53I leaned back in my lounge chair as I watched the cruise ship, the S.S. Tipton, approach New Orleans. Chiron had previously sent me here to search for some half bloods, or monsters, but it was easy to forget that when you're enjoying yourself at an all-expense-paid trip at sea.
I suddenly realized I was dozing when Thalia and Nico both snapped me out of my daze by sitting next to me. Nico looked kinda green.
"I really don't like ships." he muttered, clutching his stomach as he tried to get use to the swaying motion of the sea. Thalia grinned.
"Come on, Nico." she teased. "It's really not that bad." Then, just to prove her point, she took a sip out of her smoothie, smiling when Nico turned greener by watching at her.
I patted him on the back. "Sorry." I said, trying not to chuckle. "But I don't think I can help you out here." Nico just groaned, muttering something unintelligible.
"What?" I asked. Nico glared at me, then said a bit louder,
"What's the point of being the Son of the Sea god when you can't even cure seasickness?"
Almost immediately, a large wave struck the Tipton, not entirely on its own. Nico, unable to stand it anymore, ran up stairs to the open portion of the ship, holding his mouth in the process.
Both Thalia and I laughed.
Suddenly, Thalia pointed at two boys who where just coming in. "I think I know how to make Nico feel better." she whispered, her eyes glinting mischievously.
I gulped, and then looked at the boys, who were talking to another kid sitting on a couch. He looked just like the guy on the right, so I assumed that they were brothers, twins at the most.
"Who's ready to celebrate Mardi gras?" the chubby kid with the curly brown hair cried, completely decked out in a purple boa and a sequin mask.
"Nobody. Mardi gras isn't for three months." the blond kid said, looking as though he had explained this to him several times before.
"Dang it…" the chubby kid sighed. Then he looked at the blond again. "But can I still wear the mask?"
Before I could decide whether to laugh or feel sorry for the other kid, the twin blond sitting on the couch replied sarcastically, "I'm sure the people of New Orleans would appreciate it."
Thalia besides me laughed, causing Nico to give her a strange look as he sat back down. "What are you laughing at?" he asked. Thalia, still giggling, just pointed at the boys, two of which were saying "Gumbo." at the same time, while the other just sighed.
"I'm sorry I can't join you Gumbo-losers." he said, "but I got an F on my history paper, and Ms. Tutwiler won't let me go and show her until I rewrite it."
Nico suddenly perked up, unlike his usual, gloomy self. "I know what he could write about." he offered. I shushed him.
We managed to hear the blond twin say to his brother, "I can't believe you made it to grade eight."
Nico smiled.
Just then, I heard the cruise manager, Mr. Mosby, lead a bunch of tourists to a window in the side of the ship. Looking out, I noticed we had stopped right at the foot of a shipwreck.
I shivered. One more crew of lost souls sent to Ares for redemption.
Mr. Mosby stopped right in front of the window, preparing to give his speech. Now, being ADHD, I usually wouldn't be able to stand just standing there and listening to a lecture. But this was at sea, in my father's domain. If it wasn't gonna keep my attention, I don't know what would.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he started, his hands raised dramatically. "It's the wreck of the Jesse Belle."
Nico began tapping me impatiently. I waved him off, wanting to hear more.
"Now legend says," Mr. Mosby continued, "that it's infamous skipper, Captain Antaneal, was in such a rush to get home to propose to his lady love, Jesse Belle," (he mimicked a girl's voice) "that he misread him compass, causing the ship to run aground to Dead Man's Rock."
The crowd sighed.
"Which before that point was just called rock." Mosby added good humouredly. The tourists laughed.
"Now, some say that his restless spirit still haunts these waters. So watch out." he paused dramatically, "The person standing next to you, might be a ghost."
I turned around to look at Nico, who had decided to give me his exclusive Son of Hades glare. "What?" I complained. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, a loud "Boo!", and a frightened scream filled the room. I turned around, just in time to see Mosby jump into one of the blond's arms.
He tried to talk, his expression of surprise, but I missed what he said, cause I was too busy laughing my butt off to pay attention. I turned around, and noticed Thalia was doing the same. Nico was obviously trying not to chuckle, but failing miserably.
"Come on guys." I said in between laughs. We did have a mission to do. "Let's go back to our cabins."
We arrived at my room just in time to hear a girl in the cabin across say, "Oh, that happens every time to me when I see Bailey's ugly clothes."
Thalia's eyes glinted, whether of anger or humor, I don't know. It was probably a girl thing.
Another girl, presumably Bailey, replied with a, "You mean…like this?"
I couldn't tell what she did, but next thing I knew, there was a loud "Thump!" like a body hitting the floor. Thalia chuckled. I glanced between her and the room, wondering what she knew that I didn't.
Suddenly, the door started to open, so I quickly ushered her and Nico into my room, closing the door as quietly as possible.
I turned around, just in time to see Thalia staring at me. She almost looked as if she were saying: 'Why'd you have to shove us in here? It's not like they knew we were listening.'
I shrugged apologetically.
5 minutes later, I checked the peep hole. All clear. I reached for the handle of my door, but Thalia beat me to it, grabbing and twisting it in one fluid motion. I glanced at her, confused, but she just rolled her eyes and walked out the door.
Nico followed, shrugging, before he too walked out.
I closed the door, wishing I could just leap out the porthole and into the ocean to clear my thoughts. Too bad there were so many mortals around; otherwise I really would have done it.
About an hour later, there was an insistent rapping on my door. Grateful for the break in my homework, I rushed answer it.
It was a girl with blondish brown hair. She was cute, I guess, but in her own little way. She smiled at me.
"Hi, I'm Bailey." she introduced, holding out her hand to shake.
A light bulb went off in my head. So this was Bailey. I instinctively looked toward her clothes, ignoring her hand. They weren't that bad. What did the other girl mean?
Bailey dropped her hand awkwardly. I silently berated myself for my lack of manners, and then smiled back, saying "Hi. I'm Percy."
She grinned. "I know I don't know you and all," she said, gesturing vaguely at her and me, "but I was wondering if you could do me a favor."
I leaned against the door frame. Secretly, I was praying to Zeus for this to be good, because Thalia would never forgive me for momentarily abandoning the mission without a good reason.
After she fried me with a lightning bolt, of course.
"Sure." I said.
"Great." she sighed, looking momentarily relieved. "My friend Cody and his twin, Zack, need help finding a topic for his history report." Another light bulb went off in my head.
"Cody and Zack, the blond boys?" I blurted out before I realized what it would sound like. My mouth immediately snapped shut. Bailey nodded, giving me a suspicious look in the process. "Yeah," she said. "Well, at least, it's Zack that needs the topic. Cody and I are just helping him out."
"Uh huh." I muttered. Then I gave her a helpless shrug. "Sorry." I apologized. Seriously, I was beginning to regret not listening to Nico earlier. "Can't help you there. I'm dyslexic and ADHD. Usually, I have trouble just finishing my homework on my own."
Bailey smiled understandingly. "That's okay. I'm sure Cody will have found somebody else by now anyways." Then she looked around, as if she didn't want people to hear what's next. "And to tell you the truth," she whispered.
Secret, anybody?
"I doubt Zack has even written his name properly yet."
Yup, definitely wanted it to be secret.
I laughed. The way she spoke of him, he sounded just like your average mortal teenager. Lazy, uninterested, and completely zoned out in video games. Something I would be doing if I were back home, instead of here, on a quest for Chiron.
"Well, anyways, I'll see you around." she said. I nodded.
"See you." I muttered.
I closed the door…only to find Thalia glaring at me, her arms crossed in front of her.
I jumped back into the door in shock.
Before I even opened my mouth to start asking how she got in here, however, Thalia rolled her eyes, muttering "Boys…" underneath her breath.
"What are you doing here?" I demanded, momentarily regaining some composure, even though it wasn't much. She ignored me.
"Nico told me his idea of Zack's history project." she started, leaning back and plopping down on a chair. "And I think it's a good idea."
My eyebrows rose. "Since when do we help people with homework?" I said, not believing what I was hearing. Thalia just raised her hands, as if telling me to hear her out. I did.
"Remember what Mosbey was talking about earlier, about the wreckage of the Jesse Belle?" she asked me. I chuckled. How could I not?
"Well, Nico said that the ghost Captain has been bugging Hades for the past decades for the chance to correct people about what really made the ship sink."
My eyes widened. "What happened?" I asked.
Thalia smirked. And then, leaning back in my couch, she began her story.