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Long Island
Year: 2003
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The bus terminal exuded an air of quiet expectancy, its atmosphere tinged with the heat of the late afternoon sun pouring through the expansive glass windows. The sunlight, harsh and unyielding, painted everything in warm hues, casting long shadows across the tiled floor, and despite the sweltering heat, the terminal seemed oddly deserted, as if caught in a moment of suspended animation.
Three demigods occupied a cluster of worn plastic seats, their bodies slouched in varying degrees of fatigue. Samarah fanned herself with the folded map she had plucked from one of the tourism stands earlier, squinting against the sunlight as she checked her watch every few minutes. Her gaze flitted over the sparse crowd before settling on the dark-haired girl who sat beside her.
Rin stifled a yawn behind her hand, her eyes drooping with exhaustion. Her faded denim jacket hung behind her seat, and she kept reminding herself to pick it up before they departed because at this rate she would forget her own head if it wasn't screwed on. She lifted a can of cold coffee to her lips, taking a slow sip as if savouring the bitter taste. Samarah watched her with a mixture of amusement and concern, her brow furrowing slightly.
"Isn't that your third can already?" Samarah's voice was laced with gentle reproach. "Maybe you should cut back a little."
Rin chuckled, a wry smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Nah, I'm good. Besides, I'm nowhere near done," she replied, gesturing towards the fully stocked vending machine with a nod of her head.
Something about the previous night's dream unsettled her, even though she could barely remember the details, and she kept going over it with a fine-toothed comb, wondering if it meant anything significant. That paired with an entire week's worth of sleepless nights made for one very exhausted demigod.
Luke glanced up from Samarah's other side where he was fiddling with the laces on his hightops, peering over at Rin with a half smile —one that Rin returned with a withering glare. He had been trying to make peace for the last hour, and each of his attempts had been met with stony silence.
"How can you drink that stuff in this heat?" he asked nonetheless, a little incredulously. "It's supposed to be like a hundred degrees out here."
"Seventy-seven, actually," Samarah corrected in a matter-of-fact tone, glancing at her watch. "But he's right Rin, what's up with the caffeine overdosing, ease up."
"You have a thermometer in your watch?"
"Luke, I think the better question to ask would be, what don't I have in my watch? And anyway, Rin didn't answer my question. Don't let her get away with it."
Rin shrugged, a nonchalant gesture belied by the fatigue etched on her features. "Desperate times call for desperate measures," she quipped her tone light despite the weariness in her voice.
The terminal hummed with the low murmur of distant conversations, the sound blending seamlessly with the gentle whir of the air conditioning units that did little to alleviate the heat. In the distance, an elderly couple sat huddled together, their heads bent in quiet conversation. A middle-aged man in a long black coat stood near the ticket counter, his bowler hat pulled low over his eyes. Rin's eyes were drawn to him, mostly because she found his attire quite curious. When he moved to take a seat a few paces down from them, his coat parted to reveal a dark suit underneath and what might have been...a tail. It was gone when Rin blinked and the man had settled himself into his seat, preventing her from taking a second look. Either he was not what he seemed or she was losing her mind.
"Why couldn't we just take a plane like normal people?" she complained, voice carrying a hint of exasperation, her words punctuated by the dull click of her nails against the metal of her can. "I mean, seriously, what's the deal with taking public transit? It's not like we're broke or anything, and it will quite literally take us forever to get there."
Luke chuckled, a wry smile playing at the corners of his lips, "Something about Zeus wanting to smite us mid-flight maybe?"
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rin's leg bouncing with nervous energy, her foot tapping against the floor in an erratic rhythm. He knew her well enough to what caused it, and he wanted nothing more than to reach out and place a comforting hand on her knee. Not that he could of course, unless he wanted her to make good on her earlier threats in public.
"We're not nearly relevant enough for that," Rin sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She was unable to help responding to him, despite her self-proclaimed vow of silence. "There's no way the king of the heavens is waiting around to strike down a bunch of teenagers from the sky. And if he does, he's-"
Samarah immediately clapped a heavy hand against her mouth, effectively silencing her next words. Luke burst out laughing at the indignant look in her eyes, and Samarah frowned apologetically.
"Best not invite bad luck just as we're beginning our quest. You never know who might be listening," she explained. "Be careful of what you say."
Luke raised an eyebrow expectantly, "While we're on the topic, would you like to share your theories?"
Samarah rolled her eyes in response, her expression a mixture of amusement and resignation.
"Knowing Chiron, he's probably just being stingy," she remarked, her tone casual yet tinged with annoyance. "I mean, why spend money on plane tickets when you can just squeeze us onto a crowded bus, instead? Once in a lifetime opportunity to backpack across the country, you know."
Rin let out a muffled protest and Samarah dropped her hand immediately, muttering a half-hearted apology.
"Just so you know, I was seconds away from biting your hand."
"Didn't know I had a mutt for a best friend, but duly noted, Rin."
Rin sighed heavily, "But in all seriousness, how long it's going to take us to get there? Long Island to who-knows-where?"
Samarah shrugged nonchalantly, a faint frown marring her features. "I haven't quite figured that part out yet," she admitted. "But I do know one thing—we need to keep heading west until we find what we're looking for. That's what the prophecy said anyway, didn't it."
She looked to Luke for confirmation and the brunette boy nodded. Rin watched the two demigods exchange a glance, suddenly feeling left out. She still hadn't been informed of the specifics of the prophecy, but it was clear that Luke had discussed it with Samarah at great length. Another jab in the ribs for Rin. Her friendship with Luke clearly hadn't mattered enough to him, and every moment she reminded herself how much he absolutely did not want her along for their journey.
As Luke and Samarah delved into the specifics of their journey, their voices hushed in quiet conversation, Rin remained silent, her attention drifting in and out of focus. She tried her best to listen intently nonetheless, her brow furrowed in concentration, as they discussed routes, potential landmarks, and the cryptic clues they had gathered from the prophecies thus far. Every so often she'd wonder if Luke's words, though harsh, contained some modicum of truth. Perhaps she was as useless as he claimed.
She had never been anything extraordinary anywhere. She was decent with a sword but not the best, not like Luke was anyway. She had no particular gifts or abilities from her godly parent as far as she was aware, and unlike most of the demigods she'd met, she hadn't been weaned on a steady diet of Greek myths and legends ever since she was a child. She wasn't even sure her father knew that he'd managed to have two kids with a mythical being —assuming she and Ethan shared the same mother of course. She hated to think of it, but there was a slight possibility that they didn't.
It would have been an amusing thought if it wasn't so devastating. She couldn't imagine her father —the calm, if a little awkward, man she had known him to be— managing to charm not one, but two goddesses. It seemed almost too comical to believe. Her stepmother liked to tease him relentlessly about the fact that she had been the one to speak to him.
It was perhaps stupid of her to cling to these little stories and anecdotes so many years later, but Rin liked to play them repeatedly in her head so she wouldn't forget their voices. Her stepmother's warm laughter and even her father's patient admonishing.
Their father never spoke of their birth mother, and eventually, Ethan learned not to pry—Rin never did to begin with as she had no interest in one who had abandoned them. Her brother had always been the more sentimental out of the two of them, with his undying loyalty to a woman who didn't even deem them important enough to meet.
A sudden sound from outside shattered the tranquil atmosphere of the terminal. The groaning of metal echoed through the air, followed by the unmistakable hiss of hydraulics as the bus came to a stop outside. The doors creaked open, revealing a slow trickle of people disembarking onto the pavement below.
Luke, Samarah, and Rin rose from their seats in unison, their movements synchronized by an unspoken understanding as they fell into line behind the elderly couple from earlier, their footsteps echoing off the tiled floor as they made their way toward the waiting bus.
As Rin stepped forward, she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to find Luke holding out her forgotten jacket with a sheepish smile. She accepted it with a scowl, her annoyance tempered by a flicker of gratitude she refused to show. Luke's smile faltered for a moment before he turned away, and Rin felt irrationally guilty, even as she told herself he deserved it.
"Well, this is certainly one way to start a journey," Samarah chuckled at their exchange. "I always thought third-wheeling you two would be awkward, but this—" she gestured between them dramatically "—this is a whole new level of weird."
The trio stepped onto the bus, greeted by the rush of cool air and the low hum of conversation. As they made their way down the narrow aisle, Rin and Luke trailed behind Samarah, their footsteps echoing off the metal floor. The bus was surprisingly crowded, the seats filled with a motley crew of passengers, each lost in their own thoughts as they journeyed to destinations unknown.
Samarah wasted no time in claiming her seat at the very back of the bus, her bag thudding against the empty seat beside her as she settled in with an air of finality. With a stern shake of her head, she turned to face her friends, her expression a mixture of exasperation and determination.
"Alright, you two," she began. "I've had enough of your nonsense. Sit together and sort out whatever it is that's going on between you before we reach our destination. I'm tired of babysitting two grown morons."
The two other demigods exchanged a wary glance, their apprehension mirrored in the furrow of their brows. Without a word, they complied, sinking into the seats across the aisle from the formidable daughter of Hephaestus, their bodies tense with anticipation.
As they settled in, Samarah fixed Luke with a pointed glare, her gaze unyielding in its intensity, "And you. Just be honest with her and tell her what all this was about, okay? She's not as oblivious as you think, and she deserves better than your half-hearted apologies."
Luke bristled at Samarah's words, his jaw clenched in a silent display of defiance. But before he could respond, she spoke again.
"Better to fess up now than to say things you don't mean and regret them later. Tell her or I will."
The brunette boy's glare softened, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his features.
"I am right here you know," Rin muttered sardonically. "But by all means, continue talking about me as if I wasn't."
"Sorry."
"If I wanted your apology, Luke, I would have asked for it."
"No, you wouldn't have," Luke shot back. "You never ask for anything. You just expect everyone to read your mind."
"Shut up! Like you know me at all. You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh, like you do? You're the one who's been avoiding me ever since we left for this stupid quest."
"Oh, gee, I wonder why. Maybe it's because you have made it abundantly clear that you do not want me here, or maybe, just maybe it's because you called me irrelevant. Forgive me if I don't wish to associate with an asshole."
"I said I'm sorry!"
"No, actually you didn't."
"Well, I am. I am sorry. I-I didn't mean to hurt you."
Rin scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. "Well, congratulations, Luke," she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Mission accomplished anyways."
Luke sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation, "Rin, can we please just—"
"Don't talk to me again," Rin interjected sharply, her scowl deepening with every word. She turned away from him, her jaw set in a stubborn line, and focused her attention on the passing scenery outside the window, entirely missing the sidelong glance the brunette oy cast her way, his expression softened by a flicker of regret.
Against her better judgement, Rin leaned her head against the windowpane, the cool surface a stark contrast to the heat of her anger, her reflection distorted by the grime and dust that coated the glass.
Despite her best efforts to shrink away from him, she found herself pressed against Luke's shoulder, his presence an unwelcome reminder of their fractured friendship. His knee bumped against hers with every jolt and sway of the vehicle, a constant irritation that grated on her nerves.
It had been years since Rin had been on a bus, but some things never changed. These seats were upholstered in the same cracked leatherette and bore the imprint of countless passengers who had come and gone, leaving behind traces of their presence in the form of discarded wrappers and forgotten belongings in hidden crevices. Patches of old gum clung stubbornly to the window, pressed into the glass by countless fingers so that when it hardened it preserved the clear indentations of fingerprints.
Through the gap between the seats, she caught a glimpse of the bowler hat man from earlier, sitting upright in his seat with an air of quiet dignity. He was engrossed in a newspaper, the pages rustling softly in his hands, and despite the sweltering heat and the cramped confines of the bus, the man seemed unperturbed.
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Luke watched as Rin's eyelids fluttered closed, her breathing steady and rhythmic as she succumbed to sleep. He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt as he observed her slumbering form, her perpetual scowl nowhere to be seen for once.
Her half-full coffee can was tucked into the pocket flap of the seat in front of her, and her head jostled against the window, her forehead knocking into the glass with a hollow thud, every now and then, making Luke wince in sympathy. That combined with the glaring light of the sun that shone right in her face, he couldn't fathom how she hadn't woken up yet, but he knew he couldn't let her remain in such an uncomfortable position for the rest of the journey.
Gently he reached out, his fingers brushing against Rin's cheek as he carefully tipped her head onto his shoulder. He held his breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he waited for her to wake up. The last thing he wanted was to disturb her slumber and risk reigniting their earlier argument.
To his relief, she remained blissfully unaware, and Luke let out a sigh of relief, his muscles relaxing as he adjusted her more comfortably against his shoulder. He couldn't help but marvel at the sight of her. Even in sleep, dark shadows lingered under her eyes and stray strands of hair escaped the tight coil at the base of her neck, her lashes brushing against her cheeks in a way that made it impossible to look away.
Awkwardly he cleared his throat, averting his gaze to the floor. He could imagine how much Chris would bother him about it if he ever witnessed such a scene. Thankfully he wasn't here, although judging by Samarah's knowing smirk from across the aisle, he knew she'd be making a full report back to Sybil and Chris.
They always read too much into it. It wasn't what they thought at all. Rin was just his friend, possibly his closest, but it didn't really matter anymore he supposed, not when he had ruined it. How could he tell his best friend that he had used her worst insecurities against her, that he had intentionally hurt her using the things she had confided in him about to protect her from a fate he couldn't bear to face? How could he explain that his actions had been driven by fear and desperation, by the overwhelming dread that he was going to lose her, whether to his own stupidity or to forces beyond his control?
He had to apologize and make it right somehow, even though he knew she would be furious. Furious at him for keeping her in the dark, for betraying her trust in his misguided attempts to protect her from a truth she had every right to know?
It felt like the worst thing in the world, being this sort of traitor, being a traitor to her.
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A/N: disclaimer, I am not an expert on US transit systems, so like if you read something and go wtf, that's not how a bus/subway in Long Island works, just go with it ok. I do not have the time to conduct extensive research on modes of feasible commute and these chapters would take a whole lot longer to come if I looked up every bus route/schedule that ran back in 2003 lol. We're just winging it :)