My face was burning as if I had just dipped my head into a pail of boiling water.
For the first time in my whole life I was piggybacked by a boy.When I was in the orphanage,boys would make me piggyback them instead of the other way round.
I could feel my cheeks turning redder and redder as minutes ticked by.Out of the corner of my eye I could see Nico sulking and Annabeth shooting daggers at the both of us.Grover was shuddering between them,looking worried and scared.
"Percy,"I started,but he pretended not to hear me.
"La la la,I can't hear you,"he sang out,and I stifled a giggle.I gave up and sighed through my mouth.Percy's ears abruptly turned red.
"Uh,Percy,I'm really alright,"I said slowly,thinking that he might be exhausted."You can let me down if you like..."
"Let me carry her,"Nico said,and pulled me from Percy's back.He looked as if he wanted to protest,but shut up when he noticed Annabeth's expression.
"Seriously,I can walk,"I protested,but Nico ignored me and heaved me up.I felt strangely safe on his back.Hesitating,I placed my hands on his warm shoulders.
"What do you think Rachel's prophecy means?"Nico asked.I shrugged and yawned a little too loud.
"Questions,"I muttered as I leaned my cheek against his back."They filled up everyone's lives and when they leave,more of their kind will replace them."
"You're right,"Nico whispered so softly that only I could hear him.I yawned again and he chuckled."You're tired,Foínix.Go to sleep.I'll wake you up in case we need you,"he reassured me.I closed my eyes and let his scent wrap around me like a warm embrace.Before long,his warmth had brought me to dreamland.
~~~~
It was the singing crickets who woke me up.
I had slept through the day,and now the sky was dark,stars twinkling brightly.I counted them in the hope of going back to sleep,but it didn't seem to work as well as counting sheep,so I stopped and recalled what Percy had told me just now.
He said that a time bomb was found by one of the Apollo kids,and by the time they reported it to Mr. D it had exploded.Percy and the others had no idea why there was a bomb in the middle of Camp Half-Blood,but they reckoned that one of the Hephaestus kids had made it.The bomb had destroyed half of the camp,including half of the cabins.But at least no one was hurt.
I asked him if the Apolla cabin had seen any pattern on the bomb,and he nodded."An plain old grey eye,"Percy had said,and I knew with a sickening lurch that Chaos had it placed there.
Percy,Annabeth,Nico and Grover had decided to get started with our quest before Mr. D saw us.As I was still unconscious and partially injured(little scratches here and there,and don't forgot my still healing leg) the boys decided to take turns carrying me.
I shifted to my side quietly,and studied Percy's peaceful sleeping face.My heart suddenly started to drum,and I was almost convinced that the sound would wake him up.It didn't,fortunately,and I faced the night sky to calm my heart down.
Turning to my other side,I watched as Nico frowned in his sleep.I felt as if my heart would explode,so I quickly turned to the sky before it really did blow up.
The stars winked at me,and I sighed quietly.Weird...I've never felt like this before.The way I felt for Percy and Nico was about the same.It's really difficult to describe the increasingly fast leaps my heart did whenever I see them.And not to mention the fluttering in my stomach.
It must be because they are such nice boys,I thought.But Grover's a guy,and he's nice too.But I don't feel anything for him...Ah,perhaps the reason is because he's a donkey.Or a goat.Or whatever he is.
I finally relaxed,allowing exhaustion cloud my mind,and then gave in to the darkness.