah. You tell us that a lot!" Leo said, "But if you can't remember anything, that means I can reuse all my old jokes!" He and Madi headed inside, Jason following behind them. If they are my best friends, he thought, my life must be really messed up. They walked through the exhibits. Stopping once in a while to listen to Hedge lecture them with his voice either sounding like a sith lord, or randomly yelling, "The pig says oink!" Madi giggled everytime that happened and Leo kept telling her jokes. Leo fiddled with her bracelet, his army jacket buttons or really anything he could. Like he had to keep his hand busy at all times.
Some girls kept looking over at Piper and Dylan and they giggled. Jason assumed this was the popular clique. They wore enough makeup to go to a halloween party.
"Hey Piper! Does your tribe run this place?" One called to her. Even her so-called partner Dylan suppressed a smile.
"My dad's Cherokee, of course, you'd need brain cells to know the difference, Isabel!" Piper said. Isabel's eyes widened in mock surprise. She looked like an owl wearing makeup. Jason noticed Madi clench her fists.
"Oh sorry! Was your mom in this tribe? Oh I forgot! You don't know your own mom!" Before a fight could start Hedge yelled to the girls,
"Set a good example or I'll break out my baseball bat!" They all left but said little comments to Piper.
"Good to be back on the rez?"
"Dad's probably too drunk to work. That's why she turned klepto!" Piper seemed to ignore them but Madi started forward but Leo stopped her.
"Stop it princesa. We both know that if they knew the truth about her dad they all would be kissing her feet saying, 'we're not worthy!'"
"Yeah, I just. Really hate them!" Madi clenched her jaw.
"Why? Who's her dad?" Jason asked.
"You seriously don't remember your girlfriend's dad?" Leo looked at him.
"Look. I don't remember her! Much less her dad."
"We have got to talk when we get back to the dorm." Madi said. They continued looking through the museum until they reached a glass terrace.
"Alright cupcakes! You're about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it! The skywalk can hold up to about seventy jumbo jets so you feather weights should be safe out there!" Hedge announced, "Try not to fall over the edge as that would cause me extra paperwork!" He opened the doors and we all filed out.
"Man," Leo said, "That's pretty wicked!" Jason nodded. He wasn't scared of heights, and it was really cool.
"Sure Leo. Wicked," Madi leaned on Leo, her eyes shut.
"Oh right. Sorry Madi, I got you. You are NOT going to fall." Leo rubbed her shoulder. She peeked a glance and grabbed Leo tighter.
"God no. Please no." she whispered. Leo looked at me as if to say, not now Jason! I don't know why I thought what I did but they were cute together. Madi and Leo I meant. The canyon was better than any picture could show you and there was a river snaked along the bottom. Banks of storm clouds flew overhead and as far as Jason could see there was ravine like some crazy god had stuck a knife through it. Jason got a piercing pain behind his eyes and he staggered backward. Crazy god... where had he gotten that idea. Suddenly he had the feeling he was in danger.
"Dude you okay?" Leo asked. Madi had opened her eyes but was not letting go of Leo. She must be terrified of heights.
"You're not going to throw up are you?" Madi managed; though she was pale as well.
"Yeah cause I should've brought my camera!" Leo added. Madi glared at him.
"I'm fine, just a headache," Jason said as the pain subsided. Thunder rumbled overhead and Madi jumped.
"Really?" she asked herself, "Why heights? And now a storm?"
"Weird," Leo observed, "There's a storm above us, but it's clear all the way around. This can't be safe." Jason saw where Leo was looking and saw he was right. There was a storm cloud above the canyon only, but everywhere else was clear skies.
"Alright Cupcakes!" Hedge yelled looking at the sky as though it bothered him too, "We may have to cut this short! Get to work. And remember complete sentences!" Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. It was golden.
"Dang man! Is that gold? You've been holding out on me!" Leo said. Madi rolled her eyes at her friend. Jason put the coin away something told him he was going to need it later. Leo shrugged. Jason wondered if Leo's mind needed to move as much as his hands.
"Come one, dare you to spit over the edge!"
They didn't try hard on the worksheet. For one thing Jason was too distracted by the storm and his own mixed feelings. Leo was busy building a helicopter out of pipe-cleaners, and Madi was staring at it.
"Curse you stupid dyslexia," she muttered under her breath.
"Check it out guys!" Leo said and threw his copter over the edge. Jason suspected it would fall but the pipe cleaner blades actually spun. It got a few feet then fell.
"That was amazing Leo!" Madi exclaimed.
"How'd you do that?" Jason asked. Leo shrugged and began playing with something else.
"It would've been cooler if I had some rubber bands,"
"Seriously, are we friends?" Jason asked Leo and Madi.
"Last I checked, yeah." Madi answered.
"You sure? What was the first day we met? What did we talk about?"
"It was ..." Leo paused, "I don't know man. I'm ADHD. You can't expect me to remember details."
"Same." Madi agreed.
"But I don't remember you at all so what if–"
"You're right and we all have fake memories of you?" Leo asked skeptically. That was exactly what Jason thought. But it sounded crazy, everyone except Coach Hedge, acted like he was a normal part of their class.
"Take the worksheet," Jason said and gave it to the duo. Jason got up and headed across the skywalk before either of them could protest. About fifty feet away Piper was trying to fill out her sheet but Dylan kept hitting on her. She looked at him as if to say, throttle this guy for me. Jason motioned for her to hang on. He walked over to Coach Hedge who was leaning on his baseball bat looking at the sky.
"Did you do this?" He asked Jason. Jason stepped back. Did the coach just ask if he had made the storm?
"Do what?"
Coach glared at him with his beady eyes from under his baseball cap, "Don't play games with me kid. What are you doing here, and why are you making my job more difficult?"
"You mean I'm not one of your students?" Jason asked.
"Never seen you before today." Hedge snorted. So Jason was in the wrong place. He was so happy he almost cried but quickly pulled himself together.
"Look sir, I don't know how I got here. I just woke up on the bus today. All I know is that I'm not supposed to be here," Jason explained.
"Got that right." Hedge said. Dropping his voice to a murmur, "You've got a powerful way with the mist kid. Making everyone here thinking they know you; but you can't fool me, I've been smelling a monster for days now. I knew we had an infiltrator, but you don't smell like a monster. You smell like a half-blood. So–who are you? And where'd you come from?"
Jason had no idea what Coach Hedge meant when he said, half-blood or monster. So Jason answered honestly, "I don't know. I don't have any memories; you've gotta help me!"
"Great, you're being truthful." Hedge grumbled.
"Of course I am! And what was all that about monsters and half-bloods? Are those code words?"
"Look kid, I just know what you are, and it means trouble. Now I gotta protect four of you instead of three of you. Are you the special package?"
"What?" Jason was very confused. Hedge looked at the storm as the clouds got thicker and darker overhead.
"This morning, I got a message from camp. They informed me that an extraction team was on the way. They were coming to pick up a special package. I thought, fine. The three I'm watching are pretty powerful, older than most. I know they're being stalked. I could smell a monster in the group. I figured that was why the camp was so eager to pick them up. Then you pop up out of nowhere, so are you the special package?" Hedge explained. The pain behind Jason's eyes got worse, camp. Monsters. Half-Bloods. He stumbled but Coach caught him. For a short guy, his grip was very strong.
"Woah cupcake. You say you got no memories, huh? That's fine, I'll watch you until the team gets here. Then we'll let the director figure things out." Hedge said.
"What director?" Jason asked, "What camp?"
"Just sit tight. Hopefully nothing happens until–" lightning crackled in the storm above. Kids scattered and the wind picked up.
"I had to say something," Hedge grumbled, "Everyone off the skywalk! 'The cow says Moo!' Inside all of you now!" he demanded.
"I thought you said this thing was stable!" Jason yelled over the wind.
"It is. Under normal circumstances, which these aren't. Come on!"
(Jason POV)
The storm above had become a mini hurricane. People screamed and ran for the doors. Stuff was flying everywhere. Jason slid across the place and Madi almost fell over the railing, Leo caught her as Jason made his way over with Coach Hedge on his heels.
"Thanks Leo!" Madi managed.
"No problem Madi!"
"Go, go, go!" Hedge yelled at them. Piper and Dylan were holding the doors and getting kids inside. Despite the cold Piper looked calm and confident telling them it was going to be okay. Jason, Leo, Madi, and Coach Hedge were trying to reach them but the wind pushed us back, it was like running through quicksand. Piper and Dylan managed to get one last kid inside before they lost their grip on the doors and fell back. Piper ran over and began tugging on the doors.
"Dylan help!" She shouted. Dylan just stood there with his jersey flapping in the wind and an idiotic grin on his face, like he was suddenly enjoying the storm.
"I'm done helping Piper," he flicked his wrist and Piper flew into the wall and skidded across the skywalk.
"PIPER!!!" Madi cried. Jason tried to rush to Piper but Coach pulled him back.
"Coach let me go!" Jason yelled.
"Leo, Jason, Madison, stay behind me. This is my fight. I should've known this was our monster." Coach ordered.
"Monster?!" Leo asked/yelled.
"What monster?" Madi added. A rouge worksheet slapped her in the face, but Leo brushed it away for her. Hedge's cap blew off his head, revealing two little bumps in his hair. He hefted his baseball bat, and it grew into a club with the sticks and leaves still on it.
Dylan gave him a psycho smile, "Oh come on Coach, let the boy attack me! After all you're getting too old for this, isn't that why they retired you to this school. I've been on your team all season and you didn't even know. You're losing your nose grandpa." That made Coach mad.
"That's it, cupcake! You're going down!"
"You really think you can protect four half-bloods at once? Even two of the big three?" Dylan laughed, "Good Luck!" he pointed at Madi, and a funnel cloud materialized around her and she was lifted up.
"MADI!" Leo yelled.
"LEO!!" she screamed in reply. Leo jumped up, grabbed her wrist and pushed her out of the funnel cloud, getting himself thrown off the edge. He managed to twist midair and crashed against the side of the canyon wall.
"Help!" Leo yelled up at them, "Rope, Bungee cord? Something, please?"
"Hang on Leo!" Madi tried to climb down but Hedge had kicked off his shoes revealing goat hooves,
"You're a faun," Jason managed.
"Satyr! Fauns are roman, but we'll talk about it later!" Hedge handed him the bat and climbed to Leo, "Keep that thing busy, while I get Valdez. Dane, stay up here with Jason, and I'll get your boyfriend."
"He's not my boyfriend!" Madi blushed furiously.
"Awe, isn't that cute!" Dylan turned towards Madi and him, "Now it's your turn."
Jason threw the bat at Dylan. It seemed pointless with the strong winds, but the bat curved and got Dylan in the head. Blood–golden blood–leaked from Dylan. The bat rolled over to Piper and she gripped it tightly, not seeming as dazed as she appeared.
"Nice try boy," Dylan glared at him, "But you'll have to do better." the skywalk shuddered. And hairline fractures started appearing in the glass. Madi shrieked. Dylan's body had dissolved into smoke and he became a creature with swirling black vapor. If angels could look evil, this is exactly how they would look.
"You're a ventus," Jason said. Though he didn't know where the idea came from, "A storm spirit." Dylan laughed and it sounded as though a tornado had ripped off a roof.
"Piper, Leo and Madison I've known about for weeks. Could've killed them at any time. But my mistress said another was coming. Someone very special. She will reward me greatly for your death!" Two more Venti came to the fight. Piper was pale but she gave him a look like, keep their attention, I'll brain them from behind. Cute, smart, and violent. Jason wished he remembered having her as a girlfriend. Dylan raised his hands and lightning blasted Jason square in the chest.
"NO!" he heard Madi yell faintly. He saw Piper fending off the other two storm spirits and Hedge bringing Leo back up to the ledge. Madi was fiddling with her bracelet, her long black hair blowing in her face but her sea green stared at Dylan in fear. Dylan hadn't attacked her yet. She was crying. He felt this surge of protectiveness over her. He returned his attention to Dylan who was hovering over him.
"Stop" Jason croaked. Dylan backed away and he uneasily stood up. Madi tried to step forward but Jason waved her off.
"How are you alive?!" Dylan's form flickered, "That was enough lightning to kill twenty men!"
"My turn." Jason said. He took the coin from earlier and flipped it. In the air it turned into a golden sword and he caught it in his palm. The balance and grip was perfect for his hand.
Dylan snarled and backed away, "Well, kill him fools!" The other storm spirits didn't look happy about it but flew at Jason anyway, their hands glowing with electricity. Jason swung his sword at the first spirit and it turned to dust. The second one let loose his lightning but Jason's sword absorbed the charge and he swung his sword and disintegrated Storm Spirit number two.
Dylan yelled in outrage. Madi was staring at Jason so he moved between her and Dylan to be extra safe.
"Impossible! Who are you half-blood?" Dylan said.
"Jason-" Madi started.
"-How?" Piper finished. She was so stunned that she had dropped the club. Coach Hedge had come back up and dropped Leo on the ground like a sack of potatoes. Madi rushed over to him and helped him stand. She was crying from what Jason heard.
"Spirits fear me!" Hedge shouted then he noticed it was only Dylan, "Dang it boy! Couldn't you have left some for me? I like a challenge!"
"Dude! Coach Super Goat I just fell down the freaking grand canyon!" Leo said, "So don't go asking for challenges.
"You have no idea how many enemies you've awakened half-bloods. My mistress will destroy all of you! This war you cannot win," Dylan screeched.
The storm above them exploded into an all out gale. I turned around and faced Leo and Madi.
"Ack!" Madi jumped and landed in Leo's arms bridal style.
"Breathe. Calm down princess." Leo said, setting her down feet first. Madi was shaking but she managed to control herself. Suddenly a black and silver swiveling vortex opened in the clouds.
"My mistress calls me back!" Dylan shouted with glee, "And you demigod will come with me!" He rushed to Jason but Piper tackled him from behind, and somehow she managed to connect. They went sprawling, Jason and Madi landed on their butts; Leo flew back and hit his head, he curled into a ball and shivered.
"LEO!" Madi crawled over to Leo and held his head in her lap. He groaned. Piper got the worst of it, she was flung off of Dylan's back and tumbled over the side until she was hanging over the canyon by one hand. Jason began towards her but Dylan went to Madi and Leo.
"I'll settle for this one!" He was about to grab Madi but Leo managed to put himself between them. So Dylan flew upward, dragging a half-conscious Leo with him.
"Help!" Piper screamed.
"Jason, go! Save her!" Hedge yelled and launched himself at Dylan. He did some goat-fu and Leo fell from Dylan's grasp. Madi ran over and caught Leo. Which didn't look easy, she fell and hit her head on the ground.
"Save her! I got this!" Hedge repeated. Save her? She's gone! But his instincts won and he jumped over the edge.
A/N: HII again!! I started this a long time ago and wanted to post it while I worked on some other stuff. I've been so stressed lately and I have a short attention span. So I keep jumping fanfictions. I'll get my stuff figured out because next week I have winter break.
Peace!
-Olivia