DON'T BLAME ME! (p. jackson) (#2) (ON HOLD)

- eleven

FRANK STOOD OVER THEM. HE WAS TERRIFIED, AS IF HE'D FOUND THEIR DEAD BODIES.

"what...?" percy rubbed his eyes. "oh, we just fell asleep."

frank swallowed. he was dressed in running shoes, sweatpants, and a camp jupiter sweater. he averted his eyes as if the sight of them together might burn him.

"everyone thinks you've been kidnapped," he said. "we've been scouring the ship. when coach hedge finds out—oh, gods, you've been here all night?"

"frank!" rose's ears were as red as strawberries. "really, we just came down here to talk, and happened to fall asleep."

"kissed a couple of times," percy said.

rose elbowed him. "not helping!"

"we'd better..." frank pointed to the stable doors. "oh, we're supposed to meet for breakfast. would you explain what you did—i mean didn't do? i mean... i really don't want that faun—i mean satyr—to kill me."

frank ran.

when everyone finally gathered in the mess hall, it wasn't quite as bad as frank had feared. jason and piper were mostly relieved. leo couldn't stop grinning and muttering, "classic. classic." after about four times of him doing that, rose grabbed a magazine and smacked him with it, effectively shutting him up.

naturally, coach hedge went ballistic; but percy found it hard to take the satyr seriously since he was barely five feet tall.

"never in my life!" coach bellowed, waving his bat and knocking over a plate of apples. "against the rules! irresponsible!"

"coach," rose said, "it was an accident. we were talking, and we fell asleep."

"besides," percy said, "you're starting to sound like terminus."

hedge narrowed his eyes. "is that an insult, jackson? 'cause i'll—i'll terminus you, buddy!"

percy tried not to laugh. "it won't happen again, coach. i promise. now, don't we have other things to discuss?"

hedge fumed. "fine! but i'm watching you, jackson. and you, rosalie hart, i thought— no, i know you have more sense—"

"stop talking," rose said, and suddenly coach hedge couldn't speak.

jason cleared his throat. "so grab some food, everybody. let's get started."

the meeting was like a war council with donuts. then again, back at camp half-blood they used to have their most serious discussions around the ping-pong table in the rec room with crackers and cheez whiz, so rose felt right at home.

she told them about her dream—the twin giants planning a reception for them in an underground parking lot with rocket launchers; nico di angelo trapped in a bronze jar, slowly dying from asphyxiation with pomegranate seeds at his feet.

hazel choked back a sob. "nico... oh, gods. the seeds."

"you know what they are?" annabeth asked.

hazel nodded. "he showed them to me once. they're from our stepmother's garden."

"your step... oh," percy said. "you mean persephone."

"the seeds are a last-resort food," hazel said. rose could tell she was nervous, because all the silverware on the table was starting to move toward her. "only children of hades can eat them. nico always kept some in case he got stuck somewhere. but if he's really imprisoned—"

"the giants are trying to lure us," annabeth said. "they're assuming we'll try to rescue him."

"well, they're right!" hazel looked around the table, her confidence apparently crumbling. "won't we?"