Jɪɴx ➪ 𝙡. 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙯

Shopping Trip

chapter four; Shopping Trip

JINX SLEPT in the stables again. Hazel had offered her space in her cabin, but Jinx wasn't too keen on waking up her only sort-of-friend in the middle of the night because of a ridiculous nightmare.

She stared up at the ceiling with her hands behind her head. She'd be stuck with the son of Poseidon and a faun- satyr.

A violent one.

Even now, as it drifted into midnight, she could hear a TV on with Coach's enthusiastic "yeah!" and "get 'em good!"

He was supposed to be the adult supervisor, but he wasn't doing much supervising. Or setting an example.

Jinx wished she could skip through time. Wished she could skip the night. She sighed and turned, getting a mouthful of hay.

She spat it all out, groaning in frustration. Sleep never came easy to her.
Maybe it never did to any demigod.

Leo debated waking Jinx up. He had been hoping that she'd be awake and they could have a conversation.
But it amused him. The way she slept.

He had almost gone back to his cabin for a camera when he stopped at the door, thinking that she would definitely kill him for it.

Jinx stirred, stretching her arms, slapping Leo's face in the process. She shot up, bringing her hands back to her side.

He stifled a laugh, "this is nostalgic."

"Leo." She said, "Wonderful. My day is already at a good start." Leo heard the sarcasm, but didn't process it.

"I know. I'm just that great."

"What are you doing here?"

Leo laughed this time, "that's what I asked you last time!"

Jason poked his head inside, "hey, we're leaving."

Leo muttered an 'okay', he dug into his toolbelt, giving Jinx what he worked on all night.
"In case you get bored with Percy's sea brooding and Coach's yelling."

He handed it to her, nervous to see her reaction. She ran her fingers across the cool metal.
"What is it?"

"A metal airplane that just flies around, but it comes back no matter how far it's thrown."

He patiently watched as she tested it, throwing it as far as she could. It came back just like it said it would.
"It's like a boomerang." She muttered. "Cool."

"Very cool."

When the silence became too much for him, he said his goodbyes and walked out.

Frank and Jason waited for him at the pier he landed them on. Jason finished telling Frank something when he looked at Leo.

"Ready?"

"Not really," he laughed but really Leo was terrified of leaving his ship with Coach, Percy, and Jinx.

Poor Festus.

Jinx attempted to sleep again, but her eyes just kept springing back open. It was probably because Coach had dragged a chair into the stables and just stared at her intensely.

She heaved out a sigh, loud and long.
"Coach Hedge, I cannot focus on doing nothing if you insist on sitting there and watching me! It's creeping me out."

Percy walked in, figuring this is where he'd find them. "Annabeth and the others just left. I'm going to go into the harbor and try to talk to some Nereids." He said, "are you guys going to be alright?"

Jinx gave him a thumbs up, and Coach grunted in response.
He wasn't gone for long when they started arguing like a teenage daughter and their mother.

"I have no clothes! Let me just go into a store and get some."

"No. You will stay right here where I can see you."

Jinx threw the airplane, waiting for it to make its way back. "C'mon! I will be right back as soon as I get a few outfits!"

She didn't have cash, but she could just pull time around her and take what she needed.

Coach said a firm no.

"Coach, just let me out and I swear on River Styx that I'll come back." Jinx stood, "honest. I will."

Hedge checked the time on his non-existent watch. "Well, the Chuck Norris movie is about to start..."

"Yeah and you wouldn't want to miss it for the world."

"You better be back before the rest are."

"You got it!"

☁︎︎☁︎︎☁︎︎

Jinx stood in front of the store, faking an interest in the clothes in the window, while she focused on stopping time. When she did, she stepped inside and shuffled through clothes.

It's hot nowadays, being summer and all.

She grabbed whatever was in her size, months of clothing all piled into the bags.
Jinx was fond of her running shoes, they were black so they matched with everything she wore, therefore she didn't try picking out shoes.

Jinx stepped out of the store, walking a few blocks before she let go of her hold on time, she fiddled with the skull ring Nico gave her when he found her.

If she fed the skull's open mouth with a drop of blood, it'd turn into a sword. Something Nico thought would be useful. And it has been.

"Man, I really miss that dweeb." She murmured.

Jinx munched on a churro she took from a stand along with a packet of gum. She was going up the dock when she saw a stand off between Roman campers and the ones from the Greek ship.

She shouldered her bags, switching her gaze back and forth. Annabeth was the first one to notice her, and in a matter of seconds her face contorted into many different emotions.

From what Jinx could read, they were something like this 'What are you doing here! I thought Coach Hedge was watching you' to 'Roman soldiers, they want to kill us'

With the back of her hand, Jinx swiped off the sugar from the corners of her mouth.

"Now throw down your weapons, and turn around slowly so I can bind your hands." Octavian, the Roman that Jinx disliked, demanded.

Annabeth looked at her, probably telling her with her eyes to do something and help them out. But Jinx had to be on the boat before they arrived, or she'd break her promise.

There was only one thing she could do.