A Half-Bloods Nightmare ~ Percy Jackson Fanfiction

To Drink Or Not To Drink ~ Ch8

The white toga went great with my skin tone.
I lovingly gazed at my hand and arm, watching the golden ring on my middle finger trail down to my wrist and glint in the sunlight. I smelt like berries and my hair felt curlier than usual with much more volume. Everyone around me on this elegant boat couldn't compare to me. While the girls makeup was smudged in the heat that forced their skin to sweat and plaster their hair to their neck. I was cool and fresh. Not a single flaw within me.

Even the guys were hot. Every single one was perfect, sharp jaw lines, straight noses, soft hair, and tall in height. "Wine? Ma'am" a waiter asks, holding a tray out. I look at him innocently as if the drink never touched my lips before. But both you and I know that that's a lie.

I chuckle, "Oh yes, that would be pleasant." He holds the glass out for me. For a moment everything that had happened in the beach house had vanished from my mind. I had no worries and I was instead spoiled by strangers, if anything this was perfect. But anxiety joined me and played with my mind as I heard, "Hi sweetie!"

Fear chilled me and goosebumps ran up my arm. The memory of the voice, the voice that sounded so staticky in my mind as it did on the computer. The wine glass grew heavy and I slowly turned around, knowing exactly what I was going to face.

"Ava! Ava! Can. You. Hear. Me?" My father says once more. My eyes grow wide in worry and fright as I see them in front of me, in the same clothes that are now wet and bloody. My mothers wet face turns concerned, "Ava, have you been drinking wine again?" She says.

My fingers instinctively curl and the glass I hold flys to the floor, blood colored wine spreads along the floor mixing with watery blood. I wince at the sight of the wet toga but I ignore what I have on, I shake my head and look down, "I'm sorry..." I whisper, tears pouring out, "I'm so sorry that I didn't warn you."

My fathers wet curls cover his forehead and he looks at my mother, "I'm telling you, it's your fault she's like this." I sob and look into my fathers eyes, but rather than warmth, rather than the acknowledgment that I'm there, I stare into eyes of the dead. He looks at me like I'm a wall.

"I should have told you!" I drop to my knees, because I know that if I didn't then I'd fall straight down anyway. People around me talk as if nothing strange happened, like getting dead visitors on the ship was usual routine. "Young lady!" My mother scolds looking around at the boat, "How-how many times have I told you to stop with that habit?!"

I stare at my hands soaking in the bloody wine as the memory comes back to me.

"Don't be such a prude!" Bailey berates, pushing Ava slightly on her queen sized bed. "Ava, we both know that you have been wanting to try wine for years now, now here is your chance" Bailey holds out the bottle pushing her hay colored hair back. Ava bites her lip as temptation threatens to overpower her.

Ava puts her hand on her arm bashfully, "I-I don't know. Wine is a form of alcohol and according to scientific research wine can cause Alzheimer's disease, alcoholism, cirrhosis of the liver, and oral bacteria..." Ava would have continued but Bailey gave her a dumb look. Bailey rolls her eyes and scoffs, "Drink Ava, or I'll tell Dawson Feller that you stalk him on Instagram."

Ava bit her lip, she knew that Bailey would tell, she was just that kind of person. And it wasn't even stalking, she just liked his pictures. "Okay fine" Ava holds out her hand reluctantly. They placed the bottle firmly on the bed as Bailey pulled the cork out with a corkscrew. With a pop, the smell of sour grapes was in the air and Ava smiles at it hungrily. Bailey knits her eyebrows, confused, "Woah Ava...calm down, your eyes look weird."

But Ava didn't seem to hear as she instantly pulled the heavy bottle up. The unfamiliar taste was new, Ava tried not to cough out the contents in her mouth as she drunk heavily. The only reason she stopped was because Bailey pulled the bottle away. "You never share!" Bailey rolls her eyes.