[1] 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 , p. jackson

viii. ouma has a burning secret

CHAPTER EIGHT ───────────
✧₊˚｡({ OUMA HAS A BURNING SECRET })

"  i know places     TAYLOR SWIFT  "

{ ROMA }
JUNE 20TH,  2010
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THE MOMENT THE QUESTERS ENTER the convenience store━safe for most of the contents in Roma's stomach━a bright fluorescent light flickers on, bathing the interior of the store in a yellowy haze. Roma scowls at the ground, not giving a second glance to the odd items that clutter the shelves and tables in the store. She ignores Hazel and Frank who give her concerned looks and takes the weight of Percy from Hazel's grip, trying to give herself some sort of distraction from the sickly aftertaste in her mouth and the embarrassment of vomiting in front of people.

   Mistake. He's fucking heavy. She's (regrettably) five-foot-three and basically shorter than literally everyone she's ever met━not Hazel, though, thank the gods. He practically towers over her and she scowls at him instead of the ground.

   His head lolls to the side as he tries to blink away the black spots in his vision. "S-sit down," he mumbles. "Maybe water."

   Roma rolls her eyes but nods nevertheless. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," she mutters, trying to ignore the annoying flute music in the background and her arms straining already.

   The thingamabobs around the shop make her scrunch her nose. Clutter is just everywhere and it reminds her of her mom who was obsessed with collecting anything she could━seashells, marbles, baseball cards, even fucking sticks! She said they looked interesting and you never know when you could see an interesting-looking stick again.

   Roma spots a white seashell necklace that eerily looks like the one her mom used to wear. It's tied with black string and sits on a stand with multiple other assorted necklaces that look like they'd been made by four-year-olds at kindergarten. She frowns and tilts her head at it. Odd.

   She hesitates for a moment and then plucks the necklace from the stand, holding it in her free hand.

   The group makes their way through a couple of Neptune fountain statues and suddenly a short, muscular, teenage girl appears in front of them with a curious smile. Her yellow t-shirt is the first thing Roma notices. R.O.F.L. Rainbow Organic Food & Lifestyle reads the shirt. "Help you?" she asks.

   Frank squeals in surprise and tries to run backwards but only succeeds in knocking over one of the statues. The head of one of the Neptune's cracks off and slowly rolls away in despair, water spraying from the spout in his neck. Roma snickers, readjusting Percy in her grip.