Will's Mortal Friends

Anger that even scared Us

Nico's POV

We tried to speak as little as possible on the way home. But it would be a long drive, a matter of days in Jasmine's horrible navigational sense.

"This is tense," Will muttered to me.

I nodded.

"Tell me the truth, did you even want to be my friend?" Jasmine asked to nobody specifically, but I didn't answer.

"Well, of course," Will nodded. "I'm a friendly guy."

"But you used me," Jasmine scowled. "I know it was your job, but that really hurts."

"Sorry for hurting your feelings," I scoffed quietly.

Jasmine pursed her lips. "I might not know any of you that well, but I still thought we'd be closer than this."

"But, we're not," I deadpanned.

"I understand-" Jasmine's tone was angry. I could feel the anger in her tone, and I gulped. Sometimes Hades scared me with that tone. "I'm trying to get an explanation, so I suggest you shut your mouth."

"Hey, let's be rational," Percy cut in.

Jasmine looked over for a split second, glaring into Percy's soul.

He blinked, his eyes wide.

"Jasmine-" Austin whispered from the front seat. "Please be calm. I know you just wanted to get to know us."

"Yeah, but that was abused," Jasmine scoffed. "I don't know why I want to try so hard to understand you guys. You're demigods, I'm a human. We're so different. I feel so stupid trying to feel like I belong."

Nobody responded to that.

"Despite that, I still want to help," Jasmine continued.

"We don't want your help-" I started.

"I know the kids in my school better than any of you ever would," Jasmine interrupted. "The faster you find the missing demigod, you leave, right? I can help you find them faster."

I thought about it. She was actually right about leaving sooner.

"That may be a good idea," Percy whispered to Will, who was in the middle seat in the back.

Will nodded, but a little hesitantly.

Jasmine smiled cruelly. "Idea."

"What?" Austin mumbled.

"I have an idea about finding the demigod," Jasmine clarified. "Y'all said something about Mist, right?"

"Yeah..." Percy nodded slowly.

"Only demigods can see through it, not mortals," Jasmine added. "If we bring in something only demigods could see, we'd find out who it is."

"True-" Will whispered. "That's actually a good idea."

"Thank you."

We didn't notice how slow Jasmine was going until someone behind us honked their car horn.

Jasmine looked out the window, seeing an teenage boy sticking out his middle finger towards her. "GO!" He screamed.

She responded by going a little faster, just about to the speed limit on a country road.

He honked many more times.

She rolled down her window in response. "SHUT UP!" She shouted to the teenager.

The guy didn't like that.

He must've had some pretty bad road rage, because he rear-ended us. Jasmine flew forward in her seat, as did the rest of us. Her face turned visbly more red, the corner of her lip twitching like it did when she was angry.

"Son of a-" She didn't finish that sentence, since she didn't usually like cussing. "Will, can you get my broom?"

"Sure." Will said that like it was a normal instance.

"Broom?" I mouthed at my boyfriend.

He pulled out a bright green broom from the trunk, handing it to Jasmine.

She suddenly hit the brakes, causing us to fly forward yet again. Car wars were getting intense at that point.

The guy behind us stopped driving, because he must've gotten the air bag go off.

He stepped out of his car, and so did we.

Jasmine ran toward shim, an angry expression on her face.

"What were you doing?!" The guy yelled at her.

"What were you doing?!" Jasmine yelled back.

She held her broom in her hand, as if it were a sword or something.

"Wait, Jeremy?" Percy blinked, recognizing the guy. "Son of Ares?"

The guy nodded.

"You're the son of Ares?" Jasmine gritted her teeth at him. "Explains the road rage."

"Who are you?" Jeremy was disgusted with her.

"Jasmine," Jasmine sniggered. "What's your excuse?"

"Huh?"

"Why'd you want me to go faster so much? Just pass me," She scoffed.

"I'm not a very good driver," Jeremy hissed at her.

"That's not an excuse-" Jasmine said snarkily. "I'm not a very good driver either. That doesn't give you any right to rear end me."

"You made me crash into yoru car!" Jeremy screeched. "What's your excuse?!"

"Revenge."

"Nemesis kid?" He narrowed his eyes on her.

She shook her head. "Not a demigod."

"Wha-"

"No time to explain," I said quickly. "We should get going. Where are we?"

"Still Colorado," Jasmine mumbled.

"I thought you didn't know where we were," Percy's eyes widened.

"I have a great navigational compass," Jasmine sneered. "You're too quick to assume things."

We hopped back into the car, leaving a, angry Ares kid with a non-functioning vehicle.

"That was a little cruel," Austin told her.

"And?"

"Don't treat an Ares kid like that," Will added. "And definitely don't use your broom."

"What's so special about her broom?" I scowled.

"Have you ever seen someone get a concussion from getting hit in the head with a broom?"

"No?"

"I have," Will shuddered. "Never get in between a girl and her broom on the football field, especially when Jasmine's the cheerleader tossing it."

I sat back in my seat, thinking I'd never hear something like that in my life.

Jasmine shoved the broom back into the trunk, starting to drive again.

"That was fun," Percy mumbled.

Jasmine snickered. "Yes, it certainly was."

Jasmine was starting to scare me a little bit.